It’s no surprise that Arkansas’ uber-talented freshman Nick Smith Jr. will not be suiting up for the Razorbacks Wednesday night against Missouri. It is, however, surprising that Smith will not even be at Bud Walton Arena, according to a team spokesperson.

The former 5-star prospect is seeing a specialist for his knee injury.

This is not good news for the Razorbacks. Smith potentially missing the remainder season to focus on recovery is certainly a possibility to be aware of if you’re a Razorbacks fan, as Smith has played in just 5 of Arkansas’ 13 games this year. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that.

The former No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2022 last played 2 weeks ago in Arkansas’ win over Bradley, but left the game early due to discomfort.

Smith missed the first 6 games of the season for the Razorbacks. He played well in early December upon returning, totaling 16, 22 and 21 points against San Jose State, UNC Greensboro and Oklahoma, respectively.

Smith provides a major boon for the Razorbacks when he’s on the court, the challenge right now for head coach Eric Musselman is simply getting him there.