Auburn basketball: Jabari Smith is AU’s first All-American in 2 decades

There’s no doubt that Auburn basketball has been on a consistent upward trajectory over the past few seasons with Bruce Pearl at the helm, but arguably no player in Pearl’s Auburn career has been more awe-inspiring than Jabari Smith Jr.

The true freshman power forward has earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors six times this season and has been named to multiple award watch lists including the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year, the John Wooden Award, and the Naismith Trophy.

Smith is the highest-ranked recruit in Auburn basketball history, and now he’s added becoming the Tigers’ first All-American in 23 years to his long list of accolades:

Smith was named to Sporting News’ second-team All-American, becoming the first Auburn basketball player to be named an All-American since the 1998-1999 season, and the Tigers’ 12th All-American in program history.

Sporting News named Smith’s defining game as the one in which he logged 25 points, 7 rebounds, 8-of-14 FG shooting in the Tigers’ 81-77 victory at Alabama. The publication pointed to Smith’s three-point shooting as a key factor in his game:

"There is no college player better at pulling a 3-pointer from a standing position with a defender directly in his space. That may not come up a ton, but it’s a nice asset for a player closely defended. Smith is one of the two or three most talented players in Division I. It sometimes feels like he could do more, but coach Bruce Pearl says Smith has been big when the Tigers needed him."

Hopefully, Smith can help lead Auburn basketball to an SEC Tournament title and a deep run in March Madness before being potentially chosen as the first pick in the upcoming NBA draft.