It’s not often Frankie Smith visits Allen Fieldhouse.

Frankie, a Dallas native and father of Kansas University senior guard Sharita Smith, works as a bus driver in the Lone Star State and hasn’t had much time to see his daughter play basketball.

“He has only been to two or three games since I’ve been here,” Smith said of her father. “He’s always working.”

When Kansas takes on Oklahoma at 7 tonight, Frankie won’t be working. He’ll be at the fieldhouse, supporting Smith on Senior Day.

“I’m really excited he’s going to get to be there,” Smith said. “I have progressed so much. I think he’s really proud of me.”

Senior guard Shaquina Mosley will be honored tonight as well. Mosley transferred to KU after her sophomore year at Central Arizona College. When Mosley took a campus visit, her host was none other than Smith.

“Starting this summer, we’ve been hanging out a lot,” Smith said. “She’s crazy and a fun person to be around. She always has a lot to talk about.”

Mosley has been on fire lately, averaging 20 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists in her last five home games.

KANSAS UNIVERSITY SENIOR SHARITA SMITH goes to the bucket against two Colorado defenders. She scored 12 points in the Feb. 6 contest at Allen Fieldhouse. Smith will play her final home game tonight against Oklahoma.

You won’t notice Smith’s space on the stat sheet as filled as Mosley’s. After all, the Dallas native only averages 2.5 points and one rebound per game. But Smith might have the most difficult assignment of anyone on

the team as KU’s shutdown defender.

Smith roots for her hometown Dallas Mavericks, but her role on the floor could be most similar to in-state rival Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs.

“I get really excited when coach tells me I’m guarding the opposing team’s best player,” Smith said.

Smith averaged 16 points per game at Dallas Lincoln High her junior year. Lincoln is the same high school NBA all-star and Raptors forward Chris Bosh attended. Bosh graduated a year ahead of Smith.

“He was a laid-back kind of person,” Smith said of Bosh. “In watching him mingle, you could tell he was a pretty goofy person. I haven’t kept up with him much. I have a couple of friends who keep up with him.”

During Smith’s freshman season at KU, she suffered a knee injury while playing in a pickup game. It hindered the scoring aspect of her game, so she focused more on defense.

“As long as I played defense, I could stay on the floor,” Smith said. “If there was one thing I needed to do, it was to play defense.”

KANSAS UNIVERSITY'S SHARITA SMITH defends a shot by Colorado's Whitney Houston. KU won the Feb. 6 meeting at Allen Fieldhouse.

Smith overcame her injury and played 13 games her freshman season for former coach Marian Washington. In fact, Smith is the lone member of the current team who played for Washington.

Since retiring in 2004 because of unspecified health reasons, Washington hasn’t attended a game in Allen Fieldhouse. Smith said she hasn’t talked to her since the tail end of her freshman year.

“It doesn’t bother me, but I do wish I would have developed more of a relationship with her and kept in touch with her,” Smith said. “Sometimes I wish she would come to a game. It would be really nice to see her again and see how she’s doing.”

Smith said she still felt lingering effects of the injury. She slightly reaggravated her knee in Sunday’s 82-74 double overtime victory against Kansas State. As a result, Smith was given a more stable brace.

“My foot got tripped up with another player’s feet,” Smith said. “My foot went one way and my knee went another and it popped. It’s sore, but I’m O.K.”

Smith said she would play tonight.

Smith’s mother, Charva VanZant, will be in attendance tonight as well. Smith said VanZant attended most of her games.