Remember the name: D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera

• Alex Bozich

• 12/12/2008 9:13 pm in

• Recruiting

The next in line in a stable of exceptional guards at Indianapolis North Central has arrived and is making an immediate impact as a freshman.

D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, a 6-3 guard who already has a scholarship offer from Indiana, is considered one of the top 10 players nationally in the class of 2012 and is the focus of a story in today’s Indianapolis Star:

Three games into his high school career, the powerfully-built 6-3 guard is already an impact player, in the top three on his state-ranked team in scoring (15.3), rebounds (7.7), assists (5.3) and steals (2.3).

“He’s really, really good,” Doug Mitchell said. “He’s talented and has a great head on his shoulders. The thing that helps him, too, is that he’s physically strong.”

You can go ahead and pencil in Smith-Rivera alongside 2011 Indianapolis Pike guard Marquis Teague at the top of the priority list for IU. In order for Tom Crean to bring the program back to national prominence, it’s going to be essential to lock down the state of Indiana. And that means getting the best players throughout the state to come to Bloomington.

Filed to: D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera