Former North Little Rock (Arkansas), University of Arkansas guard Nick Smith Jr. taken 27th overall by Charlotte Hornets in NBA Draft
By Kyle Sutherland | Photo by Tommy Land
Nick Smith Jr. had to wait patiently, but found out the next destination in his basketball journey when he was selected 27th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
At one point, the former North Little Rock star was projected as high as a top three pick, but played in just 17 games while battling a knee injury throughout his lone season at Arkansas. Smith averaged 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 38% from the field, helping the Razorbacks reach the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season.
The 6-foot-5 Smith was the top-ranked overall player in the Class of 2022 per 247Sports and a consensus top three prospect across all recruiting services.
After transferring from Sylvan Hills to play for Johnny Rice at North Little Rock for his final prep season, Smith led a stacked Charging Wildcats squad to a 28-3 record and averaged 27 points per contest while playing possibly the toughest schedule of any team in Arkansas history.
They defeated Bentonville to win the 6A state championship and finished No. 12 in the final SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national rankings while Smith was selected as a McDonald's All-American.
Charlotte is coming off of a 27-55 regular season finish and did not qualify for the postseason.
Here's a look at where Smith was projected to be picked in the 2023 NBA Draft:
- Yahoo! Sports had Smith being drafted No. 9 overall to the Utah Jazz.
- Bleacher Report had Smith being drafted No. 21 overall to the Brooklyn Nets (via Suns).
- The Sporting News had Smith being drafted at No. 18 overall to the Miami Heat.
- The Ringer had Smith being drafted at No. 17 overall to the Los Angeles Lakers
Nick Smith Jr. Arkansas Highlights
