Nov. 15 -- had to wait two full games and nearly one full quarter of a third game before making her first college appearance.
But her freshman year with the Illinois women's basketball team got its official start late in the first quarter of Thursday night's 84-37 rout of Eastern Illinois at State Farm Center with Smith checking in for with 1 minute, 7 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Smith getting an extended run against the Panthers came on a night when three Illinois natives played roles in a 47-point win that saw the 23rd-ranked Illini improve to 3-0.
None had a bigger role than , with the Shorewood native and Mississippi State transfer pouring in 23 points on 10 of 15 shooting to hint at the sophomore guard's potential for this season -- and beyond.
Still, walk-on drew a big cheer from the State Farm Center crowd when the Mokena native scored a fast-break layup in the final minutes of the game off her own defensive steal. That play capped off a dominant night for Illinois, with the 5-foot-11 guard Zenere logging 12 minutes as the Illini played all nine of their available players amid a rash of injuries.
Smith also delivered 13 solid minutes as the former Lincoln-Way East standout and Frankfort native -- who was also the first in-state player to say "yes" to and Co. -- finished with two points, six rebounds and one assist.
The extra minutes for Smith allowed Bostic some essential rest with the 6-foot-2 fifth-year senior forward Bostic on the floor for only 20 minutes. An effective 20 minutes, too, for the Kokomo, Ind., native, as Bostic still produced a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Still, a chance for Illinois' inexperienced post players -- like the 6-6 Smith -- to learn the tricks of the trade from a veteran like Bostic is invaluable.
"She absorbs everything that is said to her," Bostic said of Smith. "She's always ready to learn. She always listens really well, and that's not something you see in a lot of freshmen is her willingness to just listen to you. She works hard every day, she's in getting shots with (assistant coach ). I see a lot of myself in her, and she's hitting that learning curve right now, so once she gets around that ... I'm just trying to be the fifth-year senior that I had when I was a freshman ... and help guide her to get around that quicker."