Why Maryland Commit Jalen Smith Keeps Climbing Up The 2018 Flo40 Rankings
A little over two weeks before he stepped onto the biggest stage of his young prep career, Jalen Smith, in his words, finally committed. His decision in late June to stay home and attend Maryland was important and so was getting the announcement off his chest, apparently.
At last month's Nike Peach Jam, the 6-foot-10, 195-pound power forward nicknamed “Sticks” put in work in his first games after pledging to the Terrapins. He boosted all of his averages from the Nike EYBL regular season to post 13.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game on nearly 60 percent shooting while guiding Team Takeover (MD) to the championship game.
Was it a coincidence he played better after committing? Perhaps, but there was no denying how good Smith was during the event to move up to No. 29 in the 2018 Flo40 and how the Mount Saint Joseph (MD) star will continue to show his blossoming skill set.
Smith has played loose and free since his commitment, and it's a big reason why his stock keeps rising.