Damarrion Smith made a quick impact in the Grant boys basketball program.

Maybe too quick, at least in one way.

“Earlier in my career, I was just going way too fast,” Smith said. “I was out of control half the time, and that would lead to a lot of turnovers and me having to make split-second decisions. That wasn’t a good feeling to have.

“It took a long time practicing, but now I’m much better at controlling my speed.”

Smith mentioned a couple of in-game scenarios when that comes into play.

“I could tell better when a defender was in position to take a charge, or noticing on fast breaks when we didn’t have numbers and it would be smarter to take the ball back out,” he said.

Grant’s Damarrion Smith (3) drives to the basket during a nonconference game against Clinton, Wisconsin, in Fox Lake on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Rob Dicker / News-Sun)

Entering the final weeks of his high school career, Smith has elevated his game to a higher level, and it’s no coincidence that the Bulldogs (10-10, 6-3) have won four straight Northern Lake County Conference games. The 5-foot-10 senior guard is averaging 13 points this season, but over the past couple of weeks he has also averaged five assists and six rebounds.

“A lot of people expect me to drive, and teams have to respect my teammates, so things open up for me to kick out for an open look,” Smith said. “I wasn’t really rebounding a lot at the start of the season. But going into the paint helps, where I can even get a tap-out, and sometimes it comes down to being physically tougher than everyone else.”

Grant senior guard Noah McMath agreed that Smith’s maturation has helped teammates.

“We’ve definitely benefited from him practicing things like avoiding jump passes and getting to his next move off two feet,” McMath said. “He’s so fast, he gets to his spots, and that allows him to find people.”

Grant coach Wayne Bosworth said Smith has learned to maximize his time on the court.

“If you have the ball in your hands around 8% of the time, what are you going to do in the other 92%?” Grant coach Wayne Bosworth said. “That’s where the emphasis can fall on things like rebounding and assists, and Damarrion has been emphasizing that more than anybody.”

Making changes has been easier for Smith after his experience last season. A role player as a sophomore, Smith emerged as one of the Bulldogs’ primary scoring options after then-senior guard Landon Enters suffered a torn ACL.

Smith rose to the occasion, playing his best basketball to date in the weeks after Enters’ injury. That stretch coincided with the Bulldogs’ first run through the conference.

“I definitely gained a lot of confidence during that time, and my coaches had confidence in me to put the ball in my hands,” Smith said. “But after the first time through (the conference), teams started really forcing me to my left, which I wasn’t totally comfortable doing. It became my main goal to fix that, and I’ve gotten a lot better.”

Grant’s Damarrion Smith (1) takes a jump shot during a Northern Lake County Conference game against Grayslake Central in Grayslake on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)

That’s a good way to describe Smith’s career arc in general. He’s always improving. With almost three years of varsity experience, Smith is focused on maximizing the Bulldogs’ potential.

“I know I look like a different player, and I’ve gotten better in a lot of areas,” he said. “I want that to translate to team success.

“We had high expectations, and for the first part of the year, it wasn’t going the way we wanted. Now we’re playing well together and trying to finish on a positive note.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/grant-high-school-basketball-damarrion-smith/