There was always a game waiting for Lake Central’s Jake Smith.
Kids from the neighborhood or his church were often around. But Smith could find an opponent just by venturing outside his bedroom — because that’s what his life has been like in a family with seven children.
“We were competitive with everything we did,” he said.
That competitive childhood, which included both basketball and baseball, provided the foundation for Smith to become one of the key contributors for Lake Central (4-1) this season. The 6-foot-5 junior forward is averaging a team-high 6.0 rebounds, 11.2 points and 3.0 assists. He ranks third in points and second in assists.
Smith, who recently hung up his glove to focus on basketball year-round, started earning consistent varsity minutes as a sophomore. In preparation for this season, he said he worked hard on improving his speed and agility.
“I was pretty slow,” he said. “But I feel like I’m more athletic now, like I can guard all positions.”
Smith also improved his perimeter shooting, adding another tool to his arsenal.
“His outside shot has really improved in the past year, but he’s always been a jack-of-all-trades,” Lake Central coach Dave Milausnic said. “He can rebound, he can pass and he can put it on the floor. In the middle of a press break or a trap, he makes the right play. It’s invaluable to have a guy, at 6-5, who’s able to do a little bit of everything.”
Milausnic has known Smith for more than a decade, dating back to Smith’s days attending Lake Central’s youth basketball camps, so Milausnic has seen Smith’s growth as a person and as a player.
“He just knows how to play,” Milausnic said. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders and always has. He’s a bit more polished and well-rounded. Like anyone else who’s grown a lot, everything else is just catching up for him.”
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Smith was quick to credit senior guard Myles Yekich, who averages a team-high 6.2 assists, for helping him pile up the points.
“He’s always finding me in the post,” Smith said.
Long before he was making plays for Lake Central, Smith was honing his skills in countless childhood games. His most frequent competitors were family members.
Smith, the middle child, experienced every possible angle of sibling rivalries.
“I had the younger ones look up to me, so I had to set a good example,” he said. “But I was also being pushed around by the older ones.”
One frequent venue for those clashes was the basketball court at Faith Church in Dyer.
“We’d play one-on-one, and there were some heated exchanges,” Smith said with a laugh. “Everyone would get mad and just start hacking each other.”
J.T. Smith, a younger sibling who is in eighth grade, has similar memories.
“No one wanted to lose,” he said. “We’re all competitive. There was a lot of hacking and fouling, trying to mess each other up.”
For Jake Smith, the best part was how easy it was to start playing.
“You don’t need much,” he said. “All you need is a ball and a hoop.”
There’s plenty of basketball left in Smith’s future. He said he wants to play in college.
“I just enjoy putting in the work,” he said. “Coming in early to shoot or staying after practice … I like doing that. I’m having fun while I’m doing all of that.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.