It seems like yesterday when critics were hounding Smith Jr. on Twitter.
How quickly things can change.
While the Hogs didn’t get the exact result they needed to get closer to an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, the star freshman found his groove.
Against Georgia and Alabama, Smith averaged 25 points a game and played 35+ minutes for the first time since December 6 against UNC-Greensboro. Smith came up big against Georgia, going 5-8 from behind the line of scrimmage and scoring a season-high 26 points.
Despite the loss, Smith Jr. looked good in front of a hostile crowd. His 24 points led the team, but it was his worst shooting performance of the season.
This is Smith’s second time this season being honored with Freshman of the Week accolades; ironically, it is also the second time he has started two games in the same week. So it is appropriate to say that Nick Smith Jr. is officially back.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]