Malloy Smith Reaffirms UNC Commitment, Will Sign on Wednesday
The Carolina family is set to officially grow this week. With the NCAA’s spring signing period on Wednesday, Malloy Smith confirmed to Inside Carolina that he will put pen to paper and become the third member of his family to suit up for North Carolina.
Smith’s father, UNC great Kenny Smith, spent four seasons in Chapel Hill from 1983-87 and earned first-team All-America honors as a senior, before becoming an NBA standout and then award-winning studio analyst. His older brother, K.J. Smith, was on the Tar Heels’ roster from 2017-21.
Malloy Smith said he heard from Michael Malone the same day — last Tuesday — that UNC’s new head coach was introduced to the public at the Smith Center. Even with the coaching change in Chapel Hill, there was never much doubt in Smith’s mind about where he would play his college basketball.
“I trusted North Carolina to make the right decision and find the right coach,” Smith said. “Coach Malone is going to be amazing and do a great job, I know it. I’m so excited to be there and be coached by him.”
Malloy Smith is rated a three-star prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking and is the No. 379 overall player in the class.
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The 6-foot-6 guard out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei High School was offered by Hubert Davis in February, then visited Chapel Hill on Feb. 28 for North Carolina’s 89-82 win over Virginia Tech. He announced his commitment on March 6 during ESPN’s NBA Tip-Off show, while his father was on set.
Malloy Smith and Maximo Adams make up North Carolina’s all-West Coast two-man 2026 high school recruiting class. Both are expected to arrive in Chapel Hill in June.
“I just feel like I’m excited to be a part of the Carolina family,” Malloy Smith said. “I’m not taking anything for granted, and I’m working hard to help keep this university what it is and help us deliver all things everyone expects of it. I feel like Coach Malone is going to do a great job with that, and all the coaches are great and we’re going to build a great program and tradition.”