Iona Men’s Hoops Offers Legacy Early College HS’s Perry Smith Jr.

Iona College Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rick Pitino, 67, continues to work on building the Gales into perianal National Championship contenders. As so, the program has offered Legacy Early College High School (SC) forward Perry Smith, Jr., yesterday he Tweeted.  

Many high school hoops insiders consider Smith, a rising junior, one of the best players in his home state of South Carolina. And his improving talent, with two years left to play, continues to increase his college stock. 

In addition to Iona, Smith holds offers from Marquette and Presbyterian, among others, giving him at least eight schools.

Plus, Smith said he has interest from Wake Forest, College of Charleston, NC State, Charlotte, Appalachian State,  South Carolina, and Texas A&M, as well as other colleges, according to phenomhoopreport.com.

Iona has been a solid program under former coach Tim Cluess, 61, who stepped down from the helm last season due to undisclosed health issues.

The Gales either captured either the regular-season or conference tournament championship every season from 2012 to 2019 with Cluess, but missed out last year.

Iona posted a 12-17 record and went 9-11 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

For next season, Pitino landed local product Christ the King’s Ryan Myers, and JUCO player Tahlik Chavez, a six-foot-two, 180-pound combo guard out of Garden City Community College in Kansas.

— Jerry Del Priore