Don’t judge Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. by his most recent game.
The 6-foot-10, 220-pound freshman from Fayetteville, Georgia, missed 13 of 15 shots Tuesday in the newly top-ranked Tigers’ one-point victory at Missouri, but it was clearly just an off night for one of college basketball’s top newcomers.
Smith totaled five points, 10 rebounds and two blocks while playing stout defense on Missouri’s Kobe Brown. Despite a season low in points – he ended a streak of 16 games scoring in double figures – Smith remains a consensus projected top-five pick in the upcoming NBA draft, if he decides to turn pro.
He has a legitimate chance to be Auburn’s highest selection in program history, ahead of Chuck Person (fourth in 1986) and Chris Morris (fourth in 1988).
“He’s a special talent,” Florida coach Mike White said. “He’s 6-10 and he’s a two guard. He’s got a beautiful stroke. He’s efficient. Gets to his spots. He’s got an ability to raise up with a high release to separate a little bit in the air. Can kind of twist a little bit, go right, go left. He’s just advanced.
“It seems like mentally he’s kind of a step ahead of where he should be at that age. He’s a really good player.”
Smith, who turns 19 next month, has a fluidity to his game that’s impressive for his age and certainly appealing to NBA scouts and general managers. He’s viewed as a matchup nightmare because of his ability to stretch a defense with his shooting and his knack for putting the ball on the floor.
No one should be surprised by Smith’s season, either. After all, he was a top-five college prospect coming out of Sandy Creek High School last season and has a notable basketball pedigree. His father played at LSU from 1998 to 2000 before a 10-year professional career that included NBA stops with the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets. Kwame Brown, a 13-year NBA veteran and the No. 1 pick in 2001, is a cousin.
Stats: 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game; 43.8% shooting (40.4% from 3-point range), 80% free throws.
Strengths: Smith has a smooth stroke, especially for a big man. He has made 42 3-pointers in 20 games, although his percentage has dipped over the past two weeks by missing 17 of 22 from behind the arc.
“I knew he was a great jump shooter; I just didn’t know he was going to be the best jump shooter I ever coached,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “And he wants to get better.”
Weaknesses: For an athletic big man, Smith isn’t much of a shot blocker; he has 22 in 550 minutes. Part of that is he plays alongside 7-foot-1 center Walker Kessler, who roams the paint for Auburn and has 81 blocks. Kessler leads the Southeastern Conference and ranks second in the nation in blocks at 4.05 a game.
Draft projection: Smith is widely considered to be a top-five pick, and several mock drafts have him going No. 1 overall.
AP file photo by Vasha Hunt / Auburn’s Jabari Smith is a smooth-shooting, 6-foot-10, 220-pound freshman who has helped the Tigers to the top ranking in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history.Here’s a quick look at other NBA prospects in the SEC to keep an eye on this winter.
IVERSON MOLINAR, MISSISSIPPI STATE
The speedy junior – a 6-3, 190-pound guard from Panama who prepped in the United States – has taken over as the SEC’s scoring leader this season, with his average pushed to 18.4 after dropping 30 points in an overtime loss at Kentucky on Tuesday. In the past five games, he has averaged 22.8 points, 4.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals.
SAHVIR WHEELER, KENTUCKY
The Georgia transfer guard who hails from Houston has been really good since missing two games earlier this month because of a neck injury. Wheeler (5-9, 180) has averaged 16.3 points in his past four games and leads the SEC with 124 assists.
JAYLIN WILLIAMS, ARKANSAS
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound sophomore forward from Fort Smith, Arkansas, was instrumental in the Razorbacks winning four in a row heading into Wednesday night’s game at Ole Miss. In that stretch, Williams averaged 14.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and he totaled 12 steals and blocked four shots in the same span. He also had a double-double in four of his past five games ahead of the trip to Ole Miss.