‘It’s a fraternity that will last forever’: Malachi Smith leans on Gonzaga experience as he shapes professional game

FRISCO, Texas – Malachi Smith knows a little about the grind it takes to make a difference on the basketball court – whether it was his one season at Wright State, where he earned Horizon League All-Freshman honors; at Chattanooga, where he earned first-team all-conference honors and was also named Big South Conference Player of the Year; or his year at Gonzaga, when he was a solid role player off the bench for a team that advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.

He’s always done what it takes to make his team better.

Although the 24-year-old guard didn’t hear his name called in the 2023 NBA draft, he’s become a steady professional player. A year after playing with Portland’s G League affiliate, Rip City – where he averaged 15.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game before being traded to Wisconsin in January – the ex-Zag finds himself with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.

In nine games, he’s averaging 10.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game – while getting a chance to play in front of his father and some other family.

“(Memphis is) a great organization. I have family from there, so finally close to home,” he said. “Gonzaga and Portland, that is as far from home (as) I’ve ever been in my life. It’s good to have some family nearby and just trying to grow and get better and showcase what I can do.

“Versatility, shooting, whatever the team needs, showing I can contribute in multiple ways and impact winning without just scoring the ball and being a good teammate as well,” added Smith, who came off the bench in all 37 games he played at Gonzaga. “Your character is super important, and just being a guy that your teammates know that you have their back and stuff like that.”

His first taste of the G League proved eye-opening to Smith, who said he was amazed at the talent level.

“Last year was my first year (in the G League) and game to game, I was like, ‘Man, players who might have been role players at their college are dominant here.’ It just shows you how the game of basketball is growing,” he said. “I feel like we (as a league) need to expand. There’s so many great players. There’s overseas (players) that played G League last year that are scoring a lot of points, so I think it’s just showing the game of basketball is really growing.”

Smith said he’s thrilled to be part of a Grizzlies organization that has a great reputation for developing players in a culture that rewards hard work.

“I haven’t been here that long, but I know their track record,” he said of the Griz, who feature fellow ex-Zag Brandon Clarke. “The coaching staff, they’re really big on developing and trying to get you better. That’s just been the main key, is how can I be better in the areas I was weak in last year, and then just continuing to build on that. Just trying to get as many wins as possible.”

Smith said he believes the season he spent playing for coach Mark Few at GU helped lay the groundwork for him to not only realize his dream of playing professional basketball, but to thrive as a pro.

“He was just really hard on me,” Smith said. “He’s a coach that has coached a lot of great players and he knows you can’t be perfect, but demands you be as close to perfect as possible by pushing me, showing me weaknesses in my game, and really helping me to get better in those areas.

“The Sweet 16 win against UCLA, that was my favorite moment. Just the shot Julian (Strawther) hit, the way it brought us together and we had a struggling moment during the season. Everyone wrote us off, but we got to the Elite Eight again.”

That lone season at GU also gave Smith connections off the court that he’ll always cherish.

“It’s a fraternity that will last forever,” he said. “We keep up in the summer and have dinners and stuff. Even though we don’t talk to each other every day or monthly, we all know we’re supporting each other. Jalen (Suggs) knows I’m supporting him. Julian knows I’m supporting him.”

Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.