Memphis basketball forward Tyreek Smith has officially left the team and entered the transfer portal, an athletic department spokesperson confirmed to The Commercial Appeal on Monday.
The Tigers are set to tip off the regular season against Missouri today (7 p.m., ESPN+) at FedExForum.
“Tyreek informed the staff that he would like to explore other opportunities,” the athletic department said in a prepared statement issued to The Commercial Appeal. “We would like to thank Tyreek for his hard work and dedication while at the University of Memphis and wish him the best of luck.”
By opting to leave without playing in a regular-season game for Memphis, Smith gets the opportunity to transfer elsewhere and be eligible to play once the fall semester ends in December.
Last month, Smith — who transferred to Memphis from SMU this offseason — created quite a stir when he requested “a couple of personal days” to step away from team activities. Hellion “Boog” Knight, Smith’s mentor, made a series of posts on social media as the news developed indicating Smith’s motivation stemmed from an NIL compensation discrepancy.
“I want the supporters to step up and help (coach Penny Hardaway),” Knight posted on X. “He has a really good team that has a chance to win big. Don’t sabotage him.”
But, after missing two practices, Smith was back at practice on Oct. 22. His return was marked by a post from the official Memphis basketball X account that featured photos of Smith surrounded by several smiling teammates during practice.
No such reunion is expected this time.
Smith played in one of Memphis’ two exhibition games, scoring eight points and grabbing two rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench in an 84-76 loss to North Carolina on Oct. 15. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native missed the Tigers’ 96-88 loss to Alabama on Oct. 28 because of an ankle injury he suffered in practice, Hardaway said.
In his only season at SMU, Smith averaged 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Before his time with the Mustangs, Smith spent two seasons at Oklahoma State and one season at Texas Tech.
Losing the 6-foot-6 Smith creates a significant void in the Tigers’ frontcourt. While Nicholas Jourdain was in line to start at the forward spot, Smith was expected to be a major part of the rotation.
Now Memphis has Dain Dainja and Moussa Cisse as its primary options at the five, while Jourdain is the only true forward currently eligible. Junior college transfer Damarien Yates (6-5) could earn some spot minutes as a result of Smith’s departure. Hardaway also signed junior college transfer Bouna Kebe (a 6-7 forward) last month. Kebe did not play in either exhibition game, something Hardaway said last week has to do with “academics and eligibility.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
