Biography: Russ Smith has gone under the radar for most of his high school career but he started to turn some heads leading the Queens high school Archbishop Molloy his senior year. Originally a member of the 2009 class, Smith will reclassify as he is going to be taking his game to Connecticut attending South Kent Prep for his 5th year. Russ Smith plays for the New York Gauchos in the summer for his AAU ball.
Scouting Reports: Once Russ Smith starts playing basketball you never want it to end. His sheer talent of ball-handling seems like he’s doing magic-tricks to all of his opponents. The 6’0†guard is always a step ahead of his defender. His jumpshot has improved from a deep chuck to a sleek stroke while over the course of the summer. Smith has a nice change of speed/direction which is useful while being closely guarded.
Russ can be a comboguard, but is likely more of a SG on the next level. Phenomenal scorer. Has deceiving strength and a killer jumpshot. Very creative with the ball and can finish with contact. Also has great hands which leads to a lot of steals on the defensive end. Sometimes can get caught up in trying to be too much of a scorer and looking for his own shot. Shot selection is often an issue as well. -Theo Rabinowitz (Summer 2009)