Arizona State basketball snags a three-star center

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State basketball and Bobby Hurley just picked up a commitment from a three-star center in the 2024 recruiting class. Jaden Smith, out of Chicago, verbally committed to play for the Sun Devils starting next season.

Arizona State basketball receives verbal pledge from three-star

Smith is the seventh-best player in the state of Illinois and the 39th-best center in his class, according to 247 Sports.

Through 45 games last season at Kenwood Academy, Smith averaged five points, five rebounds, and two blocks per game.

One of the reasons Hurley was able to get Smith was one of the connections that he has with Devils assistant coach Nick Irvin. Irvin, an assistant coach for Arizona State basketball, is the son of Mac Irvin and the brother of Michael Irvin.

Michael is currently the head basketball coach at Kenwood Academy which happens to be the school where Smith currently plays. Not only does Smith have a connection to playing at Kenwood Academy but he also played AAU basketball for the Irvin brothers.

The Irvin brothers took over their father’s AAU team, the Mac Irvin Fire, which is a very successful AAU team in the city of Chicago.

Smith recently visited ASU on Oct. 7, and had some very nice things to say when chatting with Rivals.

“The campus is very beautiful and modern,” Smith told Rivals. “I liked the basketball side of things, too, playing in a big-time conference. They (ASU) have a legendary head coach, great coaching staff, and great, great players who play for the program. They practice really hard, the talent is there, and there were NBA scouts there. That’s great to see, and that’s something that I want for myself. The football game blew me away because it (the atmosphere) was crazy.”

Smith is the first commitment for Arizona State basketball in the 2024 recruiting class.

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