Forestview guard commits to North Carolina

Shannon Smith found it easy to connect with North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Rhyne Hatchell.

They talked about Tony's Ice Cream.

Hatchell, one of Gastonia's most famous natives, offered a scholarship to her hometown's most well-known high school basketball player Monday, and Smith needed no time to think about it.

The Forestview point guard and rising senior immediately accepted the offer, issuing a spoken commitment that won't become binding until she signs a national letter of intent on Nov. 11.

"I love the coaching staff and the campus - it's one of the best campuses I've been to ever," Smith said. "The coaching staff is friendly. It's like a big family up there."

Hatchell is undoubtedly more familiar with Smith's hometown than any other coach recruiting her. Hatchell grew up in west Gastonia and graduated from Hunter Huss High School in 1970. Her ties to the area - and her affinity for Tony's Ice Cream, the popular downtown Gastonia eatery - gave Hatchell a topic of conversation with Smith if nothing else.

Smith, the 2009 Gazette player of the year, traveled to Chapel Hill for an unofficial campus visit Monday. By the end of the day, she had more in common with Hatchell: she was a Tar Heel. Smith said she had previously received offers from West Virginia, Cincinnati, UNC Greensboro, Florida Atlantic and USC Upstate. Michigan State also showed heavy interest.

"I was excited. I was very excited," Smith said no more than two hours after making her commitment Monday afternoon. "It's one of the top programs in the country."

North Carolina finished 28-7 last season after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels were a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament this past season after earning No. 1 seeds the previous four years.

The 5-foot-7 Smith believes she'll fit in well with North Carolina's up-tempo style. She had already participated in the Tar Heels' elite camp earlier in the summer, where she "blew everybody away," according to her high school coach.

After the camp, Hatchell called Forestview coach Ken Beaty asking for more information on his star player. Hatchell told Beaty that she planned to sign two point guards from the Class of 2010, but that Smith wasn't on the coaching staff's top-two list before the camp. After that phone call, Beaty had a feeling Smith would move up the list and win a scholarship.

"I was tickled to death," Beaty said of Monday's news. "I almost had tears in my eyes when she told me."

Smith averaged 26.3 points and 6.6 assists last season, helping Forestview reach the 3A state championship game. She was named Big South 3A/4A Conference player of the year after leading the Jaguars to their third straight conference title. Forestview finished with a 27-5 record after losing 60-58 to Greensboro Dudley in the state title game. She played particularly well in the playoffs, scoring 40 in the sectional final against Hickory and 34 in the regional final against Concord.

She set a school record with 841 points this past season, putting her fourth in Gaston County history. Her 1,657 career points rank 11th in the county record book and third in school history.

Smith plans to make her official campus visit in September.

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.