Senior forward Tyreek Smith will not play college basketball for the Memphis Tigers, who begin their season at 8:00 p.m on Monday.
Just hours before the NCAA men’s basketball season tips off, Smith reportedly entered the transfer portal. The redshirt senior now looks to play for his fifth collegiate program, although he never actually playing a regular season game for the Tigers.
Smith has previously played for SMU, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech.
NEWS: Memphis forward Tyreek Smith has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports.
Smith will look for his 5th college after transferring from Texas Tech to Oklahoma State to SMU to Memphis. https://t.co/SzFq4vbiZv pic.twitter.com/UeqFkobX8B
— On3 (@On3sports) November 4, 2024
There were some concerns raised on social media about “broken promises” between the university and Smith as it resolved NIL-related issues. This was a decision reportedly made on Saturday, two days before the season began.
Smith played in one of the Memphis exhibition games before the season began, though he later requested some personal time away from the team.
He also missed time during the preseason due to an ankle injury and wore a brace on his right foot.
The senior remains eligible to play for a new program once the fall semester ends in December, per Commercial Appeal. But finding a fifth school to take a chance on him could prove difficult at this point.
