SPOKANE, Wash. - Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga star Malachi Smith is going coast to coast to finish his college basketball career with a perennial national power.
Smith, one of the top players available in the NCAA transfer portal, signed Thursday with Gonzaga, adding to the good news for the Bulldogs at the end of a week in which they learned starters Rasir Bolton, Julian Strawther and Drew Timme have all decided to return to play another season at the West Coast Conference program with two runner-up finishes in the past five NCAA tournaments.
UTC returned to the NCAA tourney this year for the first time since 2016, with Smith one of the main reasons why. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard was the Southern Conference player of the year and averaged 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, three assists and 1.7 steals per game. He also won the Lou Henson Award as the top mid-major player in the nation.
"Malachi is going to be a great addition to our program," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said in a news release. "He does a lot of really good things on the floor, but his experience and leadership will also be huge."
Smith - from Belleville, Illinois, near St. Louis - was an All-SoCon first-team selection in both of his seasons on the court with the Mocs. He sat out the 2019-20 schedule after transferring from Wright State, where he made the Horizon League's All-Freshman lineup.
His exit from UTC followed the departure of Lamont Paris, after five seasons as coach of the Mocs, for the head job at South Carolina. UTC has since hired former Virginia Military Institute coach Dan Earl, and the Mocs have announced seven roster additions.
Smith has two years of eligibility remaining, although he put his name in the NBA draft pool this year before withdrawing and could decide to move on after one season with high-profile Gonzaga.
The Bulldogs didn't make the NCAA tournament for the first time until the mid-1990s, but they became regulars in the following decade, going from bracket-busting Cinderella to highly seeded staple. They have reached the Sweet 16 in seven straight tournaments, the longest active streak in the nation.
All five Gonzaga starters declared for the NBA draft after last season, but now only center Chet Holmgren, who is expected to be a first-round pick, and guard Andrew Nembhard remain in the draft pool.
Timme is the reigning WCC player of the year and led Gonzaga with an average of 18.4 points per game last season as a junior. He added 6.8 rebounds per game and earned AP All-America second-team recognition.
The 6-foot-7 Strawther averaged 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season while starting 31 of 32 games.
Bolton averaged 11.2 points, 2.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds while starting all 32, leading the team in 3-pointers (64) and 3-point shooting (46%).