Recruiting report: Isaac Smith (2016)

<p class="p1">KANSAS CITY — For college coaches, finding a quality big man who can provide help in the paint that has committed come spring can often prove to be a difficult task.</p> <p class="p1">Many of the top tier big men are among the first players off the board. But at 6-foot-6, 220-pounds Kansas City Lincoln Prep 2016<strong> Isaac Smith</strong> remains undecdided. He brings length and athleticism to the court, and plays even bigger than his listed height. Smith is at his best challenging shots in the paint defensively and brings activity to the offensive end.</p> <p class="p1">Matched up with Center big man Robert Gillum in the district championship on March 5 (a talented big man in his own right who has committed to play football at Illinois State) Smith showed off the ability to score in a variety of plays, facing up his man and driving hard to the basket, and catching and finishing high above the rim.</p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">“I am a good slasher … a good teammate,” Smith said. That's what it takes to make your team better around you. If you can't do that, you are not going to be successful. But I always got work to do.</span></p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">“I am not too good at one spot of my game. I probably do some good things here and there. I am going to work on everything.”</span></p> <p class="p1">A rare three-sport athlete at Lincoln Prep, Smith is a standout football player and has run track and field in the spring in previous years. He said he is returning to the track to compete in the high jump this spring.</p> <p class="p1">“It's impressive because it says a lot about his commitment,” Lincoln Prep head coach Sean Pearson said. “Academics come first here, and to be able juggle athletics and a rigorous academic load isn't easy. He has handled it well and is a big reason why we're having success.”</p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">“I don't like to limit myself, so when I have a chance to do something, I always do it,” Smith said. </span></p> <p class="p1">Although he declined to give details, Smith said he has multiple offers in both basketball and football, and also expects to pick up some interest in track and field as well.</p> <p class="p6"><span class="s1">“It is difficult deciding on what sport to play (in college),” he said. “But it is a good stress.”</span></p> <p class="p6"><span class="s1">Smith spent the offseason playing for YOBO Nation and Victor Williams and said the experience has helped his game grow.</span></p> <p class="p6"><span class="s1">“The experience was good,” Smith said. “I have been playing since sixth grade, but traveling across the country, playing agains good competition, there is always something good. They taught me a lot, both mentally and physically. It was a good experience.”</span></p>