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Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:36 pm to The Sultan of Swine
More of a pure scorer, maybe not quite the all-around game. With Smith if you need a basket at the end of the game you give it to him and let him do his thing.
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:42 pm to gohogs141
From the tape I've seen of him it looked like he has a kind of awkward shot. Not necessarily the end of the world - Ronnie Brewed did too - but not what I expected from a guard ranked that highly.
Guessing we're expecting his biggest threat will be off the dribble
Guessing we're expecting his biggest threat will be off the dribble
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:43 pm to gohogs141
quote:
More of a pure scorer, maybe not quite the all-around game. With Smith if you need a basket at the end of the game you give it to him and let him do his thing.
Agree, he is also an underrated play maker for others as well when needed. His scoring at every level rightly gets most of the attention.
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:44 pm to The Sultan of Swine
In Muss's presentation they broke down his EYBL summer season and told him he had 9 and 1's.
He had multiple 30+ point games at the Peach Jam and 31 in the title game.
June 17th he was ranked 30th overall.
He had multiple 30+ point games at the Peach Jam and 31 in the title game.
June 17th he was ranked 30th overall.
This post was edited on 9/29/21 at 8:46 pm
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:48 pm to UltimateHog
quote:
June 17th he was ranked 30th overall.
Walsh had one of the biggest jumps on the update as well.
Muss was on him before most really started paying attention
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:49 pm to UltimateHog
According to class calculator…Arkansas should move up to #3 in nation and #1 in SEC on 247.
Heck of a class
Heck of a class
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:53 pm to RazorHawg
LINK
LINK
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After courting many suitors, North Little Rock’s Nick Smith Jr. has chosen to stay home and play at Arkansas.
The Class of 2022 point guard announced his commitment to the Razorbacks on Wednesday, turning down offers from the likes of Kentucky, North Carolina, Memphis, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Baylor, Alabama and others.
He is the first five-star recruit Eric Musselman has landed as the head coach at Arkansas and the first to choose the Razorbacks since Bobby Portis in the 2013 class.
A native of Little Rock, Smith released a final four list that included Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn and UAPB, plus briefly considered professional options, but ultimately chose the Razorbacks.
At 6-foot-5, Smith possess the versatile size and skillset needed in Musselman’s system. His game should immediately translate to the collegiate level and, without looking too far ahead, he could potentially follow in Moses Moody’s footsteps as the second one-and-done player in UA history.
He recently jumped 23 spots in the Rivals rankings after an impressive showing over the summer for Brad Beal Elite – the same AAU program Moody played for. Over his final eight games at Peach Jam, Smith averaged 18.6 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. He shot 54.4% from the field, 40.5% from behind the arc and 74.1% at the free throw line.
In high school ball, he was one of the top players in the state while playing at Sylvan Hills the last two years. As a sophomore, he averaged 21.3 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals on his way to being named the All-Arkansas Preps Underclassman of the Year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Last season, Smith put up even better numbers - 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game - and was named the All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year while helping the Bears reach the semifinals of the Class 5A state tournament.
Smith will play his final season of high school basketball at North Little Rock, announcing his transfer this summer. He’ll team up with fellow five-star prospect and Oregon commit Kel’el Ware to play in the state’s highest classification.
From the day Musselman took the Arkansas job, his emphasis was on establishing the Razorbacks’ national brand while also locking down top in-state talent. Smith’s commitment helps on both fronts.
Not only is he the No. 16 overall player in the country, according to Rivals, but he continues Musselman’s trend of securing high-quality prospects. All eight of the traditional recruits who’ve signed or committed in his three classes have been part of the Rivals150. That equals the number Arkansas landed in its previous six classes combined.
On the home front, Smith’s addition gives Arkansas’ 2022 recruiting class three of the top four prospects from the state. He joins Morrilton’s Joseph Pinion and Magnolia’s Derrian Ford. Including the 2020 class, when he went 4 for 5, Musselman has now landed seven of the nine in-state Rivals150 prospects since being hired.
Smith greatly bolsters the 2022 recruiting class and should have it ranked top-five nationally, but all indications are that the staff is still wanting to add another player to the class.
LINK
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Nick Smith, the highest-ranked available player in the 2022 class, announced his commitment to Arkansas on Wednesday night.
Smith is the highest-ranked recruit to pick Arkansas since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007. Head coach Eric Musselman now has four ESPN 100 prospects in the fold, giving the Razorbacks a potential top-five recruiting class.
"Arkansas' system was the best fit for me," Smith told ESPN. "They get up and down. They defend, too. Coach Muss has an NBA background. The ball will be in my hands, and I will play off the ball, too. My role will be to play a combination guard, to score and be a playmaker."
Smith, an Arkansas native who plays at North Little Rock High School (Arkansas), chose the in-state Razorbacks over a list of schools that included Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Musselman began recruiting Smith soon after replacing Mike Anderson in Fayetteville back in 2019.
