“Puts a little nervous pit in your stomach” — Penny Hardaway’s asst. coach Nolan Smith remembers his shot that won Duke a national championship
Nolan Smith, a former Duke basketball star joined Penny Hardaway's coaching staff at the University of Memphis this fall. Smith previously served as an assistant coach for his alma mater, Duke Blue Devils, and the Louisville Cardinals.
Smith appeared in episode three of The Penny Hardaway Show on Monday, December 16, and recalled one of the most memorable moments of his college basketball career —guiding Duke to the 2010 NCAA Championship win against Butler.
"It's amazing and still feels amazing to this day when I see highlights of it," Nolan told host Matt Infield (10:06). "It's still one of those moments when that shot goes off the backboard, the front rim — it's still one of those moments where it kind of puts a little nervous pit in your stomach, man, what if that shot had went in? How different is my life, right?"
He added:
"What you dream about when you're in the driveway growing up, just playing basketball with your friends, you want to be a national champion. So to be able to do it, it means the world to me."
Smith was a junior point guard for Coach K's Blue Devils team that went 35-5 that season and clinched the national title with a 61-59 victory over Butler.
The game ended with Duke leading 60-59. Brian Zoubek made one free throw but missed the second, giving Butler a chance to win. Gordon Hayward's half-court buzzer shot bounced off the backboard and rim without going in. Nolan Smith, Penny Hardaway's assistant, scored 13 points, had four assists, and three rebounds in the championship game.
Penny Hardaway recognized Smith's winning mentality and leadership
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway added Nolan Smith and Mike Davis to his staff this season. Hardaway praised Smith's winning pedigree and discussed how his experience as a national champion will benefit the Tigers.
"Nolan is a grit and grind guy and is one of the brightest young coaches in college basketball," Penny said. "He brings a championship mindset to our team after not only having won a national championship as a player, but also by learning from one of the all-time greats in Mike Krzyzewski."
Smith was a first-round NBA draft pick in 2011 but his professional career was cut short due to injuries. After multiple stints overseas he retired from playing in 2015 and transitioned into coaching. He joined Duke's coaching staff under Coach K in 2016, then was on Kenny Payne's staff at Louisville.