Unconquered

FSU release:

Four-star recruit Jarquez Smith, who celebrated his commitment to the Florida State men's basketball team with a 42-point, 16-rebound and five-blocked shot performance against Putnam (Ga.) County High School on Nov. 13, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for two-time ACC Coach of the Year Leonard Hamilton and the ACC Champion Seminole men's basketball program. Smith is ranked as the No. 3 player in the state of Georgia, is the No. 40 ranked player nationally by Bob Gibbons and among the top 30 power forwards playing high school basketball.

Smith (Haddock, Ga.) averaged a double double of 12 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots per game as a junior at Jones County High School. He earned All-Region First Team honors, was voted as the best defender in the region and selected to play in Georgia's North/South All-Star game. Smith led Jones County to the Georgia State AAAAA High School playoffs in 2012.

"Jarquez Smith is an extremely versatile player who fits very well into our system," said Hamilton. "His abilities on the offensive and defensive ends of the court make him a very complete player even though he has yet to scratch the surface as the type of player he is going to be during his career as a Seminole. In addition to already being a player with solid fundamentals because of the coaches he has played for during his career, he is an outstanding person who gets along with our players and our staff very well. Jarquez is a great addition to our program"

Smith, a 6-9 forward, is a consensus top 100 player by all of the national recruiting services. He is ranked as the No. 63 player by CBSSports com, No. 78 by ESPN.com, No. 96 by 247sports and No. 99 by Scout.com.

"I am very excited to be a Florida State Seminole," said Smith. "Coach Hamilton and his staff are building something very special at Florida State. They also have a great tradition of coaching forwards and teaching them how to play the game very well. I knew that Florida State was the place for me because of how well I got along with the coaching staff and the players during the time they were recruiting me. Florida State is the right place for me and Coach Hamilton is the right coach for me to develop throughout me college career."

Smith selected Florida State over Georgia Tech, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina.

"Florida State has been a school that Jarquez has always wanted to attend," said Jones County head coach Dennis Woolfork. "Jarquez hasn't event tapped into his ability as a player and I think the Florida State coaching staff was attracted to him because of his exceptional versatility. He can do things that other 6-9 players cannot do in terms of his ball handing and his passing along with his ability to score the basketball. Coach Hamilton and his staff have really got a special player in Jarquez and they will be able to help him continue his development once he gets to Florida State."

Florida State will play BYU on Friday night at 7:00 in the semifinals of the Coaches' vs. Cancer Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Seminoles play host to North Florida on Wednesday Nov. 21, at 7:00 p.m. in their next home game.