Jalen Smith '18 - Jalen's Drive

A young Jalen Smith ’18 sinks into an athletic stance, knees bent, hips back, chest up. The rhythmic smack of basketball to pavement picks up in cadence as his opponent drives to the basket. Shot, swish, game. The victor outstretches his hand; Jalen gives it a perfunctory shake and returns to halfcourt. “Again,” he says and bounces the ball back to his dad. Throughout Jalen’s childhood, their one-on-one matchups always met the same result, but Jalen never stopped trying to win.

“My dad is the main reason I have such a competitive drive,” Jalen recalls. “Always playing each other one-on-one; always losing to him. That competitiveness and that drive came from wanting to beat him.”

Jalen credits his dad with more than just developing his competitive spirit. His parents had both wanted him to receive a private school education, but it was his dad who pushed for him to go to Mount Saint Joseph. Plus, having attended MSJ basketball camps as a kid, Jalen was familiar with Coach Pat Clatchey ’80 and his championship-winning program. When it was his turn to pull on a purple jersey, he made an immediate impact for the Gaels.

Jalen became the most decorated player in Mount Saint Joseph history, helping the team to four championship titles during his four years. He was named two-time BCL Player of the Year, BCL Defensive Player of the Year, two-time All-Metro Player of the Year, Varsity Sports Network Player of the Year, and back-to-back Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year. He was a Jordan Brand Classic selection and MSJ’s first-ever McDonald’s All-American. Best of all, he could finally beat his dad in a game of one-on-one.

As a 6-foot-10, five-star recruit, Jalen had a big decision to make when it came to the college where he’d continue his basketball career. Legendary programs all over the country came calling—Syracuse, Villanova, Virginia, Duke, Arizona—but Jalen chose the University of Maryland, where his former Mount Saint Joseph teammate Darryl Morsell ’17 was already making a difference on the court.

After a standout freshman season with the Terps, Jalen’s sophomore season was cut short with no postseason play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he had clearly proven his place on the 2020 All-Big Ten First Team and was unanimously selected to the All-American Third Team.

Despite his desire to return to Maryland for another season to help his team to a better NCAA Tournament finish than they’d had his freshman year, Jalen knew it was time to take the next step in his career and entered the 2020 NBA Draft.

On Nov. 18, 2020, Jalen, surrounded by family and friends in a restaurant they’d rented out for the occasion, learned he’d been selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 10^th overall pick. He was handed a Suns hat and put it on, tears welling, as his family cheered around him.

“I knew the range of what pick I was going to be, but I didn’t know where I was going to go,” Jalen says. “So, when I got that call, it was shocking. It was emotional. There was a feeling of relief to just get that first part done.”

There wasn’t much time for reality to set in. Due to COVID-19 delaying the draft, which normally takes place in June during the NBA offseason, Jalen was expected on a plane almost immediately to begin preseason training with the Suns. His rookie season ended with an appearance in the NBA Finals.

On Feb. 10, 2022, Jalen was traded to the Indiana Pacers. When the season ended, he had a choice to make: stay in his new Midwestern home or pursue the possibility of scoring a more lucrative contract elsewhere. The 22-year-old free agent made the surprising but mature decision to sign on for three more years in Indiana.

“I’m huge on familiarity,” Jalen explains. “I felt comfortable with the Pacers; the whole organization was just welcoming. They were there for me the day I got traded, and they were still there for me even when they didn’t know where I was going to go at the end of the summer. In the end, I felt it was the best place I could build my future and my career.”

The thought that he might have missed out on a bigger paycheck from another team? A nonfactor. “I’m betting on myself, and I can make that back down the line,” he says.

That seems like a safe bet to make considering the goals that drive him. While Jalen’s motivation for success on the court started with wanting to beat his dad, now he just wants to be like his dad.

“What keeps me going is thinking about the future,” Jalen says. “My parents provided for me; they provided me with an education in high school. They paid for all my workouts when I was young. They gave me a great life. My main goal is to make sure I can do that for my family.”

And when he needs an extra kick of motivation to put in the work, he thinks back to a piece of advice he received from former Suns teammate Chris Paul. “He told me, ‘You have to understand how many people would kill to have your job. You get to play a child’s game for money.’ That made me realize that I actually have to work because so many people would do anything to be in this position.”

It’s true—from pick-up games with his dad at the rec center to primetime contests against his childhood idols in packed arenas, Jalen’s journey is one most athletes only dream of.