Future Star: D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera

One of the top freshman in the state, and possibly in the nation, is suiting up for his first year of high school basketball at North Central High School. Coach Doug Mitchell has been fortunate enough to have a string of highly talented guards come through his program in recent years, with studs like former Arizona Wildcat Jason Gardner, and former Indiana Hoosiers AJ Ratliff and Eric Gordon. Now Mitchell is blessed to coach another great one in freshman standout D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Even though his high school career is only one game old (and quite a game it was!), Smith-Rivera already touts an offer from Tom Crean's Indiana Hoosiers. The trend of offering athletes earlier and earlier is catching on, and Smith-Rivera is a beneficiary of early attention. A powerfully built guard, D'Vauntes still has plenty of room to grow and expand his game, namely his shooting and ballhandling, but his pure talent and athleticism makes D1 coaches stand up and take notice. As mentioned earlier, his first high school game was a declaration to the state that Smith-Rivera was on the scene and to be respected as a top notch baller. Against a strong Pike team led by five star sophomore point guard Marquis Teague, the 6'3", 210 pound Smith-Rivera went off for 17 points and an amazing 16 rebounds. The 4A no. 9 Panthers destroyed the Red Devils 72-43 in his debut. With Purdue bound guard Terone Johnson saddled with foul trouble and held to six points, Smith-Rivera and senior Damon Ellison combined for 36 points to lead North Central to a big first blowout win.
Coach Mitchell has a full four years to enjoy this amazing young talent. Stay tuned for updates on Smith-Rivera's recruitment and how his season shapes up!