What if I told you that one of the best high school basketball players in the country plays right here in Georgia? While the state of Georgia has seen some phenomenal players over the past couple of years such as Walker Kessler, Sharife Cooper, Anthony Edwards, Isaac Okoro and more, Jabari Smith might just be the best of them all.
Smith has been a standout at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia, since his sophomore season. He took his game to the next level during his junior season by averaging 25.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game which fully cemented him as one of the top overall prospects in the class of 2022. So, Smith was now known on a national level going into his senior season at Sandy Creek, how would he top that phenomenal season? As you probably know by now, Smith dominated the Georgia high school basketball scene in 2020-2021.
The 6-foot-10, 210-pound Smith led Sandy Creek to become one of the top teams in the state of Georgia during the 2020-2021 season. Smith averaged 23.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 blocks for the Patriots, and led Sandy Creek to a 28-5 record and the Class 3A state championship game. Even though Smith and Sandy Creek lost in the state championship game, the 5-star prospect went out with a phenomenal performance as he had 19 points, 17 rebounds, and four blocks in the 57-49 loss.
Not only did Smith leave Sandy Creek as one of the best players in program history scoring over 1,900+ career points, Smith leaves high school basketball with numerous accolades. Smith was selected as the 2020-2021 MaxPreps Georgia High School Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald’s All-American, and was a national finalist for the Naismith High School Boys Player of the Year. Smith was also selected to play for Team USA in the 2019 FIBA U-16 America’s Championship where he averaged 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while winning a gold medal.
Smith is signed to Auburn where he will play his college basketball next season for the Tigers and head coach Bruce Pearl. Smith is ranked as the No. 5 player in the country. He is the highest rated recruit in the history of Auburn basketball, and only the fourth McDonald’s All-American in Auburn history.
Smith will leave Sandy Creek and high school basketball as one of the greatest high school basketball players ever in the state of Georgia. While it is unknown how Jabari Smith will play at Auburn, if his high school career is anything to go by, he will dominate at the next level and beyond.
Written by: Matt Melton
