With the departure of Hailey Houlder to Oak Hill Academy in the offseason, Smith should be her natural replacement at the point guard position for Archer this season. Elite quickness with the basketball makes Smith a real concern in the open court for opposing teams whether she scores herself or gets racks up easy assists. Smith shot the ball very well and in rhythm at the Prep Girls Hoops Georgia Expo earlier this month as well. Defensively, Taliya has the ability to put immense amounts of pressure on the ball and also jump into the passing lanes creating deflections and steals. Bethune-Cookman and Norfolk State have seen enough and have already extended offers to the talented junior. If she continues playing like she has recently, then other schools should and will join that list.

Archer has had an incredible amount of talent the last couple of seasons, however they dealt with departures to two of the more prominent private school programs in the country this offseason (Hailey Houlder-Oak Hill and Layla Adams-Monteverde). I joked with Smith it’s her time to shine now and she got a big smile on her face like “I know”. Fundamentally she is very sound. She is extremely quick not just with her feet, but also her hands. That coupled with her anticipation skills and then add a long wingspan, and you have one of the best defenders in the state. Taliya was able to turn that excellent defense into offense several times scoring off of steals in transition. She shoots the ball really well from three and can manage a team without question. I was not surprised, but happy to see she holds two offers from Norfolk State and Bethune-Cookman. Taliya is an excellent player who will have more opportunity to show that with the departure of the very talented Hailey Houlder. I have no doubt she will take advantage of it and make believers out of more schools. I would take her on my time any day of the week.

Taliya is a small guard who brought a competitive approach and an unselfish floor game to the Expo. She showed the ability to initiate the offense, get paint touches, and make good reads with the rock. Her willingness to involve teammates gave her value beyond her own scoring. She looked to make the play that helped the possession, and that approach is a solid foundation for a guard responsible for getting others involved. Her effort carried over to the defensive end as she stayed active with her hands, made hustle plays, and was willing to mix it up with bigger guards and post players. Her willingness to compete against size stood out. She did not allow her smaller frame to keep her from getting involved, and her activity gave her ways to impact the game even when she was not finishing the possession herself.