The 'cleanup guy' ready to elevate Auburn basketball

AUBURN | Need blocks? He was sixth in the country last season averaging 3.0 per game. Rebounds? He snatched 222 last year.

LaRon Smith even plans to unleash a jump hook on the SEC he’s modeled after one of the NBA’s all-time greats.

“That’s my game, jump hook, finish, dunk around the rim. I’m the cleanup guy,” said Smith, who joined Auburn as a graduate transfer in May. “I anticipate missed shots and I come back and do the put-back dunk. You beat your man, my man helps, you dish it to me and I got you a dunk. That’s what I do.

“And I love to block shots.”

The 6-foot-8 Smith takes shot blocking seriously and likes to study his opponents. When a guard penetrates or a big man gets the ball in the post, Smith wants to know their tendencies.

Smith, who shot .585 from the field as a junior at Bethune-Cookman, found early success from a jump hook. He’s gone back and studied film of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose hook shot helped him become a 19-time NBA all-star, six-time NBA MVP and six-time NBA champion.

“I can make a jump hook from the free throw line,” Smith said. “In conference last year I shot (.611) percent and didn't take a jump shot. They were all jump hooks.”

Smith has been working to improve in two important areas since arriving at Auburn. He’s worked hard off the court to add size and strength to his frame — he was listed at 215 last season — and to improve his free throw shooting on the court.

“I know I can score the ball but if I get fouled I want to make sure I can knock down the free throws and not be a liability in any aspect of the game,” said Smith, who shot .265 from the charity stripe last season.

“I’ve definitely improved shooting free throws. I’ve been working with Chuck (Person). He’s the Rifleman. He changed my form and everything. He recorded my form and showed me the changes. I’m taking steps in the right direction. I’m hitting 80 free throws out of 100 now. Hopefully it transitions to the game.”

As far as his weight goes, Smith said he’s closing in on an important goal.

“I really don’t want to expose exactly what I weigh because I have a goal, which is 225, and I’m almost there and when I get there I’m going to tell everybody,” he said. “I feel like 225 is a great playing weight where I can still keep my athletic ability in jumping and running the floor.

“I don’t want to get too big. I want to be able to run the floor and tire out the big guys in the SEC.”

The reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year has a similar goal for his one season at Auburn.

“I had a goal at Bethune Cookman, I wrote it down and told Coach I wanted to get defensive player of the year. That’s what I worked for and this year I’m trying to do the same thing,” Smith said. “I’m going to try and get as many rebounds as I can, as many blocks as I can, try to get some steals and put myself in the right position to be voted Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’m going to get it but I’m going to tell you right now, whoever gets it will have to work really hard because I’m coming after him.”

Smith started his career at Georgia State, transferring to Bethune-Cookman before the Panthers had their stunning comeback to upset Baylor in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Smith is determined to make March Madness a part of his final season of college basketball and return Auburn to the Tournament for the first time in 14 year.

“That’s everybody’s main goal — March Madness. I just want to be a part of that environment,” he said. “You don’t have too many years to play basketball so you got to make the best of it.”