NCAA Basketball: 6 mid-major players who should be on 2021-22 radar

Malachi Smith, Chattanooga

Malachi Smith has emerged as a bonafide superstar on a Chattanooga team that is capable of winning not one but multiple games in the NCAA Tournament.

The sophomore guard is averaging 21.7 points and 6.3 rebounds on the season, ranking sixth nationally in scoring. He is averaging 25.0 points over his last 15 games and has scored at least 20 points in 12 of those games. Smith is currently on a streak of six straight 20-point games as Chattanooga has moved to 16-4 on the season and 6-1 in league play.

Smith is a physical guard who excels off the bounce, getting to his spots in the paint seemingly at will. Combine that driving ability with his 42.6% shooting from deep, and you have one of the nation’s most difficult players to defend—a versatile guard capable of punishing you from all three levels.

An exceptionally well-rounded offensive player, Smith has also shown the potential to be a multi-positional defender. This potential should warrant not just the appreciation of college basketball fans but also the attention of NBA scouts.

The SoCon is a demanding conference with genuine challengers—most notably Furman—but the Mocs stand out above the rest as one of the most experienced teams in the country led by one of the single best players in the country in Malachi Smith.