By JAMES MADDEN & SAM LANCE
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — Ohio State landed one of the most underrated forwards in the class of 2026, Alex Smith, in September.
Smith, the 6-foot-9, 195-pound forward from Upper Arlington High School (OH), just wrapped up 3SSB Session 2 in Omaha, where he talked about his commitment to the Buckeyes. He’s currently playing summer ball with the Midwest Basketball Club.
Smith is originally from Columbus (OH) and grew up close to campus. That made his decision to commit to Ohio State a no-brainer.
“I’m a hometown kid,” Smith told ZAGSBLOG. “I live about 10 minutes from campus, so knowing the staff made my decision really easy. I wouldn’t ask for any more from them.”
Growing up so close to campus, Smith has built a strong relationship with the entire coaching staff and is very excited to spend the next year around the program.
“We just had a relationship longer than anybody else,” Smith said. “They recruited me about a year before June 15. That extra year was crucial to how I felt. They always gave me everything I needed and always came to games. I don’t think they missed a game last year and haven’t missed a game here.”
With his 6-foot-9 frame, Smith prides himself as someone that can stretch the floor and knock down threes, but is trying to improve on finishing at the rim and improving his paint efficiency. At 3SSB Session 2, Smith averaged 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 9-of-18 (50%) from 3-point range.
“[Jake Diebler] said to just keep getting stronger and improve my finishing in the paint,” Smith said. “And talking on defense. I really need to talk more and open my mouth. It helps with me being locked in.”
Ohio State’s offensive system has reminded him a lot of the system his 3SSB squad plays, with a lot of the top shooters tending to play in the low post, using screens from big men to get open.
“They run a lot of floppy and create a lot of space,” Smith said. “A lot of drive and kick action, and I think the kick outs will be something I’ll thrive at.”
Smith is a rising senior and ranked as a three-star, top-150 recruit by 247Sports.
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