From Chi-Town to Cow Town

Darius Smith knows a little something about the cold weather we face at UConn. After all, he's from the coldest and greatest city in the world - all self-proclaimed, of course.

"Chicago, man, it's the best city in the world; the windy city," Smith said. "It's nothing; I'm pretty much used to [the cold]. I either have the coldest winters, or the windiest fall-time. I'm used to it."

Smith, a Chicago native, graduated from John Marshall Metropolitan High School - a school system that was never easy, according to him. But it was the difficulties he faced in public school that turned him into the young man he is today.

"Chicago made me the player I am, from just playing tough and the school system I went to," Smith said. "John Marshall is a tough program. You think about Marshall, you think about a war."

Smith was dubbed one of the top unsigned recruits in the country until UConn assistant coach Pat Sellers got the 6-foot point guard to commit with the Huskies at the end of March this year.

"Coach Sellers latched onto me, gave me all the updates of UConn, on the coaches and on the team, so he played a big deal in me coming here," Smith said. "He gave me the information and you know, I did my own homework on coach Jim Calhoun and it was just like, 'I need to be here.'"

But coach Sellers wasn't the only reason Smith decided to come to UConn. Smith felt that his Chicago background and John Marshall experience would be a great fit for UConn, and more specifically, the Big East.

"[Chicago] is just a tough place period," Smith said. "That's why I felt the Big East fit my style 'cause coming from Chicago to the Big East - it's a war. Every night it's a war."

With the departures of A.J. Price and Craig Austrie, Smith said that he felt he would be able to immediately contribute to Calhoun's system.

"It's kind of exciting to know not only does the coaching staff have trust in me but my players do too," Smith said. "It's all about trust and I'm glad they're putting that trust in me."

But ahead of Smith is sophomore point guard Kemba Walker. Ask Walker what the best city in the world is and he won't tell you Chicago. Walker, a Bronx, N.Y. native, loves the Big Apple - but that doesn't change his opinion of Smith.

"We're two city guys, we're tough," Walker said.

In the first month of the season, Walker is already becoming a mentor role for Smith. It's a role that Walker found himself on the other side of last season.

"Darius is good, he's real good," Walker said. "Like A.J. took me under the wing, I'm trying to take him under my wing and show him a few things. Of course he makes a few mistakes here and there, but everybody did that, you know, I did that myself."

As Smith will continue to learn the UConn offense from Calhoun and Walker, there's one thing that Smith already knows: defense.

As a senior at John Marshall, Smith averaged 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and seven steals a game.

According to Rivals.com, Smith was touted as the second best defending point guard in the 2009 draft class. But beyond his speed and lanky arms, Smith has something else that helps him on the defensive end. He's confident that he can steal the ball from anybody who matches up with him.

"It's just something I do; having that confidence of knowing I can go out there, get a steal here, get a steal there," Smith said.

Smith has the ability to make a profound impact on the team this season, especially when the Huskies go to a run-and-gun style offense or a full-court press. There's only one concern that Calhoun has for his young point guard.

"Darius still makes high school plays, but he also makes very good plays because he's so quick," Calhoun said.

But part of Smith's journey to UConn was about growing up and getting away from his high school days. At UConn, where there are no city buses, hoards of people crossing streets or constant noise pollution, Smith said he finally has some time to just think.

"[Storrs] is quieter too, way quieter," Smith said. "It gives me time to think and just chill out. I came here to just be a better person; to be able to live away from home and to just grow up and mature."

For now, Smith is simply living through that typical freshman routine so many before him have gone through - and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"As a freshman, it's just the good life," Smith said. "But you can't let things pile up; you've got to keep your head in practice and in school work and then you always need to put your 'me' time in there."