Point Guard To Watch At Peach Jam | Ashton Smith (2019)
With the likes of James Wiseman and DJ Jeffries leading the charge for the Bluff City Legends, it is easy to overlook some of the other quality players on the team. In the backcourt specifically, the legends have current Findlay Prep guard, Ashton Smith (2019), looking to turn some heads on the Nike EYBL circuit.
Before transferring to Findlay Prep, Smith was the floor general for Lausanne Collegiate School— best known as Mark Gasol’s former high school. In his Sophomore campaign, he helped lead the team through the state tournament, and he even made the go ahead And-1 lay up to surpass their rival, Harding Academy, in the semi-finals. Ultimately, Lausanne won the championship, and Smith was a pivotal piece being the starting point guard.
At 5’10, the short, stocky guard embodies a pure point guard with tons of Memphis toughness. He utilizes his quickness and strength to bypass the defenders to get into the lane and lob to his lengthy post-players or kick-out to his 3-point specialists. Also, Smith can get crafty in the lane with his finishes to get over the trees such as floaters or acrobatic lay-ups. Smith excels in the open floor with his court vision to find players on the run which is a talent within itself. Although he can knockdown the three, he feels more comfortable getting around the free-throw line and knocking down the 15 foot jumper.
On the defensive end, Smith can really pest an opposing team’s guard for 94 feet. He uses his height towards his advantage to get lower than the ball-handlers and create havoc, but due to his size, sometimes fighting around screens can become a challenge. Smith does understand the concept of team defense with continuous vocal leadership to help his teammates.
As of right now, Smith does not hold Division 1 offers from any schools just interest. Luckily, the Legends qualified for Peach Jam, so Smith will be able to showcase his abilities on the biggest stage.