Las Vegas has become one of the premier destinations that the country has to offer college basketball assistant coaches when they’re out on the recruiting trail.
Every year, it seems like the city is putting out more and more basketball talent into the college ranks. The class of 2015 might have been the city’s best ever class, with three five-star prospects. One of those five-stars was Ray Smith, headed to Arizona next season.
Name: Ray Smith
Height: 6’8
Position: Small Forward
Ranking: Five-star, No. 19 overall
Strengths: Finding players who use their frame and length to affect the game in various ways can be hard to do. But Smith is a player who doesn’t let a possession go by without finding someone to impact the game. He can do this by slashing to the basket and rising up to finish over the top of the defender, finish creatively through contact, slip into the key and snatch an offensive rebound, get into a passing lane, or alter a shot at the rim. Smith does a lot of things well, and doesn’t solely rely on athleticism or scoring to stay involved in a game.
Areas to Improve: All of that is well and good, but Smith’s skill set still leaves something to be desired from him. Right now, he’s not nearly consistent enough with his jumper, though it has improved by leaps and bounds over the past year. Another question for him will be what kind of shape he’s in during the first few months at Arizona. Smith tore his ACL last July and missed his entire senior season, so seeing what kind of progress he has made physically will be a key for him, and the Wildcats.
