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Fred Smith Jr. has formally signed with Memphis basketball, the program announced June 1.
The former Briarcrest star and two-time TSSAA Division II-AA Mr. Basketball honoree becomes the 14th player to sign on to play for Tigers coach Penny Hardaway. Division I teams are permitted to carry as many as 15 roster members.
Smith, a 6-7 forward, committed to the Tigers on April 9. He is the first top-100 recruit from Memphis, who played his entire high school career in Memphis, of Hardaway's nine-season tenure. He is No. 98 in the 2026 class, according to the most recent 247 Sports Composite rankings.
"It's home," Smith said the day he announced his commitment to Memphis. "It'll always be home. I’ve always been here, I grew up around it. Why leave the city? Why not build the culture?”
The Tigers are set to begin summer workouts June 2.
Joining Smith on-campus for the summer session will be fellow incoming freshmen — and fellow Memphians — Cello Jackson Jr. and Parker Pounds, whose signings were also formally announced June 1. The rest of the roster, as its currently constituted, is comprised of nine Division I transfers (Jayden Reid, Josh Holloway, Brandin Cummings, Luke Almodovar, Tylik Weeks, Rihards Vavers, Jerry Deng, Maxim Logue and Corneilous Williams), along with two returning players (Julius Thedford and William Whorton).
Hardaway has indicated he intends to stick with a 14-man roster — maybe.
"That’s my plan unless something sweet comes into play, where we just can’t help but go ahead and do the deal," he said. "I mean, it’s going to take a very sweet deal for us not to have 14."
The Tigers open the 2026-27 regular season against Iowa State on Nov. 2 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected], follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball announces Fred Smith Jr. has signed with Tigers
Continue reading...
The former Briarcrest star and two-time TSSAA Division II-AA Mr. Basketball honoree becomes the 14th player to sign on to play for Tigers coach Penny Hardaway. Division I teams are permitted to carry as many as 15 roster members.
Smith, a 6-7 forward, committed to the Tigers on April 9. He is the first top-100 recruit from Memphis, who played his entire high school career in Memphis, of Hardaway's nine-season tenure. He is No. 98 in the 2026 class, according to the most recent 247 Sports Composite rankings.
"It's home," Smith said the day he announced his commitment to Memphis. "It'll always be home. I’ve always been here, I grew up around it. Why leave the city? Why not build the culture?”
The Tigers are set to begin summer workouts June 2.
Joining Smith on-campus for the summer session will be fellow incoming freshmen — and fellow Memphians — Cello Jackson Jr. and Parker Pounds, whose signings were also formally announced June 1. The rest of the roster, as its currently constituted, is comprised of nine Division I transfers (Jayden Reid, Josh Holloway, Brandin Cummings, Luke Almodovar, Tylik Weeks, Rihards Vavers, Jerry Deng, Maxim Logue and Corneilous Williams), along with two returning players (Julius Thedford and William Whorton).
Hardaway has indicated he intends to stick with a 14-man roster — maybe.
"That’s my plan unless something sweet comes into play, where we just can’t help but go ahead and do the deal," he said. "I mean, it’s going to take a very sweet deal for us not to have 14."
The Tigers open the 2026-27 regular season against Iowa State on Nov. 2 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected], follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball announces Fred Smith Jr. has signed with Tigers
Continue reading...
