Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Albert Ferastrau/Northwestern Athletics
Colin Smith Joins Northwestern as Graduate Transfer
4/21/2026 3:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
West 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."
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.
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) April 21, 2026
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.
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.
— 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.
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