{"id":34365,"date":"2022-06-03T00:28:03","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T00:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/prized-chattanooga-guard-malachi-smith-transfers-to-gonzaga\/"},"modified":"2022-06-03T00:28:03","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T00:28:03","slug":"prized-chattanooga-guard-malachi-smith-transfers-to-gonzaga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/prized-chattanooga-guard-malachi-smith-transfers-to-gonzaga\/","title":{"rendered":"Prized Chattanooga guard Malachi Smith transfers to Gonzaga"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

<\/p>\n

A great week for Gonzaga just got a whole lot better. Prized Chattanooga guard Malachi Smith<\/b> announced Thursday on Instagram that he is transferring to Gonzaga.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>\u201cI first want to thank God for always ordering my steps,\u201d Smith wrote. \u201cI am grateful for my time at UTC and their support. It’s time to spin back one more time. Zag Nation let’s work. “<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>Smith was the No. 24 overall prospect in 247Sports’ basketball transfer rankings. He chose Gonzaga over numerous heavy hitters, including Duke. Smith also picked Gonzaga instead of joining his old Chattanooga coach Lamont Paris<\/b> at South Carolina. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound point guard was the SoCon Player of the Year this past season after leading Chattanooga with 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>Smith was named first-team All-SoCon twice, and he also won the Lou Henson Award this past season, given to the most outstanding player at the mid-major level in men’s college basketball. Smith helped Chattanooga make the 2022 NCAA Tournament, where they nearly upset fourth-seeded Illinois. The Mocs led by as many as 14 at one point in the game, but the Illini came back and won the game by one point. <\/span>In that game, Smith had 12 points and eight rebounds to try and will his team to victory, but it was not enough. After the game, Smith explained why the loss was so hard to swallow, despite his career of he not being over as a result of the loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I’m not a senior, still hurts because every day is not promised,\u201d Smith said after the loss. \u201cAnd just these type of moments don’t come all the time. And like it just – this is what you dreamed of, the games you dreamed to get to as a kid. And like I said, I’m not a senior, I feel just as bad because we gave everything we had out there, and we came up short. And that’s the worst feeling because you can’t get it back. “<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But Smith will have a chance to avenge that NCAA Tournament loss for a Gonzaga program that has officially reloaded. <\/span>All-American big man Drew Timme<\/b> withdrew from the 2022 NBA Draft Wednesday, joining teammates Julian Strawther<\/b> and Rasir Bolton<\/b> in electing to return to school. Gonzaga was elevated to No. 1 in 247Sports’ updated top 25 rankings.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>Timme has had a decorated three-year career for Gonzaga, garnering consensus second-team All-America honors in each of the last two seasons and winning the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward as a sophomore in 2021. He was named the WCC Player of the Year this season after averaging 18.4 points on 58.6% shooting from the field to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 28 minutes per game over 32 appearances.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today.<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>But now Gonzaga has an embarrassment of riches at almost every single position. Timme, LSU transfer Efton Reid<\/b> and solid veteran Anton Watson<\/b> will anchor the frontcourt. Smith teams up with Bolton, Strawther, Nolan Hickman<\/b> and Hunter Sallis<\/b> to form one of the best backcourts in the country.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Will Backus and Chance Linton contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n