IU East's Bishop Smith named RSC Male Athlete of the Year 2019-20
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Indiana University East men's basketball senior Bishop Smith has been named the 2019-20 River States Conference Male Athlete of the Year, the league announced on Tuesday (June 16, 2020). Smith, from Indianapolis, Ind.,. was chosen after a vote from athletic directors in the conference.
As the RSC Male Athlete of the Year, Smith is voted as the top men's athlete in the conference across all sports during 2019-20. Each school is permitted to nominate up to one individual for the award.
Smith led the IU East men's basketball team to the RSC Championship title and its sixth NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship appearance in a row. Smith did so by averaging 21.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He made 126 3-pointers to rank second in the country while shooting 45 percent overall and 43 percent from long range.
A two-time NAIA Division II All-American, Smith earned second team honors in 2019-20. He ranked 17th in the nation in scoring average and 10th in total scoring (691 points). That put Smith as the IU East all-time leader with 1,954 career points and 111 victories as a player. He is also the Red Wolves all-time leader in minutes played, total field goals made and 3-point field goals made.
Also during 2019-20, Smith earned All-RSC Men's Basketball First Team honors and was named to the RSC Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team. IU East went 23-10, 14-2 RSC on the year and won the RSC Championship as the No. 2 seed out of the RSC East Division.