Old roots, new stage: Smith and Cruz reunite as Broncs

By Samantha Clark

Sometimes, chemistry does not need to be built from scratch, it can be carried. For junior guard Caleb Smith and senior guard Zion Cruz, it was before the bright lights of Division I basketball that this on-court synergy was built. 

A connection formed during their time on the Pratt Community College roster has now followed them to Rider, where they share the court once again, competing side-by-side as Broncs.

Childhood courts 

Growing up in Atlanta, Smith began playing basketball at 7 years old for the Gresham Park club team. 

Although his mother grew up playing the sport as well, Smith’s plan was to focus on both basketball and football in college, which he started playing at 5 years old. 

Smith’s time on the field ended after his junior year of high school, so he took his talents on the court to Pratt, a junior college level team in Kansas. 

At the beginning of his first year in 2022, he suffered a shin fracture, sidelining him for the entirety of the season. His second year proved more rewarding, giving him both valuable minutes on the court and a brother for life.

“[My time there] made me play more gritty … since we were in JUCO, we could play more aggressive,” Smith said.

Cruz, on the other hand, is a native to Rider’s home state of New Jersey. 

At 5 years old he took after his father and first stepped on a basketball court, playing for various YMCA clubs.

It was not until his senior year of high school in 2021 when Cruz moved his roots across the country, traveling to Simi Valley, California, to play for Kanye West’s Donda Academy just a few months after the program opened. 

During his freshman year of college at DePaul University in Chicago, Cruz entered a transformative era in more ways than one. 

While adjusting to the lifestyle of college basketball, he also became a father, where he learned to balance the demands of school, athletics and parenthood. 

“I try not to put that pressure on myself, but he’s definitely always a thought,” Cruz said, reflecting on the way fatherhood shapes his performance and outlook on the court.

After his first year at DePaul, Cruz made the switch to Pratt, a move he says “made me appreciate basketball more, because it’s really hard in JUCO … but I learned to trust in God, just gotta believe in Him.”

The path to Pratt

Cruz recalled arriving on campus in 2022 and heading straight to the gym for a shoot-around, only to find Smith already there.

“As soon as I got to the school, I met him on the court. That was my first day, and that was the first person I met,” Cruz said.

“And it was like one o’clock in the morning,” Smith added with a laugh.

From the beginning, the pair clicked, each seeing a reflection of themselves in the other. According to Cruz, Smith “was goofy, he liked to make people laugh,” while Smith remembered Cruz as “funny, he was cracking jokes.” Their shared sense of humor and personalities grew the friendship beyond the game.

The two pushed each other during practices and learned the game together, laying the foundation for a partnership that would continue to grow on every court they shared. 

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, they both left Pratt, temporarily choosing different paths. 

Smith stayed in Kansas and transferred to Garden City Community College, another JUCO level team, while Cruz returned to New Jersey, finding his home in Lawrenceville as a Bronc. 

Though this distance separated them, it was not long until the pair reunited, their paths crossing once again in the Alumni Gym. 

We’re not in Kansas anymore

At the close of his season at Garden City, Smith was looking to make the jump to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level, so he phoned a friend.

“I called [Zion], talked to him about it,” Smith said.

“I told him this would be a good situation for him,” Cruz responded. “It was just kind of a no-brainer.”

And so, the pair reconnected as Broncs, where they continued to grow through the game, consistently improving their basketball IQ and becoming better teammates. 

In the 2025-26 season, the two are ranked as leading players in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, with Smith being the sixth best rebounder in the conference and Cruz as the 19th best scorer. 

Both Cruz, who was one of four returning Broncs ahead of the season, and Smith, who arrived in Lawrenceville as a more experienced player, have stepped into leadership roles. 

Standing side-by-side, the two expressed their efforts to lead by example, growing into whatever role that is asked of them.

In addition to this extra level of support, their connection also provided comfort both on and off the court, which was especially important due to the differences in play between the JUCO and Division I levels, as well as the tough hits the Broncs have faced this season.

“I feel like we know how to talk to each other more since we’ve played more together … we know how to communicate with each other,” Smith said. 

The countless hours and years of experience practicing and playing together allows for a level of nonverbal communication to be shared, strengthening the pair as teammates.

“It helps a lot. He knows where I want to be, I know where he wants to be,” Cruz said. “That’s my brother, that’s my boy.”

The two found similar interests off the court as well, extending their bond beyond the sport. 

With new ways to connect and years to strengthen their friendship, their ties were more than just a game of basketball, it was a true brother-like relationship. 

“We make music,” Smith said. “We were just kicking it one day at Pratt, getting to know each other, and I was like ‘You make music?’ and he was like ‘Yeah’. So we made a couple songs in JUCO, made a couple songs here … we got like 50-plus [songs].”

“And I think we’re pretty good at it,” Cruz added, laughing.

From late-night workouts at Pratt to the roar of Rider’s Alumni Gym, Smith and Cruz have shown that the true teammate connection stretches far past the hardwood. 

Their brotherhood, beginning in the grind of junior college and strengthened in a higher level of play, has carried them through distance and time, transfers, life changes and the ups and downs of college basketball. 

Every pass, play and shared laugh proves that their chemistry is carried far beyond the basketball court.