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#PortalWatch: Former Maryland and ETSU Guard Serrel Smith Jr. Announces Transfer to USF Men’s Basketball

The St. Pete Native is returning home to the Bay.

By Robert Steeg
NCAA Basketball: Maryland at Northwestern Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

USF men’s basketball received another addition to the crazy offseason when former four-star guard Serrel Smith Jr. announced his transfer to USF. Serrel is heading back to the bay by way of Maryland and ETSU.

Smith, a native from the Bay Area, was a four-star recruit out of St. Petersburg High School and was rated as the number 13 combo guard in the country when he committed to play for Maryland. His time in College Park saw him get playing time in 61 games but couldn’t crack the starting lineup in his two years with the Terps.

His playing time was also reduced from his freshman to sophomore year, going from 12 to 7 minutes per game. His best performance at Maryland came when he scored 14 points in 19 minutes against Ohio State his freshman season, but the reduced playing time saw him seek new opportunities.

Last season, Smith transferred to play for East Tennessee State where he was able to make a better impact. Starting in 17 of 25 games, Smith averaged 23 minutes per game but was hit with sporadic playing time throughout the season. He hit double digit scoring in 7 games, including a career high 21 points against Citadel, but a 13-12 record by the Buccaneers had the staff scrambling for a consistent line up. In all, he averaged 7 points per game, collected 58 rebounds and had 28 assists and 24 steals.

Also noteworthy is that he’s one of several players to exodus out of the ETSU program following the resignation head coach Jason Shay, who players felt was forced out after he publicly supported their silent protest of racial inequality.

For the USF faithful who were exhausted by hearing about David Collin’s mother being the all-time leading scorer at Youngstown State, Smith’s family lineage is similar and hits into enemy territory. Smith’s mother, Tamika, is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder for UCF, and was inducted into the ‘Golden Knights Hall of Fame’.

Smith will likely have two years remaining of eligibility, after the NCAA passed a free transfer waiver earlier today.