Wichita State Athletics

Devon Smith, a former Director of Basketball Operations at Louisville and an Ohio State graduate, is in his fourth season at Wichita State University as Manager of Player Development.

In 2013-14, Wichita State won an NCAA-record 35-straight games before losing to eventual National Runner-up Kentucky in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers' 35-1 record also shattered all of WSU's and the MVC's winning streak records, including Indiana State's 33-game record in 1977.

The Shockers won their second Valley regular-season title (18-0) in three seasons and won the MVC Tournament in St. Louis for the first time since the tournament went to a neutral site. The tournament title was the first for WSU since winning it in 1987 on Tulsa's home floor.

The Shockers were ranked in the Top 25 all season, also a first for WSU, and reached the No. 2 spot for the first time since the 1981-82 season. The Shockers' No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament was also a first.

Smith was also instrumental during the 2012-13 season when a Final Four appearance by the Shockers topped a six-year reconstruction at Wichita State under Head Coach Gregg Marshall. En route, WSU defeated Pittsburgh, Gonzaga, La Salle, and Ohio State before losing to eventual National Champion Louisville in the National Semifinal game in Atlanta. The voters in the USA Today Coaches poll rewarded the Shockers with a final No. 4 ranking, their highest final ranking ever.
  
Smith came to WSU from Champions Academy in Indianapolis, Ind. where under the direction of Ed Schilling, he provided individual skill instruction to college and professional players, including 2010 NBA lottery selections Gordon Hayward and Patrick Patterson.  

Prior to that, Smith worked as the top assistant to former Louisville great Wiley Brown at Indiana Southeast, and helped lead the team to consecutive conference championships and national tournament appearances.

During his term at the University of Louisville and under the tutelage of Rick Pitino, the Cardinals finished second in the Big East conference and advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA tournament.  

At Oakland University (Mich), Smith helped the Grizzlies to their first ever NCAA tournament appearance and victory under Coach Greg Kampe and also helped land the No. 1 recruiting class in the conference by HoopScoop.com. The Rochester, Mich. school in also won the 2005 Mid-Continent Tournament Championship and won an NCAA Tournament opening round game that season.

Smith also played and assisted Coach Jim O'Brien at The Ohio State University.  In his junior season, the Buckeyes completed the nation's best turnaround en route to a 27-9 record and a 1999 Final Four appearance.  In 2000, the Buckeyes won the Big Ten Championship and were as high as No. 4 in the AP Top 25.  

In returning to work on the Ohio State staff, the Buckeyes advanced to the Big Ten Championship game in 2003.  

With a degree in communications, Smith has also worked as on-air talent both for ESPN and Fox Sports Net.

His start in coaching came from the legendary Howard Garfinkel, who at Five-Star Camps has placed more than 300 college and NBA coaches into the profession. He also coached at the ABCD and Duke camps as well.  

Smith prepped at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va and played for 40-year coaching great Fletcher Arritt. Smith helped his 1994-95 team produce a 25-4 record.