Florida Gatorade Player of the Year 2000 – Nick Smith
Ah yes, there is a contingency of Illinois basketball fans who don’t know Nick Smith more than the generic name. But a lot of fans growing up with the Illini knew him simply as, “The Chainsaw.”
Smith hailed from the state of Florida where he tore up the basketball court for Bloomingdale High School. The Valrico, Florida native averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds as a senior, and this enabled him to take home the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2000.
A Lon Kruger recruit, Smith stayed strong with his commitment to the Illini despite Kruger heading to the Atlanta Hawks for a short stint. Smith would spend five seasons in Champaign, one as a redshirt and four playing, and would be a solid backup during his career.
The best season for Smith came in 2003-04 when he averaged 6.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Illinois had a great run in the time Smith was on the court as well.
Illinois would make the NCAA tournament all four seasons, advance to the second round once, the Sweet 16 two times and they made the national title in Smith’s final season with the program. This former Florida Gatorade Player of the Year didn’t put up huge numbers, but he will always have a special player in Illini fan’s hearts.