INSTITUTE, W.Va. — The West Virginia State University men’s basketball program is mourning the loss of junior guard Ishmael Smith.
Smith was found dead in his dormitory by teammates on Sunday.
A release from West Virginia State athletics reads:
Smith, a junior guard from Riverdale, Maryland, was a leader within the Yellow Jackets program and the team’s leading scorer. Beyond his impact on the court, he was respected for his work ethic, competitiveness and the example he set for his teammates each day.
“His passion, commitment and presence made a meaningful impact on his teammates and coaches, and he will be greatly missed,” West Virginia State University President Ericke Cage said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Ishmael’s family, teammates and all of our student-athletes as they mourn this terrible loss.”
“I’m devastated and heartbroken, for his family, his friends, and all of our WVSU community.” WVSU Athletic Director David Hicks said. “Ishmael represented the best of us. He always had an encouraging word and looked for the best in others. If he saw you on campus, there was a good chance he’d shake your hand and ask how you were doing. His legacy and impact at WVSU extends far beyond the basketball court.”
The West Virginia State community extends its deepest condolences to Smith’s family, friends, teammates and coaches during this difficult time.
“As a coach of these young men you build a bond and they become a part of our family, so this one hits hard,” WVSU Men’s Basketball coach Bryan Poore said. “Ishmael was a great player but more importantly he was a great human being. The impact he left in his short time with our program on me personally, our program and our campus community will last forever. I truly appreciate the many texts, calls and emails that we have received and just want to send our prayers and condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP #8.”
Poore appeared on MetroNews “Hotline” Monday. He says Smith was healthy and seemed to be just fine earlier in the day Sunday.
“We had practice from 11 until 1 and he was fine. He was jovial after the practice and was in the training room with our athletic trainer who saw no indications of problems whatsoever,” Poore said.
“He was one of the last players in the locker room, actually playing Pac-Man that we have in our locker room. I have the all-time high score on there, so he was talking trash to me about trying to beat my all-time high score. We were joking around,” he continued.
Poore said that the team had the option to go to dinner together where the dining halls are closed for the holiday break. He said Smith did not attend and was found dead shortly after.
“He chose not to go because he had ordered a pizza, so he stayed back and was in the dorm. When our players returned, they found him in the room and he was unresponsive,” said Poore. “The EMTs were called, and I was called and I got here as quick as I could. They could never get a pulse back.”
Poore says Smith, who led the team in scoring with points per game (16.4) through nine games, was a healthy young man all around.
“We have them get a physical and sickle cell test and all those things. All those bases are covered, a concussion test family history — all those things were done. There was no health concerns whatsoever,” he said.
Smith was in his first season with the Yellow Jackets after transferring from Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Smith’s father played football at West Virginia State in the late 1970’s and helped his son make the connection to the university.
“That’s one of the reasons why Ish was here,” Poore said.
The release from West Virginia State went on to encourage students needing assistance in processing the loss to visit Counseling and Wellness Services, located on the first floor of Sullivan Hall, East. The office can be reached at (304) 766-3168 or counseling@wvstateu.edu.