Yeah, he looks like he's 13, but he's a ball player. Ryne Smith, like Lewis Jackson, is a signee for this year's class for the Purdue basketball Boilermakers. And, like Jackson, Smith is a top-150 player according to Rivals (#106). Unlike LewJack, Smith isn't flashy, isn't an internet sensation and doesn't have a whole bunch of hype around him. Smith is a shooter who averaged over 17/gm. in high school and Painter likes his ability to score "around 25 feet". Painter also really likes the fact that Smith "Eats, drinks and sleeps basketball..."
Why? Well, he's the son of a high school coach. That's seems like it's usually a good place to start if a team is looking for a heady player. While I don't know if Smitty will make the instant impact* that Jackson will, I do think he'll be important. In the mold of Matt Waddell, I see him coming in for limited duty during his Freshman year and throwing a few 20+ foot daggers at opponents. Regardless of his role, I'm looking forward to seeing how a pure, spot-up shooter fits in this dynamic Purdue offense.
*Please note, I didn't think Hummel would have instant impact in the '07/'08 season.