Freshman forward Tyler Smith was granted a release from the Iowa men's basketball team on Friday and the former Tennessee signee could wind up back with the Vols.

The 6-foot-7 Smith, the Hawkeyes' second leading scorer last season at 14.9 points per game, wants to transfer to a program closer to his hometown of Pulaski, Tenn., Iowa officials said.

Smith's father, Billy, suffers from lung cancer. He's also had a brief but tumultuous relationship with UT coach Bruce Pearl.

A source in the UT athletic department told the News Sentinel that the Vols would be interested in recruiting Tyler Smith.

Meanwhile, Tyler Smith said on Friday that he wants to play for the Vols.

"My choice is to go to Tennessee," Smith told Volquest.com. "Something will have to fall through with Tennessee for me to look at other schools. I have always liked it there. That is where I originally wanted to go. The situation with the coaching change just got out of hand. I wanted to go to a school where I was comfortable with everything and I just didn’t know Coach Pearl."

Smith signed with Tennessee in November of 2004 while Buzz Peterson was the coach. He became less interested in UT after Peterson was fired after the 2004-05 season. Pearl could not persuade Smith to join the team and refused to grant him a release from his scholarship.

He will have to sit out a year if he transfers to a Division I school that meets Iowa's restrictions, unless the NCAA takes his father's health into consideration and grants a hardship waiver allowing immediate participation.

Smith's release follows the hiring of Todd Lickliter as Iowa's new coach. Smith was recruited to Iowa by former coach Steve Alford, who left after last season to coach New Mexico.

"I have had conversations with both Tyler and his father from the time we knew we would have a coaching change," Iowa athletic director Gary Barta told the Associated Press. "Both expressed a sincere appreciation for Iowa, but also hinted toward a desire for Tyler to continue his career closer to home. I'm disappointed with his final decision, but we do ultimately want what's best for him."

Smith joined Iowa after one year at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. He led the Hawkeyes in rebounding (4.9 per game) and steals (45) and ranked second with 111 assists. He was named to the Big Ten all-freshman team and earned third team all-Big Ten honors.

In an interview with the News Sentinel in June of 2005, Pearl was analytical about circumstances surrounding the Smith situation.

"I feel like in some ways he was kind of caught in the whole system," Pearl said. "This is the first player in my career that I have not released. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have done it any differently because there were circumstances that I can't talk about that just told me there was a different agenda there."

UT looked into allegations a booster gave tickets and money to Billy Smith. Investigators didn't find sufficient evidence to support the claim but did uncover secondary violations.

In a Nov. 5, 2005 interview, Billy Smith said Tennessee coaches and staff should be blamed for losing his son.

"I guess it is human nature to look for someone to blame when things do not go the way you want them to," Billy Smith said at the time.

"The athletic department at the University of Tennessee has nobody to blame but its own coaches and personnel for the actions that turned Tyler away from wanting to participate in the program with the University of Tennessee."

When Tyler Smith was denied his release by UT on April 19, 2004, Billy Smith wouldn't admit it, but it was obvious that UT's coaching change was a factor.

"I don't get obligated to no university," Smith said. "I'm sick of hearing people say we're obligated to a university.

"I get obligated to a coach. That's who is going to be taking care of my son for four years."

Now he needs someone to take care of his son for three years.