2019 4-star shooting guard Charles Smith IV commits to Cal

On Tuesday, Cal men’s basketball landed their first commitment of the 2019 recruiting class in 4-star shooting guard Charles Smith IV, who now plays for McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. Smith is currently the 85th ranked recruit in the 2019 class rising 11 spots from his previous ranking.

Smith has been on the Golden Bears' radar since last summer, which was when they offered him a scholarship. His primary contact on the Cal staff is assistant coach Chris Walker, who he knows from his days in Texas. Walker has strong recruiting ties in the Texas region and they are once again paying off with the commitment of Smith.

At 6’4”, 170 pounds, Smith knows how to attack the rim and also shoot it from deep. He’s multidimensional and knows how to make plays. Where he especially excels is in the open floor, where he can use his combination of size, athleticism, and skill to his full advantage. He should be able to help Wyking Jones implement the type of system that he wants to run, which is predicated on pressing, trapping, and getting out in the open court. Cal lacked the depth and talent to fully implement that style last season, but with Smith now coming in, it’s looking like Jones will eventually be able to play the style that he’s always wanted.

While last season didn’t yield the type of results that Cal would have wanted, their success on the recruiting trail under Wyking Jones has been solid. The 2018 class is already strong with the additions of Matt Bradley, Jacobi Gordon, Andre Kelly, and Connor Vanover and 2019 is shaping up to be possibly better with the early addition of Charles Smith IV.