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Malachi Smith's recruitment goes high major

Malachi Smith
Malachi Smith

Coming off of a strong junior season at St. Ray's in the Bronx, point guard Malachi Smith was looking forward to a strong run the grassroots circuit with the PSA Cardinals.

The six-footer hasn't been able to hit the circuit, but he's still been working to get better.

"I have a gym in Harlem that I can use so I've been going there six days a week," Smith told Rivals.com. "When I get home I try to do some pushups, run, something physical any of that kind of stuff to try and stay in shape."

Headed into his junior season, Smith carried offers from Dayton (where his brother Scoochie Smith played), Iona, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Saint Peter's, Stony Brook and UMass. Since the spring, he's added Georgetown, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Wake Forest and Washington State offers.

"My playmaking, I feel like that's what gets me up there," said Smith. "What gets me over the edge is that i play defense. I'm a two way player. Some don't think about defense or care about it, I take pride in it. I want to guard the best player on the other team and do whatever the coach wants. That's what has pushed me over the top."

IN HIS OWN WORDS

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Smith discussed some of his offers.

Dayton: "For my class coming in, I don't they will have a point guard so I could be a great option coming in as a freshman to play. I could play through my mistakes and be a big impact as soon as I come in. I like that about them. Coach (Anthony) Grant has a lot of knowledge by the way he talks and what he's told me. I feel like he wants the best for me and he comes across as a guy who would not

ruin a kid's career or scam them. I feel he's genuine."

Georgetown: "I think they've been showing the most interest and we actually just did a zoom call. (Patrick Ewing) told me he wants me to accomplish a lot of stuff if I go there and that he has big plans for me. They have another guard, Tyler Beard, that is good and I think me and him would be a good combo."

Rutgers: "For the past two seasons they have been winning, especially this year. When I was younger they weren't really winning a lot but now they are winning and they are like Dayton. They won't have a point guard by the time I get there so that's a good situation too."

Seton Hall: "They had three guys from Brooklyn that really helped turn their franchise around. They've been winning in a good conference like the Big East and Myles Powell is leaving of course, so I think that could be a good fit."

Washington State: "Assistant coach Derrick Phelps who I think played at North Carolina, he's been texting me. We haven't really gotten into a real deep conversation about the situation out there but he's a real genuine guy. We are just trying to build a relationship."

WHAT'S NEXT?

Like any prospect, Smith would have loved the chance to show what he can do in front of more coaches this summer and he's open to new interest. However, he also feels pretty good about the strong group of schools recruiting him.

To make a decision, though, he really wants to be able to get on campus and see things first hand.

"I think I will have to wait and see until I can take visit. Going through a zoom call with a school like Dayton, I like the campus but seeing it on the call is not the same as actually being there. So I think going on visits is going to be big and is really going to determine where I see myself.

"I mainly want a coach that trusts and believes in me. The main factor is developing me each year to be a better player. I feel all of these schools can do that and have a genuine interest in me so I want a coach that truly trusts and believes in me."

Malachi Smith
Malachi Smith (Jose T. Castillo Jr./ElitePro Images)
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