CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville Academy has inducted Malcolm and Martin Smith into the Clarksville Academy Hall of Fame.
The twins were stars on the 2010 Cougars basketball team, led by coach Josh Smith, which is the only team in Montgomery County history to win a basketball state championship. The twins were inducted last year, but their basketball schedule kept them from attending. Both are currently playing basketball overseas. The official ceremony, with them present, was held Monday on Proctor Court.
Martin, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound forward, was a finalist for the Class A Mr. Basketball award, averaging 16 points per contest as a senior, along with being a nominee for the McDonald’s All-American Game. The Cougars were 36-2 his senior year.
“It was a small school, which made it a tight-knit community,” said Martin. “I enjoyed my time here. It means a lot to be inducted; it’s a product of all the hard work we’ve put in. There was a lot of great memories here, especially wining the title, and playing in front of sold out gyms.”
Malcolm, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward, was a two-time winner of the Class A Mr. Basketball award. His senior year, he averaged 23.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 assists a game while shooting 67.6 percent from the field. The year the Cougars won state, he won tournament MVP and was also a McDonald All-American nominee.
“When we were here, it was like a family; everyone looked out for each other,” said Malcolm. “I look back on our time here fondly. I appreciate everything the school has done for me. The first day we walked into the gym, my dad told me we were gonna be up on that wall. Lo and behold, 15-something years later, here we are.”
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In the five years before Malcolm and Martin started, Clarksville Academy had won only 14 games a five-year period, according to Coach Smith. Over the next four years, CA won 114 games.
“They will most be remembered by their teammates and coaches for practicing as hard as they played,” Coach Smith said. “They were unselfish, and they celebrated when their teammates scored, assisted, blocked shots, rebounded, took charges, and dove on the floor for a loose ball.
“During many games, they would be pulled out of the game in the third quarter because CA had such a big lead. Instead of sulking because they could not pad their stats or became bored by passively sitting on the bench since they were not playing, they stood up, waved towels, clapped, and cheered their teammates each play as if that was the winning play of the game, when in fact CA was ahead by 30,” he said.
“They were genuinely loved and celebrated by others because they invested themselves in the team and were never about their individual stats. Everyone can talk the talk, but they truly walked the walk and practiced what they preached.”
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