He needed the extra year.

It helped him physically develop, cut weight and instill a strong work ethic. The extra year gave him an added step. And that extra year made him realize his full academic potential.

After graduating from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, Craig Smith decided to enroll at Worcester Academy, a Massachusetts prep school – it paid off. Now a junior forward for the Boston College men’s basketball team, Smith has been a key ingredient.

The Eagles won 20 straight games before falling to Notre Dame, 68-65, on Feb. 7. Smith and the No. 4 Eagles (20-1, 9-1 Big East) take on No. 9 Syracuse at the Conte Forum on Saturday night at 6.

If Smith didn’t play for the Hilltoppers, no one knows where he would be right now. Mo Cassara, the head coach at Clark University and the former coach at Worcester, noticed Smith. Fresh out of high school, Smith was 20 pounds overweight, had bad eating habits and didn’t establish a consistent work ethic.

Smith was lazy in some respects. A bright kid, no doubt. But he applied himself – sometimes, because he didn’t have to.

Smith could not be reached for comment for this story.

Despite his physical immaturity, Smith put up big numbers in high school, averaging about 20 points and 11 rebounds his last two years. His senior year, the Lions went 22-6 and placed in the city section semifinals.

When Smith arrived at Worcester, Cassara got an impression that Smith was raw but untested.

‘He didn’t really know how to work hard, and he didn’t know how talented he was,’ Cassara said. ‘(However), of all the kids I have ever coached, he has the best hands and best feet. He has very soft hands and has an unbelievable knack at the basket.’

Soon enough, Smith found out just how much he could do if he applied himself. He ate healthier, established a workout program and improved his play near the bucket. Before Worcester, Smith weighed more than 275 pounds. But then he shed the excess weight. He is currently listed at 255 lbs, standing 6 feet 7 inches.

Smith mixed these ingredients together to transcend from being a good player to a great player. He consistently notched double-doubles with 20 points and 10 rebounds a night, helping the Hilltoppers to a school-best 27-4 record. Worcester advanced all the way to the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Class A Finals.

Cassara and Boston College coach Al Skinner have seen a true transformation in his behavior and work ethic.

‘It was some changes for him, but he had a chance to grow, mature, see some different things, and see a different environment,’ Skinner said. ‘That period there gave him a chance to really grow, which obviously has impacted his college career.’

Coming from the inner city of Los Angeles, the experience in Worcester was much different. Being accounted for every second of the day? Being forced to go to study halls? Having to wear a shirt and tie? Yeah, prep school was much different.

So what made Smith want to travel across the country to Worcester Academy, anyway? According to Fairfax head coach Harvey Kotani, Smith pursued the Massachusetts prep school because of the poor SAT scores. Also, at 17, Smith would have been younger than many college freshmen after leaving Fairfax because of his late birthday. And if he decided to pursue NCAA competition, he would’ve had a hard time adapting.

‘A lot of those guys who do that get lost a little bit when they don’t come right out,’ Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. ‘(Smith) was a heck of a player in the city of Los Angeles. Everybody knew about him. Of course, the problem about being a heck of a player in Los Angeles is there are a lot of good players. You can get lost in the mix a little bit.’

Though Cassara agrees that Smith was one of the most underrated players out of prep school, he attributes most of it to Smith’s early signing with Boston College. During his senior year at Fairfax, Cassara said Smith already set his plans on attending Worcester the following year.

At Worcester, where Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks coach-general manager Don Nelson, Jarrett Jack of Georgia Tech and Smith’s teammate Steve Hailey attended, Smith was part of an establishment that consistently develops Division I players.

With Cassara, who earned a master’s degree at Boston College, having a close relationship with the Eagles coaching staff, Smith’s opting for BC seems understandable.

Cassara said he never pushed Smith to be an Eagle, but wanted him to be able to find that outlet if he was interested. Many times on the weekends, Smith visited the Boston College campus and hung out with his future teammates, building a more comfortable transition for his arrival after his tenure in Worcester.

Smith opened his freshman year, starting all 31 games and earning Big East All-Rookie Team accolades. The next year, Smith was a key component in BC’s run to the Big East Championship before falling to Pittsburgh.

‘I don’t think there’s a better power forward in college basketball,’ Cassara said.

Waiting one more year for college paid off.

Published on February 16, 2005 at 12:00 pm