Men's Basketball 2/7/2023 10:00:00 AM

Radford's DaQuan Smith and Shane Nichols Reunite an Old Connection

RADFORD, Va. — Radford assistant coach Shane Nichols was part of two NCAA Tournament teams at Murray State. Before joining the Radford staff, he helped build the Racers into one of the top mid-major programs in America.

So as Radford was trying to build their roster for the future, it was only fitting that Nichols reunite with his former guard DaQuan Smith.

Smith has been one of the most reliable players for the Highlanders this season, leading the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game. He came to the New River City after four years at Murray State, where he played under the tutelage of Nichols, then an assistant for the Racers and now working under his brother Darris, the Highlanders' head coach.

"I always thought [Smith] was a good defensive player, a high-energy guy," Nichols said. "He was about the right things on and off the court. I just figured he would be a great asset to bring and build with."

Over the offseason, Darris Nichols emphasized that he wanted to recruit players from winning programs in the transfer portal.

Well, Smith did a whole lot of winning at Murray State. In four years, the Racers won three Ohio Valley Conference regular season championships and two tournament championships. Last year, Murray became the sixth OVC team ever to go undefeated in conference play.

"I know I can kinda help my teammates out because I've been to the NCAA Tournament, I've been undefeated in conference before," Smith added. "I just know how it goes. I know the way around everything in college basketball."

There were, however, setbacks along the way. As a freshman, Smith broke his ankle and was limited to just three games. "It slowed me down a lot," Smith said of the injury. "Coming into college, I was expected to play. To break my ankle, that was like my first real injury. I had never broken a bone before."

"The main thing with me was mentally — I was kinda up-and-down, like a rollercoaster."

While Smith started almost every game his sophomore year, he was relegated to a bench role the next two seasons. He wasn't getting the opportunities he wanted — as a senior, he averaged less than 13 minutes per game — so he wanted to look elsewhere. In March of 2022, Smith entered the transfer portal.

Soon after, Shane Nichols came calling.

Nichols had just finished up his first season as an assistant on Radford's staff, having teamed up with Darris, who accepted the head coaching job in April of 2021. It was good timing: Shane had won three straight conference titles at Murray and he was looking for a new challenge. The opportunity to coach with his brother was one he did not pass up.

"I thought it would be cool to coach with your brother in your hometown with your family still around," Nichols said. "Being at different places throughout your career, you're always looking for new challenges and different things that can propel your career. I just thought it was time."

Smith, meanwhile, had a far more circuitous route to Radford. He grew up in Holly Springs, Mississippi, a small town of about 6,500 near the Tennessee border. In high school, he had a breakout summer on the Adidas circuit, scoring 48 points in a game once. That was when several Division I coaches — including Nichols — started to contact him.

"When I first reached out to him, he never answered the phone," Nichols said laughing. "I circled back later on in the fall. We got him up on a visit [to Murray State], and he and his mom, they loved it."

The pair kept a tight relationship, and eventually Smith committed, signing early in the fall of 2017. In doing so, he joined a Murray State program that under head coach Matt McMahon had established itself as a perennial powerhouse in the OVC. Just a year later, the Memphis Grizzlies would select Racers' guard Ja Morant as the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Unfortunately, the combination of injuries and playing behind more experienced players made it harder for Smith to contribute to that winning culture. That doesn't mean his decision to transfer was easy — he had grown to love Murray, and Radford was a 10-hour drive from his hometown. But the bond he had built with Nichols was enough to sell him on a new beginning.

"Coach Shane had been recruiting me since high school so I knew the type of bond we had," Smith said. "He always took care of me. I knew coming here would be a great decision."

Indeed it has. This season, Smith has put up career numbers and is one of three Highlanders this year to average double-figures. He is also shooting nearly 40% from three, up from 32% in his time at Murray, an improvement that he attributes to better shot selection.

"It's more confidence," Smith said. "I'm taking great shots and as a result I'm shooting a higher percentage. Just a lot of reps in the gym."

Nichols noted the same thing: confidence. It's a quality that Smith exudes.

"He played at Murray but he had limited opportunities," Nichols noted. "So to play a little bit more free and bring some leadership, being on teams that won three straight championships, you see and experience things that you can bring value to other guys on the team."

Over time, the pair has grown even closer. The running joke at Murray State was that Smith was Nichols' son: they were always in the office together, watching film or sitting around joking.

"I've got that relationship where I can be hard on him, but also take a step back and laugh and joke and not take anything personal," Nichols said. "Just having that personal relationship over the years was a big factor in [him] coming here."

"Coach Shane is like a father figure to me," Smith said. "He's always been in my corner, helping me get better, even when he left to go to Radford and I was still at Murray State. He's taught me so much."

"That's my pops."

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#1 DaQuan Smith: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#1 DaQuan Smith
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: G

Players Mentioned

#1 DaQuan Smith

Players Mentioned

#1 DaQuan Smith