High school coaches describe new Dayton recruit as a winner and a worker

At that point, Smith paused as he reached under the table. His mom Sharika Rosado, wearing a “Mali’s World” T-shirt, watched, smiling and clapping. Then Smith pulled on a Dayton Flyers T-shirt and put on a UD hat.

“Pop it! Pop it!” Sharika said.

A small bottle of confetti popped, showering Malachi and the table. After officially announcing his choice, Malachi then got a big hug from his dad Elliot Rosado and his mom. There were celebrations back in Dayton, too, as fans still mourning the lost postseason of 2020 and wondering what the coming season will look like got the rare bit of good news during a year marked by the coronavirus pandemic.

While Dayton coaches can’t comment on a recruit until he signs, they can express their feelings in non-specific ways. UD assistant coach Darren Hertz reacted to the news of the program signing its first 2021 recruit on Twitter.

“It’s a Great Day to be a Flyer!!!” Hertz wrote.

In Smith, Dayton will get a player who averaged 19.2 points, 5.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds a game as a junior at St. Raymond School for the Boys in Bronx, N.Y.

“He’s a great two-way player, no doubt about it,” St. Raymond head coach Jorge Lopez said. “The level of intensity he brings to every practice and every game is something most players would admire. He’s a winner. He’s a competitor. His willingness to win has really had an effect on the team as a whole and our program. He’s a great locker-room guy. We’ve had some really good players come through our program, and he’s up there with some of our big names.”

Smith has started the last two seasons.

“Every year, he’s gotten better,” Lopez said. “He’s added different elements to his game, whether it’s shooting the 3 or shooting mid-range or getting to the basket. He has really worked on his body and continued to improve.”

Smith had 14 points and eight assists in the last game of the 2020 season on March 11. It was the quarterfinals of the Catholic High School Athletic Association playoffs. The Ravens beat Archbishop Molloy 82-54. The game had been moved from Fordham University in the Bronx to Christ the King High School in Queens because of the pandemic, and it was played in front of no fans.

With the victory, St. Raymond advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2012. That same night, however, the NBA suspended its season and the next day, the entire sports world came to a halt because of the COVID-19 crisis.

“It was really disappointing,” Lopez said. “(Malachi), along with all the other players on the team, had some trouble coping with that idea.”

The pandemic did not stop Smith from working in the gym. The night before the signing ceremony, he was working out until 10:30 p.m. with St. Raymond assistant coach Chris Williams. Williams told Smith, “How many guys are working on their craft the night before their commitment?”

“He and I have been working hard the last four or five years,” Smith said.

Sometimes it’s just the two of them. Sometimes one of Smith’s teammates join them. They work on making a lot of shots, perfecting the pick and roll and staying consistent. Their motto is: “The work will show.”

That hard work wasn’t only for Saturday and the reward of earning a Division I scholarship but for the future and being ready to contribute at Dayton right away in the 2021-22 season. With Dayton losing three guards — Jalen Crutcher, Ibi Watson and Rodney Chatman — after the 2020-21 season, playing time will be up for grabs when Smith arrives on campus.

Last summer, Williams said he worked out with Smith every day at 7 a.m. at St. Raymond. They called it the Breakfast Club. This summer, they’ve worked most nights from 8-10 p.m.

“Mali’s a workaholic,” Williams said. “Mali’s going to be in that gym. He’s going to work his tail off. That’s how he got this far. This is all hard work. Dayton is getting probably one of the hardest workers in the country. He’s a guy that’s going to work his butt off every single day. After practice, I can guarantee you he’s going to be the last guy leaving the gym. "

Williams said Smith is his own player. He didn’t pick Dayton because his brother, Scoochie Smith, was a legend there. He picked it because it was the right fit and because Dayton coach Anthony Grant made Smith feel wanted before he was an all-conference and all-state performer.

“Anthony Grant was the only head coach who offered in September at open gym, the only guy to do it in person,” Williams said. “He was the only coach to come in and say, ’I want this guy to be my future point guard.’ That was huge when it came to the recruiting process.”