Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Former Evansville guard Dru Smith transfers to Missouri

Evansville v Louisville

LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 11: Deng Adel #22 of the Louisville Cardinals defends against Dru Smith #12 of the Evansville Purple Aces in the first half of the game at KFC YUM! Center on November 11, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Evansville 78-47. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The Missouri basketball program has landed its second transfer of the spring, as it was announced Friday that former Evansville guard Dru Smith will be joining Cuonzo Martin’s program. After sitting out the 2018-19 season per NCAA transfer rules, Smith will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

As a sophomore Smith averaged 13.7 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 30.2 minutes per game, starting all 22 games in which he played. Smith posted very good shooting percentages, finishing the year shooting 57.8 percent from the field, 48.2 percent from three and 85.2 percent from the foul line. Smith led the Valley in steals -- he did not have enough attempts to qualify to be ranked in three-point percentage -- and was named to the conference’s Most-Improved Team.

The 6-foot-3 guard from Evansville was limited in February by a fractured foot suffered during practice, appearing in just two of the Purple Aces’ final seven regular season games. Smith played 30 minutes in Evansville’s loss to Northern Iowa in the first round of Arch Madness, scoring 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists.

As noted above Missouri has now picked up commitments from two transfers this spring, with former Illinois guard Mark Smith being the other. Missouri adds a solid group of perimeter recruits this summer, and the program is also in the running for highly regarded point guard Courtney Ramey. The addition Dru Smith gives Missouri another talented perimeter option to call upon in 2019.