College Slam Release | Small College Basketball
SEWARD, Neb. – The new school record holder for single-game scoring, Tristan Smith continues to grab the spotlight. On March 1, Small College Basketball (SCB) named Smith to its 15-player Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List, as selected by the National Awards Committee and SCB. Then on March 3, College Slam announced that Smith will be included in a fan vote for the 2025 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition. Smith was also recently chosen to the top 50 watch list for the Bevo Francis Award.
The Trevor Hudgins Award is presented annually by the Small College Basketball organization to the senior (or graduate student) who has had the finest overall career in college basketball outside of the NCAA Division I level. According to the organization, the criteria includes overall career statistics and achievements, team achievements, awards and personal character. The player must play his entire career within “Small College Basketball.”
As a Dark Horse Dunker nominee, Smith is featured in the first round of voting. There are four total voting rounds. The contestants are competing for a chance to participate in the 2025 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships that will take place in San Antonio, Texas, on April 3. For additional details on how the voting process works, check out the release from College Slam linked HERE. Official voting will be conducted via @CollegeSlam on X/Twitter and @College_Slam on Instagram.
A First Team All-GPAC award winner as a junior, Smith has taken his game to new heights as a senior in 2024-25. The Elizabeth, Colo., native made history last week when he broke the program’s single-game scoring record with 48 points. Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.706), second in blocks (1.6), third in assists (4.1), third in rebounding (8.3), fourth in scoring average (21.0) and eighth in steals (1.6). In 109 career collegiate games, Smith has totaled 1,529 points, 720 rebounds, 230 assists, 127 blocks and 108 steals.
2025 Dark Horse Dunker Contestants
Nico Ashley, Less-McRae
Christian Caldwell, Southern Arkansas
Ryker Cisarik, Nova Southeastern
Chandler Collins-Johnson, Livingstone College
Peyton Gerald, Florida Southern College
Jemario Hersey, Belhaven
TJ Hilliard, McMurry
Logan Jagodzinski, Rochester
Steven Lyles, Spring Hill
Lakeem McAliley, East Stroudsburg
Omar Nkonde, Queens College
Tavin Pierre Philippe, Adelphi
Straton Rogers, College of Idaho
Alex Singleton, Loras
Tristan Smith, Concordia-Nebraska
Tae Wilson, Saint Leo