re: Arkansas Basketball Recruiting Thread *Muss Years Archive - do NOT delete*

He was good for Murray St

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Arkansas Kentucky Iowa Texas Tech Washington

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Final 5 for Aimaq

Had over 50 offers to begin with, including Gonzaga.

Man are they going to have a case of the red arse.

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Kentucky

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Isn't there a chance Thsiebwe back? Makes no sense otherwise.

Alao, isn't Aimaq Candian... Which means no NIL, right?

LINK

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The Nick Smith, Jr. experience

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The buzz that surrounded On3 150 No. 13 Nick Smith, Jr. in the back-half of this season was extensive. He vaulted from a consensus top-35 player to No. 8 in the On3 Consensus, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services. With On3 being lower on Smith, Jr. than the industry standard, we were excited for McDonald’s All-American week as we got to see him, in various settings, for multiple days, against the best of his peers.

Coming into the week, we loved Smith, Jr.’s creativity with the ball. His handle is crafty, and he is decisive. He is also an excellent shot-maker in the mid-range. He gets to his spots efficiently, and he decisively pulls up to make tough, contested shots consistently. However, we had more questions than answers.

Smith, Jr.’s floor vision was something we wanted to take a close look at. Also, his three-point shot, the release is low, and he can struggle with direction when shooting from range. He drifts in and out of the game on defense. We were also curious to see how he finished at the rim, as big bodies have given him trouble.

Watching courtside for practice sessions, Smith, Jr. had some shining moments. He certainly looks the part. There is a fluidity to how he moves, especially with the ball in his hands. He has confidence in how he pulls up to shoot the ball. If you are simply watching and not charting stats, you see a player who is 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, moving in a way you want your shooting guard to move.

Smith, Jr. got into the dunk contest and showcased explosive bounce. The way his body moved, in-air, each piece from his head to his toe, was in concert. And then you freeze-frame the point of impact on the dunk and see his head is almost at the rim.

However, once the game starts and stats are being kept, the numbers tell a different story from the eyes. The questions about the court vision start to show. You see him get to the basket and miss the contested lay-ups. The three-point shots aren’t falling. And all his points are coming off leak-out dunks as he gives up free real estate to his man on the defensive end.

In last night’s ESPN televised contest, Smith, Jr. finished with 8 points on 4-15 shooting from the field and 0-5 from three. In 23:50 minutes, he had 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, and had his shot blocked 3 times. His most interesting stat of the night was his game low -25 (+/-) in the 24 point loss.

There is no doubting he is talented, but the Nick Smith, Jr. experience gave us a mixed bag. The eye test makes you giddy; you see the tools and his game. However, the numbers can tell a different story at times.

Next up for Smith, Jr. will be the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15th and then the Iverson Classic on April 26-30.

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Yeah Smith didn't impress in this game but I'm hoping it's an anomaly. My benefit of the doubt says he was trying to force things on a team full of ball Hogs all trying to showcase themselves.

If Muss can reign him in he'll be a good PG. If not, he's looking like Notae 2.0

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Anthony Black MCd's Highlights

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Call me crazy, I think Black may be the second best player on the team next year only behind Jaylin.

Smith had arguably the best week of anyone at the practices and scrimmages. Scouts were raving all week.

I wouldn't put too much into an exhibition.

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They're saying Smith and Ware could go 2 and 3 next year's NBA draft

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LOL

Yeah it's possible, Ware is typically lower around ~10th pick.