Tag: Nick smith

Look who is No. 1: Arkansas basketball freshman is the nation’s best

Corliss Williamson was the last player for Arkansas to do what Nick Smith did earlier this week.

[autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] at one point during the winter was projected to be a potential No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. The 2023 NBA draft.

Smith has yet to play a possession of college basketball, but Arkansas’ top recruit in the Class of 2022 has skills that have the professional ranks drooling. He was already a five-star when coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] recruited him and he committed. Now, 247Sports named Smith the No. 1 recruit in the country.

The site released its final individual player rankings for the class earlier this week. Musselman was happy on Wednesday to see it.

Smith is the second Arkansas signee to be ranked as the top player in his class. Russellville native and Razorbacks legend [autotag]Corliss Williamson[/autotag] was the same in 1992.

ESPN still has Smith ranked No. 3 and Rivals has him ranked No. 2. He joins fellow five-star recruits [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] on campus next year. Guard Derrian Ford and swingmen Joseph Pinion and Barry Dunning round out the recruiting class, also as Top 100 prospects.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=none image=https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Arkansas Basketball leads SEC in five-star signees

According to 247sports, eight five-star recruits from the 2022 cycle have signed with SEC programs. Who are they, and where are they going?

The Southeastern Conference has become a hotbed for top talent across the nation. That does not change for the 2022 recruiting cycle, as the conference leads all other conferences in five-star signees.

There are 29 five-star recruits for the class of 2022 according to 247sports, eight of those talented athletes have elected to sign with members of the SEC. Perennial power Kentucky has signed a couple, and risers Alabama and Auburn have signed their share of top talent as well. But, there is one program that outshines the rest of the conference in recruiting for the year.

With the signing of [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] on Wednesday, Arkansas now takes the top spot in the SEC with three five-star signees to join their programs for next year.

Black joins [autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] as five-star rated athletes by 247sports for the Class of 2022. Black announced his commitment on March 28 during the Powerade Slamfest during McDonald’s All-American week in Chicago, Ill. 

The eight five-star athletes are split among four programs: Arkansas (3), Kentucky (2), Alabama (2), and Auburn (1). Here is a look at the eight five-stars that have signed with SEC schools:

It’s official: Anthony Black is a Razorback

Anthony Black becomes the third five-star signee for Arkansas Basketball for the 2022 cycle.

While there was zero doubt about the commitment status of [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], who announced his verbal commitment during McDonald’s All-American week in March, it is nice to know that pen has officially met paper.

On Wednesday, the five-star guard from Duncanville, Texas officially signed with Arkansas, giving the Razorbacks three five-star signees for the 2022 recruiting cycle.

While signing to Arkansas is a huge deal in itself, having a special guest at your signing makes it better. Especially, when it is a Razorback legend.

[autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag], who played at Arkansas during the 2019-20 season and currently plays professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers, joined Black at his signing ceremony at Duncanville High School.

Black is the No. 22 overall prospect for the Class of 2022, and is rated as the No. 3 point guard and No. 3 overall prospect from the state of Texas. Black is the third five-star to sign with Arkansas for the 2022 cycle, joining [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag], and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag].

Smith, Walsh named All-Americans by Sports Illustrated

Two gems of the 2022 recruiting class have been named All-Americans by Sports Illustrated

Two of the gems in the 2022 signing class for Arkansas Basketball have garnered national attention, yet again.

[autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], two five-star signees that will join the Razorbacks next season, have been named All-Americans by Sports Illustrated.

Smith was named first-team All-American by the publication, while Walsh earned third-team honors.

Here’s why Smith was named first-team All-American, according to Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated:

Smith dominated the competition all summer running with Brad Beal Elite (Mo.) then carried that over to the high school season, posting 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds a game for North Little Rock (Ark.). Smith capped off his high school finale with a state title, posting 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the win. Smith was the best player during practices at the McDonald’s All-American games, a telling feat for what is widely regarded as the most competitive practices of the year.

Link Academy’s Jordan Walsh (23) drives to the basket during the second half of the GEICO Nationals semifinal between Prolific Prep (Calif.) and Link Academy (Mo.), Friday, April 1, 2022, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.Link Academy defeated Prolific Prep 59-53.

GEICO Nationals 2022: Prolific Prep (Calif.) vs. Link Academy (Mo.) semifinal, April 1, 2022

Jordan believes that Walsh has everything that you want in a player:

Walsh is a highly productive wing that checks off many boxes on and off the stat sheet. This season, he led Link Academy (34-2) to the GEICO Nationals title game, averaging 11 points, seven rebounds, 3.2 assists and one block a game. At 6’7”, Walsh has great length and agility, making him a capable defender at multiple positions and rebounder.

