Red and blue lights blared in Kenneth “Speedy” Smith’s window on Nov. 15, 2005. A 12-year-old Speedy prepared for school when a knock on the front door came. It struck Delores Smith, Speedy’s mother, as odd — anyone the Smiths knew used the back door.

Two police officers told Delores that her 22-year-old son, Dalvontae Coley, had been murdered at his apartment. Speedy eavesdropped on the conversation, heard the officers and everyone broke down.

It was the hardest adversity he’d face in a path full of it.

If not for his competitiveness, leadership and a little luck, he likely wouldn’t be playing Division I basketball. As Louisiana Tech’s starting point guard, Speedy is crucial to the team’s hopes of earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1991, and the senior leads the Bulldogs (7-2) into a critical game for its resume against Syracuse on Sunday.

“There were a lot of people that said I didn’t have the ability to play D-I or they didn’t think I’m good enough, or (said) ‘settle for D-II,’” Speedy said.

Through most of Speedy’s senior year at Boca Ciega (Florida) High School, there were only two D-I programs interested —Wofford and South Florida — and no offers.

From a young age, Speedy’s father Kenny Smith put a basketball in his hands — and taught him to take it out of others’. He taught Speedy to steal the ball from behind a pivoting player and to stick his hand in front of a player’s opposite hand to steal the ball on a crossover, but those times were dangerously close to being wasted.

To preserve Speedy’s career, his mother, Delores, wrote letters to D-I programs. His father had a friend tape Speedy’s games, but no coaches bit on the highlights.

But on March 23, 2011, Louisiana Tech fired head coach Kerry Rupp. Exactly a week later Louisiana Tech hired Michael White, who kept assistant coach Dusty May on his staff.

Within days of White’s hiring, May gave White a link to Speedy’s YouTube highlight video. After visiting Speedy, White was impressed enough to offer him a scholarship.

“They said he was going to get an opportunity to fulfill his dream,” Kenny said of what sold Speedy on Louisiana Tech. “And that was to play basketball at another level that he always wanted to do, to prove himself.”

Speedy came to Louisiana Tech with a chip on his shoulder, but never needed 344 D-I programs to shun him for motivation. His competitiveness started when he played against 12 and 13-year-olds as a 5-year-old in his backyard and continued through high school.

Speedy probably shouldn’t have played against Northeast High School on Dec. 29, 2010. Sick and vomiting, Speedy didn’t even go to school. But he found a way to play.

He scrounged 32 points, nine assists, eight steals and six rebounds between the vomiting in an 86-75 Boca Ciega win. Speedy dug out four quarters and overtime, but eventually dehydration forced him to go to the hospital.

That same intensity carried to Louisiana Tech, but early in Speedy’s Louisiana Tech career, his competitiveness would get the best of him.

“Early in his career a lot of the things that would come out of his mouth to his teammates would be challenging,” White said. “… If you dropped one of his passes, Speedy is the type of guy, early in his career, he wanted to rip your head off.”

White says Speedy has since found a comfortable medium between surgically quarterbacking Louisiana Tech’s offense and being a passionate leader.

Kenny recalls one St. Pete Lil Devils youth football game in which Speedy took over — as a player and play-caller. He told the coaches he would call plays because he was on the field and they weren’t. The Lil Devils came back to take the lead and won the game.

That leadership carried into the first round of the 2014 National Invitational Tournament, when Louisiana Tech trailed Iona, 88-87. Speedy made eye contact with White, tacitly agreeing White wouldn’t call a timeout and instead would let the final seconds of the game play out in Speedy’s hands.

Guard Alex Hamilton’s shot clanged off the rim, but Speedy kissed the putback off the glass for an 89-88 victory.

“You’re not at the game, but you’re making shouts and noises and stuff at your house and people are probably wondering what’s going on,” Kenny said of his reaction to the shot.

Louisiana Tech has barely missed the NCAA Tournament in the last three seasons, losing twice in its conference championship game.

Smith, forward Michale Kyser and guard Raheem Appleby, this season’s seniors, put together team wristbands that have “Finish,” written on them.

“Our seniors, with their last go-around, will not allow this program at this point to not have the NCAA Tournament in mind,” White said. “They’ve had their hearts broken too many times.”

Offensively, White thinks the team has potential, but the team has nine newcomers and doesn’t rebound or defend as well as it once did.

White said he does not think the Bulldogs are an NCAA Tournament team at this point, but don’t tell Speedy that.

The NCAA Tournament wouldn’t be the first place he’s been where he shouldn’t.

Published on December 13, 2014 at 9:43 pm

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