Another former SMU Mustang is making the journey south to Houston. Guard Jalen Smith is the newest member of the 2024 Rice Basketball recruiting class.
Head coach Rob Lanier continues to stockpile talent, pulling from the Transfer Portal to revamp his roster in a whirlwind of activity. The changes within collegiate athletics enabling more free flowing movement of players have aided in that cause, allowing him to bring several very familiar faces to South Main including his former player, Jalen Smith, an SMU transfer and the newest member of the 2024 Rice Basketball recruiting class.
Smith joins Emory Lanier and Denver Anglin, two of his former teammates at SMU who have since made the decision to follow their head coach from Dallas to Houston. If his usage at SMU is any indication, he’ll step right in as an important piece of the Owls roster very quickly.
Smith appeared in at least 29 games for SMU in each of the last three seasons, seeing a career-high 33 games of action last season, including four starts. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals, mostly off the bench, adding an impactful 38 percent shooting on three-pointers. He’s a reliable role player that Lanier trusts. His addition to the roster makes that crystal clear.
In addition to those three former Mustangs, Rice has now added eight new transfers to the roster since Lanier took over. The roster is coming together, with the potential for another piece or two before all is said and done.
More: Rice Basketball Roster Tracker
Beyond the defensive focus, Lanier did made a point during his introductory remarks that his team would find shooters. Smith can definitely knock down some shots from deep, but his overall athleticism makes him more than just a sharpshooting threat. He can fly too, just take a look at this impact play against Tulsa.
