‘21 GA PF Jabari Smith (Auburn commit)

#81
#81
Jabari Smith, the No. 5 overall prospect in both the 2021 Top150 and the 247Sports Composite Rankings, wrapped up his final AAU season last weekend and as he begins entering his senior season, he said six schools are on him the hardest and broke down his timeframe with 247Sports.


"The recruiting has been going good, there are some schools hard on me right now," Smith said. "The hardest on me has been Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, North Carolina and Georgia Tech."



The 6-foot-10 and 210-pound power forward out of Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek gave his thoughts on what each program has been telling him and also what sticks out to him about each school.


Auburn: "They play very free, I think they're a very good defensive team so I think that will bring out the defensive part of my game that people don't really see. I feel like they always play with long active wings and forwards so I think that will be a good fit for me. They also just talk about how I would fit in their play style."


Georgia: "Georgia says that I can achieve all of my dreams staying close to home and they will put me in the best position to succeed as I can stay home and win and get better. I will get pushed everyday, that's their main pitch. It is close to him so my friends and family can come see me play, they just had Anthony Edwards and he's going to do what he dreamed about. Just seeing that and seeing how he stayed close to home and is going to where he wanted to go."


Georgia Tech: "Georgia Tech is like 15-minutes from my dad's place so just staying here in the city so staying home and literally up the street. They just pitched that and player development. I can achieve all my dreams there, play in the ACC, play amongst Duke and North Carolina and those guys, thats' their main pitch basically."


LSU: "My dad went there so continuing the legacy. They said they have a good chance of landing some big names and creating a good 2021 class coming in so just that pitch and also their play style with Naz Reid and other bigs over the years, just showing me how they used them and how it will translate to the next level."


North Carolina: "North Carolina is also a school known for big men. I talk to Roy Williams and Hubert Davis a lot and they always talk about how North Carolina is a winning program and how I can step on campus day one and make an immediate impact. Just the whole name of North Carolina, there's nothing like it."


Tennessee: "They're known for bigs and forwards, Rick Barnes is, he coached Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams, Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge so that sticks out. His coaching style fits how I play, so that's their pitch. They just got Kennedy Chandler so they talk about us coming in and making an immediate impact and winning at Tennessee."


When it comes to Smith's timeframe, he said he doesn't foresee himself cutting his list and could make a decision in the coming months.


"I feel like I won't cut my list down, I think I will just make my decision," he said. "Everybody knows those few schools that are recruiting me hard so there's no real reason to cut it down. I feel like all of the six schools I just named, there's no school that I can cut out just yet so I'm taking it slow and seeing how everything goes. I don't have an idea of when I will make my decision but I know I won't wait until I play my whole high school season, so I will want to commit and probably sign before my high school season starts or in the middle of it."


With Smith exploring his coming decision, he said he is looking for a school


"I feel like a school that won't treat me any different than the last guy on the roster, they're always going to push me and be on me everyday, not let me slack, not let me stop working and get complacent. A school like that will be my number one priority. Then a coach that believes in me, cares about winning, a coach that has coached somebody like me or has had guys that I think play like me or do things that I do well. Just a feel for when I go on a visit, the atmosphere and the location and stuff like that, you just get a different feel for different campuses and stuff like that."


As of now, Smith has only taken one official visit to Tennessee and while he would like to take more officials, he says his timeframe and decision are now going to be determined by completing his official visits.


"Taking visits is up in the air because of the pandemic and stuff like that so I did plan on visiting those schools but if I can't then it's no big deal or anything like that, we will see how it goes and see how things play out."


Smith is the number one overall power forward in both the 2021 Top150 and the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: MinisterofDef#92, iVolSoHard, berryvol and 2 others
#83
#83
johnfnkelly said:
[/QUOTE
"Then a coach that believes in me, cares about winning, a coach that has coached somebody like me or has had guys that I think play like me"
I have no first hand knowledge but I have read where some believe this kid reminds them of KD. If so, this quote should speak volumes.
Vol till he says otherwise.
Click to expand...
 
#84
#84
Two things
1. I don’t understand the Anthony Edwards arguement. It’s not like he wouldn’t have been a top 3 pick at literally any other Power 5 school. That’s true of a lot of these guys (Ben Simmons, Zion, etc.) If Oklahoma used Trae Young as a pitch that’d make sense because he wasn’t expected to be that good that soon
2. Also usually I’d leave a spelling mistake alone, but this one changes the meaning of what’s it’s trying to say. In the third to last paragraph, it says “... his timetable and decision are now going to be determined by completing his official visits” when, judging by context, I think it was meant to be “... his timetable and decision are not going to be determined by completing his official visits”
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TrapVol and TheMookieMonster
#85
#85
Hard to tell much from that interview, although I still find it humorous that Georgia is pitching him on staying close to home and "winning" at the same time.

Georgia had a relatively experienced team with Anthony Edwards and they were a 0.500 team. I just don't see the appeal, and as @VFL49er said the Anthony Edwards argument feels like it shouldn't hold that much stock because that guy could have gone to Fordham and been a Top 5 pick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BreatheUT, berryvol, JelloPuddinPup and 1 other person
#87
#87
TheMookieMonster said:
Hard to tell much from that interview, although I still find it humorous that Georgia is pitching him on staying close to home and "winning" at the same time.

Georgia had a relatively experienced team with Anthony Edwards and they were a 0.500 team. I just don't see the appeal, and as @VFL49er said the Anthony Edwards argument feels like it shouldn't hold that much stock because that guy could have gone to Fordham and been a Top 5 pick.
Click to expand...
I disagree. I read a lot into what he said after talking about each school, and then talking about what he's looking for in a school. He basically described Tennessee to a T. We check every box he referred to. Even if it was subconsciously, we at least know that we are the kind of program he is looking for if that was am honest assessment.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Stoked, MinisterofDef#92, highspeed and 3 others
#88
#88
walkenvol said:
“Even though our program is weak and we don’t have a successful record of developing forwards, you can come here and be close to home and still get drafted because you’re that talented “
Georgia or GA tech
Click to expand...
GA Tech still clinging to Chris Bosh yesteryears?
 
#91
#91
Let’s not forget that we lost Josh Okogie to GA tech... still pissed about that lol
 
#92
#92
Man, that Ga. Tech/LSU, 2nd round NCAA Tourney game, is still the best NCAA Tourney game, I've seen live at TBA.
 
#93
#93
cncchris33 said:
I disagree. I read a lot into what he said after talking about each school, and then talking about what he's looking for in a school. He basically described Tennessee to a T. We check every box he referred to. Even if it was subconsciously, we at least know that we are the kind of program he is looking for if that was am honest assessment.
Click to expand...
Everything but close to home
 
#96
#96
Volfan1000 said:
Georgia Tech has not been relevant since Bobby Cremins coached there.
Click to expand...

Well they were runner-up in the '04 tourney, but you're right, they've been a consistent bottom feeder in the ACC for a while. I know they have their recruiting disadvantages with academics, but It's pretty astonishing given their location that they haven't been to the tournament in 10 years.
 
#97
#97
I read an article where Jabari said that he is exploring the G League route and overseas as well as the colleges looking at him. Think he could be a player to go the G League route?
 
  • Like
Reactions: berryvol
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top