The University of Alabama men’s basketball program received its first commitment for the 2019 class as 6-foot-7 forward Diante Smith of Choctaw High School in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., announced on his Twitter account that he had chosen the Crimson Tide.
COMMITTED 🐘‼️ #RTR ‼️ S/O @jdotschultz for the video 🎥‼️ pic.twitter.com/5EHzJkEgi6
— Diante Smith DS5™ (@D5SHOW) July 4, 2018
Smith, who took an unofficial visit to Alabama on June 18, also considered Florida, Auburn, LSU, South Florida and other major programs. He is ranked as a 4-star prospect and the No. 120 prospect in the USA by the Rivals recruiting service. He averaged 17.5 points and 6.8 rebounds for Choctaw last season.
He has drawn comparisons to Alabama sophomore Herb Jones because of his athleticism and versatility with the ball.
“I think he will find a lot of success on the next level, the kid is a big time playmaker with the ball in his hands and he knows how to play without it,” 1Family Co-Director Darryl Hardin told Zag’s Blog, a New York-based recruiting blog. “He is a dog on defense and can guard multiple positions.”
Alabama is continuing to recruit several prospects for the upcoming November signing period including top in-state prospects Kira Lewis, a point guard from Hazel Green, and Mountain Brook forward Trendon Watford.
Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225
