USC signee Kennedy Smith named California Gatorade Player of the Year
Future USC Trojan Kennedy Smith has been chosen the 2023-24 Gatorade California Girls Basketball
Player of the Year.
Smith, a McDonald’s All-American, recently helped her Etiwanda team to a second-straight state championship with a 60-48 win over previously unbeaten Archbishop Mitty. Smith had 15 points in the title game. The 6-foot-1 senior finished the season averaging 20.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 assistants, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. She’s ranked by ESPN as the No. 6 recruit in the country, the No. 1 prospect in California, and is the top-ranked prospect in an absolutely loaded 2024 recruiting class for the Trojans that features three ESPN 5-star players and three four-star prospects.
In addition to winning the California state player of the year honors, Smith was also named one of three finalists for the national Gatorade Player of the Year award.
Ohio State commit Jaloni Cambridge and South Carolina commit Joyce Edwards are the other finalists alongside Smith.
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USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said this of Smith in November when she signed her NLI with the Trojans:
“Kennedy has the full package: defensive tenacity, offensive skill, size, athleticism. But what sets her apart further is her competitive drive. She is a winner. With the ability to play and defend multiple positions, she is going to be an electric player in the Galen Center. Kennedy’s decision to stay home will have a lasting impact on our program, and is really significant as we take steps to become a national power in women’s basketball.”
According to the Gatorade Player of the Year press release:
Smith is a three-time All-CIF selection, a 2024 Naismith Award semifinalist and a 2024 McDonald’s All-American. She is also a two-time state Open Division tournament champion. Smith has performed community service and has donated her time as a youth counselor on behalf of the Cathedral of Praise Church in San Bernardino. “Wing players with Kennedy’s ability, size and willingness to do whatever her
team needs are rare,” said Kevin Lynch, Senior National Talent Evaluator for Blue Star Report. “She continuously rises to the occasion in the toughest situations. Simply put, Kennedy is a winner.”
Smith has maintained a 4.04 weighted GPA in the classroom.
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