Clinton Athletes in College: Galin Smith
By Datti Jinkiri
It’s amazing to think that four years have passed since two-time Dandy Dozen selection Galin Smith first arrived in Tuscaloosa in the same freshman class as current NBA player Collin Sexton.
Galin Smith (Courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics)
The Clinton High School graduate quietly performed when called upon in his three seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He played in thirty-plus games in each season, mainly as a key reserve. He helped the Crimson Tide make an NCAA Tournament appearance in the process.
He also made an impact off the court. He was named the SEC Academic Honor Roll twice and was chosen for the SEC Community Service Team once.
After graduating with an undergraduate degree from Alabama, he decided to transfer to the University of Maryland for the 2020-21 season. A new challenge awaited Smith, as the Big Ten Conference perennially is one of the top men’s basketball conferences in the country.
Smith played in 31 games for the Terrapins this season, making 17 starts in the process. The 17 starts was a career-high for him.
He scored a career-high 13 points in a win over Wingate in January. He also had 12 points in the Terrapins’ win over Navy.
One of his more important moments of the season came when the Terrapins traveled to Champaign, Illinois, to face the University of Illinois. He matched up against Kofi Cockburn, a future First Team All-Big Ten selection and consensus Second Team All-American.
Smith played a season-high 27 minutes and hounded Cockburn at every opportunity. He held Cockburn to just five second-half points, and the Terrapins upset the Fighting Illini.
The Terrapins qualified for the NCAA Tournament with a 16-13 record. They were the East Region’s number ten seed and defeated the University of Connecticut in the first round.
However, Smith’s college basketball career came to an end when the Terrapins fell to his former school, Alabama. Smith ended his career with 125 career games played and will no doubt will be known as one of the top basketball players to ever come out of Clinton.
