Michigan State men's basketball loses second player to transfer portal
Michigan State sophomore guard Davis Smith, son of Spartan legend Steve Smith, has entered the transfer portal.
"First, I would like to thank Coach Izzo, DJ, Monty, OG and Woj for taking a chance on me and allowing me to play at Michigan State University," Smith wrote on in a statement on Twitter.
"I want to thank my teammates, coaches and all the staff that helped me during my two years. I will always remember the times at my dream institution. Thank you Spartan Nation, I'll forever be a Spartan Dawg."
Smith arrived in East Lansing as a freshman walk-on, but was placed on scholarship for his sophomore season last year. He becomes the second Michigan State player to enter the portal since the 2021-22 season's conclusion, joining walk-on forward Peter Nwoke.
In two years, Smith played only 28 minutes across 19 games in a Michigan State uniform, including 12 appearances in 2021-22. He went 0-for-3 from the floor as a Spartan and did not log any career points. Smith finished his career with one rebound, two assists and a blocked shot.
Smith departure is the latest in a series of roster moves for Michigan State early this offseason. Seniors Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham Jr. have both graduate and will pursue professional careers, declining to use the additional year of eligibility provided by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, five-star freshman Max Christie also announced his intentions to go through the NBA Draft process while maintaining his college eligibility. Senior Joey Hauser has not yet announced his intentions for the 2022-23 season.
Michigan State has also seen assistant coach Dwayne Stephens depart to become the new head coach of the Western Michigan Broncos, which was reported on Monday.
Steve Smith, the father of Davis, was a two-time All-American during his Michigan State career from 1987-91, and he ranks second in program history with 2,263 career points. The elder Smith was selected No. 5 overall in the 1991 NBA Draft and spent 14 professional seasons in the league.
