LAS VEGAS β βI canβt believe itβs been five years. Five years just seems like it went too fast.β
Ray Smith remembers the moment his basketball-playing career came to a screeching halt like it was yesterday.
In the Arizona Wildcatsβ 86-35 exhibition win over College of Idaho to begin the 2016-17 season, Smith β a Las Vegas native and former five-star recruit β went up for a lay-up. When he landed, he tore his ACL for the third time in as many years.
βI remember going up for a rebound and then my leg buckled a little and they took me out of the game. They asked me, βDo you still want to go?β They thought I shouldβve sat down and not played. I was so eager, because it had been three years,β Smith said. βI was so eager, so I was like, βNo, this is going to work now.β And I felt good. I had my first rebound, got some free throws in, I was excited and then Kobi Simmons gave up the ball to me on a fast break.
βLooking back, I probably shouldβve thrown Kobi the lob, but I was eager and excited and wanted to show my talents. I went up for a lay-up on the left side with the right hand, I came down on the right leg and felt that excruciating pain, that intense pop you could hear even with 15,000 people there. I just kind of knew. I went to the bench and was like, βYeah, this is over.ββ
Smith knew better than most what a torn ACL looked and felt like. He missed his entire senior season at Las Vegas High School after the first ACL injury, with the second time happening in his freshman season at the UA. He knew a third tear was likely career-ending.
βTo be honest, I was fed up with being hurt,β he said. βI love the game, but I knew it was time for me to mature and grow and find another avenue. I knew it was over for me, because it was so mentally taxing.
βPeople always told me I should rehab and try again. Yeah, I couldβve. But for me, I knew I wasnβt going to attack the rehab like I should.β
Smith graduated from the UA in 2019 with an undergraduate degree in social, behavioral and human understanding. He returned to Las Vegas, where he is pursuing a masterβs degree in clinical mental health counseling from Grand Canyon University. (Smith is taking his classes online.)
βIβve always wanted to do some kind of counseling. I feel like being there for somebody through hard times is really a help. Sometimes, itβs as simple as being an ear for somebody,β he said. βA lot of people tend to feel on their own during hard times, so if I could help people instead of them seeking substances or anything else that may affect them physically, thatβs what Iβm trying to get into.β
Though he no longer plays, Smith remains involved in basketball. Heβll soon become the coach of a San Diego-based AAU teamβs U16 quad. He said heβd like work in basketball operations for an NBA team.
βIβm still figuring some things out and figuring out what direction I want to go towards,β Smith said.
Smith spoke to the Star about how he overcame a career-ending injury, his next journey and gave his thoughts on the current Wildcats as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament.
Did what you went through with your ACL injury inspire you to become a mental health counselor?
A: βOh, yeah. Going through the ACL tear was tough, man. And people donβt understand the mental battle of going through an injury like that. A lot of people tend to cater towards the physical battle, but the mental battle is just as hard β if not harder. If youβre an athlete going through an ACL tear, you know how to push your body. Thatβs just what it is, youβve been pushing your bodies for years, running that extra suicide (drill) and doing that extra push-up; however, the mental battle is much more difficult because you feel good and want to play, but you canβt. You might have to be assisted taking showers for the first couple weeks. Thereβs a plethora of problems that you go through recovering from an ACL tear or any kind of tendon tear in your legs or shoulders. Itβs just always hard.β
What was it like having to experience years of pain during the recovery process?
A: βIn the beginning, it was really hard. There were a lot of bad times and a lot of good times. But the thing that brought me out and made me understand who I am was my ability to help others, affect them, speak to them and try to identify some of the things that I went through. I remember Brandon Williams was going through knee problems during his time at Arizona, and Coach (Sean) Miller had me talk to him. I just sent him a text. I donβt know how much it helped, but I just wanted to be that guide and voice. I also found a lot of things I love outside of basketball, like my love for music. I always tried to find the positives in life and that helped me get from a pretty bad decision to stability and grow and self-love.β
What was the biggest mental challenge you faced during the rehab process?
A: βPersonally for me, it was thinking youβre OK and then still telling yourself that you canβt do it. Once you feel good, thatβs when the battle starts, because if you love the game truly like I did, you want to get out there and shoot a jumper, talk mess, sit down in a (defensive) stance and push your body. For some of us, itβs a paradise.β
Did you ever get the urge to start playing again?
A: βIβve gotten the urge. You just miss it. Basketball took up a lot of my time. When there was nothing for me to do, Iβd go to the gym with friends. There were so many bonding times with people and basketball was like therapy for me. I had to learn how to adapt, because I went through an identity crisis without the game. I just knew that I didnβt want to go on that level.β
What inspired you to become a coach?
A: βCoach Miller wanted me to get into that. He wanted to help me pursue that dream. However β¦ it was hard because it was hard being out there and the injury was still so fresh. It was tough for me to be at practice every day and not compete and not be able to play. I needed time away from the whole scene and it really helped. Now Iβm getting back into and drawing up plays and explaining certain things. I can relate to players on how to run a play, what they should look at, going through progressions as a quarterback would say, how to look for a bucket and help-side defense, where to be, how to help, how to hedge. Those kinds of things, being a player, I have the ability to teach the game.β
How do you like coaching Dream Vision?
A: βI love it, man. Iβm not really an old guy, so the kids listen and lock in and understand that everyone is trying to help. We have our first practice before the summer next week, so Iβm excited and Iβm already drawing up plays and Iβm just ready to get this thing going.β
Whatβs your impression on the current Wildcats as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament?
A: βI love the atmosphere of this team. These dudes play together, the ball never sticks and thatβs why theyβre so offensively efficient. Kerr (Kriisa) puts guys in a great position. Everyone knows Bennedict Mathurin, man, heβs got it. Heβs not going to be there next year. (Christian) Koloko shouldnβt be there next year either. Itβs funny, because when Koloko first came (to Arizona), I saw a wide-eyed freshman. You can tell heβs just matured in the game and heβs made that next step.
βSomebody I really like on this team is Dalen Terry. Heβs the heart and soul of that team, because he does it all. Heβs that guy that makes plays in crucial moments, whether itβs taking a charge, pushing the ball up the floor, sitting down and having hands in the passing lanes. Although he might not be statistically the guy that they look to. He reminds me of Marcus Smart, someone thatβs just going to sit down and do the hard work every single day. I think heβs the heart of that team. All of them are really good players, but I think he brings more of an identity to Arizona. β¦ Tommy Lloyd has done a great job of getting these guys to love the process, understanding there will be mistakes and just pushing through. I see him talk to guys and itβs almost like heβs one of them. Thereβs no ego with him and itβs just a great atmosphere. I went into that locker room and the atmosphere was great. As a college kid, thatβs what you want. You want a family within a team. You can say itβs the team, but Iβd like to think itβs 60-70% Tommy Lloyd, especially being a new guy. Heβs created an atmosphere where itβs fun to share the ball and itβs fun to benefit off team success instead of individual. I think heβs done a great job.β
How do you reflect on your time at the UA?
A: βThis is something that I always tell people and Iβm forever grateful about it: Iβve had the best times at that school. I was a kid that never played in an official game and I was loved like no other. Arizona has the best fans in the country. The way they travel, the way they support, the way they indulge in their players. I still live in Las Vegas and people will stop me and be like, βAre you Ray Smith? I graduated from the U of A in whatever year and Iβm so sorry about your storyβ β it still happens, even in my city in Las Vegas. That shows me the level of love and commitment the fans have. I enjoyed my time as a student, made lifelong friends. I wouldnβt trade Arizona for any other school in the country.β