Speed has always been Jaden Smallwood’s greatest asset. Like a race car with wonky steering, the Michigan City junior just had to learn how to harness it on the basketball court.
“I started off with the speed, but no skills. I was just stealing the ball everywhere,” Smallwood said of her early days as a player. “In sixth grade, nobody was there to say, you need to be a guard, you need to work on your skills there. Last year, it’s why I couldn’t make most of my layups. My speed helps me a lot, but my feet were going faster than my brain. Sometimes, I still go too fast, but it’s way better this year.”
kAmp=H2JD 2 5676?D:G6 DA64:2=:DE[ E96 d\7@@E\f 8F2C5 92D 25565 2? @776?D:G6 5:>6?D:@? E@ 96C 82>6 E9:D D62D@?[ AC@G:5:?8 2?@E96C D4@C6C E@ 2 (@=G6D 2EE24< :? ?665 @7 2 E9:C5 @AE:@?]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJE9:?8 H:E9 y256? DE2CED H:E9 96C 2E9=6E:4:D> 2?5 BF:4<?6DD] *@F 42?’E D:>F=2E6 E92E :? AC24E:46[” 4@249 |:<6 |68J6D6 D2:5] “$@>6E:>6D[ H6 92G6 E@ E6== 96C[ D=@H 5@H? 2 =:EE=6 3:E] *@F 92G6 E@ 36 F?56C 4@?EC@=] tG6CJ D:?8=6 82>6 E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD[ H6’G6 <?@H? H92E H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E 7C@> 96C[ 3FE H92E H6 =@G6 23@FE 96C :D D96’D 7@F?5 2? @776?D:G6 A2CE @7 E96 82>6 E92E H@C<D C62= H6== 7@C 96C 2?5 7@C FD] $96 5@6D?’E H2?E E@ 36 ;FDE 2 5676?D:G6 A=2J6C] $96 H2?ED E@ 96=A E96 E62> 2E 3@E9 6?5D @7 E96 4@FCE] $96’D 23=6 E@ 8:G6 FD D6G6?[ 6:89E[ D@>6E:>6D `_[ `a A@:?ED 2 82>6] :E 96=AD %C:?:EJ W%9@>AD@?X 2?5 z2E6=J? Ww2=724C6X EC6>6?5@FD=J] w6C @FEAFE 92D C62==J 366? 2 3=6DD:?8]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 5676?D6 4@?E:?F6D E@ 724:=:E2E6 @776?D6 7@C $>2==H@@5[ D96’D 2=D@ 364@>6 2 >F49 36EE6C 7:?:D96C 2E E96 C:>[ E2<:?8 5676?56CD E@ E96 32D<6E 2?5 2=D@ 4FEE:?8 E@ E96 9@@A H96? %9@>AD@? 5C2HD 5@F3=6 E62>D :? E96 A@DE]k^Am
kAm“%96 >2:? E9:?8 E9:D J62C :D E@ D9@H x’> ?@E ;FDE 2 5676?D:G6 A=2J6C[ E92E x 42? 5@ >@C6 E92? E92E[” $>2==H@@5 D2:5] “x’> >@C6 @7 2 5C:G6C[ x CF? E96 32D6=:?6D 2 =@E[ x D9@@E D@>6E:>6D[ >:5\C2?86] x’> ;FDE 2=H2JD H2E49:?8 H96C6 x 42? 7:== :?] |:?5D6E[ E92E’D E96 7:CDE E9:?8] {2DE J62C[ x H2D D@ ?@E 4@?7:56?E] p =@E @7 E:>6D[ x’5 4@>6 @FE @7 E96 =@4<6C C@@> 4CJ:?8] tG6CJ3@5J H@F=5 92G6 E@ E6== >6[ :E’D ~z] %9:D J62C[ >J 6IA64E2E:@?D 2C6 H2J 9:896C[ ;FDE 36=:6G:?8 :? >JD6=7[ D4@C:?8[ 36:?8 2 36EE6C E62>>2E6[ 5676?D6[ ;FDE <?@H:?8 >J H2J 2C@F?5 E96 4@FCE] %C:?:EJ 2?5 z2E6=J? 92G6 366? 2 3:8 96=A] q6:?8 2?@E96C D4@C6C[ E62>D 92G6 E@ D2J[ H2E49 }@] `d]”k^Am