Currently, Arkansas has the 2nd best recruiting class for the 2022 cycle. Joining Smith and Walsh in the class are five star [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], four-stars [autotag]Derrian Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Barry Dunning[/autotag], and [autotag]Joseph Pinion[/autotag] from high school, as well as [autotag]Trevon Brazile[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Graham[/autotag], [autotag]Makhi Mitchell[/autotag], and [autotag]Makhel Mitchell[/autotag] from the transfer portal.

[listicle id=7966]

Where does Arkansas rank among Jay Bilas’ way-to-early Top-10?

Oh, so NOW Jay Bilas puts respect on the Razorbacks name?

ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas caught heat from Arkansas fans prior to their Round of 64 matchup with Vermont on March 17, calling for the No. 13 seed Catamounts to upset the No. 4 seed Razorbacks in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

“One of the matchups I think is going to be really interesting is Vermont vs. Arkansas,” Bilas said following Selection Sunday. “Arkansas doesn’t shoot the ball great, although they are very athletic, but they don’t shoot it great — and Vermont does. Vermont runs a five-out offense; they take care of the ball; they’re very smart and they’re all seniors. Vermont dominated the America East, and I think they’ve got with Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu a great opportunity to win that game.”

Arkansas would go on to defeat Vermont, and win their next two games in the NCAA Tournament, including an upset of No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga, to advance to their second-straight Elite 8 appearance.

Arkansas’ finish, plus the plethora of talent that head coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] has coming in from high school as well as the Transfer Portal, has made a believer out of Bilas, as he has ranked Arkansas No. 1 in his way-to-early top-10 released on Monday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcOGy34uG7F/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Griffin McVeigh of On3 added his thoughts on Arkansas in response to Bilas’ selection of the Razorbacks for the No. 1 spot:

Eric Musselman has been relentless on the recruiting trail, bringing in the No. 3 class in the 2022 cycle. Three different On3 Consensus five-star prospects will be in Fayetville next season, with in-state shooting guard [autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] highlighting the group. Small forward [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] has signed his national letter of intent, while [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] recently made his commitment. The transfer portal is also a place Musselman has excelled in before and won’t be afraid this go around either. It’s been two straight Elite Eight for Arkansas. They will be wanting to get over that hump and make their way down to Houston for the Final Four in 2023.

Jay Bilas is not the only one to have Arkansas as the top-team in the nation heading into the 2022-23 season. ESPN’s Jeff Borcello recently named Arkansas as his No. 1 team heading into next season.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzvg1v0pkjq95148c3 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzvg1v0pkjq95148c3/01fzvg1v0pkjq95148c3-d323a9f3740b8d79181e5c35be851d19.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=7652]

ESPN ranks Arkansas as the No. 1 team in college basketball for next season

Arkansas basketball is ESPN’s preseason No. 1 team even if Jaylin Williams doesn’t return.

The algorithms at ESPN didn’t much care for the Razorbacks this season. The Mothership’s Basketball Power Index had predicted to go below .500 in SEC play. Instead, the Hogs finished top-three in the league and made a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament than any other team in the conference.

The humans at ESPN, at least, have taken notice.

ESPN college basketball writer Jeff Borzello released his too-early Top 25 rankings for the 2022-23 season late Monday night. At the top? [autotag]Arkansas basketball[/autotag].

That’s even working under the assumption sophomore forward [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] doesn’t return and instead chooses pro basketball. He announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft on Monday, but chose not to hire an agent, leaving open a possibility of heading back to Fayetteville.

Arkansas will enter the season with the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, led by potential No. 1 overall pick [autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] at guard and two other McDonald’s All-Americans in wings [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrian Ford[/autotag].

Arkansas lands Missouri transfer Trevon Brazile

It’s officially transfer portal season, and head coach Eric Musselman is wasting no time in recruiting big-time talent to Arkansas!

After the announcement of five-star point guard Anthony Black to Arkansas basketball earlier in the week, it seems that head coach Eric Musselman has shifted focus to the transfer portal.

The Razorbacks landed their second commitment of the week as [autotag]Trevon Brazile[/autotag] of Missouri has announced that he will transfer to Arkansas. Brazile announced the news via Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

Brazile, a freshman for Missouri during the 2021-22 season, played in 25 games for the Tigers with 23 starts at the four position. In those games, Brazile averaged 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. In two games against Arkansas this season, the freshman from Springfield, Mo. averaged 5.5 points. In the February 15’s game against the Razorbacks, Brazile scored eight points and pulled down eight rebounds in Arkansas’ 75-57 win in Columbia.

