STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State guard Jakorie Smith joins Lue Williams and KiAndre Gaddy as the third player from the 2023-24 Texans to sign a professional basketball contract.
 
Smith has signed to play professionally overseas with the K.B. Golden Eagle Ylli in the Kosovo-Superliga.
 
Smith becomes the seventh Texan in the last two years to sign a pro contract joining Lue Williams, KiAndre Gaddy, Shakur Daniel, Tre Gipson, Tahj Small and Rod Brown in the professional ranks.
 
Last season, Smith helped the Texans to a D1 era best 25-10 record, 16-4 WAC record, WAC semifinals appearance and a CIT semifinal appearance. At the end of the season, Smith was selected to the WAC First Team, the first Texan to receive the honor. He was named WAC Player of the Week and the SoCal Challenge Sand Division MVP for his 28-point scoring effort against Austin Peay. He earned Academic All-WAC honors after the season for his outstanding work in the classroom.
 
Smith set five Texan D1 Era single season records. His 549 points is the most in D1 era and tied for the 14th most in program history. He averaged 15.7 points per game, sixth in the WAC and second most in Texan D1 era Smith made 194 field goals and attempted 480 and made 66 from three-point land while attempting 204, all four setting new Tarleton D1 records. He played 1054 minutes, the fifth most in D1 era. The senior tallied 59 total steals, tied for the team lead, second in D1 era and sixth in program history, he also ranked tied for fourth in the WAC averaging 1.69. He posted 20-plus scoring efforts in 10 games which tied for the third most in the league. Smith made 95 free throws, the fourth most in the D1 era, shot at a .841 clip, fifth in the league. Among the Texans' D1 era career category leaders, he ranks fourth in total rebounds (161), third on the team, seventh in offensive rebounds (360) and is tied for second in defensive rebounds (125).
 
"It has always been my dream to play professional basketball," said Smith. "Now that it's a reality, I'm very excited. I thank God for the opportunity to play at this level. I am thankful for the support of my family and friends. I also want to thank all the coaches that poured into me and helped my dream become a reality. I'm forever grateful!"
 
Smith made a name for himself last season with his clutch last-second shots that elevated the Texans to victory. He hit triple at the buzzer at home against UTRGV to give the Texans the two-point victory for their second consecutive WAC win to open conference play. On the road at Abilene Christian, Smith knocked down a contested three-pointer to tie the game and send the Texans to overtime, where they would eventually sweep the season series with the Wildcats.
 
As a junior, he ranked third on the team in points (9.8) and second in rebounds (4.0) in 21.8 minutes per game. He was second on the squad with 1.78 steals per contest. Smith notched 14 10-plus point performances. He scored a season-high 26 points in the WAC Tournament First Round against UTRGV.
 
Last year, K.B. Golden Eagle Ylli finished third in the regular season, boasting a 19-9 record. The fell to Trepca in the finals. Casey Owens is the head coach, who served as an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers and the head coach of their G-League team.  The Kosovo-Superliga season will span from late September to the end of May.