What do Tyler Smith and Bruce Pearl have in common?

How about Iowa?

Tyler Smith, a wing forward formerly of Giles County High School, signed a national letter of intent on Wednesday to attend Iowa.

Smith signed with the Vols in November of 2004 while Buzz Peterson was still the coach. He became less interested in Tennessee after Peterson was fired a year ago. Pearl, the new coach, could not persuade Smith to join the team and refused to grant him a release from his scholarship.

Pearl was an assistant under Tom Davis at Iowa for six seasons starting in 1986.

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound Smith attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., this year. He selected Iowa over Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Memphis and Cincinnati.

Hargrave coach Kevin Keatts said it was a combination of factors that led Iowa to the top of Smith's list, including his relationship with the Hawkeye coaching staff.

"I think he liked the opportunity to play at Iowa," Keatts told Rivals.com. "Then obviously he has a great relationship with assistant coach Craig Neal and also head coach Steve Alford. He was just really comfortable with the whole situation there."

Smith averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and just over five assists per game at Hargrave.

"Tyler will have an immediate impact on our team next season," said Alford. "He is a very talented player, but also a great person, and that is something we always look for in recruiting. Tyler is a hard worker and one of the premier wing players in this class."

Smith was ranked as one of the top 50 seniors in the nation a year ago and was named a second-team All-American by Street & Smith. He is regarded the number two post-graduate player in the nation by Scout.com, and is rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com.

Hill To Southern Miss: Guard Jarvis Hill of Bridgton (Maine) Academy signed with Southern Mississippi.

Hill gave a verbal commitment to UT in June of 2004 but four months later changed his mind. He signed with Auburn, but never played for the Tigers.

"We are very excited that Jarvis is coming to Southern Miss," Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy said. "Jarvis gives us something that we have lacked in that he is a player who can score from a lot of different places on the court."

Hill, a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder from Starkville, Miss., averaged more than 20 points per game last season. During the season, he was named to the 2006 National Prep School Invitational All-Tournament Team. Hill earned a three-star rating by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, and he is No. 39th in the nation among fifth-year prep school players, as ranked by HoopScoop.com.

Hill played his senior season at Mt. Zion (N.C.) Christian Academy and his sophomore and junior seasons at Starkville High.