Kenny Smith is a two-time NBA champion and the star of TNT’s hit show, “Inside the NBA.”
To Trey Dickerson, he’s much more — Smith is the reason the Queens point guard is headed to Murray State.
Dickerson, a speedy and skilled lead guard, was struggling academically at Christ the King and battling the pitfalls that come with growing up in South Jamaica, Queens.
“He felt the best thing for me was to be away,” recalled Dickerson, who met Smith when he was in the fifth grade through a mutual friend. “He set everything up for me.”
Smith got Dickerson on scholarship into Montclair Prep, a strict boarding school in Los Angeles. He was suddenly living on his own, forced to grow up quickly. His focus sharpened, on the court and off.
“When I got out there, you were trapped in the school. You couldn’t leave campus, you were just focused on school and basketball,” he said. “That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Dickerson and Smith still talk regularly, about once a week. Clippers forward Lamar Odom, a family friend, has also served a mentor role, along with former Montclair Prep assistant coach Segun Oduolowu, who ran Smith’s AAU program, Aim High, at the time.
“I had people really pushing me,” Dickerson said.
Montclair Prep’s athletic program was shut down prior to Dickerson’s senior season, so he transferred to Price High School, leading the Los Angeles school to the state championship game. Dickerson fell short of a qualifying SAT score and spent much of the past year at God’s Academy, a prep school in Texas. He played on the team there and produced a qualifying score.
“I went a long route,” Dickerson said. “To hear I was cleared to play Division I was great.”
Dickerson quickly signed with the Racers, choosing the Ohio Valley Conference program that never left his side over LSU, Auburn and Arkansas. Dickerson has been told playing time is available immediately, as defending OVC regular-season champion Murray State graduated top scorers Isaiah Canaan, Stacy Wilson and Ed Daniel.
It all began after his freshman year at Christ the King, when Smith stuck out his neck for Dickerson.
* Sophomore forward Jessie Govan of St. Mary’s of Manhasset — the alma mater of Spurs star Danny Green — added offers from Arizona, Miami and Cincinnati this past week.
* St John’s offered Bishop Loughlin junior and New York Lightning standout Mike Williams, and elite 7-foot sophomore center Stephen Zimmerman of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, joining the likes of Kentucky and Ohio State, among others.
Archbishop Molloy guard C.J. Davis, Don Bosco Prep and New Heights guard Paul Jorgensen, Holy Cross guard Jermaine Bishop and Iona Prep guard Ty Jerome attended Columbia’s Elite Camp on Monday.
Iona Prep sharpshooter Matt Ryan will visit Boston College, Boston University, Holy Cross and Harvard this weekend.