By Justin Felder - bio | email
MULLINS, SC (WMBF) - If you go to a Mullins basketball game, fans of all ages know WMBF News Athlete of the Week Eric Smith by name, and for good reason.
"It makes me feel like a superstar," Smith said. "I don't let my head get too big."
Smith is one of the big reasons the Mullins Auctioneers are a game away from a Class 2A State Title. The junior is already committed to play college basketball at the University of South Carolina, and opponents see a big bullseye on his jersey.
"A lot of guys are out there to show they're as good as me, just to show me up," Smith commented. "That's a way for other guys to step up, an opening for them to step up."
His coach agrees.
"It's a different kind of pressure when you're expected to win every game, and he's expected to play well every game," said Mullins head coach Mark Gerald. "You just work as hard as you can. Usually things turn out well when he plays."
While Smith is known for impressive passes and an ability to score at will, he thinks it's the other side of the ball that will be key when Mullins faces Southside for the 2A crown.
"We have to really commit to playing defense if we want to win," he said. "They have a real good team, a lot of scorers. They're just as good as us, so we really have to lock down on defense."
©2009 WMBF News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WMBF, a Raycom Media Station.
