Nick Smith Jr. didn’t have the best year at Arkansas in 2022-23, but that was mostly due to injuries.
When the talented guard was able to be on the court for the Razorbacks, he was absolutely electric. He’s a shot maker, creator and all-around elite scorer with unlimited range.
Though he experienced a bit of a slide in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night in Brooklyn, he was eventually selected No. 27 overall by the Charlotte Hornets:
With the 27th pick of the NBA Draft, the @hornets select Nick Smith Jr. (@lif3nick)!
2023 #NBADraft presented by State Farm LIVE on ABC & ESPN!
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 23, 2023
In his 1 year at Arkansas, Smith appeared in 17 games, starting 14 of them. He averaged 12.5 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per contest.
Smith was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 class, per the 247Sports composite rankings. He was part of a class at Arkansas that featured 3 5-star players — Smith, Anthony Black (who went to the Orlando Magic with the No. 6 overall pick) and Jordan Walsh.
If he is able to stay healthy in 2023-24, he has a chance to make an immediate impact at the NBA level. Teaming up with No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller out of Alabama, LaMelo Ball and the rest of the Hornets seems like a great fit for the now former Arkansas star.
How many games will the Hornets win with the 2 former SEC stars? We’ll find out this coming season!
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
