By CHARLIE PARENT & ADAM ZAGORIA
The good news keeps on coming for Gonzaga.
Former Chattanooga star Malachi Smith has committed to the Bulldogs, making them an instant contender for the preseason No. 1 ranking.
“Malachi is going to be a great addition to our program,” Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few said. “He does a lot of really good things on the floor, but his experience and leadership will also be huge.”
Smith was the Southern Conference Player of the Year and was named the Lou Henson National Player of the Year. He also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 Team honors and was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. He averaged 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals last season. Smith had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the Southern Conference championship win over Furman and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.
Smith, a Belleville, Illinois, native, averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds as a freshman at Wright State. After sitting out one season under NCAA transfer rules, he was first-team All-SoCon while averaging 16.8 points and 8.8 boards in 2020-21. That season he was named to the Dean’s List and a A.D. Honor Roll student, along with Academic All-SoCon.
The Smith commitment, along with the return of Drew Timme, Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton, instantly jolts Gonzaga into the conversation to be the preseason No. 1 team despite the losses of Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard to the NBA Draft.
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