Josh Smith ’10 is huge, period. He is listed at 6’9, but was taller than all the other players listed at 6’9 and the player listed at 6’10 at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Classic, so the Kentwood (WA) star has got to be 6’10. He also has a large frame to go along with his height, and was easily the biggest overall player of the 24 participants in the event. The best way to describe Smith is by just saying that he is “enormous.” I mean that in size and in presence, as he is a major factor on the blocks, grabbing boards at both ends, with his forte being on the offensive glass, where he scores on a lot of second chance attempts for his squad. I spoke with the uncommitted rising junior the day before the actual Elite 24 game after his team won the scrimmage.

NB: What colleges are you currently considering?
JS: I don’t really a [list of] top [choices]. . . . I can give you the list [of schools recruiting me]. I have the whole Pac-10 [recruiting me], Gonzaga, Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Syracuse, UConn, [and] Seton Hall, so schools like that.

NB: Have all those schools offered [you] a scholarship?
JS: I would say most of them have, and I’d probably say in the future they’ll probably offer me.

NB: Do you have a top five or . . . any schools that really stand out in your mind?
JS: Right not I don’t really have a top five or nothing; I’m just playing it out. Everybody’s on the same level right now.

NB: What are some of the things that are going to go into your decision?
JS: People talk to me about style of play [and] if I want to stay close to home. Right now that’s not really bothering me. I would love [for] my parents to come watch me play every game, but if I [decide I want to] go [away], then I’ll go away. They can still watch me, [they] just won’t be there, but I don’t think that will be a problem, I don’t think it will have an effect on me because my mom—if I say I [decide I want to] go away, they [are] going to say, ‘yeah, go away, grow up.’ [As for] style of play? Over the next two years I’m [going to] try to change my game to try to fit most of them, so I’m not saying ‘no, I can only do this style of play,’ and cut off all the schools that can’t do that.

NB: What do you see as the . . . weakest point in your game?
JS: I’m [going to] start with [the] weakest. [My] weakest [point] right now I would say is my defense. I can block shots but I can’t rotate and help and change the shot because with my mindset I’m just trying to block everything, so . . . that [makes it] easy to take me out of the game, but right now I would just say I’m trying to bring it . . . all the time because last year I was . . . on-and-off. This year I’m trying to bring it on-and-on-and-on . . . especially against the [other talented] big men . . . to prove a point.

NB: [What is your] strongest point?
JS: Oh, [my] strongest point, I would say rebounding. [It’s my] rebounding [and] free throws. When I’m on my streak I’m on my streak.

NB: Who do you think [is] the best player in your class?
JS: My class? It’s really weird because . . . on Scout and Rivals it’s the same top four dudes at the top four: me, Tristan [Thompson], Jeremy [Tyler], and Jared [Sullinger]. We’re all pretty good players. I’d say I am.

There is definitely a chance that Smith is the best player in the class of 2010. Not only does he have great size, he has talent and immense potential. Washington has a lot of talent right now, in Smith, Avery Bradley ’09, Abdul Gaddy ’09, and Tony Wroten, Jr. ’11, and there’s a chance that Josh is the best of them all. The big man knows how to use his size, and it’s key in his game. In the case of Josh Smith, bigger really is better.

Note- photo is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/.