"He has been recruiting me hard since the ninth grade," Smith said of Musselman. "On my official visit, he was with me everywhere on campus. He is very hands on, hyper in a good way and has great energy. His plan for me is to prepare for the NBA. He and his staff did something that was different. They broke down all my games from the EYBL. It was detailed. Coach Muss told me that I had nine three-point plays. That blew me away."
Before Musselman took over at Arkansas, the last local ESPN 100 prospect to leave the state for college was Malik Monk, who chose Kentucky over the Razorbacks in the 2016 class. Musselman then landed all four Arkansas natives in his first full recruiting class in 2020, and the state didn't produce any ranked prospects in 2021. And now Smith is the highest-ranked one in 2022, and he's staying home.
"The fans are crazy. There is no pro basketball team, so the atmosphere for games is great," Smith said. "They have shown me big love."
A 6-foot-4 guard, Smith is ranked No. 6 in the ESPN 100 for the 2022 class. He was one of the best guards on the Nike EYBL circuit all summer, averaging 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 15 games with the Brad Beal Elite program. He also shot 37.5% from 3-point range.
Smith is a highly effective scorer and shooter. In the open floor, he shows good straight-line speed with a burst and bounce to finish. In the half-court game, he has showcased deep range shooting off the catch. His ability to read and cut from off-ball screening actions is impressive, and what makes him hard to guard is his ability to attack the basket but change speeds to stop and score. He is accurate from the mid-range or in the paint with touch, body control and a knack for drawing contact.
Smith is the fourth ESPN 100 prospect to commit to Arkansas in 2022 -- and the third in-state product. He joins Derrian Ford (No. 68), Barry Dunning (No. 76) and Joseph Pinion (No. 93).
The Razorbacks are also still in the mix for five-star Jordan Walsh, now the highest-ranked uncommitted player in the class, and Anthony Black, who falls just outside five-star range at No. 26.
This post was edited on 10/14/21 at 6:04 pm
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:53 pm to RazorHawg
LINK
LINK
quote:
Nick Smith Jr., the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2022 class, will stay home and play for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he tells 247Sports.
"Next year I will be enrolling at the University of Arkansas," Smith told 247Sports.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound combo guard out of North Little Rock (Ark.) committed to Eric Musselman's program over his other three finalists including Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
"Why not," he said of why he chose Arkansas. "I have been here since I was a young pup, talking to Muss and talking to the coaching staff just made sense, staying home and I can keep putting Arkansas on my back so it made sense."
Smith was considered a heavy Alabama lean but after his official visit to Arkansas, the Razorbacks emerged as the leaders and came out victorious, landing the prized recruit.
"All my visits were cool and I appreciate all the coaches that took the time out to recruit me and stuff but all the visits were cool but coach Muss and what he has planned for me and the relationship that I have with the coaching staff is something that I couldn't pass up," he said of that official visit. "In terms of his style of play and since this recruiting process started, talking to my dad about it, it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up."
Smith has consistently proved that he is one of the top players in this class over the last year and will bring competitiveness, toughness, scoring, playmaking and a two-way impact to the program next year on the floor.
"Excitement," he said of what he will bring to the program. "Coach Muss got that going, the football team has it going right now, just keep bringing that excitement to the state and have Arkansas on my back and bring some players on with me and try to make something happen. At the end of the day I still have to go up there and get the job done."
Of the players he's trying to bring in with him are Jordan Walsh and Anthony Black, Smith told 247Sports.
Smith is a huge win for Eric Musselman on the recruiting trail, keeping one of the top prospects in the country at home.
It has always been a tough task for programs out of state to pull prospects out of Arkansas and now with the passage of NIL, it will prove to be even tougher, Smith becoming the latest example.
Smith is Arkansas' fourth commitment in the 2022 class which now ranks as the No. 3 overall class in the country.
LINK
quote:
Nick Smith, a 6-foot-4 combo guard out of Sherwood (Ark.) North Little Rock has committed to Arkansas basketball for the class of 2022, he tells On3.
Smith is the Razorbacks’ fourth commitment of the class, joining four-star combo guard Derrian Ford, four-star small forward Barry Dunning, and four-star small forward Joseph Pinion.
Arkansas now has now established itself with a top-5 ranked recruiting class for 2022. The Razorbacks are still targeting Jordan Walsh, among others.
Smith ultimately chose the Arkansas Razorbacks over Alabama, Auburn, and UAPB. He also received offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, among others. The NBL and the Overtime Elite league also inquired about his services.
Nick Smith discusses his commitment to Arkansas
Question: Why did you choose Arkansas?
