NEW YORK, NY — This past Sunday night, as the UConn Huskies stunned the Duke Blue Devils in the 2026 East Regional Final on a Braylon Mullins game-winning three-pointer—an iconic shot that is forever cemented in College Basketball history and one that will be in March Madness highlights for years to come—Malachi Smith was the first to charge at Mullins once the shot fell through the net from just short of half court.
String Music.
“When Mullins made that shot, I ran over and jumped on him,” Smith told Latino Sports in UConn’s locker room while he and the Huskies continued their celebration of punching their ticket to the Final Four.
“I don’t even know. I ran over there and jumped on him, that was crazy.”
What was also “crazy” for Smith—a proud Puerto Rican hailing from The Bronx, New York, transferring to UConn last April after spending his first four collegiate years at the University of Dayton—was having the opportunity to cut down the nets with his teammates while his parents Sharika and Elliot Rosado and loved ones were on the court of Capital One Arena with him during the Huskies’ post game celebration.
“It was amazing,” Smith said of all that transpired Sunday night. “This is what I worked for, this is what I came here for, and it just feels like all the work I put in is showing right now.”
His father Elliot who is from Puerto Rico spoke with Latino Sports as the historic moment went down in D.C., graciously providing his immediate thoughts and feelings during such a memorable time for he, Malachi and their family:
“What’s going through my mind right now is me putting a basketball into his hands at five years old,” Rosado said. “I pushed him and pushed him, and at the age of 10/11, he was watching Kemba Walker, and he said, ‘My dream school is UConn.’ And then, the pandemic stopped that because he didn’t have an AAU season or high school season. So four years later to get the opportunity to play UConn, that’s what me and my wife think about a lot.”
As most, if not all, who have watched Smith play in person or from afar throughout his playing career which started at St. Raymond’s High School in The Bronx, NY, the key takeaway from his game is the motor, and willingness to do whatever it takes for his team to pull out a win.
Not to gloss over the fact that when Smith and his team are leading by double digits or say trailing by 19 which was the case Sunday vs. No. 1 Duke, you’ll always find a smile on him.
“He got it from his mom because his mom taught him to have fun,” Elliot said. “I just pushed him so hard, I would overdo it, but his mother made sure that it was fun for him, and that’s why he smiles so much.”
“Since he’s stepped on campus, he’s one of the best passers I have played with, being so unselfish out there. He comes in and brings so much energy and plays with a spark. The way he plays really is a reflection of his personality, just all the moves out there, the flashy passes and how tough he is defensively. We need Malachi if we want to reach our goals and he’s done a great job stepping up so far.”
-UConn redshirt senior forward Alex Karaban
“When his career is over and he’s done playing, he’s a future coach because he’s got such an incredible way about him, and he’s a smart guy and a tough guy. He’s a real unifier with the group.”
-UConn head coach Dan Hurley
In this year’s NCAA Tournament across the Huskies’ first four games, that has already shown. Without Smith’s production, toughness and basketball IQ, UConn would not be preparing for a flight this week to Indianapolis for the Final Four.
To start off—in his first-ever start at UConn in the Round of 64 vs. No. 15 Furman in Philadelphia, PA—as Silas Demary Jr., who was on a minutes-restriction due to his recovery from a sprained ankle at the time, came off the bench, it was Smith stepping up in the big spot.
With the goal of making a deep run in March Madness, it’s safe to say Malachi Smith, transferring to UConn last April, is living out the dreams he had wished for as a kid out of the Bronx, NY – Image Credit: Terry Mayo Jr./A Lot of Sports Talk
The same course of action took place for the Round of 32 vs. No. 7 UCLA, with Smith starting for the Huskies once again, helping Demary Jr. not speed himself back from the injury or add on to his workload that was already difficult to begin with.
“It’s been a rough past couple weeks for me, but just to be around a group of guys that want to win, and are willing to do anything to get a win, is a good feeling,” Demary Jr. said, later crediting Smith’s ability to step up in different ways.
“It’s not nothing we’ve seen him do before… Malachi is a guy with over 500 career assists so he knows how to read the floor and control the game.”
| Malachi Smith’s 2026 March Madness performances | Round of 64 vs. No. 15 Furman | Round of 32 vs. No. 7 UCLA | Sweet 16 vs. No. 3 Michigan State | Elite 8 vs. No. 1 Duke |
| Points | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| Assists/Turnovers | 7/1 | 6/2 | 7/1 | 2/0 |
| Rebounds | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Steals/Blocks | 1/1 | 1/0 | 4/0 | 1/0 |
When asked about Smith’s impact on and off the floor, UConn head coach Dan Hurley, 53, a two-time National Champion (2023 & 2024), preparing for his third Sweet Sixteen in the last four years with the Huskies, was as clear and honest as a coach could be:
“Without Malachi, we’d be cooked.”
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