photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Bishop Seabury senior Jace Smith takes the ball up the court in a 64-56 win over Burlingame on Monday, February 10, 2025 at Bishop Seabury Academy.

Bishop Seabury senior guard Jace Smith has spent a lot of time in the gym developing his jump shot.

Starting from his freshman year with the Seahawks, he’s trained his jump shot to become his greatest attribute as a guard. That work came to fruition when he recently hit the mark of 1,000 career points.

“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, and a thousand points is a big milestone,” Smith said. “It shows me that I got something out of coming here.”

Smith has evolved as a guard while with the Seahawks. Early in his career, he focused heavily on spreading the ball and being a facilitator. As he got older, he became a go-to shooter.

Smith leads the team, averaging 17 points per game. He’s also first on the team in assists, with over six per game. In the regular season finale that secured the Seahawks their second-straight Kaw Valley Conference championship, Smith had 27 points with 13 rebounds and eight assists. His success comes from the confidence he built while working over the summer.

“Just being in the gym… this summer, I got to train with some of the best trainers in the world,” Smith said. “Coming into this season, I had a lot of confidence, and I’ve been shooting well this year so far.”

Smith’s evolution as a player has also included his development off the court as a leader. He’s worked on this since he started at Seabury as a freshman, and he believes it will help him in his basketball career beyond high school. Smith said he has some offers but is waiting until after the season to decide anything about his college basketball career.

The Seahawks are looking to return to the 1A state championship, which they lost last year. Smith said the team sits together in classes and will often talk about their games and what they need to work on. They’re locked in for the postseason.

Smith isn’t just ready for the postseason because of last year. As a senior, Smith wants to finish his Seabury career at the top with his teammates who have been along his side.

“Last year, I was a junior, and I was really hungry to get it,” Smith said. “We fell short, and I felt like I could’ve done more. This year being my senior year, I’m going to give it my all. I have nothing else to lose.”

The Seahawks’ postseason starts on Tuesday against Wakefield in the Centralia sub-state region.

“I think we’re in a good position,” Smith said. “Once we get that taste of sub-state, we’ll be right back to where it was last year. We’ve got that anger in us from last year. I feel like we will go all the way through.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Bishop Seabury senior Jace Smith utilizes a screen to get past a defender in a 64-56 win over Burlingame at Bishop Seabury Academy on Monday, February 10, 2025.