'Fourth Transfer Portal Move for Tyreek Smith Prior to Memphis Opener'
The season for Memphis began on Monday night with a loss before the game even started.
Before the Tigers' first regular season game, Tyreek Smith entered the transfer portal. The team went on to win 83-75 against Missouri at FedEx Forum. Smith had an average of 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game at SMU last season. He recently took time away from the team due to a dispute over name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Coach Anfernee Hardaway confirmed Smith's departure in a radio interview after the game. He stated that Smith is "definitely gone for good."
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This will be Smith's fifth team, as he has previously played for Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and SMU before joining Memphis.
When asked why Smith chose to transfer this time, Hardaway was unsure.
"I can't pinpoint it, to be honest with you. Maybe he just wanted to see what it was like (at Memphis) from June until now. But we had a lot of love for him and wanted him to stay, but we respect his decision," Hardaway said.
Hardaway also mentioned that he had discussed the "pressures" that Smith was facing before granting him personal days last month.
"There's a lot of pressure with playing time, family members, and other things going on," Hardaway explained. "He came to me and asked for some personal days, and I gave them to him. He never once mentioned quitting."
According to a statement from the Memphis sports information department, Smith informed the staff that he wanted to explore other opportunities. They thanked him for his hard work and dedication during his time at the University of Memphis and wished him luck.
