Shayla Smith is adjusting to college basketball at Penn State after record-setting high school career

Shayla Smith mingled on the Hagan Arena court Sunday afternoon, posing for a photo with St. Joseph’s guard Kaylinn Bethea.

The brief reunion with a former Philly Rise EYBL teammate was one reason Smith said it felt like “a breath of fresh air” to be back in her hometown. It was her first trip as a Penn State player, after becoming the city’s all-time scoring leader for high school boys’ and girls’ basketball last spring.

“It definitely feels good to be back here,” Smith told The Inquirer. “ … Just coming back home, seeing everybody, all my people.”

An undisclosed injury kept Smith from playing in the Nittany Lions’ 89-77 victory over St Joe’s. Yet the former Audenried superstar is embracing the beginning of her college career, and coach Carolyn Kieger expects Smith to “drastically” help a 4-0 Penn State this season.

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“I wish she was 100% to play in her hometown today,” Kieger said postgame. “ … I’ve been really impressed with her work ethic and how she’s kind of been just soaking up learning and growing.

“It’s an unfortunate injury there, but she’ll be back healthy and ready to rock here in no time.”

Smith has played 19 total minutes during two of Penn State’s first four games, going 3-of-7 from the floor for six points along with four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

But the 5-foot-9 freshman guard believes she has already improved since arriving on campus for summer workouts. Physically, Smith feels stronger and faster. Mentally, she feels more decisive, a necessity in Kieger’s “0.5” offensive system that requires players to begin to shoot, pass, or dribble in less than a second.

Smith also has concentrated on being a more vocal teammate, a noticeable emphasis while she watched Sunday’s game from the bench. She emphatically clapped when the Nittany Lions surrendered a layup on their opening possession, clearly aiming to motivate those on the floor. She stood up, lifted three fingers, and hollered “Yeah!” when Vitória Santana buried a three-pointer that gave Penn State an 86-74 lead with 1 minute, 37 seconds remaining. Smith applauded as her team dribbled out the final seconds of a game often played at a frenetic pace.

Kieger said she envisions utilizing Smith’s frame and skills on both ends of the floor. She is an obvious three-level scorer who can shoot from beyond the arc and muscle her way inside. Those attributes fueled a decorated high school career in which she amassed a record-breaking 2,691 career points and averaged 27.5 points as a senior. Smith also has the capability to guard multiple positions, Kieger said.

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“I’m going to bring my physicality as a guard,” Smith said. “Just my attack mindset. Just embracing my role. Trying to be the best at what they need me to do. … When I get my chances, just do what I can do. Play my game when I get the chance.”

Heading to Happy Valley also has meant adapting to college life. Though Smith quipped that she enjoys “just being able to do whatever I want and nobody saying anything,” these early months have been a test in time management. A diligent gym rat, Smith has been learning when to squeeze her individual workout time in between classes, practices, and other team obligations such as alumni events.

“There’s always something to do,” Smith said. “ … I’ve just got to find the time to work on my craft and still be on top of everything else.”

While recovering from this injury, Smith said she has been trying to make the best of observing how the game unfolds from a pulled-back perspective. That was a rarity when the offense flowed through her as a record-breaking high school player, who was a three-time All-State honoree and anchored Audenried’s three-peat as Public League champions.

And spending Sunday’s return to Philly on the bench has made her “eager” to truly get her college career underway.

“I just want to be a great teammate [and] master my role,” Smith said. “Bring my physicality. Bring everything that I can. I want to contribute, and help the team make it to the NCAA Tournament and Big Ten championship.”