Nick Smith Jr.

Nicholas Smith Jr. (born April 18, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended North Little Rock High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas during his senior year of high school, where he was named the #1 overall recruit in the class of 2022.

Nick Smith Jr.
No. 8 – Charlotte Hornets
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2004-04-18) April 18, 2004
Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeArkansas (2022–2023)
NBA draft2023: 1st round, 27th overall pick
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Career history
2023–presentCharlotte Hornets
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

High school career

Smith originally attended Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Arkansas before transferring to North Little Rock High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas[1] prior to his senior year.[2][3] He was the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Boys Underclassman of the Year his sophomore year, and Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons.[4][5] After leading North Little Rock High to a 26–3 record and the Arkansas Class 6A state championship, Smith was selected to play in the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.[6][7]

Recruiting

Smith was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class, according to major recruiting services. On September 29, 2021, he committed to being on the college basketball team for the Arkansas Razorbacks, over other finalists Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas–Pine Bluff. Smith also received offers from Oklahoma, Georgetown, Kansas, North Carolina, Baylor, Florida, Butler, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Tennessee.[8][9] Smith was a consensus top five recruit nationally and was named the #1 overall recruit in the 2022 class by 247Sports.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Nick Smith
PG / SG		 Jacksonville, AR North Little Rock (AR) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sep 29, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 94
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 2  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 3
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Arkansas 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  • "2022 Arkansas Razorbacks Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  • "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.

College career

Smith was projected to be a starting guard for the Arkansas Razorbacks for the 2022–23 season, though a persistent knee injury kept him sidelined for the majority of the season. Smith has only appeared in seven games this season, scoring a total of 69 points during 141 minutes of playing time.[10] Smith was projected to be a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (2023–present)

Smith was selected as the 27th pick of the 2023 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

References
  1. "Nick Smith, North Little Rock , Combo Guard". 247Sports. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  2. "Smith transferring to North Little Rock". 22 July 2021.
  3. "Arkansas signee Nick Smith begins title quest".
  4. "BOYS UNDERCLASSMAN OF THE YEAR: Sophomore Nick Smith steps up right away". 29 March 2020.
  5. "BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nick Smith steps right in at NLR, sets path for team's state title". 27 March 2022.
  6. "How 3 future Hogs played in McDonald's All-American Game".
  7. "2 Razorback signees selected to play in Jordan Brand Classic". 16 March 2022.
  8. "Smith, No. 6-ranked recruit in '22, picks Arkansas". 30 September 2021.
  9. "College basketball recruiting: Arkansas beats out Alabama for five-star class of 2022 guard Nick Smith Jr". CBSSports.com. September 30, 2021.
  10. "Arkansas - Season Statistics". arkansasrazorbacks.com. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
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