Jabari Smith declares for the NBA Draft
National Freshman of the Year Jabari Smith has announced via social media that he will be declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Smith was absolutely phenomenal during his first and only season at Auburn. He averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting an impressive 42.0% from three (best in the SEC). He was impactful for the Tigers on both ends of the floor, and really began to heat up during the final stretch of the season before unfortunately putting up his worst shooting performance of the year in Auburn's final game against Miami.
Here is what Jabari Smith had to say in his announcement video posted on Auburn basketball's social media.
Auburn will forever be my home, it’s going to be a place that will be a part of me forever.
The long hours in the gym and in the weight room have given me this opportunity and the chance to chase my dream of playing in the NBA.
But none of this would ever have been possible without the sacrifices that were made by my dad and my mom.
They molded me into the man that I am today and I will never be able to thank them enough.
The motivation and the work ethic that I posses does not come easily. It came from being pushed by my older brother AJ and him telling me to stay in the gym and put in extra work and to never let anyone outwork me.
He has been with me all of my life and I don’t know where I would be without him. I thank him for always putting me before himself and making sure I was always okay.
Bruce Pearl and this amazing coaching staff have been recruiting me since I was in tenth grade and have shown me nothing but love since the first day we came in contact.
I want to thank BP for always being honest with me and pushing me to be the best on and off the court.
We cam into this season wanting to make history and give this school the recognition it deserves in basketball and Auburn did that.
I also want to give a special thanks to the best coaching staff and support staff in the country. You all have made this year one that I will never forget. Thank you all for being there for me and treating me like family since the first day I stepped on campus.
Last but not least, I want to thank the Jungle who has the best fans in the country and showed me love no matter what. It made me feel like I was a part of something more than basketball every time I put on that jersey.
There’s no place in the country like Auburn and I thank the Man above for allowing me to come to this amazing university and play the game I love.
With that being said, I would like to announce that I will be entering my name into the 2022 NBA Draft.
Thank you.
Jabari was a five-star power forward out of Tyrone, Georgia. According to Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, Smith is the best jump shooter that he has ever coached. I don't think many Tiger fans would argue with that.
It's a shame that Smith's Auburn career ended the way that it did. But everyone knew that one way or another it was coming to an end this season. Right now, just about every NBA Mock Draft has Smith as a top three pick, either going to the Houston Rockets, the Orlando Magic, or the Detroit Pistons. He's likely going to be a star in the NBA.
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