Jabari Smith Jr.

Jabari Montsho Smith Jr. (born May 13, 2003) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers. Smith is considered by many to be a top prospect in the 2022 NBA draft.[1]

Jabari Smith Jr.
Smith with Auburn in 2022
Personal information
Born (2003-05-13) May 13, 2003
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolSandy Creek
(Tyrone, Georgia)
CollegeAuburn (2021–2022)
PositionPower forward
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
2019 BrazilTeam

High school career

Smith started playing varsity basketball as a sophomore at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia.[2] As a junior, he averaged 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.[3] In his senior season, Smith averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks per game, leading his team to a Class 3A state runner-up finish. He was named Mr. Georgia Basketball, Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-Classification Player of the Year.[4][5][6] Smith was selected to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.[7] He competed for the Atlanta Celtics on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.[8]

Recruiting

Smith was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class. On October 9, 2020, he announced his commitment to playing college basketball for Auburn over offers from Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. He became the highest ranked player to commit to Auburn in the modern recruiting era.[9]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jabari Smith Jr.
PF		 Fayetteville, GA Sandy Creek (GA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Oct 9, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 6  247Sports: 6  ESPN: 6
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Auburn 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  • "2021 Auburn Tigers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.

    College career

    Smith made his college debut against Morehead State in a 77–54 victory for the Tigers. On February 16, 2022, Smith recorded a season-high 31 points in an 94–80 victory over Vanderbilt.[10] As a freshman, he averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and two assists per game. At the conclusion of his freshman season Smith was awarded many honors including being named the SEC Freshman of the Year, a member of the All-SEC first team and a second-team All American.[11][12] On April 5, 2022, Smith declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[13] Smith is projected as a projected top three selection in the 2022 NBA draft and the potential first pick.[13]

    National team career

    Smith played for the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Belém, Brazil. He averaged 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and helped his team win the gold medal.[14]

    Career statistics
    Legend
      GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
     FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
     RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
     BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

    College
    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2021–22 Auburn 343428.8.429.420.7997.42.01.11.016.9

    Personal life

    His father, Jabari, played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for four seasons and competed professionally overseas.[8] Smith's distant cousin, Kwame Brown, was the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft and played in the NBA for 13 seasons.[2]

    References
    1. "Which NBA teams might select Auburn's Jabari Smith No. 1 (and why)?". ESPN.com. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
    2. Krohn, Adam (January 23, 2019). "Sandy Creek's Smith making name for himself". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
    3. Vitale, Josh (October 9, 2020). "5-star 2021 PF Jabari Smith becomes highest-rated commitment in Auburn basketball history". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
    4. Holcomb, Todd (April 2, 2021). "Boys basketball player of year: Jabari Smith". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
    5. Stultz, Brian (June 4, 2021). "Jabari Smith Jr. named Georgia's Gatorade Player of the Year". Auburn Wire. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
    6. "Sandy Creek's Smith named Mr. Georgia Basketball". The Citizen. March 29, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
    7. Green, Tom (February 23, 2021). "Auburn signee Jabari Smith makes McDonald's All-America team". The Birmingham News. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
    8. Bennett, Brian (September 25, 2020). "Recruiting notebook: Jabari Smith Jr. first setting his sights on a state title". The Athletic. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
    9. Biancardi, Paul; Borzello, Jeff (October 9, 2020). "Top-five senior Jabari Smith commits to Auburn Tigers". ESPN. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
    10. "Smith's 3-point barrage leads No. 2 Auburn over Vandy, 94-80". ESPN. Associated Press. February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
    11. "Jabari Smith is Auburn basketball's first All-American in 23 years". 7 March 2022.
    12. "Bruce Pearl, Jabari Smith, and Walker Kessler receive SEC Men's Basketball Postseason Awards".
    13. "Jabari Smith declares for 2022 NBA Draft: Auburn star departing for pros after standout freshman season". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
    14. Jordan, Jason (March 24, 2020). "Elite Forward Jabari Smith Jr. is Has All the Tools". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
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