Smith Likes Two ACC Schools
On a team loaded with high Division I prospects, Earl "J.R." Smith just might be the best of the lot for Jimmy Salmon's Tim Thomas Playaz Gold program.
The powerful and athletic Smith has been scintillating all week long here at the adidas Big Time Tournament, where he was instrumental in helping the Playaz Gold reach the Sweet 16 before being unceremoniously bounced (85-56) on Thursday night by the New York Ravens. He scored 17 points in that loss.
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Smith, a 6-5, 220 pound swingman from Lakewood H.S. in Lakewood, N.J., said on Thursday night that Maryland and North Carolina are his two favorite colleges, but right now, it looks as though any college will have to wait another two years to get J.R. on its campus.
That's because Smith will likely need two more years of high school in order to satisfy NCAA Clearinghouse requirements. In fact, he told Rivalshoops.com that he's not even sure if he's going back to Lakewood H.S. or attending St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J., in the fall.
Of course, if he does return to Lakewood, he will need to pick out a prep school for the 2003-2004 school year. If he enrolls at St. Benedict's, he will spend the next two years bolstering his academic credentials under Head Coach Danny Hurley.
But because he's still technically a rising senior this summer, Smith is a recruitable student-athlete, and he's being pursued by a who's who of Big East and ACC programs.
"It's always been a childhood dream of mine to attend North Carolina," Smith said. "The school has produced great NBA players like Michael Jordan, Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter, while with Maryland, they just won the national championship last year and have always had a good program."
So while Maryland and UNC are the clear early leaders, Smith said he is also seriously considering Clemson, Virginia, Miami, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova and Louisville.
On top of those schools for basketball, Smith is also being pursued as a top flight football prospect by colleges such as Iowa, Clemson, Rutgers and Virginia. At Lakewood H.S., he doubled as both a wide receiver and defensive back.
With basically two more years of high school to attend, Smith could take things slow, and let the recruiting process unfold at a snail's pace, or he could try to hammer out a decision this fall on a college.
"It's going to come sooner or later, so I might as well start thinking about it now," he said. "I will probably take all of my visits in the fall, but I am not sure when I am going to commit."
Smith said he hasn't pledged any official visits to any colleges at this juncture, and we will do our best to keep you informed of his future plans in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!