The UConn men’s basketball program announced Friday that guard Malachi Smith suffered a knee injury during workouts earlier this month.
According to a team release, Smith underwent a successful minor procedure and is expected to return to full basketball activities in August.
A redshirt senior from the Bronx, N.Y., Smith is expected to fill the backup point guard role for the Huskies during the 2025-26 season. He played his first four years of college basketball at Dayton, where he averaged 10.4 points, 5.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game last season, including nine points, two assists and three rebounds in the Flyers’ win over UConn to close the Maui Invitational last November.
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“He is a dynamic playmaker, a strong outside shooter and a veteran presence that has played in – and won – a lot of games. We have no doubt that he can be the next great New York City Husky and help our program reach our championship goals,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said after Smith committed in April.
Smith was the second point guard addition for the Huskies out of the transfer portal, joining former Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr., who has a similar skillset to two-time national champion Tristen Newton and is expected to fill the starting role.
Barring any hiccups, Smith should be ready to return to practices before the team takes the court in front of fans for the first time when it hosts Boston College in a preseason exhibition at Mohegan Sun on October 13. The Huskies’ regular season opener will reportedly take place on Nov. 3 against New Haven.
