Scouting Report: New Basketball offer Zhaire Smith

Texas Tech recently extended an offer to 2017 Lakeview Centennial small forward Zhaire Smith on Tuesday evening. The 6-foot-4 forward had a tremendous 25-point effort in a thrilling 2 OT game against South Garland on Tuesday.

Texas Tech assistant coach Chris Ogden was in attendance for the game and extended the offer to Smith whose recruitment is on the upswing as of late. By looking at Tech’s 2017 class and the current Texas Tech roster, it seemed like Texas Tech wanted to add a “big man” with their final few slots. However, Smith still earned an offer from the Red Raiders to be apart of the 2017 class.

RedRaiderSports caught up with TexasHoops Rivals analyst Blue Zertuche and Lakeview Centennial head coach JT Locklear to get a scouting report on Smith, and why his game was too good to pass up for Beard and his staff…

*Note Zertuche and the TexasHoops staff has seen Smith play six times already this year and Smith has been a mainstay at their various tournaments and events throughout his high school career.

Smith as an overall prospect…

“Zhaire has always been known as an open court player. He has always been a ‘highlight-reel’ type of player. If you get him out in the open court, he is going to finish. That’s pretty much what he was capable of doing on a game-per-game basis. Here we are now in his senior year, and he is just developing at the right time. He is a little bit of a late-bloomer in terms of skill level but what you are getting from him is a more consistent scorer away from the basket. He is polishing a lot of his perimeter skill. He’s not necessarily a knockdown threat from the three-point line but you have to guard that from him. You can’t let him take an open shot. He is working inside the 15-feet and in range and you will have your hands full.”

Smith having the potential to be like the Smith that is already on Tech’s roster…

“He is a prospect down the line. He is nowhere near completely polished. His upside comes because he is such a tremendous athlete. You look at Zach Smith (for Texas Tech) and what Zach Smith has become. You look at that athleticism in Zach and see how that translated at that level in the Big 12. I think it will be a matter of time, it isn’t a step on the court right away, ‘Hey I’m going to go get 15 and 8. I think this is really one of those prospects that you allow to continue to develop. Smith has to go to the right type of system where is game will continue to blossom.”

Smith’s projected position in college…

“I think the first thing you have to realize is what a great asset he will be on the defensive end. Anywhere from rebounding to altering shots on the perimeter. I think you see very few players with that quick twitch motion off the floor in order to alter an outside shot. If you take his athleticism, his quickness, and that’s going to translate that very few guys will be able to do. He is so quick to recover on the defensive end. I think after you watch him, his quickness, his athleticism, you are looking at him to guard multiple spots. At 6-foot-4, pushing 6-foot-5, can he play the four? I think the college game is moving towards a guard-oriented game in some spots. You could probably get away with him at the four, matchup-wise. I think ultimately he is a three at the collegiate level. You have to allow him to develop like I said. I think that’s the key, allowing him to develop. He can’t go to any high-major program and be successful. It is going to depend on the program and on the coach that will allow him to be successful to develop.”

On Smith’s ability to fit in with Beard and Texas Tech…

“I think if you watch Texas Tech basketball, there is a lot of movement, there is a lot of cutting to the basket. You don’t have to be an individual that breaks down the defender off of the dribble. I think there is a lot of patience to that offense which plays into the hands of a guy like Zhaire Smith. He really needs to catch the ball going to the basket, because he isn’t going to be a guy who just looks you in the eye and takes you to the basket. If you give him a gap or a lane, and he gets that one step on you, he is going to the basket, and he is going to finish. Last night, he went 10 for 10 from the free throw line. You want that type of player who can absorb that contact in order to get to the free throw line. He is not a standstill type of player. He will play a little bit of the high ball screen where is popping out a little bit and looking to make a pass. He has very good court vision. I think he has developed into an all-purpose guy that will be able to pass, score down low, and then take advantage of any type of mid-range jumper that the defense is able to get him.”

With increased interest on the recruiting trail this season -- Stephen F. Austin, Tech, Boise State, Houston, and some Texas interest just to name a bit – what has Smith worked on this season that has led to his rise…

“I think one thing you have to realize is that it isn’t just one aspect of his game. Yesterday, what I was impressed by was that he only had one assist, but the passes he was making, the court vision that he had was just as impressive as anything else. Another thing that has blossomed is his ability to get a shot off. His shot isn’t broke. It looks really good coming out of his hand and just repetition is what is going to get him to be a better shooter. I think he knows his limitations as a player, but I know he plays off of his ability to score down low due to his athleticism, and he will be able to knockdown some shots that you wouldn’t think he would be able to as an opponent. Collectively his overall skill has improved. If you look for him to improve on something, it is still his ball handling skills. You have to be able to go create. I think he is more of a player that needs to be set up to score. By no means is he a finished product, especially someone like Zhaire who is blossoming at the right time. Just a few years down the road, though, and something can be very big for him.”

*Note Locklear has coached Smith all throughout high school. He has a firsthand account of Smith’s progression and has had a front row spot to Smith’s excellence on the court this year. Smith has averaged 19+ points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists for Locklear’s 21-3 Centennial team.

On Smith’s tremendous athleticism…

“He is 6-foot-4, 180 pounds. He is an elite athlete. Will be a three at the college level. He has a nice skillset, can shoot the three, and is pretty good off of the bounce. The biggest thing is that he has a reach of 6-foot-9, he has a vertical leap of 40+ inches. So when I say elite athleticism, he is way up there. There are some people who have even said that he might be one of the best athletes coming out in this class. Good rebounder, tremendous defensive player, and will be able to guard the two, three, or four at the next level.”

On Smith’s increased recruiting interest…

“People have always had their eye on him. It has picked up here lately because the big question coming out of the summer was whether he could shoot the ball well enough to play the three at the college-level. I don’t want to say he has improved it because he was able to shoot it, he just didn’t do it a whole lot this summer when everyone saw him. He has certainly improved in that. Now that he has proven to everyone that he can shoot the three at a consistent level, his recruiting has really exploded.”

On why he feels Texas Tech pulled the trigger and offered Smith…

“I think – and again, I don’t want to speak for Texas Tech – I think Zhaire is one of those players that will bring whatever school he signs with a lot of versatility. He is a kid that is going to, maybe next year as a freshman, be able to defend three different positions, which is going to give them a lot of versatility in their line up and who and how they are going to play against different people. I think the fact that he can shoot it as well as he can will allow them to play as the three, four as a freshman because he will probably be more comfortable there. Whereas in the future, I think he will eventually work to being a two. When he gets to the next level, he is going to put on 15 pounds of muscle quickly, and he is going to be a monster at the two, three, four. I think the versatility he brings, being able to guard as many positions as he can, being the elite athlete that he is getting deflections and blocking shots, and still being able to get to the rim and finish. In the end, I think the versatility was just too much to overlook.”