There is a rumor going around that Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA has the chance of being the best overall prospect to come out of DCG in history in WBB. I’m not sure how true that will turn out to be but at this point, it’s not a crazy statement to make or believe in. Smid is coming off of an impressive Sophomore season. She was already a very good player from day 1 of practice and she seemingly got better as the year went on. That’s not something you see too often at this level. Players who are good, evolving throughout the season while they have multiple games and practices each week so if you can accomplish that, you should be excited as can be. It means that you keep getting better year round and that is going to help you lap the competition in the long-run. I have a feeling Smid is going to end up going D1 at the end of the day. She is still raw in her overall ability but still very good so the sky is the limit if she stays dedicated to the process.

One of the most exciting sequences of Iowa Girls High School Basketball history took place during this year’s State event and the catalyst behind that play was Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA . Down 4 with around one minute-ish left on the clock in the Semifinals and Smid got a layup to go off the drive on the left side of the bucket to bring the lead down to 2. Following, she immediately turned around to guard the closest opposing player within their full court press. The opposing team threw in the ball, Smid stole it under the hoop, and finished it for a quick bucket to tie the game. After that occurred, Smid did the same exact thing one more time right away, ending the play with an AND1 opportunity to take the lead. Smid ended up scoring 7 points in 12 total seconds in that sequence, which ultimately led them to the 4A Finals. The play was amazing but it shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Smid had a great week as a whole. She played that CG/SF spot all week long and she thrived within her matchups on both sides of the ball. This is another prospect that will be playing D1 ball when she gets to the collegiate level. She is very talented and a natural in several aspects so it plays that she did well enough to make the 4A All Tournament Team.

DCG took care of business per usual, eventually beating Webster City by 42 points. Most of the important stuff in this game occurred in the first half when DCG went up 47-12 moving into halftime. From there, it was on autopilot for the Mustangs the rest of the way. You would say this was another group effort with multiple people chipping in but someone who played a very convincing contest was Sophomore – Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA . Smid grabbed some D1 attention prior to this Winter because of her mixture of size, skill, and smarts. She is a force that maneuvers all around the floor, being pretty versatile in multiple facets of the game. In this showing she used her size to defend 2-5 and she controlled the tempo on offense within her individual matchup. Which was enough to keep Weber City on lock in the end. 

Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA of DCG attempted 137 shots last Winter as a Freshman from the Forward position. You can attribute this to the Mustangs offense and Smid’s willingness to work around the hoop. She isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with any advisory that might cross her and that showed during her Freshman campaign. Now it’s all about replicating that for her Sophomore season. Out of the 137 attempts last year, Smid converted 84 of them, giving her a rate of 62%. That’s a very solid rate for a younger prospect in a seasoned system near the hoop. Now she just needs to continue to build on that this time around.

The DCG Mustangs always seem to be in the hunt in their 4A Class every season. You can put that on the coaches, you can put on their system, you can put that on their players. They understand how to win when it matters and that’s noteworthy. A young prospect for this group, that will be impactful over the reminder of her time on roster is Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA at the SF/CG position. Smid took the Varisty court last year by storm. She made noteworthy plays, she showed her worth each and every contest, all while being a great teammate to those around her. As of most recently, Smid received her first D1 offer to continue on her basketball journey following high school. Like we always say, this might be the first offer but it surely won’t be her last. If she continues to get better in her overall game over the next 2-3 years, who knows who will come offering before things are said and done but for now, she drops into our Top 15 in this specific Update.

Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA will return for her Sophomore season at DCG as the State’s Most Efficient shot maker from a year ago. As a Freshman with the Mustangs, Smid converted at over a 60% rate, ranking her #6 throughout Iowa. Will the five others before her leaving due to graduation, Smid will look to make her presence known once again within the 4A Class. I always expect DCG to be in the State Conversation when it comes to Playoffs and Smid playing really well out of the Post will play into that. That’s for sure.

Very excited to watch Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA next week at the DCG High School Shootout. Smid, a 5’9 SF/CG, jumped on the scene last Winter as a Freshman with the Mustangs. She was someone that we saw here and there in big moments, making an impact most of the time she was on the floor in one way or another. As she gets older within the DCG system, she will receive more responsibilities on both offense and defense. She will be looked upon to be her team’s big play maker in some desperate times, along with a few others, and if everyone plays their part – that should work out to perfection but we will see!

Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'10" | SF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2028 State IA is going to have a chance to step up and see the Varsity floor for her DCG Mustangs team if she works hard enough this upcoming season. Smid is a lengthier prospect at 5’9 and she plays more of a Forward position. With her size and skill level, she is going to have to continue to expand her play-style as she gets older if she sticks at her current height. I’m going to get to see Smid at the start of next week at the DCG Summer Shootout, along with their other returning prospects. Hopefully they can pick up where they left off last season and show their dominance once again before everyone gets back into AAU ball for the month of July.