Boost from Scoochie helps UD land recruit
Smith puts in good word as Memphis guard picks Flyers.
Flyers guard Scoochie Smith, who graduated Saturday, sold Memphis recruit Jalen Crutcher on the school during a weekend visit.
Scoochie Smith made DAYTON — one last assist for the Dayton Flyers on graduation weekend. He hung out with 2017 recruit Jalen Crutcher, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Ridgeway High School in Memphis, Tenn., and told him all about the University of Dayton.
“He was telling me about the fans,” Crutcher said Monday, “and how he loves the fans and how the fans come out. He just said I’m going to love it.”
Smith, who graduated Sunday with the four other Dayton seniors, might have also told Crutcher about the challenge he’ll face. That would be true. Smith finished his career as one of Dayton’s all-time great point guards. Crutcher will never play
with Smith at UD, but their paths crossed at the right time.
“He just told me to play my game,” Crutcher said.
Crutcher arrived in Dayton on Thursday with his parents, toured campus on Friday and signed with Dayton on Saturday before flying home to Memphis.
Crutcher was supposed to visit Florida Gulf Coast next weekend, but he didn’t need any more time to make up his mind. It helped he already had some familiarity
with one Dayton coach. Assistant James Kane recruited Crutcher when he was at Murray State.
“Friday night, I was tell- ing my mom, ‘I think this is it,’” Crutcher said. “Saturday morning came, and she was like, ‘If you want to make this decision, we’re behind you.’”
C rutcher remembers watching Dayton play in the NCAA tournament when it lost to Wichita State in March. He first heard from Dayton coaches before an AAU event in Atlanta, the adidas Uprising, which was April 28-30. He averaged 19.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in five games at the event for M33M Elite. Crutcher learned much
more about Dayton during his visit. Coach Anthony Grant told him about his NBA experiences and what it was like
to coach Russell Westbrook. He heard about Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetok-
ounmpo’s visit to his brother Kostas, a Dayton freshman, on campus April 29. Grant and his assistants showed Crutcher film of the Flyers. Crutcher’s signing was as special for the coaches as it was for him.
“It’s exciting because I’m (Grant’s) first recruit,” Crutcher said.
Crutcher, a three-star recruit, according to Rivals. com, is the fourth member of Dayton’s 2017 class. Jordan Davis, a 6-foot-4 guard from Irmo, S.C., and Jordan Pierce, a 7-0 center from
Scotch Plains, N.J., signed with Dayton in the fall and
then renewed their commitments when Grant visited them in April. Matej Svoboda, a 6-7 forward from the Czech Republic, signed with Dayton on May 1.
Crutcher originally signed with Chattanooga. When coach Matt McCall left to coach at Massachusetts, Crutcher asked for a release from his letter of intent.
“It was stressful,” Crutcher said. “(Crutcher and his mom) gotinto it a lot sometimes during the process.”
Now that the recruiting process is over, Crutcher can enjoy his final days of high school. He’ll enroll at UD for the second summer session.
Classes begin June 24. Asked to describe himself as a player, Crutcher said, “My strengths are getting my
teammates involved, shooting the ball and scoring with both hands and my on-theball defense.”
Crutcher isn’t sure where he got his talent.
“My mom says I got it from her side,” he said. “My dad says I got it from his side. My mom played basketball. My uncle on my mom’s side played. I think I’m the first to play on a college scholarship.”