Belus Smawley

College coach infobox
Name = Belus Smawley
Sport = Basketball


ImageWidth =
Caption =
DateOfBirth = March 18, 1920
Birthplace = Ellenboro, North Carolina
DateOfDeath = April 24, 2003
Deathplace =
College = Appalachian State
Title = Head coach
Awards = 1943 North State Conference Coach of the Year
Championships = 1943 North State Conference Champions
CurrentRecord = 16–5
OverallRecord = 16–5
Player = Belus Smawley
Years = ??
Team = Appalachian State
Position = Guard
Coach = Trigger
CoachYears = 1942–1943
CoachTeams = Appalachian State
CollegeHOFID =
BBallHOF =

Belus Van Smawley (March 20, 1918–April 24, 2003) was an American basketball player.

A 6'1" guard/forward from Rutherford County, North Carolina, Smawley was one of the first basketball players to regularly use the jump shot. Smawley developed his shot in an abandoned train depot near his home that was fashioned into a basketball court. Basketball historian John Christgau has concluded that Smawley and Kenny Sailors of rural Wyoming were using jump shots as early as 1934.Joe DePriest. "He's the man who started the jump shot." "The Charlotte Observer". 4 May 2003.]

Smawley was an All-American basketball player at Appalachian State University before becoming one of the early stars of the Basketball Association of America (which became the National Basketball Association in 1949.) From 1946 to 1952, Smawley competed for the St. Louis Bombers, Syracuse Nationals, and Baltimore Bullets, averaging 12.7 points per game. During the 1948–49 BAA season, Smawley ranked sixth in the league in total points and fourth in field goals made. [basketball-reference]

After his playing career ended, Smawley served as a school principal and basketball coach. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

Basketball head coaching record

CBB Yearly Record Start
type=coach
conference=
postseason=
poll=noCBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Appalachian State Mountaineers
startyear=1942
conference=North State Conference
endyear=1943CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
season = 1942–1943
name = Appalachian State
overall = 16–5
conference =
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Appalachian State
overall = 16–5
confrecord = 9–0CBB Yearly Record End
overall=16–5
poll=no

References