Memphis basketball dismisses forward Tyreek Smith

Tyreek Smith is gone. Again.

The SMU transfer is being dismissed from Memphis basketball because of circumstances related to his previous dispute and subsequent departure from the program last month, multiple sources close to the situation tell Bluff City Media. Smith is now expected to enter the transfer portal.

”We can confirm that fifth-year senior forward Tyreek Smith is no longer with the Memphis men’s basketball program,” a Memphis spokesperson told Bluff City Media. “Tyreek informed the staff that he would like to explore other opportunities. 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.”

Smith originally quit the team on Oct. 18, which Bluff City Media reported two days later, but he eventually returned to practice on Oct. 22.

“He came to me and asked me for a couple personal days, and I gave them to him. And then that turned into people not seeing him at practice, and then it just became a wildfire,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway told reporters on Oct. 24. “He never once told me he was quitting.”

Comments from sources contradict Hardaway’s claims, however. Smith, a 6-foot-8 senior, came to Memphis after an assistant coach who’s no longer on staff promised him the starting power forward position, but Hardaway later switched him to a small-ball center.

Smith expressed significant frustration after he didn’t start in last month’s Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic exhibition against No. 9 North Carolina, where he recorded 8 points on 75% shooting. Nick Jourdain, Memphis’ only returning scholarship player, started instead and put up 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in the Tigers’ 84-76 loss.

The 24-year-old was also unhappy with his NIL situation, though he has been receiving his payments on time via FedEx since arriving on campus this summer. His mentor and NIL representative Hellion “Boog” Knight took to X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter, numerous times on Oct. 21 to claim that Memphis made several financial promises during his recruitment that haven’t “been fulfilled.”

Sources indicate these allegations are false.

Smith sat out Memphis’ second exhibition against No. 2 Alabama with an ankle injury on Oct. 28, though he watched the game from the bench whilst sporting a brace on his right foot.

Hardaway formally dismissed Smith from the program on Friday after he barged into the seventh-year coach’s office last week and asked for earlier payments than what he originally agreed to, according to sources.

“There’s so much pressure with NIL, with playing time, with family members, with all kinds of stuff happening,” Hardaway said on Oct. 24. “Most coaches are leaving, like Tony Bennett (former Virginia coach), one of the coaches that we need on this level. Some coaches just can’t stomach showing up every day and thinking it’s about money or something’s always wrong. You got a different team every year. Like, you can’t have your same team. You gotta re-recruit your guys.

“For the basketball purists, that’s tough. It’s like a gut punch. Every day, having to see something on social media or hear a young man or lady isn’t happy about this or that. It’s just our life that we have to deal with right now, but nothing surprises me anymore in today’s game.”

Memphis opens the regular season against Missouri inside FedExForum Monday (7 p.m., ESPN+).

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.