Learning basketball from his father, a coach, Windsor High’s Madden Smiley will drive his own game ...Saudi Arabia

Madden Smiley remembers through photos going to practices at Sheridan College in Wyoming when his dad was the Generals’ head coach in the early 2000s.

At 2 or 3 years old, there was Madden “chillin’ with the ball.” The ball was not a child-size mini ball. It was a regulation college basketball.

“It was about as big as me,” Smiley said.

As he’s played and grown in the game over the years, Smiley has received invaluable guidance, advice and paternal coaching from his dad, Steve Smiley.

Now a 17-year-old high school junior with a Division I future, Madden will soon develop his own strategy for his basketball career. He’s a 6-foot-3, third-year varsity player and all-state guard at Windsor High School. Steve is in his fifth season as the men’s head coach at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

With a dad as a coach, there are weekly film sessions in the Smiley house, mostly in the evenings after dinner when father and son breakdown all phases of Madden’s game: rebounding, defense, shooting and free throws. If Madden didn’t rotate over on help-side defense, he and Steve will see it.

“He can read ball-screen coverages, and the way the game moves, how guys post up,” Steve said. “He knows how to use his size as a guard. It’s fun for me to work with him.”

Steve played high school basketball at Pomona High in Arvada, where his dad, Tim, was his coach. Steve was a four-year starter and two-time all-state selection in high school. He played college ball at Division II Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, before moving into coaching.

Nikki Smiley, Steve’s wife and Madden’s mom, played soccer at Northern State. Daughter Avery is a sophomore and all-state volleyball player at Windsor High.

When the family moved to Utah, where Steve was an assistant at Weber State, Madden met and interacted with former Wildcats’ guard Damian Lillard. Lillard, 34, is in his 13th season in the National Basketball Association where he is a star with the Milwaukee Bucks.

At UNC a few years ago, Madden rebounded for current Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht during Knecht’s two seasons in Greeley. Madden recently received a signed basketball card from Lillard via a former colleague of Steve’s. A next project is to find a signed card from Knecht.

There are definite advantages to being a coach’s kid and playing the same sport.

“What a valuable tool to be able to go home and your dad can break down film, the right plays and wrong plays,” Windsor High coach Jon Rakiecki said. “Steve can bring an analytical approach to that. Being a coach’s kid, you learn that it’s about the team and how you can add value to your team. They get that from us, and then they get it at home.”

There is one direction where Madden won’t follow Steve in basketball, and that’s to UNC playing for the Bears. In a family decision, the Smileys want Madden to go his own way with his college basketball experience. Madden agrees.

Steve played for his father, and now recognizes the delicate nature of the dual father-and-son and coach-and-player dynamic.

“The goal is for him not to play for me,” Steve said. “I’d take him now, but at the same point, we have a great relationship as father and son. The coach-player thing gets hard. I never want to put pressure on him to slow his dream to play for his old man.”

Madden has received offers from Wyoming and from Loyola University Maryland, a Patriot League school in Baltimore. More offers are expected in the next few months, Steve said.

Madden said this week he’s not very close to making a decision. He anticipates committing to a program later this year, in the late fall or early winter of his senior year.

Madden has never been interested in playing for Steve. Playing the game as long as he has, Madden has been around other athletes who’ve played for their fathers. He said the experience is “a lot harder” for coaches’ kids.

A player’s role can be subjected to questions if it was earned or given because the father is the coach.

“I don’t really want to be put in those situations,” Madden said. “I just want to live my own life. I just want to branch out. Once I’m 18, I want to live like a normal kid and just not be with my family the whole time.”

Madden is the leading scorer and rebounder for a Wizards’ team ranked seventh in the state in Class 5A as of earlier this week. The Wizards are 2-0 in the Northern League and 10-3 overall heading into Friday night’s league game at Poudre High School in Fort Collins. He also plays Amateur Athletic Union ball with the Mountain Stars Basketball Club in Saratoga Springs, Utah. The team primarily attracts players from Colorado and Utah, and plays in one of the top circuits in the country, Steve said.

Madden was a Class 5A first-team all-state selection last year as a sophomore. Windsor’s season last year ended with a loss to Mesa Ridge in the 5A state title game.

This year, Madden is averaging a team-best 19.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He scored 23 points Tuesday night on 10 of 17 shooting from the field in a 64-57 home win over league opponent Fossil Ridge.

His performance against the SaberCats included a slam dunk late in the third quarter. Brady Kingsley picked up a loose ball, tossed it ahead to Smiley, who put down the jam for a 5-point lead.

Madden’s game wasn’t perfect, and Fossil Ridge students let him hear it. The SaberCats’ fans treated Madden to chants of “overrated” throughout the game — including after he put up an air ball and when he failed to connect on a couple of free throws. Madden was 1 of 4 from the line.

The misses gave the Fossil Ridge fans a chance to say more. Madden was unbothered by the attention, which he said was a first to hear the “overrated” chant.

At another point, he drew a foul and went to the line at the basket in front of the Fossil Ridge students. The fans chanted. Madden had a smile on his face as he turned toward the Windsor bench. He said he “kind of liked” hearing the chant.

“It’s kind of fun,” he added. “I try not to put a whole lot of pressure on myself when I’m playing. It’s funny because that’s the first time I’ve ever been called that. Really not trying to get that in my head because it shouldn’t.”

Madden is a team captain this year with Kingsley and John Backhaus

Rakiecki said he’s worked with Madden over the last year to develop his leadership skills. The coach said Madden is not a quiet young man. There are times, though, when his voice needs to be heard within the team.

Madden spoke to the guys at halftime during the Fossil Ridge game. Windsor led 29-23. The Wizards had halftime leads in other games this year and surrendered those in the second half before losing. One of those games was to Mesa Ridge last month in Colorado Springs.

Rakiecki said Madden reminded his teammates of what they learned from those losses and to continue playing together as a team and in an aggressive style.

“When it’s crunch time, or in those critical moments, in the team huddles and timeouts and at halftime, he’s definitely stepping up and saying what he needs to say,” Rakiecki said. “Because what he says is what’s best for our team.”

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