Career Honors
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2014; Spring 2015)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2015)
2014-15 (Freshman)
Smith was one of four Huskers to play in all 31 games during the 2014-15 season, and averaged 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in 17.6 minutes per outing. The freshman ranked fourth on the team in scoring, as he shot 45 percent from the field, including 33 percent from long distance. Smith played some of his best basketball down the stretch, averaging 5.3 points per game on 48 percent shooting in NU’s last nine contests while posting a team-beat 1.80 assist-to-turnover ratio in that time.
During Big Ten action, Smith became an integral performer in the rotation as his scoring (4.9 ppg) and rebounding (2.0 rpg) numbers improved from his non-conference numbers. Smith tied or set season highs in points three times during Big Ten action, including a career-high 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting at Ohio State. In that effort, he connected on a season-high three 3-pointers and also added two assists in 27 minutes against the Buckeyes. He also had eight points and a pair of steals at Penn State, helping the Huskers nearly erase a 20-point second-half deficit, and at Michigan, when he played a season-high 30 minutes and also grabbed seven rebounds. He also turned in a solid performance off the bench against Illinois when he had five points, six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in NU’s 53-43 win over the Illini and had six points and six boards in a loss at Minnesota. He moved into the starting lineup in late February and averaged 7.3 points per game while shooting 50 percent or better in all three contests.
Smith opened his college career with six points in 16 minutes against Northern Kentucky, starting a streak where he did not commit a turnover in his first 63 minutes of action. He had at least one assist in each of his first four appearances, including a season-high three assists in 15 minutes of an overtime loss at Rhode Island. Smith saw his playing time expand at the Diamond Head Classic, where he averaged 6.0 points per game in three games. He set a then-season high with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting against host Hawaii and had seven points and a pair of steals in a win over Ohio to close non-conference action.
Before Nebraska
Smith was a two-year starter at St. Anthony (N.J.) High School, one of the premier high school basketball programs in the country. During his two seasons as a starter, Smith guided the Friars to a 53-7 record, a pair of sectional titles and state runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014 for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley. As a senior, he was a first-team all-state pick by the AP and a third-team honoree by the Newark Star-Ledger, as he averaged 15 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, as St. Anthony finished with a 25-5 record. Smith reached double figures in all but two games as a senior, including a pair of 23-point outings. One of his best performances was a 12-point, eight-assist, six-rebound effort in a win over eventual state champion Roselle Catholic. During his junior year, he averaged more than seven points per game while sharing time at guard with a pair of current Division I performers Hallice Cooke (Iowa State) and Josh Brown (Temple). That season, St. Anthony went 28-2 and finished second in the state in its class. Smith was the only sophomore on the varsity team in 2011-12, when the Friars went 32-0, was ranked first nationally and won the Tournament of Champions title as the best team in the state. Hurley has won over 1,100 games and 25 state titles since taking over the St. Anthony program in 1972. During his tenure, he has coached over 150 players who have signed with Division I programs. Smith also played with the Sports U AAU program and was one of five players from Sports U to sign with power-conference teams in 2013-14. The valedictorian of his high school class at St. Anthony, Smith was also a member of the National Honor Society. Smith also strongly considered Providence and Ole Miss before selecting Nebraska. He chose Nebraska for the “great coaching staff, good academics and the Big Ten Conference.”
Personal
Tarin is the son of Tanya Allen-Smith and Stephen Smith and was born on Dec. 6, 1995, in Ocean Township, New Jersey. Tarin has not declared a major at Nebraska. Smith will look to become the third Husker letterwinner from New Jersey, joining Pete Manning (1988-89, Trenton) and Dylan Talley (2012-13, Camden).
| Minutes | Total | 3-Point | F-Throws | Rebounds | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | gp-gs | min | avg | fg | fga | pct | fg | fga | pct | ft | fta | pct | off | def | tot | avg | pf | fo | ast | t/o | blk | stl | pts | avg | |
| 2014-15 | 31-3 | 545 | 17.6 | 53 | 119 | .445 | 10 | 30 | .333 | 23 | 38 | .605 | 11 | 38 | 49 | 1.6 | 39 | 1 | 22 | 24 | 9 | 18 | 139 | 4.5 | |
| TOTAL | 31-3 | 545 | 17.6 | 53 | 119 | .445 | 10 | 30 | .333 | 23 | 38 | .605 | 11 | 38 | 49 | 1.6 | 39 | 1 | 22 | 24 | 9 | 18 | 139 | 4.5 | |
| SINGLE-GAME HIGHS: Points: 13, at Ohio State -- 2/26/15 Rebounds: 7, at Michigan -- 01/27/15 Assists: 3, at Rhode Island -- 11/22/14 Steals: 2, 4 times Blocks: 2, Illinois -- 01/11/15 FG made: 5, at Ohio State -- 2/26/15 FG attempts: 8, at Michigan -- 01/27/15 ; at Penn State -- 2/7/15 ; vs Penn State -- 3/11/15 3FG made: 3, at Ohio State -- 2/26/15 3FG attempts: 3, 5 times FT made: 4, Michigan State -- 01/24/15 ; Northern Kentucky -- 11/16/14 FT attempts: 5, Michigan State -- 01/24/15 ; vs Ohio -- 12/25/14 |