{{Short description|American basketball player (born 2000)}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Tolu Smith | image = Tolu Smith, Ron Holland, & Lachlan Olbrich 01072026 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Smith with the Detroit Pistons in 2026 | position = Power forward | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 245 | league = NBA | team = Detroit Pistons | number = 35 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|7|26}} | birth_place = Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, U.S. | high_school = * Bay (Bay St. Louis, Mississippi) * Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii) | college = * Western Kentucky (2018–2019) * Mississippi State (2020–2024) | draft_year = 2024 | career_start = 2024 | career_end = | years1 = 2024–2025 | team1 = Motor City Cruise | years2 = {{nbay|2024|end}}–present | team2 = Detroit Pistons | years3 = 2025–2026 | team3 = →Motor City Cruise | highlights = * 2× First-team All-SEC (2023, 2024) }} '''Galen Edward Mitchell''' "'''Tolu'''" '''Smith III''' (born July 26, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Mississippi State Bulldogs.
==High school career== Smith was raised in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and played basketball at Bay High School.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jevan|last=McCoskey|title=Former Mississippi State basketball star Tolu Smith returns to Bay St. Louis to speak with Bay-Waveland middle school basketball team|url=https://www.wxxv25.com/former-mississippi-state-basketball-star-tolu-smith-returns-to-bay-st-louis-to-speak-with-bay-waveland-middle-school-basketball-team/|website=WXXV25.com|date=August 15, 2024|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> He moved with his family to Hawaii in 2017 and enrolled at Kahuku High & Intermediate School in Kahuku for his senior season.<ref name=abramo17nov21/> He was selected as the ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' All-State player of the year in 2018.<ref name=honda20>{{cite web|first=Paul|last=Honda|title=Life after Kahuku: Tolu Smith thriving at Mississippi State|url=https://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/boys-basketball/life-after-kahuku-tolu-smith-thriving-at-mississippi-state/|work=Hawaii Prep World|date=December 24, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
==College career== Smith played his freshman season for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.<ref name=honda20/> He elected to transfer at the end of the season to join his home state Mississippi State Bulldogs.<ref name=honda20/> Smith sat out the 2019–20 season due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer rules.<ref name=krajisnik24>{{cite web|first=Stefan|last=Krajisnik|title=How Tolu Smith has overcome injury to build powerful legacy at Mississippi State basketball|url=https://eu.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2024/03/07/tolu-smith-mississippi-state-basketball-legacy-injury-chris-jans-shannel-galen-bulldogs/72807119007/|work=Clarion Ledger|date=March 7, 2024|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
Smith appeared in 30 games during his sophomore season but only started 20 during his junior season as he battled multiple injuries.<ref name=krajisnik24/> He returned to full health for his senior season in 2022–23 and started all 34 games.<ref name=krajisnik24/> Smith averaged 15.7 points with a league-leading 57.2% field goal percentage to earn first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors.<ref name=krajisnik23>{{cite web|first=Stefan|last=Krajisnik|title=Tolu Smith, Mississippi State basketball's All-SEC forward, announces 2023-24 decision|url=https://eu.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2023/05/21/tolu-smith-mississippi-state-basketball-returning-2023-nba-draft-chris-jans/70241359007/|work=Clarion Ledger|date=May 21, 2023|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> He declared for the 2023 NBA draft but returned to Mississippi State for his fifth year of collegiate eligibility.<ref name=krajisnik23/> Smith averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds per game during the 2023–24 season and was named to the All-SEC first-team.<ref>{{cite web|first=Rob|last=DeMello|title=Kahuku’s Tolu Smith awaits hopeful NBA opportunity|url=https://www.khon2.com/sports/kahukus-tolu-smith-awaits-nba-opportunity/|work=KHON 2|date=June 26, 2024|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
==Professional career== After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Smith joined the Detroit Pistons for the 2024 NBA Summer League<ref>{{cite web|first=Benjamin|last=Rosenberg|title=Four former Mississippi State players taking talents to NBA Summer League|url=https://cdispatch.com/sports/four-former-mississippi-state-players-taking-talents-to-nba-summer-league/|work=The Dispatch|date=July 17, 2024|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> and on September 17, 2024, he signed with the team.<ref>{{cite web|first=Luke|last=Adams|title=Pistons Sign Three Players To Camp Contracts|url=https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/09/pistons-sign-three-players-to-camp-contracts.html|website=HoopsRumors.com|date=September 18, 2024|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> However, he was waived on October 17<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Pistons PR|title=The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has waived Aaron Estrada, Javante McCoy, Dereon Seabron, Tolu Smith, and Lamar Stevens. Detroit’s roster now stands at 15, including one two-way contract.|number=1847054117455442163|user=Pistons_PR|date=October 17, 2024|access-date=October 17, 2024}}</ref> and on October 29, he joined the Motor City Cruise.