In what was his last stand at Washington, Chaise Smith Chaise Smith 6'2" | CG Washington | 2026 State NC did what he could to give his team the win over Reidsville but ultimately fell short in a heartbreaking 59-58 loss in the final four. Smith finished with 14 Points, 4 Assists, and 3 Rebounds on 5-11 shooting from the floor, 3-6 from deep, and 1-4 from the free throw line. Smith was orchestrating offense for his team throughout the entirety of the game and was able to connect on his jumpers to keep the defense honest on his drives. Overcoming Dionte Neal Dionte Neal 5'10" | PG Reidsville | 2026 State #141 Nation NC and Reidsville is no easy feat, Smith already did it once this year but flat out emptied the tank to try and do it again in the final four. His ability to make plays off the bounce is really high level and with the jumper starting to fall more consistently as the season went along, he is starting to tighten up his game even more. Smith is one of North Carolina’s best available players.

The new All-Time leader in scoring at Washington HS continues to help lead his team in a state championship run with their latest win being over SW Edgecombe by a large margin. He can score in the half-court or transition by using his athletic ability and height/wingspan. Most importantly he is a competitive player that seems to take every matchup personally.

Smith has been a consistent producer here in North Carolina possessing a ton of flare as a scorer and playmaker. He finds himself ranked ahead of a handful of guys committed to division one schools, so you guys know where I stand in terms of a level projection. Smith has Washington on another playoff run and is averaging 20.6 Points, 3.9 Rebounds, 7.5 Assists, 2.5 Steals, and 0.7 Blocks per game this season. Smith has the complete ability to run a team at this point as he’s truly made serious strides in his pure PG ability. Smith’s outside shot is streaky but he is very capable of getting hot and swinging a game. His tight handle, evasive footwork, and elite ambidextrous touch around the rim make him a super tough check off the bounce. I fully expect Smith to get a little bit of late recruitment pop after the portal settles down and someone will be getting a gem.

Smith is proving to be one of the best pure playmakers in North Carolina regardless of class, especially this season with the group of teammates he’s surrounded with. The Senior PG has led his team to an 18-4 record on the season with a 10-1 mark in conference play. Smith is stuffing the stat sheet per usual with 20.4 Points, 4.1 Rebounds, 7.8 Assists, 2.4 Steals, and 0.6 Blocks per game. He’s top five in the state in assists per game and that’s been the best part of this senior season for Smith. He’s showing real progression into a full time PG that is really looking to get his guys easy baskets and it’s his pressure on the rim that allows him to create for others in the manner he does. Smith is obviously capable of taking a game over scoring the ball, he’s still averaging over 20 PPG. The energy, leadership, maturity, and vision of Smith in his senior season have helped make Washington a truly legit NCHSAA 4A contender and giving him the chance to end his high school career with a fairytale finish.

Sporting a Division One offer after a solid junior season and summer campaign Chaise Smith Chaise Smith 6'2" | CG Washington | 2026 State NC and Washington have their sights set on a 4A state championship. The high flying guard will likely be a key piece to those aspirations as he attempts to duplicate last year’s success. A blur in the open court with an improving jump shot and decision making skills he’s arguably the top remaining prospect on the board in the 252 area code.

Washington clinched a spot in the championship game on Sunday after a back and forth battle with defending 3A champ Ben L. Smith. In the contest, Chaise finished with 33 points and 8 assists and showed a solid ability of being able to score while effectively getting his teammates involved. He got to the paint almost at will finishing a good amount of shots at the rim. 

Early on you can see that he has plenty of the physical traits that you are looking for in a division one level Point Guard. Solid height standing at close to 6’3, a very long wingspan and the athletic ability to make plays above the rim on both ends of the floor. He gets downhill with ease, can score the ball at a high level, but still finds ways to make an impact on the game even when his shot is not falling.

If it weren’t for teammate Darrion Ellis Darrion Ellis 6'5" | SF Word Of God | 2026 NC leading the team in boards and blocks over the weekend Chaise would’ve walked away with MVP honors. He consistently got to his spots for pull ups over defenders while still converting any transition opportunity into an athletic dunk at the rim. If the shooting production keeps up expect that offer list to grow in the upcoming weeks. 

-Probably the twitchiest athlete I saw this weekend, rotating over from the weakside to swat a floater that was at the top of the square. Wove through traffic in transition like a Porsche, bursting through gaps to the rim to finish with two hands. Liked the fact that the ball didn’t stick in his hands on the perimeter, did a great job of scanning the floor from the wing to shift the defense with skip passes and lobs.

Arguably one of the most exciting guards in the East has had a solid Junior season overall in terms of production. With his team’s only two blemishes in 2a coming to arguably favorite Farmville Centrall they have the look of a team capable of making a run. Leading the team in scoring (20 points) and assists (6.3) so far though they’ll need a big post-season to make the run possible.