Tag: Jabari smith auburn

Updated look at 2021-22 Auburn basketball potential starting lineup

Auburn’s roster has undergone a major makeover with key departures and incoming stars. Here’s a look at a potential starting lineup.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we took a look at what Auburn’s basketball roster could look like next season and, boy, it has been busy days for Bruce Pearl and company.

Vaunted guard signee Trey Alexander decided to reopen his commitment and said he won’t be playing with the Tigers now while the future of JT Thor in an Auburn uniform looks shaky as ever.

The NCAA transfer portal has been helpful for the Tigers, though, as they have signed some quality players in North Carolina center Walker Kessler, College of Charleston guard Zep Jasper, Eastern Kentucky guard Wendell Green Jr. and Arkansas guard Desi Sills.

With those additions along with the departures of Sharife Cooper, Justin Powell, Jamal Johnson and Javon Franklin, here’s an updated look at what the lineup could look like along with some key contributors.

LOOK: Auburn signee Jabari Smith receives Mr. Georgia Basketball plaque

Auburn signee and five-star recruit Jabari Smith received his plaque for winning 2021 Mr. Georgia Basketball.

Bruce Pearl has a knack for signing some of the top talent in the state of Georgia. Jabari Smith is the next in-line for Auburn fans to cheer for.

The Tigers signee won the illustrious Mr. Georgia Basketball award for 2021 which goes to the best high school basketball player in the Peach State each season.

On Monday, he received his plaque commemorating the award.

The highest-ranked player to ever sign with Auburn, Smith is the No. 2 power forward and No. 5 overall player in the 2021 signing class.

LOOK: Jabari Smith pumped about playing with Walker Kessler

Incoming five-star power forward Jabari Smith reacted to the news of Auburn landing Walker Kessler with joy on Monday.

Jabari Smith’s arrival on Auburn’s campus was already being hype. Now, with the addition of North Carolina transfer Walker Kessler, the Tigers and Bruce Pearl are going to be even better.

Smith seems especially excited about the arrival of Kessler, posting a response to the news on his Instagram feed.

A five-star recruit out of Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia, Smith is the top-ranked player ever to sign with the Tigers, taking over for Sharife Cooper. Kessler was also a five-star recruit in the 2020 class and the No. 22 overall recruit in the nation.

5-star forward Jabari Smith officially signs with Auburn

Five-star power forward Jabari Smith, one of the top five players in the 2021 class, has officially signed with Auburn.

It is never official until it is official. Well, now it is official. (Try saying that five times really fast.)

Five-star power forward Jabari Smith has officially signed with Auburn, becoming the top-ranked player ever to pen with the program.

From Auburn’s press release:

Smith is a consensus five-star forward by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. He is rated as the No. 4 player in the country in the 2021 class by Rivals and No. 5 by 247Sports and ESPN. Smith is the highest-rated signee in program history.

Chosen as the No. 1 player from the state of Georgia, Smith averaged 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor, including 38 percent from 3, while playing at Sandy Creek High School.

“Competitive programs are built by bringing in really good people that want to work hard together to accomplish something special,” Pearl said. “What gets lost in Jabari being ranked as one of the top-5 players in the country is that he’s one of the top-5 people because of his character and his work ethic. That fits what we’re trying to do at Auburn.

“A skilled big that can play any position on the floor, he is a very difficult matchup. Being an hour and a half from his home, having Chuma Okeke and Isaac Okoro come before him and develop, seeing the environment of Auburn Arena firsthand, these were all factors that led to his commitment.”

Smith was tabbed as a MaxPreps Junior All-American and an all-state selection a year ago while leading the Patriots to a 25-5 record, including 12-0 in the region, and an appearance in the Class 4A state quarterfinals. Following the 2019-20 season, he was named the Junior of the Year in Class 4A.

As a sophomore, Smith averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, two blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the court as he led Sandy Creek to a 27-4 record, including 12-0 in the region.

More recently, Smith was named the Most Valuable Player at the Pangos All-American Festival when he racked up 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a game that featured many of the top prospects in the nation.

Smith represented his country as he paced USA Basketball to a gold medal in the FIBA Americas U16 championship while averaging 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds.

On the AAU circuit, Smith played for the Atlanta Celtics and led them to a championship in the Adidas Gauntlet series.

Smith is the son of Jabari Smith Sr., who played at LSU for two seasons before playing in the NBA in stints with the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and the Sacramento Kings. Smith is also the cousin of 13-year NBA veteran Kwame Brown, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2001.