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2017 hoops prospect Tirus Smith commits to Ole Miss

The small forward from Petal, Miss. has verbally committed to Andy Kennedy and the Rebels.

By Zach Berry
Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss basketball recruiting continues its positive momentum. A week after The Pavilion's opening helped Andy Kennedy and Co. land a four-star commit, the 2017 class has added a second member: athletic wing player Tirus Smith tweeted his verbal commitment to Ole Miss on Monday morning.

Before you get too excited, Smith is unrated by the major recruiting services and his only other offers are from Alcorn State, New Orleans and South Alabama. Still, he's a 6'8, 180-pound junior who's averaging a 16.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks per game and shooting 51% from the field for Petal (Miss.) High. Don't be surprised if that offer sheet grows.

Another thing to keep an eye on is that Tirus' brother, Treylan, is a 6'4 eighth grader who is already averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds on the varsity squad. This could be a package deal that A.K. is preparing for down the road.

How does he fit in?

By the time Smith arrives on campus, Tomasz Gielo (6'9), Anthony Perez (6'9) and Sebastian Saiz (6'9) will be gone. Kennedy and his staff are going to need the Petal prospect to utilize his length and athleticism to become a contributor on both ends of the floor. Smith, along with 2016 commits Nate Morris (6'10), Tyrek Coger (6'8) and Justas Furmanavicius (6'6) will be the front court players that will be counted on for the coming years. One can hope that since he is only a junior, he will continue to grow and add some strength. If he can, he can be yet another of the long small forwards or wings that have become a hallmarks of the Ole Miss basketball program under Andy Kennedy.