<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Motor City Cruise|title=Training camp roster ready to get to it 👏 #MotorCityBasketball|number=1851401150169223597|user=MotorCityCruise|date=October 29, 2024|access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref> On January 6, 2025, he signed a two-way contract with the Pistons.<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Pistons PR|title=The @DetroitPistons announced today that the team has signed Ron Harper Jr. and Tolu Smith to two-way contracts. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. In a related move, the Pistons waived forward Cole Swider and guard Alondes Williams.|number=1876388325537497524|user=Pistons_PR|date=January 6, 2025|access-date=January 7, 2025}}</ref> On April 13, Smith made his NBA debut against the Milwaukee Bucks in the final game of the regular season and scored 14 points with 8 rebounds.<ref name=demello>{{cite web |last1=DeMello |first1=Rob |title=Kahuku’s Tolu Smith makes NBA debut |url=https://www.khon2.com/sports/kahukus-tolu-smith-makes-nba-debut/ |website=KHON2 |access-date=April 14, 2025 |date=April 13, 2025}}</ref> He became the second Hawaii high school graduate to appear in an NBA game after Red Rocha who last played in 1957.<ref name=demello/>
On April 7, 2026, the Pistons signed Smith to a two-year, standard contract.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pistons sign two-way center Tolu Smith to roster, wave Bobi Klintman|url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2026/04/07/pistons-nba-roster-tolu-smith-bobi-klintman/89504891007/|access-date=April 17, 2026|website=freep.com|language=en}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===NBA=== ====Regular season==== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|2024}} | style="text-align:left;"| Detroit | 1 || 0 || '''22.0''' || '''.667''' || {{sort|-|—}} || '''.667''' || '''8.0''' || .0 || .0 || .0 || '''14.0''' |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|2025}} | style="text-align:left;"| Detroit | '''15''' || 0 || 9.1 || .500 || {{sort|-|—}} || '''.667''' || 3.3 || '''.9''' || '''.1''' || '''.4''' || 3.7 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 16 || 0 || 9.9 || .533 || {{sort|-|—}} || .667 || 3.6 || .8 || .1 || .4 || 4.4 {{S-end}}
====Playoffs==== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{nbapy|2026}} | style="text-align:left;"| Detroit | 3 || 0 || 2.3 || 1.000 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || .7 || .0 || .3 || .0 || 1.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 3 || 0 || 2.3 || 1.000 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || .7 || .0 || .3 || .0 || 1.3 {{S-end}}
==Personal life== Smith was born to an African-American father and Samoan mother.<ref name=abramo17nov21/> His father, Galen, worked as a computer specialist for the Naval Oceanographic Office,<ref name=abramo17nov21>{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Abramo|title=Kahuku welcomes major hoops talent in Smith|url=https://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/boys-basketball/kahuku-welcomes-major-hoops-talent-in-smith/|work=Hawaii Prep World|date=November 21, 2017|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> and previously played college basketball in the United States Virgin Islands.<ref name=magee>{{cite web|first=Patrick|last=Magee|title=Towering, talented: Smith brothers have Bay High eyeing title run|url=https://www.sunherald.com/sports/high-school/article132057399.html|website=SunHerald.com|date=February 11, 2017|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> Smith's mother, Shannel, played basketball for the South Alabama Jaguars.<ref name=magee/> His older brother, Galen Jr., played basketball for the Xavier Gold Rush.<ref name=abramo17nov13>{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Abramo|title=Kahuku transfer Smith signs with WKU|url=https://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/boys-basketball/kahuku-transfer-smith-signs-with-wku/|work=Hawaii Prep World|date=November 13, 2017|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
Smith's nickname, "Tolu", means "three" in Samoan as he was the third Galen in his family.<ref name=honda18>{{cite web|first=Paul|last=Honda|title=Q&A: Kahuku hoopster, All-State POY Tolu Smith |url=https://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/boys-basketball/qa-kahuku-hoopster-all-state-poy-tolu-smith/|work=Hawaii Prep World|date=March 20, 2018|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> He received his initials, G.E.M.S., because his parents considered him and his brother to be their "gems".<ref name=honda18/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://hailstate.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tolu-smith-iii/10410 Mississippi State Bulldogs bio] * [https://wkusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tolu-smith/1684 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers bio]
{{Detroit Pistons current roster}} {{Howell Trophy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Tolu}} Category:2000 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:American men's basketball players Category:American people of Samoan descent Category:Sportspeople of Samoan descent Category:Basketball players from Mississippi Category:Detroit Pistons players Category:Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball players Category:Motor City Cruise players Category:People from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi Category:Power forwards Category:Undrafted NBA players Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball players