Why Jabari Smith might be unlike any other player Auburn basketball has *ever* had

The Tigers have had some big-name recruits in recent years. They've also had a few big men who can score in their history. But Smith takes both of those labels to the max.

After a while, numbers can lose their impact.

They just become different-shaped marks on a screen or a piece of paper. The more they get repeated, the more they tend to fade away in the minds of those who see them.

This is often true in sports. A statistic can get said so much that it becomes somewhat meaningless. A measurement is easily glossed over with no context.

Then, sometimes, all it takes is a few seconds for those numbers’ impact to come rushing back into perspective.

Take Auburn basketball incoming freshman Jabari Smith for an example. Since his commitment last October and his signing a month later, Smith’s honors have been written so much — the highest-rated recruit in program history, a Naismith first-team All-American, etc.

Most Auburn fans are well aware that Smith is 6-foot-10. A lot of them know that Smith is a gifted offensive weapon. A good number might even recall that Smith does a lot of his damage in the face-up game instead of down in the low post, where big men usual…