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Brad Smith fits the mold of a major Division I midfielder perfectly.

The sophomore at New Jersey power Mountain Lakes has good size, athleticism, field vision, dodging ability and a high lacrosse IQ.

Those attributes made him a target of many of the nation’s top programs.

Late last month, as first reported at Twitter.com/joe_lombardi, Smith verbally committed to Duke University.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-hander also plays football and basketball for the Lakers.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Brad on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
Duke gives me the opportunity to attend a top academic school and play lacrosse at the highest level.

I immediately felt very comfortable on campus and like that the coaching staff emphasizes not only being a solid athlete, but also being a top student and a good person.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I visited Bucknell, Yale, Penn and Brown and strongly considered Georgetown, Princeton, Syracuse and Lehigh.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My lacrosse IQ and field vision.

I like to break down defenses off the dodge and draw the slide to get our offense started. I also like to get out and run in transition and shoot on the run.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse?
My dad, who played at Hobart, introduced me to the sport in the second grade, coached me and taught me to honor the game.

Who have been some of the biggest influences on you during your development as a player?
My dad, who got me started, and my high school and club team coach, Tim Flynn. He coached the US National U19 team to the gold medal in Finland this past summer.  Coach Flynn is very involved in the youth program and stresses character, positive attitude and a team-first approach, which creates a great environment to learn the game.

What travel team did you play on and what were some of the big showcase events you participated in last summer?
Laker Future, which is our Mountain Lakes summer club program, and Steps All-Stars.  We played at UPLax, MVP and FLG/3D and I also went to Jake Reed Nike Blue Chip and Maverik Showtime.

* For more info on Brad, check out his player profile by clicking here.

Have a recruiting commitment to report? Email us at info@laxlessons.com.

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