Jalen Smith
Maryland is producing some amazing talent right now – as Kevin Huerter, a Jazz target from the 2018 NBA Draft, is thriving in Atlanta. Maryland also has two bigs in Jalen Smith and Bruno Fernando that are NBA bound. Fernando figures to be a lottery pick, while Smith will be in the range of where Utah will likely be picking.
Smith is another Freshman, and will need some time before producing at the NBA level. He needs to get stronger and quicker. The raw talent is there, though. Smith shoots three-pointers confidently and is effective around the rim. Defensively, I see some problems, but at least he goes out there and tries his hardest. He will get better on that end of the floor as he progresses throughout his career. He can block shots, but has trouble laterally on the perimeter.
Smith was a five-star recruit in high school and a McDonald’s All-American, so his massive upside has always been noticed. He’s only 18 years old, so he’s got a long way to go to continue to get better.
During his Freshman season, Smith has averaged 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s shooting 48.2 percent from the field. Ideally, you’d like your big to shoot above 50 percent from the field, but it’s his three-point shot that has his overall field goal percentage below 50. He’s shooting just 25.5 percent from deep. Again, though, he takes a decent amount of them and is confident. He definitely has the potential to stretch the floor out to the three-point line.