In high school, Brazile was the No. 38 small forward in the nation for the 2021 recruiting cycle. , and the No. 4 best recruit from the state of Missouri, and was rated as a three-star recruit by 247sports. Brazile received interest from Missouri, Cleveland State, Montana State, and Wisconsin before ultimately choosing the Missouri Tigers.

Brazile entered the transfer portal on March 22 following the departure of head coach Cuonzo Martin. According to Curtis Wilkerson of HawgSports.com, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Illinois also had interest in landing Brazile.

Arkansas Basketball currently has the second-best recruiting class for the 2022 cycle, and No. 1 in the SEC. The class includes three McDonald’s All-Americans in [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Smith Jr[/autotag]., and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], as well as the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year in [autotag]Barry Dunning[/autotag].

[mm-video type=video id=01fyahx959qte2zg0jnr playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fyahx959qte2zg0jnr/01fyahx959qte2zg0jnr-089a84a94c003a88e3e6378269beb90b.jpg]

[listicle id=7526]

How Arkansas signees fared in McDonald’s All-American Game

Here’s how Nick Smith Jr., Jordan Walsh, and Anthony Black performed in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday in Chicago, Ill.

The nation’s top high school basketball players met in Chicago, Ill. Tuesday to compete in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game, and Arkansas basketball was well represented.

For the first time in program history, Arkansas basketball had three representatives to compete in the game. Class of 2022 signees [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], as well as recent commit [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] made history as they competed for the West team on Tuesday.

Having multiple participants in the McDonald’s All-American Game is not uncommon for Arkansas basketball, but it has not happened in some time. The last time that two future Razorbacks played in the game was in 1988, when Todd Day and Lee Mayberry played in the game. Since then, Arkansas has had 11 signees to play in the prestigious game.

Arkansas signees Smith, Walsh prepare for McDonald’s All-American Game

Class of 2022 signees Nick Smith Jr. and Jordan Walsh are set to compete in the McDonald’s All-American game in Chicago, Ill. on Tuesday.

Arkansas fans will get a first look at class of 2022 signees Nick Smith Jr. and Jordan Walsh as teammates next week, as the duo will compete for the West squad in the McDonald’s All-America game on Tuesday.

Smith and Walsh are a part of the nation’s second-ranked recruiting class for the 2022 cycle and are expected to be key pieces in next year’s team as the Razorbacks look to build on the success of the 2021-22 season.

Smith is currently ranked as the No. 5 combo guard in the nation, and the No. 1 overall player from the state of Arkansas for the class of 2022. The five-star prospect from North Little Rock has first-round potential says Travis Branham, a basketball analyst for 247sports.

Nick Smith is an aggressive, confident, and dynamic combo guard with good size and long arms for the position. He’s a functional athlete with downhill speed, body control and fluidly changes speed and direction with the ball in his hands.

Walsh is the No. 2 prospect in all of Texas, and the No. 20 small forward in the country. Walsh could be an asset to the Razorbacks’ defense says 247sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins.

Walsh’s calling card may be on the defensive end where he is disruptive guarding the ball and contesting shots. He has a nose for the ball and looks to control the glass when motivated and he can lead the break after securing a defensive rebound but lacks the natural acumen to make the right decisions consistently in offensive structure.

Smith and Walsh are the first Razorback duo from the same signing class to compete in the game since Lee Mayberry and Todd Day were McDonald’s All-Americans in 1988.

The McDonald’s All-America Games will take place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. on March 29, 2022 at 8 p.m.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=none image=https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[vertical-gallery id=7482]

Arkansas hoping to secure commitment of Smith later today

Nick Smith Jr. is announcing his college decision later today in Little Rock. Eric Musselman and staff are hoping he puts on a Hog hat.

5-star guard Nick Smith, Jr. is finally making his college decision today.

The Sherwood native, who climbed to No. 6 in ESPN’s recruiting rankings for the class of 2022, would be the highest-ranked player to ever commit to Arkansas and the most heralded since Corliss Williamson in 1992.

Smith will be making his decision in front of family and friends at 7 p.m. this evening.

Smith would join an in-state class of Morrilton 4-star small forward Joseph Pinion and Magnolia 4-star combo guard Derrian Ford.

4-star forward Barry Dunning of Mobile, Ala. is also in the class.

Eric Musselman and his staff are also hoping to secure the commitment of 5-star forward Jordan Walsh, who recently transferred to Link Year Prep in Branson, Mo., just a two-hour drive from campus.