Nick Smith: “I’ve been talking to Coach (Eric) Musselman every day since this recruitment process has started. Just talking to him about the goals that he has for me and the goals he has for the future of Arkansas. It really caught my eye, and really caught my parent’s eye in terms of getting to the NBA and helping me be ready for the league. The opportunities and plans he has for me were something I couldn’t pass up. Just talking to my parents about it, it made sense for me to stay home and go with Coach Muss.”
Question: How did NIL have a role in your decision to choose college over the pro route?
Nick Smith: “To be honest, I’m well off right now so I’m not in a need of money. My ultimate goal is just to get prepared for the next level. God blessed me with the ability to get to the next level and I’m going to use my college experience to help me get there. I told coaches from the jump that I’m not going to make a decision based on NIL.”
Question: Is the plan to go to Arkansas and be the head guy? What was their recruiting pitch to you?
Nick Smith: “The way I look at it, it wasn’t going to happen if I wasn’t going to be that. Coach Muss has been telling me that since day one. I just had to figure out some stuff between Auburn, Alabama, and UAPB. Arkansas clearly had the best points and I had a vision with them.”
Question: Was it difficult to make your decision? Did you juggle between multiple schools? Or was Arkansas the clear-cut?
Nick Smith: “I can say this… I couldn’t go wrong with any of the schools. At one point, it was very hard for me and stressful when it came to picking the right school for me. But after talking to my parents, Arkansas made sense.”
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:58 pm to RazorHawg
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10. MOSES KINGSLEY | 4-STAR (.9825) | CLASS OF 2013
Moses Kingsley was a 6-10, 250-pound center out of Huntington Prep in the 2013 cycle. He chose the Razorbacks over an impressive list of offers that included Florida, Louisville, Memphis, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and others. According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Kingsley was a four-star prospect, the No. 49 player in the land, No. 4 among all centers, and the No. 3 overall target in the state of Mississippi. Kingsley burst onto the scene in his junior season, averaging 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. His numbers dropped to 12 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior and he was not selected in the 2017 NBA Draft. Kingsley currently plays overseas for Ionikos Nikaias B.C.
9. MOSES MOODY | 4-STAR (.9833) | CLASS OF 2020
Moses Moody was part of a stellar 2020 signing class for Musselman and the Razorbacks. The Arkansas native played his high school ball at Montverde Academy but decided to return home for college, choosing the Hogs over Michigan, Kansas, Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oregon and many others. The 6-6, 205-pound wing prospect was considered the No. 46 player in the nation as a senior. In his only season in Fayetteville, Moody averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and helped Arkansas reach the Elite Eight. He was taken by the Golden State Warriors with the 14th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft.
8. STEVEN HILL | 4-STAR (.9843) | CLASS OF 2004
Steven Hill was a 7-foot center in Arkansas' highest-rated class of all time. Rated as the No. 35 overall prospect in the nation and No. 1 in his home state of Missouri, Hill chose the nearby Razorbacks over the Mizzou Tigers. The Branson product enjoyed a long, successful career in Fayetteville, finishing second on the program's all-time blocks list with 318 through 132 games, per HogStats.com. Hill was not drafted but had a cup of coffee with the Portland Trailblazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2008-09 season. From there, he spent three seasons with the Tulsa 66ers (now the Oklahoma City Blue).
7. DANIEL GAFFORD | 4-STAR (.9860) | CLASS OF 2017
Former Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson landed Daniel Gafford out of El Dorado (Ark.) in the Class of 2017. The 6-9 power forward turned down offers from Florida, Kansas, Virginia and several others to play for the home state Hogs. Gafford was the No. 39 overall prospect in the country and the top-rated player in the state of Arkansas. He became one of the SEC's best players in his two seasons on The Hill and was named First-Team All-SEC as a sophomore. Gafford was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 38th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft. He currently plays for the Washington Wizards.
6. RONNIE BREWER | 4-STAR (.9869) | CLASS OF 2003
Ronnie Brewer, son of former Arkansas great Ron Brewer, was a homegrown product out of Fayetteville in the 2003 cycle. He held offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and others but decided to stay at home to play for the Hogs. Brewer, 6-6, 190 as a prospect, had a stellar career for the Razorbacks, averaging 18.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He became a first-round selection when the Utah Jazz selected him with the 14th overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. Brewer went on to play for six different NBA teams between 2006-14. He now serves as Arkansas' recruiting coordinator.
5. BJ YOUNG | 5-STAR (.9919) | CLASS OF 2011
B.J. Young was a five-star recruit at McCluer North in Florissant (Mo.) in the Class of 2011. The 247Sports Composite rankings tabbed him as the No. 21 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 2 player in Missouri behind only Bradley Beal, one of the NBA's top current players. Young spent two seasons on the Hill, averaging 15.3 points as a freshman and 15.2 as a sophomore before deciding to enter the 2013 NBA Draft. Young went unselected and has bounced around different teams since leaving college. He currently plays for Libertadores de Querétaro.
