Implications for Utah basketball of Deivon Smith using the transfer portal
With the impact that the 6-foot, 173-pound Smith made in the 2023–24 campaign, the Utah program, which is attempting to end an eight-year NCAA Tournament drought, will have a difficult time adjusting to his anticipated departure.
Due to the probable departure of one of the team’s studs for the 2024–25 season, along with Utah’s decision to join the Big 12 Conference, Utah coach Craig Smith, his staff, and the school find themselves in a challenging situation.
For Deivon Smith, what does that mean?
Even though he missed the first nine games while awaiting an eligibility waiver, Deivon Smith probably did himself a lot of favors after a breakout season in an era when unrestricted transfers are now allowed and name, image, and likeness money has permanently altered collegiate athletics.
During the previous season, he averaged 13.3 points, 7.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game for Utah.
Smith had mediocre stats when he transferred from Georgia Tech to Utah (averaging 6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over two seasons with the Yellow Jackets). However, he improved dramatically in Salt Lake City and became an indispensable member of the Utes’ squad. With five triple-doubles in a Pac-12 single-season record, he surpassed the record with two consecutive in back-to-back victories for the Utes during their NIT run.
According to Alex Markham of Ute Nation, Smith is requesting between $600,000 and $750,000 in non-interest funds. Smith demonstrated leadership qualities to teams considering joining him; he frequently gave props to his teammates, talked about working as a team, and conveyed hope that Utah could overcome its difficulties.
Smith credited his teammates for helping him break Jason Kidd’s Pac-12 record for triple-doubles during the NIT quarterfinal victory over VCU.
“I truly wanted it tonight, but these guys, my teammates Gabe Madsen, BC Carlson, Cole Bajema, and everyone else on the court, they just go where they are supposed to. They’re racing alongside me,” he remarked. Talking on the court really makes my work so much simpler, and I’m sure it benefits them too. We seem to be playing our best basketball right now and I can’t help but feel that way.
In terms of Utah basketball, what does it mean?
Worster, the point guard that Smith started in place of in mid-January when Worster was injured, was already leaving Utah. Worster has previously declared his intention to play his final season at Nebraska.
Late in the season, fellow guard Hunter Erickson displayed glimpses of his increased assertiveness as a scorer, scoring 9.5 points per game over the team’s final six games. He still has one year left to be eligible. As of right now, Erickson is expected to start at point guard the next season. During the 2023–24 season, he averaged 2.1 assists per game with a 2.1 assist–to–turnover ratio in 19.1 minutes.
But make no mistake: It will be difficult to find someone to take Smith’s position. Yes, there’s still a potential he goes back to Utah, but most people who use the portal find something else to do, so it doesn’t seem like money will be a role in Smith’s decision to go on.
How could he get there? Although it’s too soon to know, one possibility is suggested by another development that was reported on Friday. The notion that Utah assistant coach DeMarlo Slocum might be joining Danny Sprinkle’s coaching staff at Washington was first reported by Ute Zone’s Steve Bartle. Soon after word spread on social media that Smith had entered the gateway, Bartle tweeted, “Don’t be surprised to see Deivon follow Demarlo to Washington.”
When Smith first logged onto the portal last year, Slocum was the first member of the Utah staff to get in touch with him, as Jay Drew of the Deseret News previously reported. Smith scored a career-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 6 of 6 from 3-point range, in an NIT quarterfinal defeat to Indiana State in what was probably his last game as a Ute. In addition, he had six assists and seven rebounds.
“His offensive confidence in particular is really improving as he grows used to playing that position, and you could see it in practice,” Craig said. “There is no denying that he is a dynamic player.”
It seems that his growth will now take place somewhere else.
Additionally, even with Mason Madsen and Rice forward Keanu Dawes transferring in, Utah will still have five unfilled scholarships to fill for the following campaign. It was somewhat unexpected when Exacte entered the portal as well. The sophomore redshirted this past season due to an injury, but he had a strong freshman campaign and was ready for a more significant role once he recovered.
Gabe Madsen, the team’s best 3-point shooter, will help the Utes as he announced earlier this week that he will be returning for his final season of eligibility. That was expected following his twin brother Mason Madsen’s Sunday transfer portal commitment to Utah. Similar to his brother, Boston College’s Mason Madsen is a guard who averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in the previous year.
Gabe Madsen set a school record with 105 3-pointers made in a single season in the 2023–24 campaign. Along with his career-high points (13.6), rebounds (3.9), and assists (2.5), he also shot 38.6% from three-point range and 43.6% from the field.