Smith Continues to Fly Under the Radar

Jamel Smith II-2022 Dayton

In terms of basketball talent, the Dayton area always seems to produce their fair share of studs.  High school programs like Dunbar, Trotwood Madison and Wayne are always loaded with the area’s best players, and Jamel Smith II (5’6/WF/Dayton/2022) could be a force for one of those programs within the next couple of years. We’ve seen Smith ball on several occasions and we’ve always been impressed with his upside.  In fact, at our last 2 elite showcases, Smith balled his way into all-star games, and in the spring of last year, Smith even grabbed Top 5 honors.  This is what we had to say about Smith after the spring event, “It was our first time seeing him, but Jamel Smith II can play, as evidenced by his Top 5 selection.  We did not see a lot of him, but we will going forward.”

We’ve been most impressed with Smith’s athleticism, motor and ability to get to the basket.  Smith is also a good defender who excels at scoring in transition. This school season, Smith has his Trotwood middle school team undefeated at 9-0, and Smith is a big reason for his team’s success.  According to Smith’s middle school coach, Treshon Jones, his team is likely to go undefeated, with the only potential losses coming from Wayne and/or Centerville. That’s no surprise considering that Trotwood team is loaded with players who play AAU ball, including guys like Trey Dennis and Rico Colter.  As a side note, Dennis is a stud that has mostly flown under the radar since he has not yet broken out at elite camps and showcases.

In terms of Smith’s talent, Jones could not be more complimentary. “Jamel is tough, gives 100% effort on every play and is going to wok harder than anybody,” said Jones.  “He handles the ball well, can shoot it and is the leader on my teams,” continued coach Jones. Although Smith ran with MVP Dynasty last season, according to his mother, Smith is going to take a break from AAU basketball, and will instead,  concentrate on training and attending a few camps.  Although we selected Smith as Fifth Team All-Ohio last season, that was mainly do to a lack of exposure during the spring and summer.  We look forward to getting another look at Smith at our March 4^th elite showcase.