Smith is playing the best ball of his high school career and it is in large part because he keeps the game simple. He plays hard, and he locks in on what he does best. He is a three-and-D player with the size and bully mentality to make plays the easy way. When he is open, he knocks down shots. When he is in a one-on-one situation, he bullies his way to the rim to finish. He is an elite rebounder for a guard and he is intense on both sides of the ball. He is a player that coaches have to plan for, and he will continue to be a matchup problem heading into District.

When I watched the Westside Pels 17u play at Space City Collision in Houston, Caden dominated both sides of the ball and was a top 2026 standout the tournament for both Saturday and Sunday. He is a consistent finisher finessing his way to the rim past opposing defenders with brute physicality and toughness. If he does not make the layup, he usually ends up at the free throw line and his motor/hustle definitely made a difference during key moments of the game.

Caden is a fierce, confident combo guard that drives to the hoop with a determination that can’t be denied. He’s active in the paint on both ends – stacking up buckets offensively and blocking and altering shots defensively. He doesn’t hesitate in the slightest when he sees an opportunity for himself or a teammate and he makes sound decisions on the fly. He’s a beast on the glass on both ends and he gets to the line with a nice regularity. He has great vision that he uses to find his open guys on the break and he’s a fantastic passer that’s hard to stop because he’ll smartly always take the more desirable path the defense has to give him. Smith is going to be garnering plenty of attention going forward and it’s well deserved.