EXCLUSIVE: Zach Smith to return to Texas Tech for senior season

Chris Beard and the Texas Tech basketball program learned some great news on Monday afternoon, as senior star forward Zach Smith retracted his name from the NBA Draft process to return to school for his final season as a Red Raider.

Smith entered the NBA Draft over a month ago in order to get some feedback and learn where scouts and coaches would like to see him improve. According to the Plano native, there were two things he was told to keep improving and working on.

"(The scouts and people I spoke with) told me that I needed to focus on my shooting and playmaking ability," he said

It's worth noting that Smith had already made huge strides forward as a shooter under the watchful eye of Beard and his staff in the past season, raising his three point shooting percentage from 18.2 percent to an impressive 39.5 percent in just a year's time.

And speaking of Beard, sources tell RedRaiderSports.com that the Texas Tech head coach met with Smith's family twice to discuss and break down the NBA Draft process and help guide them forward.

Beard also went to bat for Smith with a number of teams, helping him get a number of workouts to expose him to decision makers in the NBA.

Smith noted that he felt his current head coach was a big factor in helping him make in-roads and showed unwavering support.

"I felt like coach Beard really helped me out with the whole process. He got me into contact with several teams. He really looked out for me, and I really appreciated his support throughout the whole process."

Now, Smith returns for his senior season at Texas Tech, a year where he and a core nucleus of veterans like Keenan Evans, Justin Gray and Norense Odiase - who all came into school together - can have a chance to make big waves in the Big 12 and move the program forward.

Smith saw that potential and couldn't leave with work left to be done.

"It would've been bittersweet to leave here right now," he said. "I think that's really the best word to describe it. It really would've been bittersweet to leave the foundation you helped build behind. I think we really do have a good chance to be really good next year. I'm excited"