4. OLU FAMUTIMI | 5-STAR (.9932) | CLASS OF 2003
Olu Famutimi was a five-star prospect in the Class of 2003. The Toronto native transferred to Flint Northwestern in Flint (Mich.) and turned down offers from Memphis and Missouri in choosing the Razorbacks. Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, USC and many others also recruited the 6-5 prospect. Famutimi never had the kind of college career he'd hoped for, lasting two seasons in Fayetteville and averaging just 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 57 career games. Famutimi surprisingly entered the 2005 NBA Draft but was not selected. He has played for 14 different teams in several different countries.
3. BOBBY PORTIS | 5-STAR (.9934) | CLASS OF 2013
If this was a ranking of most popular Razorback basketball signees, Bobby Portis might take the top spot. But being a five-star and the No. 17 player in the nation for the Class of 2013 wasn't too shabby, either. Portis never showed any interest in playing for anyone except the Hogs, but held offers from Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Memphis, Nebraska and others. He spent two seasons in Fayetteville and was named SEC Player of the Year for his work as a sophomore, which saw the Little Rock native average 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Portis was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 22nd overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. He became a world champion and an NBA fan favorite last season during the Milwaukee Bucks' title run.
2. NICK SMITH | 5-STAR (.9965) | CLASS OF 2022
Nick Smith of Sylvan Hills is Arkansas' biggest pick-up in several years. The 6-4 combo guard chose the Razorbacks over three other finalists in Alabama, Auburn, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He also held offers from Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Butler, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech and many others. The 247Sports Composite rankings have Smith as a five-star prospect and the No. 9 overall player for the Class of 2022. 247Sports considers Smith the No. 8 overall prospect for his class.
1. AL JEFFERSON | 5-STAR (.9990) | CLASS OF 2004
Al Jefferson of Prentiss (Miss.) was a McDonald's All-American, a Parade All-American, and the nation's No. 4 overall recruit in the Class of 2004. He signed with the Razorbacks in the Class of 2004, which is a big reason why that cycle is Arkansas' highest-rated to date, but chose to skip college and go straight to the NBA Draft. He was taken by the Boston Celtics with the 15th overall pick of the first round of the 2004 draft. Jefferson played for five different NBA teams from 2004-18 and was named to the All-NBA Third-Team in 2014. He last played for the Indiana Pacers in 2018.
Posted on 9/29/21 at 8:59 pm to The Sultan of Swine
quote:
From the tape I've seen of him it looked like he has a kind of awkward shot
I like his shot but I'm biased because I shoot the same way.
Shot starts from dribble height, not above my head. I can shoot pretty good that way. Cleaned up at the fair one year. They finally kicked me out after I won 3 of the giant stuffed animals.
Posted on 9/29/21 at 9:04 pm to dbeck
quote:
Shot starts from dribble height, not above my head. I can shoot pretty good that way. Cleaned up at the fair one year. They finally kicked me out after I won 3 of the giant stuffed animals.
Got any eligibility?
Posted on 9/29/21 at 9:06 pm to dbeck
The part about Smith going after Walsh and Black gets my hopes up way too high for this class
Posted on 9/29/21 at 9:09 pm to RazorHawg
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Of the players he's trying to bring in with him are Jordan Walsh and Anthony Black, Smith told 247Sports.
Dear sweet baby Jesus
Posted on 9/29/21 at 9:20 pm to hawgfaninc
I dont see it happening, but all 3 would be insane.
Posted on 9/29/21 at 9:26 pm to ThundrHawg
quote:
all 3 would be insane
Could we take walsh and black as we currently are? Or would we have to process one of our other commits/current players
This post was edited on 9/29/21 at 9:27 pm
Posted on 9/29/21 at 9:41 pm to hawgfaninc
Almost forgot about Ware. That’s a shame.
Appreciate Smith even more. Crazy how much has changed. No one thought we had a shot 2 months ago.
Appreciate Smith even more. Crazy how much has changed. No one thought we had a shot 2 months ago.
Posted on 9/29/21 at 9:47 pm to hawgfaninc
The speculation has been that Black will go pro since Smith isn't going to Alabama now, but who knows. Honestly, I'd suspect that if Arkansas can come up with the per$uasion, I think things could change.
If Muss does hit on Walsh and Black, I honestly don't know how you sign that many guys in one class.
If Muss does hit on Walsh and Black, I honestly don't know how you sign that many guys in one class.
Posted on 9/30/21 at 5:27 am to Jack Ruby
If we land Walsh, that’s 5 in this class and we have 5 seniors departing. I would assume that doesn’t leave much room for any portal guys next year. Knowing Muss, he will probably move one or two of ours on to create room for portal? Guess we will see.
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