BRONX, N.Y. – The Fordham men's basketball program has received a commitment from one of the highest rated recruits in its history, as Jaden Smith will join the Rams for the 2024-25 season.

"Jaden is a special basketball player and I can't wait to watch him light up Rose Thrill," said Head Coach Keith Urgo.  "He has tremendous size, he's incredibly athletic and he possesses an uncanny ability to alter shots on defense.  Our fans are going to absolutely love what Jaden brings to this program on both ends of the floor."

The 6-foot-11 Smith is a four-star recruit according to ESPN and the no. 23 center in the country for the class of 2024.  ESPN also lists him as the no. 6 recruit in the state of Illinois.  He is the program's second four-star recruit since ESPN began the star-based ranking system in 2010, joining Nick Honor (2018).

Smith is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports, Rivals and On3.  He currently ranks 235^th nationally on the 247Sports Composite and 194^th in the country according to On3.
Smith signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Arizona State this past November before reopening his recruitment last month.

Smith will come to the Bronx from Chicago, where he was a standout for Kenwood Academy on the city's South Side.  This past season, he averaged 8.4 points and 8.3 rebounds while blocking an astounding 5.0 shots per game.  As a junior, he helped lead Kenwood to the city championship game after averaging 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 rejections per outing.
On the grassroots circuit, Smith competed with Mac Irvin Fire.