By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Hundreds of early mornings and late nights, arriving before practice to get in extra shots and leaving late to get in more. Countless hours of individual skill work in the Hooper Eblen Center and training in the weight room, typically with no one around to see. Three years of constant grit, grind and determination.

All of that hard work and sacrifice is something that just comes with the territory for Tennessee Tech men's basketball senior Maverick Smith. Naturally a very quiet person, he took on the added challenge of becoming a leader on and off the court during the 2019-20 campaign and inaugural season under the watch of head coach John Pelphrey.

It didn't take long for the veteran coach to take notice of the Oakdale, Tenn. native, his unmatchable work ethic and his ability to impact the team with his attitude. By mid-season, the guard had been named a team captain simply for the things his coach witnessed in a few short months of observation.

Now, as he embarks on his final year donning the Golden Eagle logo, Smith will do so as a full-scholarship student-athlete. The announcement to award the former walk-on with a full scholarship for his senior season came Sunday evening at the team's first meeting of the new school year, with Coach Pelphrey and staff using a prerecorded message from Smith's family and former teammates to reveal the news.

"It's still setting in for me," Smith expressed through a teary smile. "I honestly don't know what to say. I thought the whole time no one was really paying much attention to me. That didn't really bother me. I just try to do my job whether anybody is watching me or not, but I guess they were paying attention. It's incredible. There are a lot of good guys here and I'm just extremely grateful to my coaches and teammates."

For Pelphrey and his staff, the decision was a no-brainer.

"Around here we talk about sticking to 'The Code,'" Pelphrey explained. "'The Code is simply: understanding what your role and responsibility is, doing it with maximum effort and with a great attitude, always caring about your teammates, and owning the results without making excuses. He does that as well or better than anybody. That's not based on talent. That's a conscious choice every single day."

In his three years as a Golden Eagle, Smith has played in 32 games and scored 23 points. He has totaled 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals while averaging just under four minutes of action each time on the floor.

Those stats and numbers don't even scratch the surface of the type of player and person Smith has become to be known by his peers. He's the guy that goes into each practice, each game, or each season even, with the knowledge that playing time will likely be sparse. The guy that does so because he cares about the team, the program and the name across the chest of each of his teammates more than himself.

"We value leadership," Pelphrey continued. "You don't have to be the best player on the court to lead, and he does that for us. He helped numerous guys last year. I know there is a lot of work he does away from the court and he's also a big brother back home, which you can tell from some of the testimony in the video. We want a program where everyone feels like they have a chance to contribute. I think this is a wonderful example of that. He's very deserving, he had a huge impact on our team last year and he'll have another one this year."

Photo by Thomas Corhern