Pitt BB Recruiting
Pitt Expresses Interest in Dayton Star Guard Transfer
Dayton guard Malachi Smith is currently in the transfer portal, fielding a crowded recruitment full of high-major schools.
Smith, a 6-foot guard out of the Bronx, New York, averaged 10.4 points and 5.3 assists per game for the Flyers. He shot 43% from the field this past season, along with 38% from three-point range.
Smith started many games from the moment he stepped onto Dayton’s campus. He leaves the Flyers now with 77 career starts. He scored as many as 20 points in a game this year (in a win over La Salle) and dropped 11 assists in a game, too. Smith ranks tenth out of all portal players in assists per game.
Pitt has reached out to many players in the portal already, including Corey Chest out of LSU, Tae Davis out of Notre Dame, and others. Check out the link below to see all of our latest Pitt basketball recruiting stories on Pittsburgh Sports Now, including one revolving round a Division III prospect that Pitt reached out to.
Here are some more players that Pitt has reached out to.
TAE DAVIS – ND
Davis is a 6-foot-9, 208-pound forward out of Indianapolis, Indiana.He began his career at Seton Hall, playing 32 games for the Pirates as a freshman in 2022-23. Then, he transferred to Notre Dame, starting 31 games in year one for the Irish. In that sophomore year, he averaged 9.2 points per game for the Irish.
Then, this past season, Davis broke out for Notre Dame. In 33 starts, he averaged 30.8 minutes per game and 15.1 points per contest. He also grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game. Davis shot 48% from the field this season and 72% from the free-throw line.
COREY CHEST – LSU
Chest entered the portal on Monday after one year at LSU.
The former four-star prospect is a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward out of Link Academy in Missouri. He spent one year with the Tigers after being ranked in the top-100 as a high-school senior. Chest finished high school ranked as the No. 97 prospect in his class, per 247 Sports.
Chest is an athletic big man who led the team in offensive rebounding and total rebounding as just a rookie. He also had 32 blocks on the defensive end, one of the best totals on the team. Chest posted four double doubles as a freshman, including a 12-point, 18-rebound outburst against No. 4 Alabama in late January.
TOBY HARRIS – BRANDEIS (D3)
Harris averaged 18.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this past season as a senior. He went 65 for 161 on three-point attempts, a 40% mark.
Harris had the best statistical season of his career as a sophomore two years ago, averaging a career-best 19.2 points per game and hitting 44% of his three-point tries. He then played only three games in the 2023-24 season due to injury.
Stay tuned for more transfer portal coverage on Pittsburgh Sports Now and follow along with all of this year’s transfer portal action on The Portal Report. Track all of this year’s portal entries at the link below or by clicking here.
