Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Getting to know MT newcomer Therren Shelten-Szmidt
6/25/2017 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Canadian-born prep standout preparing to contribute in any way possible
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Freshman year can be tough for collegiate student-athletes, especially those who choose to attend a school far from home.
The rigors of studying mixed with keeping a social life, practicing a sport and other young adult activities can be a big change for some student-athletes, and some can struggle handling being out on their own.
Middle Tennessee incoming freshman Therren Shelton-Szmidt isn't worried about the transition to living on his own, though. He's pretty used to it.
Shelton-Szmidt, a 6-foot-5 guard who was rated the No. 5 player in Tennessee in the 2017 class by 247Sports, originally hails from Missasauga, Ontario, Canada, but he didn't stay in his native country to play his junior and senior seasons of high school. Instead, he chose to attend Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, a college preparatory academy in Chattanooga that has turned into one of the nation's best basketball powerhouses.
Alongside some of the best talent in the country, including Kentucky commit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 29th rated player in the country by 247Sports, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a Virginia Tech commit who was rated the 34th best player nationally by 247Sports, Shelton-Szmidt thrived. He averaged a team-high 17 points per game as a junior then 18.6 as a senior, helping the Hawks to a 33-7 record and USA Prep National Championship victory.
The secret to Hamilton Heights' success was easy to understand. Gilgeous-Alexander, Alexander-Walker and Shelton-Szmidt had a bond from growing up and playing together in Canada.
When the former two decided to travel all the way to Chattanooga for their junior and senior years, it was an easy decision for Shelton-Szmidt to follow.
"It proved to be the right move for me," he said. "We were all good players and bought into Coach [Zach] Ferrell's system.
"Hamilton Heights obviously prepared me for living away from home and just having to look out for yourself all the time. They look out for you a lot, but I had to get used to the Southern culture and stuff like that. I might be the only Canadian who doesn't really like hockey, so at least I didn't have to miss that."
Since he had already spent two years in Tennessee as a high schooler, when it came time to decide where to play college basketball Shelton-Szmidt had a pretty good idea where he wanted to play.
Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis and the Blue Raider staff showed a lot of interest in the young Canadian, and that feeling was reciprocated.
"From the time they offered me to the time I committed, everyone was saying great things about the guys here and they have been proving it the last few years," Shelton-Szmidt said. "On my visit, I saw the way they worked and knew it was a program I wanted to be a part of. I was already leaning toward them before my visit, and after that I knew this is where I wanted to be the next four years."
Shelton-Szmidt committed to MT during the Early Signing Period in November, and immediately began working on making himself better so he could step onto campus and be ready to contribute.
The most important thing he's tried to focus on in his game – other than putting on weight to handle the grueling collegiate season – is trying to be more versatile.
At 6-foot-5, Shelton-Szmidt is a tall guard. He can also shoot beyond the 3-point line, which could make him a tough guy for opposing teams to match up against, much like former Blue Raider Reggie Upshaw, who also came to MT from his hometown of Chattanooga.
If anything's clear, Shelton-Szmidt is ready to put in the work. He can often be found in the Murphy Center Auxiliary Gyms at any hour of the day putting up shots, and when he's not doing that he's with his teammates, trying to absorb everything about the campus, town and team.
That way, when it comes time for the season to start, he'll be able to contribute in any number of ways.
"That versatility is really important, because if you are getting stopped in one way you can still contribute to the team," Shelton-Szmidt said. "I'm not trying to help in one way, I want to help in any way I can – in the locker room, on the court and off the court."
This is the first of a series of stories featuring the newcomers to the Blue Raider men's basketball team.
The rigors of studying mixed with keeping a social life, practicing a sport and other young adult activities can be a big change for some student-athletes, and some can struggle handling being out on their own.
Middle Tennessee incoming freshman Therren Shelton-Szmidt isn't worried about the transition to living on his own, though. He's pretty used to it.
Shelton-Szmidt, a 6-foot-5 guard who was rated the No. 5 player in Tennessee in the 2017 class by 247Sports, originally hails from Missasauga, Ontario, Canada, but he didn't stay in his native country to play his junior and senior seasons of high school. Instead, he chose to attend Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, a college preparatory academy in Chattanooga that has turned into one of the nation's best basketball powerhouses.
Alongside some of the best talent in the country, including Kentucky commit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 29th rated player in the country by 247Sports, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a Virginia Tech commit who was rated the 34th best player nationally by 247Sports, Shelton-Szmidt thrived. He averaged a team-high 17 points per game as a junior then 18.6 as a senior, helping the Hawks to a 33-7 record and USA Prep National Championship victory.
The secret to Hamilton Heights' success was easy to understand. Gilgeous-Alexander, Alexander-Walker and Shelton-Szmidt had a bond from growing up and playing together in Canada.
When the former two decided to travel all the way to Chattanooga for their junior and senior years, it was an easy decision for Shelton-Szmidt to follow.
"It proved to be the right move for me," he said. "We were all good players and bought into Coach [Zach] Ferrell's system.
"Hamilton Heights obviously prepared me for living away from home and just having to look out for yourself all the time. They look out for you a lot, but I had to get used to the Southern culture and stuff like that. I might be the only Canadian who doesn't really like hockey, so at least I didn't have to miss that."
Since he had already spent two years in Tennessee as a high schooler, when it came time to decide where to play college basketball Shelton-Szmidt had a pretty good idea where he wanted to play.
Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis and the Blue Raider staff showed a lot of interest in the young Canadian, and that feeling was reciprocated.
"From the time they offered me to the time I committed, everyone was saying great things about the guys here and they have been proving it the last few years," Shelton-Szmidt said. "On my visit, I saw the way they worked and knew it was a program I wanted to be a part of. I was already leaning toward them before my visit, and after that I knew this is where I wanted to be the next four years."
Shelton-Szmidt committed to MT during the Early Signing Period in November, and immediately began working on making himself better so he could step onto campus and be ready to contribute.
The most important thing he's tried to focus on in his game – other than putting on weight to handle the grueling collegiate season – is trying to be more versatile.
At 6-foot-5, Shelton-Szmidt is a tall guard. He can also shoot beyond the 3-point line, which could make him a tough guy for opposing teams to match up against, much like former Blue Raider Reggie Upshaw, who also came to MT from his hometown of Chattanooga.
If anything's clear, Shelton-Szmidt is ready to put in the work. He can often be found in the Murphy Center Auxiliary Gyms at any hour of the day putting up shots, and when he's not doing that he's with his teammates, trying to absorb everything about the campus, town and team.
That way, when it comes time for the season to start, he'll be able to contribute in any number of ways.
"That versatility is really important, because if you are getting stopped in one way you can still contribute to the team," Shelton-Szmidt said. "I'm not trying to help in one way, I want to help in any way I can – in the locker room, on the court and off the court."
This is the first of a series of stories featuring the newcomers to the Blue Raider men's basketball team.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballFacility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
2025 Blue Raider Blitz Media Panel
Thursday, July 03
MTSU Men's Basketball Coach Nick McDevitt interview at 2025 Blue Raider Blitz
Monday, June 30
MTSU Men's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs Chattanooga NIT 3/18/25
Tuesday, March 18
