Prospect Spotlight: Derek Smith (2020)
As the Utah high school hoops season wears on, 6-foot-1 Delta guard Derek Smith continues to emphatically put himself on the map. The junior scoring guard has been posting some big numbers for the Rabbits, and is doing so by…
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Continue ReadingAs the Utah high school hoops season wears on, 6-foot-1 Delta guard Derek Smith continues to emphatically put himself on the map.
The junior scoring guard has been posting some big numbers for the Rabbits, and is doing so by torching teams with his handles and sharpshooting.
“I feel like my greatest strength is my ball-handling, also my 3-point shooting. And this offseason, I worked a lot on my pull-up jumper. I feel like I’ve come a long way since last season,” said Smith.
“I try to be a jack-of-all-trades in some ways; I can be a point guard and a shooting guard. But I’m best at ball-handling and my ability to create my own shots, really.”
With still a year and-half to prepare himself for a possible college hoops career, Smith says his defense and his strength are areas of emphasis for him right now.
“Definitely, I think I need to get stronger. I’m a pretty skinny kid, so I definitely need to get bigger physically,” said Smith. “And to play at the college level, I’m going to have to increase my defense and my speed.”
This season at Delta, Smith has not only taken up a large scoring role, but also has been rebounding at a high clip. It’s been a challenge each night for him to react to different defensiveness, a challenge he’s embracing.
“I’m a leader, in points, and I’ve led in rebounding this season as well. And I’ve seen all sorts of defenses thrown at me this season, and my job is to see those defenses and adjust,” said Smith.
“I feel like I’ve done really well adjusting to different defenses that I’ve seen every night.”
When his junior season is complete, he’ll head into what will be a critical 17U offseason for recruitment. He’s played with Salt Lake Metro the last few years.
“I love the offseason, I love the competition of AAU ball. I’ve always dreamed of playing college ball, and now, into my junior season, I see that it’s a possibility,” said Smith, who’s seen little recruitment come in so far.
“Nothing serious, just little schools from California and Utah. I haven’t really been talked to very much.”
He added: “I’m really going to work hard to get any scholarship that I can. And I’m really motivated.”