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Tolu Smith III: From Bay St. Louis To Detroit
Tolu Smith III has had an eventful and eye-opening basketball career so far, and his time at Mississippi State from 2020-2024 landed him a spot in the NBA. But how did he get to where he is now?
Smith III played his sophomore and junior seasons in high school in his hometown for Bay High School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He averaged 13. 8 points along with 8.7 boards and 2.1 blocks per game in his junior season.
Smith III then prepped as a senior at Kahuku High and Intermediate School in Hawaii where he recorded 21.2 points and 10.3 rebounds. He was named Honolulu Star-Advertiser Player of the Year and the best player in Hawaii. After his senior season, he signed with Western Kentucky University to begin his collegiate career.
As a freshman with the Hilltoppers, Tolu played under former Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury. He appeared in 34 games before receiving offers from teams like Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and West Virginia. It was then that Tolu decided to enter the transfer portal when the 2018-19 season came to a close.
Smith III ultimately chose Mississippi State as his new destination, placing him much closer to home and in the Southeastern Conference. Tolu redshirted the 2019-20 season as a sophomore due to the transfer rules that were set by the NCAA, so Smith III first hit the court in the 2020-21 season as a redshirt sophomore. He made a statement in his first official season playing for the Bulldogs, starting in 30 games and averaging 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.
The next season saw Tolu battling through injuries, but he was able to put up very solid numbers nonetheless. In the 2021-22 campaign, Smith III notched 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, an assist and a steal per contest while shooting 57.6 percent from the field.
As a redshirt senior in 2022-23, Tolu started in all 34 the team’s games and exploded to earn consensus All-SEC First-Team honors. He averaged 15.7 points, 8.5 boards and 1.7 assists per game. Once the season was over, questions in Starkville began to rise as people wondered what Tolu would decide to do next. He had gained the attention of NBA Scouts, but he was also eligible for one final season in college. Smith III decided to test the NBA Draft waters, but eventually chose to return to Mississippi State for his graduate season, much to the delight of the fans.
Smith III unfortunately suffered an injury just before the season began, and he missed the team’s first 12 games of the season. But, once he returned, Tolu picked right back up where he left off, earning All-SEC First-Team honors in back-to-back seasons. Smith III finished his college basketball career with the 11th most points in Bulldog history (1,554) and the sixth most rebounds in program history (865).
It was then time for Tolu to take the next big step in his basketball journey. He would go undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft and sign a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons and the Motor City Cruise, the team’s G-League affiliate. In the 2024-25 season, Smith III made his presence known with the Cruise, averaging 17.9 points, 13.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28 games played. Detroit knew they had found a great project in Smith III.
That brings us to today, where Tolu remains in Detroit. He has been competing with the Pistons’ summer league team this past week, averaging 15.5 points, 11.5 boards, three assists and 1.5 blocks in two games so far. The Pistons are 2-0 and will continue to perform well with Tolu’s playing, giving Detroit a good option for an official NBA contract.
