Morgantown, West Virginia – It takes most players countless hours in the gym and in the weight room to become the ideal player for Bob Huggins. Some, like Jai Smith, come out of high school ready to play for Huggins immediately.
Jai Smith, a 6’9 235 pound power forward from Syracuse, New York, has the build and basketball ability that Bob Huggins and staff drool over. Smith’s high school coach Darryl Harris said of his player: “He is an elite rebounder. He runs the floor following up the shot. On a fast break, when there’s a missed shot, almost every time he’s tipping it, getting the rebound and putting it back in or he’s just putting it back on the follow-up. He runs the floor. He plays really hard. But I think his athleticism catches your attention immediately.”
Does this sound like someone who might interest Huggins? Absolutely. However, it won’t be easy to bring him to Morgantown.
Smith, a 2022 recruit, is currently a rising 3 star prospect with potential to go to four stars soon and has earned scholarship offers from Arizona, Alabama, Houston, Memphis, Rutgers and most recently West Virginia, who offered him a scholarship earlier today.
I am blessed and excited to say that I’ve received an offer from West Virginia pic.twitter.com/0bD85ApIze
— Jai Smith (@jai_smith131) August 31, 2020
Smith recently spoke with ZagsBlog about his recruitment and said the following about West Virginia: “They stay consistent and loyal.”
Although the Mountaineers are currently loaded with interior players, Jai Smith would be a perfect player to replace Oscar Tshiebwe when he inevitably declares for the NBA Draft.
High School Highlights:
