Men’s basketball adds Utah State transfer for 2025-26

5/12/2025 10:00:00 AM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis College men's basketball has signed Jaxon Smith, a transfer guard from Utah State University, for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

A native of Bountiful, Utah, Smith graduated from Woods Cross High School following a decorated four-year career with the Wildcats. With Smith at the helm, the Wildcats made a run through the 5A state playoffs in 2022 before falling in the state championship game. Smith, who was thrice voted team captain, was named the Regional Most Valuable Player and to the 5A State All-Tournament Team.

He also garnered Second-Team All-Region honors as a sophomore, as well as First-Team All-Region and Second-Team All-State honors in his junior and senior seasons. In addition, Smith averaged 16 points, four assists, and three rebounds per game as a senior, while shooting 91 percent at the free throw line and ranks second all-time in career three-pointers and fourth all-time in career scoring at Woods Cross.

"Jaxon has all of the qualities we are looking for in a guard. He is a young man of great character who can flat-out shoot the ball," head coach Jordan Mast commented. "He has won at every level that he has been at, and we know he is going to bring those winning qualities to Fort Lewis. We entered this offseason knowing we needed to improve our shooting percentages, and I believe we achieved a part of that goal thanks to Jaxon."

As a freshman at Utah State in 2023-24, Smith utilized a redshirt season to retain a year of eligibility and was named a Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete. He was also a member of the Aggies lineup that captured the Mountain West Conference Regular Season Title. Last season, Smith accumulated 25 minutes (2.3 min/game) on the floor across 11 games, scoring 14 points (1.3 pts/game) while grabbing one rebound and making one assist. He was also named a Whitesides Scholar-Athlete.

Last season, Fort Lewis returned to the RMAC Tournament for the fifth consecutive season and made its third-straight appearance in the tournament's semifinals. The Skyhawks posted a 19-12 overall record and a 12-8 mark in conference play, earning three all-conference selections. Off the court, the program maintained a 3.04 Grade Point Average as a team through the fall semester.

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