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.
| No. 8 – Charlotte Hornets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 18, 2004 Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Arkansas (2022–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: 1st round, 27th overall pick |
| Selected by the Charlotte Hornets | |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2023–2024 | →Greensboro Swarm |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
editSmith 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
editSmith 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.
| 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 1 ESPN: 3 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
editSmith 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 appeared in seventeen games, averaging 12.5 points per contest.[10]
Professional career
editSmith was selected as the 27th pick of the 2023 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets.
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Charlotte | 51 | 0 | 14.3 | .391 | .432 | .867 | 1.4 | 1.2 | .2 | .1 | 5.9 |
| Career | 51 | 0 | 14.3 | .391 | .432 | .867 | 1.4 | 1.2 | .2 | .1 | 5.9 | |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Arkansas | 17 | 14 | 25.8 | .376 | .338 | .740 | 1.6 | 1.7 | .8 | .1 | 12.5 |
References
edit- ^ Branham, Travis. "Nick Smith, North Little Rock, Combo Guard". 247Sports. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Erick (July 22, 2021). "Smith transferring to North Little Rock". nwaonline.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Dawson, Dudley E. (March 4, 2020). "Arkansas signee Nick Smith begins title quest". wholehogsports.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Erick (March 29, 2020). "BOYS UNDERCLASSMAN OF THE YEAR: Sophomore Nick Smith steps up right away". arkansasonline.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Erick (March 27, 2022). "BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nick Smith steps right in at NLR, sets path for team's state title". arkansasonline.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Erick (March 30, 2022). "How 3 future Hogs played in McDonald's All-American Game". wholehogsports.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Davenport, Richard (March 16, 2022). "2 Razorback signees selected to play in Jordan Brand Classic". arkansasonline.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff and Biancardi, Paul (September 29, 2021). "Smith, No. 6-ranked recruit in '22, picks Arkansas". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Cobb, David (September 30, 2021). "College basketball recruiting: Arkansas beats out Alabama for five-star class of 2022 guard Nick Smith Jr". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Arkansas - Season Statistics". arkansasrazorbacks.com. Retrieved February 12, 2023.