Darin Smith Jr. - NEC Player of the Year to the Big 10 & Ready for Rutgers

Darin Smith Jr. is taking the next step in his career, transferring to Rutgers and preparing to compete in the Big Ten. Smith is coming off a season where he established himself as one of the nation’s best scorers, averaging 20.7 points per game, which ranked 21st in the country. With Rutgers returning a lot of key pieces from last season, the Scarlet Knights have high hopes for what Smith can bring to the team. Smith’s 2025-26 campaign at Central Connecticut State was one of the best individual seasons in program history. He scored 621 points, the third-most in a single season in CCSU history, while earning NEC Player of the Year honors. His production helped establish him as one of the top players in the conference and set the stage for his move to the Big Ten. At 6-foot-7, Smith is a versatile wing who can score at all three levels, giving Rutgers another dynamic offensive weapon. Even more intriguing, Smith has two years of eligibility remaining, giving him plenty of time to continue developing and proving himself at the highest level of college basketball. With his scoring ability and experience already under his belt, there’s no telling where his future can go. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe ‪@Notevend2‬ Enjoy the episode! Sneak Peek- 00:00-01:30 Quick Check-in & Intro to Darin Smith Jr.- 01:30-07:20 Adjusting to New Jersey / Rutgers University & Pride in School Work- 07:20-09:12 Rutgers vs. UMass Football & Relationship with Pop Watson lll- 09:12-10:17 Transfer Portal Experience, Committing to Rutgers- 10:17-11:12 Differences Between Sellers & Pikiell, & Pikiell as Recruiter- 11:12-12:49 Gelling with New Teammates & Connection with Tariq Francis- 12:49-14:58 Playing in the Big 10 & Deciding it was Time to Leave CCSU- 14:58-18:17 Recap of 40 Ball Against New Haven & Offseason Work- 18:17-20:20 Recruitment out of HS, Reflecting on Journey, & Goals for Junior Season- 20:20-23:45 Story Time (ft. Jordan Jones, Coach Sellers & Pikiell) & Rapid Fire- 23:45-28:31 Scheduling & SOS Discussion (Miami-OH, High Point, & More)- 28:31-40:24 NFL Week 1 Recap / Prediction's & Outro- 40:24-49:07 #basketball #collegebasketball #rutgers #rutgersbasketball #ccsu #nec #big10 #scoring #springfield #notevend2 #podcast #interview