Greyhound Forward Signs with Tougaloo College

Marquavious Smith, a two-year letterman for the Mid-South Community College Greyhounds, has signed a letter of intent to continue his basketball career and higher education at Tougaloo College in Mississippi.

"I really appreciate Marq's contribution to our program, and I'm so happy to see his hard work pay off," said Greyhounds' head coach Chris Parker said. "Marq has had to overcome quite a bit to see this day through, so we're extremely proud of him.

"He had no other options for basketball scholarships coming out of high school, but we felt he had great potential as a player and as a person."

Smith said he is excited about his opportunity to attend Tougaloo College on an athletic scholarship.

"I feel like Tougaloo College is a very good fit for me," said Smith who played high school basketball at Germantown High School. "I'm coming right into a system where the coach knows how to win. He pushes his players to the ultimate limit."

"Also, he coached Monta Ellis in high school, and we all know Monta Ellis went to the NBA right out of high school. The coach had a big role in that. I feel like he will help me develop my talents on and off the court to get me to the next level."

Tougaloo head men's coach Thomas Billups said Smith will be a welcome addition to the Bulldogs' roster.

"I had him work out four times with the guys on the team, and I think he's going to be a real asset for us," Billups said. "He's going to really help us in the paint because of his height, and that's been a weakness for us."

The Bulldogs' tallest player this past season was 6-5.

"Marquavious is 6-6 or 6-7 right now, and he's the tallest player we'll have," Billups said. "And his doctor said he might grow another 2-3 inches. He's going to be a big help to us these next two years."

Smith played in 26 of the Greyhounds' 27 games in 2014-15. He averaged 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and a block and an assist per contest. He also shot 33.3 percent from beyond the three-point line. Smith also played in 2012-13 before redshirting as a sophomore.

He said MSCC provided the perfect opportunity for him.

"I would say Mid-South Community College is the best thing to happen to me," Smith said. "For one, I had no scholarship offers coming out of high school, but Coach Parker took a chance on me three summers ago, and he took another chance giving me a scholarship during my redshirt season so I could graduate in May.

"I feel like Mid-South, Coach Parker, and Dr. (Glen) Fenter are responsible for what's happening today. If it wasn't for Mid-South Community College, I wouldn't be in the great situation I'm in."

Smith joins a Bulldog team that finished 13-13 overall, and 9-5 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference play (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I).

Other schools in the GCAC include Dillard University in New Orleans; Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida; Philander Smith College in Little Rock; Southern University in New Orleans; Talladega College in Alabama; Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina; and Xavier University of Louisiana (New Orleans).

MSCC President Dr. Glen Fenter jokes with Marquavious Smith (seated left) and Justin Harris (seated right) during their signing ceremony to further their careers at 4-year colleges.