kAmp=D@ 2 DEC@?8 DEF56?E[ $>2==H@@5 2EE6?565 }@EC6 s2>6 $49@@= :? 8C256D e\g E@ 492==6?86 96CD6=7 >@C6 24256>:42==J] %9@F89 |68J6D6 <?6H @7 96C[ :? A2CE 3642FD6 @7 96C 3C@E96C |2<:J29[ 2 9FC5=6D DE2E6 492>A:@?[ 96 4@F=5?’E H2E49 96C A=2J D:?46 D96 H2D 2E 2 A2C@49:2= D49@@=] $E:==[ 96 <?6H D96’5 36 2EE6?5:?8 |:49:82? r:EJ :? 9:89 D49@@=]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?6H 6I24E=J H92E H6 H6C6 86EE:?8[” |68J6D6 D2:5] “$96 H2D 2=H2JD BF:4< 2?5 D96’D =62C?65 9@H FD6 :E E@ 96C 25G2?E286 2D 2 32D<6E32== A=2J6C] (6 5:5?’E D66 E92E 2== E96 E:>6 :? >:55=6 D49@@=] $96 H2D E96 y' |'! 2D 2 7C6D9>2?[ H96? H6 925 E92E 3:8 D6?:@C 4=2DD] x <?6H D96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ DE2CE 96C D@A9@>@C6 J62C] x’> ?@E DFC6 D96 <?6H E92E]”k^Am
kAm$>2==H@@5 5:5?’E 3FE D96 5:5 <?@H ‘E96 y' E62> H2D ?@E H96C6 x H2?E65 E@ DE2J]’k^Am
kAm“x H2D H@C<:?8 E96 H9@=6 D62D@? D@ ?6IE J62C x <?6H x H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 @? G2CD:EJ[” D96 D2:5] “x A=2J65 H:E9 z2E6=J? :? 6=6>6?E2CJ] s6}2J2 Ww2==X 96=A65 >6 2 =@E] (6’5 H@C< FADE2:CD[ D9@@E 7C66 E9C@HD[ D96’5 E6249 >6 >@G6D]”k^Am
kAm(96? %9@>AD@? 42>6 E@ r:EJ 7C@> v2CJ (6DE $:56 EH@ D62D@?D 28@[ D96 2?5 $>2==H@@5 3642>6 4=@D6 2?5 E96 7C:6?5D9:A 92D 366? >FEF2==J 36?67:4:2= @? E96 4@FCE]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 3:8 96=A H96? J@F 92G6 D@>63@5J H9@ <?@HD E96 3:8 A:4EFC6[” |68J6D6 D2:5] “x D66 E9@D6 EH@ H2?E:?8 6249 @E96C E@ 36 E96 36DE E96J 42? A@DD:3=J 36] xE’D ?@E ;FDE E2=<[ H6 36=:6G6 :? 96C 2D A=2J6CD 2?5 4@2496D] (6 6IA64E E9@D6 E9:?8D 7C@> 96C ?@H] (96? D96’D ?@E 5@:?8 :E[ E96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E @? 96C 23@FE :E] xE’D ?@E[ @9[ J@F’== 36 ~z] %92E’D H92E J@F 5@ H:E9 2 7C6D9>2?] $96’D 2 ;F?:@C ?@H]”k^Am
kAm{2DE DF>>6C[ H:E9 E62> 24E:G:E:6D 8C62E=J =:>:E65 3J r~'xs[ $>2==H@@5 5:5 96C 36DE E@ 86E :? H@C< @? 96C @H?[ H96E96C :E H2D D9@@E:?8 2C@F?5 2=@?6 @C H:E9 2 E62>>2E6[ @C EC2:?:?8 H:E9 tC:4 vC:77:? 2E t=:E6 !6C7@C>2?46 p4256>J]k^Am
