Just saw a clip on the local news of a girl from Albertville, Alabama who's going to State to play basketball. Her name is Laney Smallwood, and is a top 100 player in the country.
New player for the Lady Bulldogs
- Thread starter RocketDawg
- Start date
STARKVILLE – Lani Smallwood was named a nominee for the 2026 McDonald's All-American Game. Smallwood is one of five nominations for the state of Alabama.
Smallwood, a guard out of Albertville, Alabama, was named the best high school player in the state of Alabama by MaxPreps earlier this season. In her final season at Albertville High School, Smallwood is averaging 26.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 3.3 assists per game.
Smallwood is one of two signees to State's 2026 High School Recruiting class. She is the 75th ranked player and 43rd ranked guard in the 2026 signing class according to ESPN's SportsCenter NEXT 100.
The final selections for the McDonald's All-American game are still to be made. The 2026 McDonald's All-American Game will take place on April 1, 2026, in Brooklyn, New York.
Smallwood, a guard out of Albertville, Alabama, was named the best high school player in the state of Alabama by MaxPreps earlier this season. In her final season at Albertville High School, Smallwood is averaging 26.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 3.3 assists per game.
Smallwood is one of two signees to State's 2026 High School Recruiting class. She is the 75th ranked player and 43rd ranked guard in the 2026 signing class according to ESPN's SportsCenter NEXT 100.
The final selections for the McDonald's All-American game are still to be made. The 2026 McDonald's All-American Game will take place on April 1, 2026, in Brooklyn, New York.
Coach's daughter. I think she's going to be a really good one...
She's #12 in this highlight. You get a pretty good feel for her game. She won't be as athletic or as tall as many SEC guards, so it'll probably be a Blair Schaefer situation. Gotta play D and really hit the 3 ball. She's a lefty...
She's #12 in this highlight. You get a pretty good feel for her game. She won't be as athletic or as tall as many SEC guards, so it'll probably be a Blair Schaefer situation. Gotta play D and really hit the 3 ball. She's a lefty...
Last edited:
Based on the interview in the television clip, she seems to be a really nice kid with a good outlook on life.
Her older sister went to Montevallo out of HS and won that conference freshman POY. Transferred to UAB and is now averaging double figures as a junior there.
They're apparently a very competitive family. Watched a short interview with the mom and it's pretty obvious where it comes from. There's a fire there.
Out of interest, what is the story with Albertville?Town is growing and has been for decades. 22k population with interesting demographics for a small town in the South. 57% White, 34% Latino. I assume it's a growing suburb of Huntsville.
It's not exactly a suburb - just a bit too far away, a little south of Guntersville. It's in the Huntsville/Decatur/Albertville CSA but not the Huntsville MSA (nor is Decatur for some reason, even though it's generally considered as one area).I think the story of growth is because a lot of Hispanic people have moved there over the years to work in chicken processing plants.
Bulldogs Add French Native Melissa Guillet As Midseason Enrollee - Mississippi State
Mississippi State women's basketball head coach Sam Purcell announced the addition of Melissa Guillet from La Roche-sur-Yon, France. Guillet will join the te...