RECRUITING: Las Vegas High’s Smith commits to Arizona

It’s uncertain whether Re’Kwon Smith will play for Las Vegas High this season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered just three days ago in the Adidas Unrivaled Camp in Chicago.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t play in a Wildcats uniform again.

The 6-foot-8-inch small forward committed to Arizona on Sunday evening. He announced his decision on Twitter.

“He was obviously our best player last season,” Las Vegas coach Jason Wilson said. “What people don’t see is that he was also our hardest working player. I’ve never had a kid that worked as hard as he did in 17 years. He was first in any drill that we did last year.

“He’s going to be somebody that’s hungry and that is obviously very skilled. He’s got a great motor. He’s very self motivated. You don’t have to get on Ray very often. He does everything on his own. Not only are they going to get an all-around great basketball player, but also an even better kid.”

Smith is a five-star prospect and is currently ranked the No. 10 prospect on Rivals.com and No. 26 in the ESPN 100 rankings.

He is the second player to commit to play for Arizona in the 2015-16 season. Justin Simon (ESPN No. 23), a 6-5 shooting guard from Temecula, Calif., committed in May.

As a junior, Smith averaged 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals and was selected first-team all-state after leading the Wildcats to the Sunrise Region championship game.

Smith chose the Wildcats over Arizona State, California, Georgetown, Louisville, Oregon, Southern California, Texas, UCLA, and Wake Forest.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he picked Arizona,” Wilson said. “It’s relatively close to home, and he’s really family-oriented. His dad, who he has a close relationship with, is still close and can check out his games. Arizona is obviously an elite school and he deserves to go to a top-tier school because he’s a top-tier kid.”

It’s possible that Arizona isn’t done in Las Vegas. The Wildcats also have offered scholarships to Bishop Gorman posts Stephen Zimmerman (ESPN No. 6) and Chase Jeter (ESPN No. 13).