6-foot senior Jaylen Smith was first witnessed by San Diego Coach JR Blount when the former was participating in a tournament in Indiana with the Team Lillard travel squad. Blount obviously liked what he saw as he later told Smith "we want and need you." Smith was also privy to a text Blount sent to the Team Lillard staff that read "I gotta have him."
Expressing that fervent desire paid off for the first-year head coach as Smith announced his commitment to the Toreros on September 17. He will officially sign in November. Smith tripped to San Diego September 3-5 so he enjoyed a long look at the coaches, the basketball program and the school.
So why Blount and the University of San Diego, besides the obvious? "I chose San Diego for a number or reasons. I could see myself living there if I got hurt and couldn't play. San Diego plays in the West Coast Conference so my friends and family can see me play at St. Mary's, USF, Santa Clara and Pacific. Flying to San Diego takes only about an hour and a half so my family will be coming down when they can make it."
But his rapport with Blount is foremost. "He is very genuine and he recruited me the hardest." In fact, Smith was so sure, he took no other visits. Plus, "they didn't put me in a box. I'll be playing as a lead guard and also off the ball."
For the record, when asked to detail what he does best on the court, Smith offered, "I'm an elite scoring threat, especially from mid-range and the elbow and I can get to my spots but I'm also a playmaker and a defender. I'm good at picking up tendencies when defending and I'm working on consistently applying constant on the ball pressure."
Asked about leadership, Smith said, "It's improving. I've gotten better at using my voice. I was fairly quiet as a freshman and sophomore but I've blossomed and found my voice."
Regarding his goals for his freshman season as a Torero, "I want to help get the program on the (basketball) map, to make USD known as a basketball school. I won't be satisfied until we get into the Final Four. When I started at Amador Valley High, it wasn't a basketball school. But we made an NCS appearance in my sophomore season and, then as a junior, we finished in third place in the NCS."
Smith played his first three years at Amador Valley High but the program violated eligibility rules last season and is now on probation and banned from the postseason for the next two years. So he has transferred to Granada High for his senior season.
With a mother having played high school basketball and father with high school and community college hoops experience, it's no wonder Smith landed on a basketball court. He dabbled early on with multiple sports but thanks to exposure to seeing Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard, "I became, for sure, obsessed with basketball in the fifth grade" and that has been his sole sport ever since. So much so, he explained, "basketball is my therapy, it clears my head. I feel better when I'm heading to a court or a gym."
His best basketball moment came when "Team Lilliard won the 2025 16u championship in a South Carolina tournament. Nobody expected us to win and we proved everybody wrong. The whole place went quiet."
About his connection to Team Lillard, Smith recalled his initial training session which took place when he was in middle school. "My first workout with Team Lillard was the hardest I've ever experienced." But rather than shying away, Smith was drawn in. "Team Lillard is not just a team, it's a family, a real family. Coach Raymond Young and Coach Phil Taylor really want me to succeed as a person and as a student and as a basketball player.
Affable, confident, willing to put in the work to continue his rise, it's not a stretch envisioning Smith being a major asset at his next hoops stop.