kAm“~FC 8:C=D H9@ 92G6 8@?6 E@ tC:4[ 96’D 366? 2 EC6>6?5@FD 96=A[” |68J6D6 D2:5] “{:<6 6G6CJE9:?8 6=D6[ D96 H2?ED E@ 36 E96 36DE] $96’D G6CJ 92C5 @? 96CD6=7] x E9:?< D96’D AFE >@C6 56>2?5D @? 96CD6=7] $96 5@6D?’E 2446AE >2<:?8 >:DE2<6D] $@>6E:>6D[ x 92G6 E@ D2J[ C6=2I[ :E’== 36 2== C:89E]”k^Am
kAmw:EE:?8 E96 7=@@C 2E 7F== DA665 E@ DE2CE E96 D62D@?[ $>2==H@@5 D4@C65 2 42C66C\9:89 `c A@:?ED :? E96 D62D@? @A6?6C H:E9 w@32CE]k^Am
kAm“x AC@G65 4@F=5 5@ :E[ ;FDE 5@?’E DE@A 96C6[” D96 D2:5] “pD x AC@8C6DD[ x H2?E >J DE2ED E@ 8@ FA[ E@ 36 2 8@@5 E62>>2E6] (96?6G6C x 92G6 2 325 82>6[ |68J6D6[ H92E6G6C 96 D2JD[ J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 8@@5 82>6[ J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ A=2J C62==J 8@@5 5676?D6[ x 6?5 FA 92G:?8 2 C62==J 8@@5 82>6]”k^Am
kAmp b]fg W8C256 A@:?E 2G6C286X DEF56?E[ $>2==H@@5 92D 366? 2 A2CE @7 r:EJ’D t2C=J r@==686 !C@8C2> D:?46 D96 H2D 2 7C6D9>2?[ 244F>F=2E:?8 2E =62DE `_ 25G2?465 A=246>6?E 4C65:ED] $96’D 6I4:E65 E@ 5@ EC24< :? E96 DAC:?8 27E6C 2 HC:DE :?;FCJ 2D 2 7C6D9>2? 2?5 r~'xs =2DE D62D@? <6AE 96C 7C@> CF??:?8 E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD] x? 255:E:@? E@ D49@@= 2?5 DA@CED[ $>2==H@@5 92D 366? 2 A2CE @7 E96 |:49:82? r:EJ $@F= $E6AA6CD 5C:== E62> 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD[ 2?5 :D 4FCC6?E=J 2 42AE2:? @? E96 E62>]k^Am
kAm“{2DE J62C[ E96C6 H6C6 2 =@E @7 4=2D9:?8 AC24E:46D] xE’D 3@E9 92C5 2?5 7F? 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[” D96 D2:5] “xE’D >2?6FG6C:?8 J@FC 766E] %96J 4@>A=6>6?E 6249 @E96C]”k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E96 (@=G6D’ D6G6? H:?D[ $>2==H@@5 :D 2G6C28:?8 f]c A@:?ED[ c]e C63@F?5D 2?5 c]b DE62=D A6C 82>6]k^Am
kAm“pD 2 4@249[ J@F’C6 2=H2JD =@@<:?8 29625[” |68J6D6 D2:5] “%9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ 96=A >6 EC6>6?5@FD=J 7@C ?6IE J62C H96? D96 364@>6D 2 =6256C] (6’C6 8@:?8 E@ ?665 E9@D6 D<:==D E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ :>AC@G6] xE AFED 2 D>:=6 @? >J 7246 3642FD6 x <?@H ?6IE J62C H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E 6G6? >@C6]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.