Ahlana Smith:
Number: 2
Height: 5’9
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Rating out of High School: 5 Star
Accolades:
- 31st-ranked player class of 2018 (ESPNW Hoopgurlz)
- 34th-best player (Prospects Nation)
- Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) First Team All-American
- NJCAA (National Jr College All-American)
Smith was one the top JUCO players two years ago. Her 1st year with Louisville, she played in 27 games and averaged 10.6 mpg, 2.8 ppg, and just under 1 apg.
Coach Walz: “She will bring toughness and grit to out backcourt with her ability to create her own shot and distribute consistently.”
Breakdown: Smith is a 5’9 guard that can finish plays in traffic. Ahlana has the ball skills to beat any defender one-on-one and get to her spots on the floor. Ahlana can finish in traffic as well, and she has an excellent pull up jumper that keeps defenders honest and off balance. Smith is a player that has great vision and court awareness. She’s able to not only create for herself, but get and keep her teammates involved. Ahlana is an extremely smart and athletic combo guard.
“The most complete guard in junior college.” -Dan Olson, owner and director of the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and director of ESPNW Hoopgurlz.
My Take: Ahlana Smith will bring maturity to a relatively young team. On a very guard-heavy team, I’m happy to have a player like Ahlana. As Coach Walz mentioned, “She plays with a chip on her shoulder.” Ahlana Smith is a smart, tough, and gritty guard that is probably the most athletic player on the Louisville roster. With the departure of Dana Evans, Smith is bound for a larger role and more minutes. Smith will bring a much-needed scoring punch and pressure defense whenever she’s on the floor. She has all the tools to be one of the best guards in the ACC, she just needs to work on becoming more consistent. A more consistent Ahlana would make it hard for Coach Walz not to have her on the floor and would be great for the Louisville Cardinals.
