Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Jalen Smith was born on March 16, 2000, in Portsmouth, Virginia. He is a forward/center in the NBA.

Smith was born in Portsmouth, Virginia to Charles and Orletha Smith and his one sibling Kiara Smith. Smith attended Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Maryland where he averaged 22.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game as a senior and won several awards, among them, the Gatorade Maryland Boys Basketball Player of the Year twice. He was named to the 2018 McDonald's All-American team.

On November 8, 2017, Smith signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Maryland after verbally committing in June. He averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game as a sophomore. At the close of the regular season, Smith was named to the First Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media and the Defensive Team by the coaches. He was named Third Team All-American by the Associated Press and Sporting News. After the season, Smith declared for the 2020 NBA draft.