• THE GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL HISTORY PROJECT

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (2012-2016)
 

By sheer numbers, D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera ended his Georgetown career among the greatest Hoyas of all time: points, three point field goals, foul shooting, assists. But much like Kevin Braswell, the accolades are tempered by the post-season: he earned just one NCAA win in his four years on the Hilltop.

"DSR" grew up in Indianapolis, winning a state title at Indianapolis North Central, then prepping a year at Oak Hill. Committing to Georgetown in October 2011, Smith-Rivera averaged 8.2 points per game off the bench as a freshman, with a career high 33 against DePaul. Beginning with his sophomore season, he has started the past three seasons, missing just one start due to arriving late to a practice in December 2013. He led the team in scoring as a sophomore, and ever since, becoming only the eighth letterman since 1946 to lead the team in scoring three years in a row--the last three were Eric Floyd, Patrick Ewing, and Michael Sweetney.

Smith-Rivera had an all-conference season in 2014-15, leading the team in scoring in 21 games as Georgetown returned to the NCAA tournament, and he finished in the top ten in the conference in five major statistical categories. In March, Smith-Rivera announced his intention to declare for the NBA draft, but following an early prognosis that he would not be drafted, he reversed course and announced he would return for his senior season. With the announcement, Georgetown rocketed into Top 20 pre-season polls, and Smith-Rivera would later be named the preseason player of the year at the 2015-16 Big East pre-season Media Day.

While his scoring as a senior closely matched that of his award-winning junior season, the loss of three starters from that team took its toll on the Georgetown team that followed. When he was on his game, the Hoyas could beat just about anyone, but a slow start from Smith-Rivera often doomed the Hoyas in critical games. Smith-Rivera led the 2015-16 team in scoring, three pointers, free throws, assists and steals, and accounted for five 30+ point games in his career, a number matched by only five other Georgetown players: Allen Iverson, Jim Barry, Reggie Williams, Michael Sweetney, and Victor Page.

A model of consistency, Smith-Rivera fouled out in only two games in his college career, and will long be remembered for his free throw shooting, which ranks second all-time and the most of any four year letterman. DSR finished his career in the top six in both free throws made and attempted, and was as dominant a late game performer from the line as the Hoyas have seen since Jonathan Wallace a decade earlier. But tempered by the team's flagging record and the lack of an NBA offer, D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera's legacy will long be framed by what might have been.

Season GP GS Min FG FGA % 3FG 3GA % FT FTA % Off Reb Avg PF Ast Blk Stl Pts Avg
2012-13 32 0 815 93 230 40.4 39 116 33.6 59 83 71.1 26 95 3.0 29 45 1 25 284 8.9
2013-14 33 32 1172 178 400 44.5 66 168 39.3 158 181 87.3 43 164 5.0 64 90 5 41 580 17.6
2014-15 32 32 1102 157 373 42.1 72 186 38.7 136 158 86.1 26 134 4.2 67 101 6 51 522 16.3
2015-16 33 33 1168 172 416 41.3 73 221 33.0 116 143 81.1 22 120 3.6 78 150 10 48 533 16.2
Totals 130 97 4257 600 1419 42.2 250 691 36.1 469 565 83.0 117 513 3.9 238 386 22 165 1919 14.7