Not that it was necessary, but Georgia Tech guard Adam Smith confirmed his 3-point shooting prowess Thursday night, winning a 3-point shooting contest over seven of the best collegiate perimeter shooters in the country in Cypress, Texas, near the site of the Final Four.
Smith beat Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell in the final of the eight-man event, scoring 23 points out of a possible 30 to Ferrell’s 16. Smith caught fire in the semifinal, at one point making 17 consecutive 3-pointers and scoring 26 points. Smith and Ferrell were roommates for the event.
“I was like, Man, if I lose, I’m not going to hear the end of it,” Smith told Tech’s website.
Smith led the ACC with 3.03 3-pointers per game, 25th in the country. His total of 109 3-pointers for the season is third highest in school history. After Tech's NIT win over Houston, Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson praised Smith for his ability to make contested shots after he scored 20 point, including 3-for-6 from 3-point range.
" He took shots that, the only other guy I've seen make shots like that is Steph Curry ," Sampson said.
It was a fitting prize for Smith, who has honed his stroke with daily workouts in which he takes as many as 500 shots in a session. To prepare for the contest, Smith simulated the contest format with trainer Dorian Lee and had four sessions before leaving for Houston. It proved fruitful.
“I don’t even own a trophy that big, so it’s great to take that back home to Georgia Tech,” he said.
Smith is the second Tech player to win the event, following Tony Akins in 2002.
