Plano East’s Zach Smith has made the jump to the professional basketball ranks.

After going undrafted, the Texas Tech graduate signed a contract to play for the Atlanta Hawks summer league team.

Fellow Red Raider Zhaire Smith joined him in the NBA. The Garland Lakeview Centennial graduate was selected 16th overall by the Phoenix Suns and was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The former Plano East Panther originally declared for the 2017 NBA draft following his junior season in 2016-’17. He later decided to return for his senior season with Texas Tech.

As the team’s sixth man of the year, Smith helped lead the program to the fourth round of the NCAA tournament in 2017-’18.

Texas Tech beat Stephen F. Austin 70-60, Florida 69-66 and Purdue 78-65, and fell 71-59 to eventual national champion Villanova.

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David Jenkins • [email protected]