EVANSTON, Ill. — Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins announced the addition of Colin Smith to the Northwestern roster on Tuesday. A 6-8, 220-pound forward who averaged nearly 12 points per game last year, Smith comes to Northwestern as a graduate transfer.
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"Colin Smith is a versatile forward who can make an impact all over the court," said Collins. "After a highly successful season at UC Santa Barbara, Colin will bring tremendous experience, high-level shooting, and a strong basketball IQ to our team. His ability to guard multiple positions and rebound will also be a huge asset. Colin is a great teammate with a high level of work ethic and character that represents everything we value in our program. We're excited to see the impact that Colin can have on next season's team."
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Smith spent the past two seasons at UC Santa Barbara. As a redshirt junior, Smith started 31 games in 2025-26, averaging 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He shot an efficient 45.5% clip from the field, including a 40.5% 3-point-percentage. Smith recorded double digit points on 22 occasions last season.
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In 2024-25, Smith played in 34 games, making three starts for the Gauchos. He averaged 8.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
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Smith began his college career at Vanderbilt in 2022-23, starting 16 games in his rookie campaign with the Commodores. He averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, knocking down 37.6% of his threes. Smith played in seven games the following year before sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury. He averaged 7.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in the abridged year.
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A Dallas native, Smith attended Compass Prep (Ariz.), where he earned a nomination for the 2022 McDonald's All-American Game. The former four-star recruit recorded 1,525 points, 700 rebounds and 505 assists in his high school career.
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ÂWest Coast to Northwestern ??@ColinSm1th is officially a 'Cat ?? pic.twitter.com/f4GP82P7A8
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) April 21, 2026
"Colin Smith is a versatile forward who can make an impact all over the court," said Collins. "After a highly successful season at UC Santa Barbara, Colin will bring tremendous experience, high-level shooting, and a strong basketball IQ to our team. His ability to guard multiple positions and rebound will also be a huge asset. Colin is a great teammate with a high level of work ethic and character that represents everything we value in our program. We're excited to see the impact that Colin can have on next season's team."
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Smith spent the past two seasons at UC Santa Barbara. As a redshirt junior, Smith started 31 games in 2025-26, averaging 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He shot an efficient 45.5% clip from the field, including a 40.5% 3-point-percentage. Smith recorded double digit points on 22 occasions last season.
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— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) April 21, 2026Â
In 2024-25, Smith played in 34 games, making three starts for the Gauchos. He averaged 8.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Â
Smith began his college career at Vanderbilt in 2022-23, starting 16 games in his rookie campaign with the Commodores. He averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, knocking down 37.6% of his threes. Smith played in seven games the following year before sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury. He averaged 7.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in the abridged year.
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— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) April 21, 2026
A Dallas native, Smith attended Compass Prep (Ariz.), where he earned a nomination for the 2022 McDonald's All-American Game. The former four-star recruit recorded 1,525 points, 700 rebounds and 505 assists in his high school career.