Tennessee State men’s basketball head coach Nolan Smith announced on May 5 the signing of forward Deondrea Lindsey from Iona.
Lindsey, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 212 pounds, was recognized as a national top-150 prospect and a three-star recruit by several recruiting services. He was ranked as high as No. 74 overall nationally and No. 1 in Tennessee for the class of 2025 by 247Sports during his sophomore year.
A Tennessee native, Lindsey started his high school career at Knoxville Catholic before transferring to Oak Hill Academy, where he played two seasons against national competition. During his sophomore season at Knoxville Catholic, he helped lead the team to a 20-8 record while establishing himself as a key contributor.
Before joining Iona, Lindsey received offers from programs including Tennessee, Penn State, Georgetown, Ole Miss, Southern Methodist University and Georgia Tech. At Iona, he sat out the entire 2025-26 season and will arrive at Tennessee State with four years of eligibility remaining.
Smith said that Lindsey is known for his size, length and athleticism and is expected to be a versatile frontcourt defender capable of guarding multiple positions. Offensively, Lindsey has demonstrated an ability to contribute as a rim runner and lob threat in pick-and-roll situations while also showing potential with developing perimeter skills.
