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ESPN Feature on Josh Smith

Stephen Dunn

Andy Katz of ESPN has a nice feature on Georgetown center Josh Smith.  A blurb is below and the link to the rest of the article is right here.  I suppose we now have a controversy regarding whether he will be called Josh or Joshua going forward.  

Joshua Smith's ability to get on the court in his new role at Georgetown and be productive, to play a full season without any issues, is not simply about his weight.

This is about his commitment to working, finding cardiovascular endurance and believing in himself enough to crave the sustained energy that will help him be a contributing member of Georgetown's basketball team and, most importantly, staying healthy in the years ahead.

Smith said he weighed 350 pounds when he arrived at Georgetown last winter after transferring from UCLA. He's around 310 now and, at 6-foot-10, would like to play at 290. These are numbers he has set for himself -- with no one's instruction. There is no correct weight compared to height in sports. Some can move quickly at a certain weight, some cannot.

"I've taken the approach that let's not talk about numbers," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "I've told him, 'Let's get to a point where you can stay on the court for two minutes, then stretch it to five and then five to nine and then nine to 15.' Some people can play at 200, some at 250, some above 3 and some can't play above 150. He's got to get to a point where he can stay on the court for an extended period of time."

If that happens, Thomson has high hopes for the highly touted center out of Kent, Wash.