2022 F Jai Smith's Stock Continues to Soar
For the life of him, Jai Smith just couldn’t understand it, and to say it was a frustrating process would be severely understating it.
Night after night he led Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) on the hardwood, pulverizing opponents in a variety of different ways to the tune of 27 points and 15 rebounds a game.
Yet, when he’d randomly scour national rankings throughout the season, his name wasn’t showing up anywhere close to the top tier.
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“It was frustrating to know the work you’re putting in and actually see results on the court,” Smith said. “But then it’s like no one was paying attention.”
When the irritation mounted, Smith said he often leaned on a quote he heard former NBA star Ray Allen use in a clip, which changed his whole perspective.
“Ray Allen said, ‘shooters shoot,” Smith said. “Meaning just keep doing what you do best and be confident in that; eventually it’ll work out. That’s what I kept doing.”
This spring, Smith has continued his dominant tear playing in select tournaments with different teams around the country.
Last weekend he suited up with the NY Dragons and averaged 30 points a game.
That level of production has Oklahoma, Georgetown, Texas Tech, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Ohio, Houston, Florida, Florida State, and others, in pursuit. Recently, Kentucky, Purdue and Duke have turned up their interest as well.
Now, Smith is widely regarded as a top tier player in the 2022 class.
“It feels good to see that the work I’m putting in is paying off,” Smith said. “I’ve got a lot of big schools interested, so it’s great to be in this position. Duke is a dream school for me, so with them reaching out it’s big time for me. Talking to Coach Nolan (Smith) is easy because he’s a young guy, so we connect on a different level. I’m gonna be setting up a visit with them really soon. I just want to be in a system where I can play to my strengths, get up and down the court and score in transition.”
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At 6-foot-9, Smith’s versatility and motor are his greatest attributes. He always remains active and has a special blend of strength, quickness and speed in the low post. His athleticism creates consistent matchup problems for the opposition and he’s a gifted rebounder who guards multiple positions.
Then there’s his propensity for rim-rocking, momentum shifting dunks…
“I try to tear the rim down when I dunk,” Smith said. “I broke a rim last summer, and that was a big accomplishment for me. Mostly, I’m just working hard every day to be the most complete player I can be. I want to be ready from day one at the next level, so I’m building my skills to prepare for that.”