Joya Smith, a 6-foot-0 forward from Paducah, Kentucky, has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play basketball at Eastern Kentucky University, Head Coach Chrissy Roberts announced today.
Smith spent the past two seasons at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining starting with the 2017-18 campaign.
“Joya will bring tons of experience to a very young team,” Roberts said. “She has the capability of playing several positions because of her basketball IQ and scoring abilities. We are expecting Joya to be a valuable assets on both ends of the floor.”
As a sophomore in 2016-17, Smith averaged 7.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from the field. She also contributed 2.8 blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Smith ranked seventh in the nation with 84 blocks last season.
Smith finished with a season-best 15 points and a season-high 20 rebounds against Jefferson on Feb. 11. She connected on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, grabbed 10 offensive boards and blocked four shots.
She scored 10 or more points in a game on eight occasions and reached double figures for rebounds seven times. Smith had 15 rebounds and blocked a season-high nine shots at Arkansas State Mid-South on Feb. 13.
As a freshman in 2015-16, Smith averaged 4.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.7 assists per game. She finished 12th in the nation with 73 total blocks.
Smith was a three-time all-district honoree while playing at Paducah Tilghman High School. She was also an honorable mention All-Purchase selection as a senior in 2015. Smith blocked more than 200 shots during her prep career.
— www.EKUSports.com —
Kevin Britton
Assistant Athletics Director for Communications & Branding
