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If you’re not familiar with Tipton Edits, then you’re not on the cutting edge of college basketball recruiting.
Yesterday, the famous Twitter account that photoshops various school uniforms over high school players’ bodies declared that class of 2021 power forward Jabari Smith (Sandy Creek [Tyrone, GA] High School and Atlanta Celtics AAU) would announce his college choice. He has narrowed a wide list down to six: North Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU.
2021 five-star Jabari Smith will announce his college decision this Friday, he tells me.
— Tipton Edits (@TiptonEdits) October 6, 2020
Choosing between: Georgia, Georgia Tech, UNC, Tennessee, Auburn, & LSU.@jabarismithll
This recruitment has been on a long simmer. Capturing Jabari’s commitment would be great, but provided that all three of Armando Bacot, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Walker Kessler don’t leave for the NBA after this season, not landing Smith won’t blow up the team. Roy Williams does have two other low-post irons in the fire with Trey Kaufman and Chet Holmgren, as well as Dylan Anderson in the 2022 class. Depending on how things shake out with that lot, Roy Williams may have to cast a wider net, which is made more difficult with the inability to scout in person or to find high school games being played, period!
There are no crystal ball picks for Jabari Smith right now. I cannot consider Georgia and Georgia Tech serious contenders, because their programs are tragic. Bruce Pearl will certainly hype up his three-point shooting free-love fest at Auburn to entice Jabari to the Plains. Rick Barnes will remind Jabari that he coached Kevin Durant at Texas, even though you or I could have coached Kevin Durant at Texas with an equal measure of success (I’m confident that I could lose on the opening weekend of the tournament). LSU is no good, as Will Wade is surely just waiting for these folks to come knocking on his door:
Does this make Carolina the favorite? Not necessarily. There’s every possibility that Jabari Smith follows in the footsteps of Jalen Green, Isiah Todd, and Daishen Nix, going straight from high school to the NBA G-Leauge.
If you want a good feel for Jabari’s game, check out this game against future Tar Heel legend Walker Kessler:
Where do you think Jabari ends up? Put your predictions in the comment section below. Do so before the announcement on Friday so we know you’re not cheating.