2023 5-star prospect Tyler Smith signs with Overtime Elite
Tyler Smith, a five-star prospect and a top-10 player in the class of 2023, has signed with Overtime Elite, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Smith had offers from Kansas, Baylor, Texas, Florida State, Oklahoma, Memphis, LSU and others. He is currently set to become draft eligible in 2024 but can enter the 2023 NBA Draft if he graduates high school early.
“This is different and new,” Smith told ESPN. “I wanted to be a pro already, working on stuff that NBA players work on. In high school you can’t work out as much as they do at OTE.”
Smith plans to sign with agent Chris Gaston of Family First Sports, according to ESPN. The 16-year-old forward is a 6-foot-9 versatile athlete who played with five-star prospects Keyonte George and Yohan Traore on the Adidas summer circuit with Southern Assault. He received his first scholarship offer from Houston at 14.
“My goal wasn’t to play college,” said Smith. “It’s to play in the NBA. This will get me there faster and make me more ready once I’m there. I’ve been talking to them for three months already. They’ve been telling me they have NBA facilities, trainers, and nutritionists from NBA teams.”
About Overtime Elite
Overtime Elite has made significant acquisitions to its roster since announcing plans for the league in March. Thanks to significant financial support from investors and the addition of former NBA executives, the league has gained traction as a viable professional alternative to college athletics and the NBA’s one-year G-League program.
The league has partnered with NCAA national championship winning coach Kevin Ollie as well to boost credibility and provide top-level coaching to the young players.
Overtime Elite has signed several top prospects from the 2022 and 2023 class so far, including Tyler Smith, Jazian Gortman, Bryce Griggs, Jalen Lewis, and Jai Smith. The league also features some of the top foreign prospects in basketball. Dominican guard Jean Montero is a projected first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Spanish forward Izan Almansa joins fellow European prospects Alexandre Sarr, Nathan Missia-Dio and Tudor Somasescu.
Overtime Elite told ESPN that it will continue to recruit about a “half dozen” signings before the teams meet in Atlanta in September to begin training camp. The 24 players will be split into three teams and play a schedule consisting of academies, prep schools and international teams. The three teams will also compete in competitive games against each other throughout the season.