INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Purdue women's basketball signee Jayla Smith joined elite company Friday morning when she was named the 2021 Indiana Miss Basketball. Smith will be the 10th honoree to suit up for the Boilermakers.
"We're incredibly proud of Jayla," head coach Sharon Versyp said. "She is an unbelievable talent. Athletic, versatile and an accurate 3-point shooter, she plays with a passion and will to win. In a close game late, she wants the ball in her hands and very little will stop her. We're excited to watch her game flourish and take the next step at Purdue. We look forward to welcoming her to our program."
Smith closed her career at Lawrence North High School as a state champion, an All-State selection and a McDonald's All-America Game nominee.
After an impressive junior campaign, including a 22-point performance with five 3-pointers in the 2020 Class 4A State Championship Game, the 6-foot guard totaled 19.5 points and 4.6 steals per game as a senior, setting the record for takeaways in a season.
Smith will arrive on campus this summer along with three other members of the Purdue 2021 signing class – Sacha Washington, Ava Learn and Skye Williams – all of whom were tabbed as McDonald's All-America Game nominees. The quartet was ranked No. 22 in the nation by ESPNW.
Compared to Purdue's 10 Indiana Miss Basketball awardees, no other school in the country has more than four, tied by Indiana and Notre Dame.
Smith joins an elite list of Boilermakers who earned Indiana's top honor – Sharon Versyp (1984), Jennifer Jacoby (1991), Stephanie White (1995), Kelly Komara (1998), Katie Gearlds (2003), Jodi Howell (2005), Brittany Rayburn (2008), Courtney Moses (2010) and Karissa McLaughlin (2017).
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