The nation's top ranked power forward prospect
Jabari Smith II of
Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) announced Friday via social media he is committed to Auburn. The 6-foot-10 senior picked the Tigers over Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Smith is regarded as the No. 5 prospect in the Class of 2021 by 247Sports and projects to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He earned second team MaxPreps Junior All-American honors last season after averaging 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest to lead the Patriots to the GHSA AAAA state quarterfinals.
The USA Basketball gold medalist is the reigning Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class AAAA North MVP and will be on the radar for national player of the year honors to begin the year.
Smith has all the tools to make an instant
impact at the next level with his improving ability to shoot from deep combined with impressive ball-handling abilities for a player his size. He also possesses strong shot-blocking instincts with the ability to finish with
force around the basket.
Smith is the first commitment in the Class of 2021 for Bruce Pearl and an Auburn program that has made some major splashes on the recruiting trail in recent years.
