Josh Smith Puts On A Show

Call it the Josh Smith show. The bouncy, athletic 6-foot-8 forward from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Vir., rammed home 53 points this past weekend in an All Star game held at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey for Rick Barrett's Midnight Madness event.

"I had a lot of fun," Smith said after capturing the MVP of the game. "I got the ball a lot. And I had a chance to shoot the ball too from the perimeter."

Smith, who broke Kobe Bryant's scoring record at the Midnight Madness event, did indeed shoot the ball from beyond the three-point line. Josh drained seven three-pointers and showcased his offensive skills in front of some NBA scouts. "Right now the plan is to go to Indiana," said Smith, who has given a verbal commitment to the Hoosiers.

Smith added: "I have to see how the season goes. I want to improve my perimeter skills so I can be ready to play the small forward position next year. This is what I plan on doing at Oak Hill."

Josh, who electrified the crowd with several ceiling touching dunks, blew the house down on one particular play. Smith ran up the right side and was tossed a lob that seemed destined to find its way out of bounds.

But Smith, in one motion, reached behind his back with his left hand, grabbed the ball, and smacked it home in one motion. Some fans seemed ready to jump on the court to mob Smith but held back. For about five minutes, a buzz hovered around the court from the fans talking about the incredible dunk.

Smith's game though is more than dunking now as demonstrated by his three-point shooting. "I will have a chance to think about the NBA next spring," Smith said. "I will see how I improve my game and whether there is interest in me too. It's too far to really think about it seriously. But I will think about it next spring."

Smith is rated the third best player in the Rivals150 for the 2004 class. This past weekend, there was no doubt he belonged to be rated that high.