NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Top-30 2022 G Nick Smith Jr. releases top 10
By Ian Mumm
With his recruitment skyrocketing, Nick Smith Jr. has taken his first steps to narrow down towards a final decision and identifying where he will play his NCAA Basketball.
The consensus top-30 prospect in the 2022 class is down to a final 10 of Oral Roberts, Baylor, Arkansas, North Carolina, Auburn, Texas Tech, Georgetown, Kansas, Florida, and Ole Miss. A high-level scoring threat for Brad Beal Elite (MO) on the Nike EYBL circuit and Sylvan Hills HS (AR), Nick Smith Jr. notched 23.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game as a sophomore. Not to mention he converted 52% of his attempts from inside the arc, 35% behind it, and 85% from the free throw line.
https://twitter.com/ntsmith1402/status/1346576977600389120?s=20
Despite the level of production that rivals some of the best prospects nationally, Smith didn’t receive a huge lift in his recruitment until last summer. The pursuit by top tier college programs, let alone in the same week, didn’t occur for Smith until the week of Christmas.
A bit shocking for a player that boasts tremendous court vision to make plays on the fly. Smith is extremely efficient at creating space and setting up his shot attempts playing off of what the defense gives him. At 6’4”, he has a long frame and a very quick first step to put defenses on their heels in a hurry.
In an interview with Zagsblog.com, Smith indicated “I’m not taking in any factors. I’m really just enjoying this at the moment.” With all that Smith has to offer and the rate he’s developing on the court, it’s highly likely he is an immediate impact player at his program of choice. I look at which of his final 10 schools could create that opportunity and where his playing style is going to be best utilized.