Gary Smith Jr. @PrepHoopsTN/AboveTheRimGym Fall Combine Recapture

Andrew Force November 28, 2019 @ 09:30 PM

Gary Smith Jr. (Columbia Academy) gifted the @PrepHoopsTN/AboveTheRimGym Fall Combine with a dazzling mix of athleticism and gregariousness. Though Smith Jr. just missed earning MVP, he did dominate for lengthy stretches of open 5 vs. 5 play and he earned placement in the PrepHoopsTN All-Star Game MVP.

Gary entered the mid-October event ranked #58 in our state rankings.

How did he measure against the competition?

Class of 2020
6'5"
Wingspan -- 6'9"
Height w/o shoes -- 6'5"
Height w/ shoes -- 6'5"
Hand Span -- 9.0"
Hand Length -- 8.5"
Shoe Size -- 13.5
Standing Reach -- 8'5"
Peak Reach -- 11'
One-Step Vertical -- 31"
Lane Agility -- 13.00, 13.46
Fall Combine Ranking -- #5
All-Star Top 20

NBA Stylistic Comparison: 2018 Spurs Kyle Anderson
College Projection: D2+/LM D1

State Champion.

Gary Smith Jr. is a 6'5"+ combo forward. He might even be a "big college" two-guard. A wingspan of 6-foot-9 gives him the potential to be a fantastic post-denier. He has pretty good feet and excellent explosion. For example, Gary reached 11" on the vert tester with a single step of preparation. That calcifies him as a 31" vertical player. He likely can add 1-2 more inches with a running start.

Strengths for Smith Jr. are agility, passing, natural strength, length, unselfishness, mid-range jumper.

Thinks he is a PF or picked that group for rotation. I still prefer him as a Kyle Anderson-type. Does everything ok. Fun loving, confident hooper. Gritty enough. To reach potential as D2 attacking wing, he needs crisper handles. They are good for Class A, even sporadically great. D2 coaches will demand more before giving him freedom to slash at will.

Follow @AndrewForce8 and @PrepHoopsTN for the latest.