Orange County Sports / The Colleges : Making the Jump Outside : Vincent Smalls Leaves His Post and Tries the Wing

Vincent Smalls was one of the most spectacular post players in California community college basketball last season.

Smalls, then a freshman at Saddleback College, often amazed crowds with an alley-oop dunk play he developed mostly with guards Tom Desiano and Renny Ingram.

A powerful inside player, he was on the all-Orange Empire Conference first team and was named all-state after he averaged 16.5 points and 9.2 rebounds during the regular season. He hit 59% of his shots from the floor.

Smalls walked away from his first season a hero. But he started his second as a project.

Now a 19-year-old sophomore at Saddleback, Smalls was moved to the wing (small forward) by Bill Brummel, Saddleback coach, despite all the awards and praise he had received as a post player last season.

Brummel, who talked about the switch at times last season, made the move with Smalls’ future in mind.

Smalls is 6-feet 4-inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, hardly the size of most post players or power forwards at four-year colleges.

Smalls realizes that it’s the best move for him.

“If I tried to play post at a four-year school, I would be at a tremendous disadvantage,” Smalls said.

“But I played post all my life, so it’s hard getting used (to a new position). Now I’m facing the basket. It gets frustrating at times, but Coach is trying to use me in a lot of different ways, and I have to get used to the adjustments.”

Brummel said: “Most coaches told me not to do it. It might seem like a stupid move, but it was really in Vincent’s best interest.

“Kids come into our program for one or two years and make plenty of sacrifices. We would like to win, but we also owe it to the kids to do what is best for them and for their futures. You have to help them reach their potential.

“Vincent’s future is at the small forward or maybe even the off-guard position. But he hasn’t even come close to seeing his potential yet.”

At the start of the season, Smalls was uncomfortable away from the basket. Handling the ball outside the key, passing and trying to work the ball inside were new for him.

“Unless you have the experience at the position, you don’t know how to react and where to be at certain times,” Brummel said. “But he is such a good athlete that he has been able to overcome that.”

Smalls’ development has been slowed by more than inexperience, though.

Terrell Malone, who replaced Smalls inside, suffered a sprained right ankle the third week of November, and Smalls was moved back to the low post for three games. Once Malone, a 6-4 forward, recovered enough to play, Smalls was moved back outside.

Then in the first week of December, Smalls’ father died of stomach cancer in Philadelphia. Smalls returned home for a week, missing two games and three practices.

“It is a very strong test of my character,” Smalls said. “I had to come back and needed to concentrate on playing ball and hitting the books. It’s tough to deal with, but I have responsibilities to the team and in the classroom.”

Saddleback (12-6) has won six consecutive games, including a 61-56 victory over Long Beach to win the Rancho Santiago tournament Wednesday.

The streak began after Saddleback lost the opening game in the Riverside tournament. The Gauchos won the next three games and the consolation championship of that event.

Smalls’ improvement has been one of the reasons for the streak. He scored a season-high 24 points in a 90-62 victory over the Tustin Marines Dec. 27. He also had a career-high 8 assists.

“There are times when I think I would like him back inside,” Brummel said. “But I really think we are at our best with him outside now. Anyway we can always switch him back inside if we need a basket late in the game.”

Smalls is averaging 14.7 points and 2.1 assists. His rebounding hasn’t suffered at all; he’s averaging 9.2. He had only 23 assists in 26 games last season but has 34 assists in 16 games this season.

He is shooting 57% (97 of 170) despite shooting more from 10 to 15 feet than from under the basket.

“He’s starting to get a little more used to being outside,” Ingram said. “He’s making the transition and getting better each game. He’s a good player just learning a new position.”

But the lob dunks are coming less frequently.

“We don’t look for it as much as we did last season,” Smalls said. “It’s kind of hard for me to come in for one from the outside and get up there. But we will still look for it.”