Smid was the overall leaders this EYCL season for her AIA team. Smid led her team in PPG and RPG out of the SF position throughout the Spring/Summer. She was a rebounding force that most other programs couldn’t deal with and that helped her produce on both ends. Smid has had a year to remember on the hardwood as a whole. She was a standout last Winter during the Playoffs and she used that momentum to put together an impressive last six months as a whole.

Recent Offer: D2 – Maryville (MO)

Maryville is out in full force trying to lock in Iowa commits for their future Classes coming into their program in the near future. This time it’s for Ava Smid of DCG High School. If you don’t know, Smid is a talented SF, who has a high potential when it comes to her future ability on the hardwood. She checks off a ton of boxes that college recruiters have already and she is only going to get better as she continues to get older. Right now she can change the game on any high school floor she competes on and she might have that ability at the college level one day as well if she plays her cards right.

The attention and interest is slowing starting to come along for Ava Smid at the SF position. Smid gave us a memorable Sophomore campaign last Winter but she is looking to do even better this upcoming season and she has all the intangibles to accomplish that goal. Smid stands around 5’11, she has ample coordination, she is extremely calculated in everything she attempts to do on the court, and she just knows how to make plays. Sometimes there are rare players out there that can make things happen when the shot clock is clicking down or when things become tight towards the end of a big contest. That place is Smid. She stepped up big time last season for DCG and I’m sure she will be a focal point in their system on both sides of the floor once again this season.

I can’t wait to watch Ava Smid at the college level in the near future. She is so good as a SF at 5’10. She makes everything look so easy and she possesses that “it” factor that all coaches dream about. We saw that factor last season first hand at the Iowa State Girls Bball Tourney in DSM, when she went viral on social media for scoring 6 points in about 15 seconds. This AAU season Smid has been doing her thing, carrying that momentum from the Winter season with her so far as we move into Summer. As long as she continues to play within her own ability as we move into the rest of AAU season, she should be gaining interest from D1 programs all over the Country until she ends up committing.

There is a rumor going around that Ava Smid Ava Smid 5'11" | 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 5'11" | 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 5'11" | 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 5'11" | 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 5'11" | 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 5'11" | 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.