Brandon Smith, a rising junior at The Park School in Buffalo, is on the verge of breaking out. This past summer, Smith initially ran with the Albany City Rocks 15 UEYBL squad, but switched to Rochester’s Primetime Ballers. The 15-year-old, 6’2, 165 lb. point guard has impressed many thus far.
Smith has been a member of his school’s varsity team since his freshman year. It’s not often that you see a freshman on a varsity roster, let alone playing and excelling, but Smith did all of that. Unfortunately, he was forced to sit out his entire sophomore campaign due to an ankle injury. Nonetheless, he is eager to get back on the court and showcase his skillset. He averaged 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal per game this past AAU season,, a well-rounded stat-line.
As his numbers suggest, Smith is quite versatile. He is adept at getting to the rim and finishing through contact. He possesses an array of dribble moves and reaches the rim with ease. He is an excellent facilitator and passes well with either hand. Smith also is an efficient three-point shooter with a silky-smooth release. He’s an excellent defender, too, with great physical tools, using his length and quickness to get into the passing lanes and disrupt the flow.
Smith has garnered interest from several schools at the Division 3 level, but expects Division 1 institutions to get involved in the process very soon. He’s confident in his abilities and is excited to showcase his game. This off-season, Smith has been working with renowned trainer, Glen Taplin. He cited “strength and defense” as his main focus points. Smith has a Baveragein the classroom, but is determined to get that up to an A this school year.
I had the chance to ask Brandon a few questions:
Q: What do you believe are your best skills as a basketball player?
A: My best skills are my scoring and shooting. In addition, I’m always calm and collected, no matter the situation.
Q: What are some things you like to do outside of basketball?
A: Outside of basketball, I like to travel, spend time with family, read sports articles and work out.
Q: What impact do you feel you would bring to a college team?
A: I would bring scoring, leadership, dedication, and hard work to any college team. I’m willing to be flexible, along the lines of playing any position the coach asks me to, as well.
Q: Every kid who plays basketball thinks they’re good. What do you think you are?
A: I feel that I am good, too, but I understand that there are a lot of kids that play basketball. I’m always willing to work hard and learn about what I can do to get better.
Q: What is your ultimate goal, with respect to the game of basketball?
A: My ultimate goal is to play at the college level––preferably Division 1––and to see what doors the game can open up for me after that.
Danny Cohen-Staff writer
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.