Smith, Jr. Named to Men's Basketball Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List
Central Connecticut's Darin Smith, Jr. was named to the 2025-26 Lou Henson 'Early Season' Watch List on Friday. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball. CCSU is the only NEC school represented on the early season watch list.
Smith, Jr. currently leads the Blue Devils and the NEC in scoring at 20.0 points per game, while adding 5.2 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 forward from Springfield, MA, is shooting .484 from the field overall and .397 from three-point range, while making 86.7 percent at the foul line. A two-time NEC Player of the Week posted a career-high 38 points in a win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 24. He shot 12-of-21 and made a trio of three-pointers, while adding five rebounds and four assists in the overtime win. Smith was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team following the 2024-25 season and he has improved his play as a sophomore.
The Lou Henson award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. Coach Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989. Henson, who is also the all-time winningest coach in New Mexico State history with 289 victories, is one of only 11 coaches to take two different schools to the NCAA Final Four. His teams have made 19 NCAA appearances and four NIT appearances. Henson passed away on July 25, 2020.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
The 2026 award will be announced in Indianapolis, IN, site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship.
