Terquavion Smith felt ready to return
As NC State basketball sophomore guard Terquavion Smith lay on the floor at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., he felt an unnerving feeling. In both of his arms and his neck, he was experiencing numbness.
Smith had taken a painful fall after a hard foul from North Carolina super senior wing Leaky Black, landing without being able to sufficiently brace for impact.
“I’ve never been injured before,” Smith noted. “That was my first time I’ve ever been in that situation, but not being able to feel my upper body was kind of scary to me.
“I knew my guys had me. I knew my coaches were going to take care of me, and my trainer. I just believed that and kept God first.”
Smith was transported off the Dean Dome court on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital. He recalled getting fluids in his arms, and at that point, he started getting the full feeling back. And just three days later, Smith was back on the court being announced as a starter for NC State at PNC Arena in an 85-82 win over Notre Dame.
“It felt great to have my team with me, fight through that game with my team,” Smith noted.
Smith did not shoot well, making just 2 of 14 shots, including going 2 of 9 on three-pointers. He did have a game-high 6 assists with just 1 turnover plus also led all players with 3 steals. Smith was also 11 of 13 from the free throw line to finish with 17 points.
“Today I feel like I did a better job of making the right play and not forcing it a lot,” Smith stated. “I feel like just letting that come to me and feed off my teammates, that helped me.”
Smith did not blame a sore elbow for his poor shooting performance vs. the Irish.
“It’s probably just one of those nights … I just struggled a little bit,” Smith noted.
Nor was Smith afraid to attack the basket, which he did a few times while also getting knocked to the court.
“I was ready for it,” Smith said. “I was ready to come back.”
Smith also confirmed that he spoke with Black after the injury, and he has no ill will towards him. Black went to block Smith’s shot before coming down with his arm across Smith’s face.
“That’s my guy, North Carolina guy,” Terquavion Smith, a Greenville native, said of Black, from Concord. “That’s all love there. Never been anything other than love.
“[It was a] basketball play. I never hated, any of that. I know he was going for it, making a basketball play.”
Next up for Smith and NC State is an important game at Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon.
