After two impactful seasons at HBCU North Carolina Central College, Perry Smith Jr. is heading to Kennesaw State. The 6’9” junior, who transferred to NCCU from the College of Vermont, made a reputation for himself in Durham and throughout the HBCU basketball panorama as a dependable pressure within the paint.
Smith began all 33 video games for the Eagles through the 2024–25 season, averaging 11.4 factors and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per recreation. He ranked among the many MEAC’s greatest in rebounding, together with second in offensive boards with practically three per recreation. Smith additionally recorded 4 double-doubles, and was named MEAC Defensive Participant of the Week in early December. His standout performances included a 24-point night time at Norfolk State and a 13-rebound recreation at Delaware State.
Whereas Smith made noise on the court docket on the Durham, NC-based HBCU, his journey off the court docket is simply as compelling. Earlier this yr, HBCU Gameday shared the emotional story of Smith’s household—highlighting the power and resilience he’s drawn from his sister, who has been battling most cancers. That story supplied a deeper take a look at the motivation behind the ahead’s relentless motor and mature perspective, traits which have helped him flourish within the HBCU ranks.
“My little sis, we’re very shut, and my household could be very devastated,” Smith stated after a last-second win on the MEAC basketball event. “It is a very exhausting time, however basketball has turn out to be my escape, my remedy. I play for my sister as a result of I do know she’s watching.”
By transferring to Kennesaw State, Smith can be nearer to his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, providing a chance to proceed his basketball profession whereas staying close to his assist system. As he strikes on from the HBCU highlight to a brand new problem within the Atlantic Solar Convention, he now leaves a gap for North Carolina Central head coach LeVelle Moton to fill.