Whenever Brittany Smith drew a foul, Tirrell Carter always gave her simple advice before she made a trip to the charity stripe.

Basketball players rarely have the chance to regain energy on the court. If they stop and catch their breath, chances are their opponents will beat them down the floor, exploit a scoring opportunity or create a turnover.

‘When you shoot at the foul line, that’s the only time you get to rest. So make good use of it,’ Carter, a coach for Smith’s summer league team in Milwaukee, Wis., often told her.

Shooting 75 percent at the free-throw line, Smith knows that taking her time with her foul shots helps. She also knows it allows her to keep her strong intensity throughout the game, a significant reason SU women’s basketball coach Keith Cieplicki has recently given her an increased role in the Orange lineup.

When SU faces South Florida tonight at 7, Smith hopes she can be a significant role in Syracuse’s efforts to capture its first Big East victory this season.

If she draws any fouls, Smith will have the same routine. After receiving the basketball, Smith will take a deep breath as she looks at the bucket. Then she’ll take two or three dribbles before she shoots.

Because of her success at the line, Smith has tried to attack to the basket. Most likely, it will either result in a high-percentage shot or a trip to the foul line. Either way, they’re easy scoring opportunities.

‘This kid is steel for us,’ Cieplicki said. ‘She’s going to be a good player for us because she can play facing the basket, she’s a strong rebounder and she can score inside. More than all of that, she understands the game. Some players just understand and she has that gift. That’s big.’

Smith made her debut on Dec. 8 against Pittsburgh. In SU’s Big East opener, the freshman forward played 13 minutes and scored six points. Since then, Smith has epitomized the role-playing position. By notching double figures four times, she has contributed but often times in the shadows of players like Vaida Sipaviciute, Sara Antolick and Jenny Eckhart.

Cieplicki appreciates Smith’s versatility. She often shoots jump shots around the perimeter. But her intensity proved to be the kicker. After seeing Smith stand out in practice as she hustled down the floor and understood team concepts, Cieplicki gave her the opportunity to play.

Smith’s situation perfectly fits Cieplicki’s coaching philosophy, a philosophy that shows he tends to gravitate toward his underclassmen. If he sees an up-and-coming player making strides, he won’t hesitate to put her in even if it means taking an upperclassman out.

In Smith’s case, her debut came when SU opened its Big East conference schedule. She admits that without playing in the non-conference games, the learning curve increased tremendously.

‘At first it was a big shock,’ Smith said. ‘But the only way to be ready for Big East play is to be in the game. You can practice to try to get back but the only way is to get in the game.’

Smith’s emergence also comes at a time when SU has struggled. No longer can Sipaviciute dominate the paint because defenses collapse on her. No longer can SU rely on its outside shooting because it only comes in spurts.

‘Sometimes I have a bad day or another (player) had a bad day,’ Sipaviciute said ‘If we didn’t have other options, we’d be screwed.’

SU has also struggled due to players sitting on the bench. Cieplicki said he expects Lina Lisnere will be out another two weeks due to her foot injury. Sophomore guard Mary Joe Riley also remains academically ineligible, though she did practice on Tuesday. Cieplicki said her status could change at any time, though.

The Orange (7-9, 0-5 in the Big East) needs any help it can receive, such as Smith’s. Syracuse arguably has one of its best chances so far this season to capture its first conference victory. Standing at the bottom of the Big East standings, SU lost to the likes of Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Louisville, as well as more mediocre teams such as Villanova and Marquette.

With its last Big East victory dating back to Georgetown in last year’s conference tournament, this year has been the first time in little more than a decade that the Orange has opened with five losses in conference play.

‘We just try to build up (Smith’s) confidence as much as we can,’ Antolick said. ‘When she shoots a shot, we’ll say, ‘Hey, good shot.’ We help out with little things like to post up bigger.’

Published on January 17, 2006 at 12:00 pm