Malik Smith Signs Tender to Play at Minnesota

The Minnesota men’s basketball program announced today that Malik Smith has signed a tender to play for the Gophers. Smith will be eligible immediately pending an NCAA waiver based on a possible APR induced post-season ban at Florida International University, his previous school.

Smith joins previously signed guards Deandre Mathieu and Daquan McNeil as part of head coach Richard Pitino’s inaugural recruiting class at Minnesota.

“I was a pleasure to coach Malik last season at FIU and I am excited that he has decided to join the Golden Gopher program,” said head coach Richard Pitino. “His knowledge of our program on and off the court will be invaluable as we start to integrate our system here at Minnesota.”

Smith comes to the University of Minnesota after playing his junior season for Coach Pitino at FIU. He started 31 of 32 games for the Golden Panthers and was named Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference after averaging 14.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. His 451 points scored last season are the eighth-most in the history of Florida International basketball.

Smith set an FIU record for three-point field goals made in a single season with 96 treys and ranked number one in the conference and 16th nationally with an average of 3.0 three-pointers made per game. He set the Sun Belt Conference Tournament record with 15 total three-pointers made, including an 8-for-10 game in the opening round against Arkansas-Little Rock.

Prior to his junior season at FIU, Smith played his sophomore season at Jacksonville College and his freshman season at South Plains College. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game at Jacksonville, earning all-region and all-conference honors. Smith played 27 games as a freshman and averaged 5.0 points per game.

Smith, a native of Boston, Mass., led the State of Massachusetts in scoring as a senior while at Madison Park High School in Boston with an average of 26.6 points per game. He went on to play one season at Notre Dame Prep, where he averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.