2008-09 Women's Basketball Roster
Bianca Smith
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 5-9
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Missouri City, Texas
- High School:
- Bellaire
One of the most dangerous deep threats in the Big 12, Bianca Smith has a sweet stroke keyed by a quick release and a no fear attitude when the defensive pressure is on. Only one CU player, Kate Fagan, has made more 3-pointers in a two-year span that Smith's 143 from 2007-09 (Fagan had 149 from 2002-04). Smith enters her senior year fifth on CU's career charts for 3-pointers made (175) and attempted (474) and is on pace to join the 1,000 point club, entering the season with 753. She originally signed with the University of Tulsa, but decided to come to Colorado after Kathy McConnell-Miller and her staff arrived in Boulder.
2008-09 (Junior-Redshirt): Named one of three captains for the 2008-09 season, Smith averaged 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds, starting all 29 games. She was CU's top 3-point shooter and also ranked among the best in the Big 12 Conference. Smith nailed 63 of 165 attempts from downtown, both team highs. She was second in the Big 12 in 3-point accuracy at 38.2 percent and her 2.2 3-pointers per game ranked third among all league players. Smith had one of the most memorable stretches in team history in January making 20-of-33 (.606) over a four-game span. During that four-game run, Smith twice tied the school record for 3-pointers made in a game (7) and in one half (5), a feat she actually accomplished once as a sophomore as well. After making 5-of-8 from 3-point range against No. 3 (AP)/2 (WBCA) ranked Oklahoma (1/21), Smith achieved the first of her record nights by hitting 7-of-11 at Missouri (1/24), scoring a season-high 25 points. Two games later, she virtually duplicated her performance draining 7-of-10 against Nebraska (1/31), finishing with 21 points in front of a national television audience. It was the seventh time a CU player has made seven 3-pointers in one game, with Smith doing it three of those occasions. In all Smith had five games with five or more 3-pointers and made 50 percent or better in nine contests including a 6-for-7 performance at Hawaii, a career best in terms of accuracy. She was named to the Paradise Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 14 points and five rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field (10-of-20). She was third on the team in rebounding at 4.1 per game, a substantial improvement from her career 1.7 average entering her junior year. Smith had six or more rebounds in nine games including a career high 12 - all defensive - against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (12/2), her first career double-digit rebounding total.
2007-08 (Sophomore-Redshirt): Smith ranked third on the team in scoring at just a tad under 10 points per game. She established new single-season school records by hitting 80 3-point field goals on 217 attempts. Her 80 3-pointers broke Kate Fagan's old mark of 79 set in 2003-04. Her 257 attempts were well ahead of Mandy Nightingale's previous record of 191 set in 2001-02. Only one CU player - former All-American Shelley Sheetz - made more 3-pointers in her first two seasons than Smith's 112 (Sheetz had 128 from 1991-93). Smith tied three different school 3-point records and scored a career-best 26 points during CU's 67-52 win over her home state school Texas (2/16). She tied school marks for 3-pointers made in one game with seven and also 3-pointers made and attempted in one half by hitting 5-of-9 in the first 20 minutes. Smith ranked fourth in the Big 12 in 3-pointers made (2.4 mpg) and in 3-point percentage (.369). She earned Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors on Dec. 10 after averaging 19 points on 57 percent shooting in back-to-back wins over ranked opponents. Smith had 16 points with four 3-pointers and three assists in CU's 69-55 win over No. 22(AP)/21(WBCA) Wyoming (12/5). She backed up that performance with a then-career high 22 points with four 3-pointers and three rebounds in the Buffaloes' 62-51 win at No. 20/17 Vanderbilt (12/9). CU's Most Improved Player Award winner, Smith was also solid from the free-throw line making a team-best 85.7 percent on the season.
2006-07 (Freshman-Redshirt): Smith was one of just five CU players that participated in all 30 games in 2006-07. She ranked 14th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal accuracy at 34.8 percent (32-of-92) and her 32 3-pointers were the sixth most by a freshman in the Big 12, and the most at CU since Emily Waner had 51 in 2003-04. She scored a career-high 18 points on a team-season best five 3-point field goals in the home win over Iowa State (1/10). Overall Smith ranked fifth on the team in scoring at 5.1 points per game and was also fifth in assists with 35. She made 13 starts as a first year player and became increasingly more accurate from the free throw stripe as the season moved along. After hitting just 4-of-11 (.364) through the first 23 games of the season, she hit 12 of her last 13 (.923) including four straight in the closing minutes of CU's home win over Kansas (2/24).
2005-06 (Freshman): Smith sat out the 2005-06 season as a redshirt in the Colorado basketball program. She participated in practice and conditioning all season and helped the Buffs prepare for opponents as a scout player.
High School: Smith is a 2005 graduate of Bellaire High School where she was a four-year letter winner as a guard/forward. She earned District MVP and first team all-district honors as a senior, leading Bellaire to a 36-5 record and averaging 18.5 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. Over her four-year prep career, Bellaire was a whopping 114-23. Smith averaged 15.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game as a junior and averaged 12 points over her first two seasons. She won an AAU national championship with the Houston Elite club program. Smith's high school honors include being named a Houston Girls Athlete of the Week.
Academics: Smith is a double major in marketing and sociology at Colorado and is on track to graduate with her degree in May 2010. She lists the biggest moment of her high school career as being accepted into the CU School of Business.
Personal: Bianca Ivy Smith was born July 25, 1987, in Houston. She is the daughter of Nina and Johnnie Jackson of Houston and Irvin Smith of Marietta, Ga. She has one step sister, Heather. Her step-father Johnnie played football for the University of Houston and the San Francisco 49ers for five years, helping the 49ers to a NFL title in Super Bowl XXIV. Her hobbies include playing the guitar and she hopes to own her own sports franchise or business some day.
| Overall |
GP-S |
Min |
Avg |
FG |
FGA |
Pct |
3FG |
3FGA |
Pct |
FT |
FTA |
Pct |
| 2006-07 |
30-13 |
470 |
15.7 |
52 |
164 |
.317 |
32 |
92 |
.348 |
16 |
24 |
.667 |
| 2007-08 |
34-14 |
856 |
25.2 |
109 |
304 |
.359 |
80 |
217 |
.369 |
36 |
42 |
.857 |
| 2008-09 |
29-29 |
848 |
29.2 |
89 |
233 |
.382 |
63 |
165 |
.382 |
26 |
33 |
.788 |
| Totals |
93-56 |
2174 |
23.4 |
250 |
701 |
.357 |
175 |
474 |
.369 |
78 |
99 |
.788 |
| Overall |
OReb |
DReb |
TOT |
Avg |
PF |
FO |
A |
TO |
BK |
S |
Pts |
Avg |
| 2006-07 |
7 |
41 |
48 |
1.6 |
55 |
0 |
35 |
43 |
4 |
16 |
152 |
5.1 |
| 2007-08 |
13 |
50 |
63 |
1.9 |
66 |
1 |
53 |
63 |
3 |
23 |
334 |
9.8 |
| 2008-09 |
5 |
114 |
119 |
4.1 |
86 |
1 |
47 |
63 |
4 |
34 |
267 |
9.2 |
| Totals |
25 |
205 |
230 |
2.5 |
207 |
2 |
135 |
169 |
11 |
73 |
753 |
8.1 |
