“Ja’Vonte is a great player. He shoots it really well from beyond the arc with deep range. He gets to the basket and plays above the rim. He sees the floor well and he’s very unselfish.”

Mark Cascio

Head Coach of Baton Rouge Catholic High

Athletic Excellence

The state’s two-time returning Gatorade Player of the Year, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior point guard had led the Hornets to a 28-5 record and a berth in the Division I state semifinals at the time of his selection. Smart averaged 33.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks through 33 games. One of six finalists for the MaxPreps National Player of the Year, Smart is a two-time Mr. Basketball winner and a three-time Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A All-State honoree. He entered the state final four with 3,253 points in his prep basketball career.

Academic Achievement

Smart has maintained a weighted 3.33 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at Louisiana State University this fall.

Exemplary Character

Smart has volunteered locally as part of an elementary school literacy-outreach program and as a youth basketball coach and counselor.