Athlete of the Issue

By Maegan Green

Ramon Smith (’12) is a starter at the guard position for the men’s basketball team. Smith averages 9.7 points per game and leads the Blazers in free throws, having made 71 of 106 attempts this season.

The Blazers recently went on the road to defeat the Salisbury Sea Gulls in overtime 58 – 49.  The victory secured a playoff spot for Hood, eliminating Salisbury from the CAC tournament.

“I was very productive and learned a lot from this team,” said Smith, who previously attended Gannon University.

“I would say that the most rewarding thing about being on this team for me is the discipline,” said Smith.  “I have learned to be a more patient person.”

Smith has been playing basketball since he was eight years old.  “My father introduced the game to me,” said Smith.  “He is my biggest inspiration.”

Smith enjoys the competitive nature of basketball.  “It brings out the best in your abilities and it helps you break down barriers,” he said.

In the regular season, Smith scored a total of 213 points and made eight three-pointers.  He was also productive defensively, recording a total of 24 steals and seven blocks. He started in 13 of the 22 games he played this season

The most difficult thing about competing for Smith is battling injuries, because he tore a couple of ligaments in his ankle last July.

“I enjoy playing the guard position, because I’m not big enough to play on the inside, but I’m slightly taller than the average guard, so that gives me a slight advantage,” said Smith.

One thing that Smith likes about Hood is its proximity to his hometown of Dumfries,Va., which is only about an hour away from campus.

Smith is a management major and a computer science minor with an information systems concentration. “I would like to work in network security or be an Information Technology project manager,” he said. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games and spending time with his family.