Malachi Smith (basketball)
No. 13 – Gonzaga Bulldogs | |
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Position | Shooting guard |
League | West Coast Conference |
Personal information | |
Born | Evansville, Indiana | December 6, 1999
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
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College |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Malachi Knight-Smith (born December 6, 1999) is an American college basketball player for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West Coast Conference.
High school career
Smith started playing high school basketball at Belleville High School-East in Belleville, Illinois before transferring to Belleville High School-West for his senior season.[1] At Belleville West, he averaged 15.5 points alongside E. J. Liddell and helped his team win its first Class 4A state title.[2] Smith committed to playing college basketball for Wright State in November 2017, choosing the Raiders over Lindenwood, Montana State and Denver.[3]
College career
As a freshman at Wright State, Smith averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, earning Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors. For his sophomore season, he transferred to Chattanooga and sat out for one year due to transfer rules.[4] Smith averaged 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, earning First Team All-Southern Conference (SoCon) honors from the league's coaches, in his first year with the team.[5] He declared for the 2021 NBA draft before returning to college.[6] On November 18, 2021, he scored a career-high 36 points in an 87–76 loss to Murray State.[7]
At the close of his sophomore season, Smith was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year by both the league's coaches and media.[8]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | Wright State | 35 | 0 | 15.1 | .435 | .222 | .820 | 2.9 | 1.7 | .8 | .1 | 5.4 |
2019–20 | Chattanooga | Redshirt | ||||||||||
2020–21 | Chattanooga | 25 | 25 | 35.8 | .460 | .383 | .802 | 8.8 | 3.3 | 1.5 | .2 | 16.8 |
2021–22 | Chattanooga | 35 | 34 | 35.4 | .493 | .407 | .827 | 6.7 | 3.0 | 1.7 | .1 | 19.9 |
Career | 95 | 59 | 28.0 | .473 | .380 | .818 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 1.3 | .1 | 13.7 |
Personal life
Smith's mother, Connie, served in the United States Air Force for 12.5 years and became an executive assistant for footwear company Caleres. His parents divorced when he was six years old, and he was subsequently raised by his mother. Smith's grandfather, Larry Knight, played professional basketball and was a first-round draft pick by the Utah Jazz.[9]
References
- ^ Halfacre, Paul (February 24, 2018). "Smith has Belleville West ready for next step". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Scott Jr., Maurice (February 20, 2019). "Malachi Smith making his way at Wright State". The St. Louis American. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Eschman, Todd (November 7, 2017). "Belleville West guard doesn't wait for signing period to announce college choice". Belleville News-Democrat. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Criddle, Dean (June 19, 2019). "Belleville West graduate Malachi Smith transfers to Tennessee-Chattanooga". Belleville News-Democrat. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ "Season Review: Smith Sets New Standard". University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics. June 10, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Nyman, Rick (July 8, 2021). "Mocs Malachi Smith and David Jean Baptiste Enjoyed NBA Draft Process". WDEF-TV. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ "Brown carries Murray State past Chattanooga 87-76". USA Today. Associated Press. December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ "All-SoCon men's basketball teams announced" (Press release). Southern Conference. March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ Archdeacon, Tom (October 23, 2018). "Freshman guard hopes to live up to his name at Wright State". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1999 births
- Living people
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball players from Indiana
- Basketball players from Illinois
- Belleville High School-West alumni
- Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball players
- Shooting guards
- Sportspeople from Belleville, Illinois
- Sportspeople from Evansville, Indiana
- Wright State Raiders men's basketball players