"I'm going to play the game I love": former top recruit, Arkansas Guard Nick Smith Jr., talks about injuries and setbacks

Nick Smith Jr., one of the top recruits in the class of 2022, has had a tumultuous basketball career despite being just 19 years old. He's still continuing his one-and-done path, even though his one season at the University of Arkansas was injury-riddled and has affected his draft stock.

Smith was a human highlight reel at Sylvan Hills High School and North Little Rock High School in Arkansas. The lengthy combo guard won All-Arkansas Preps Boys Underclassman of the Year as a sophomore and Player of the Year in his junior and senior seasons.

Smith averaged a ridiculous 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game against the top talent in Arkansas. He led his team to a 6A title as a senior and played against the best high school players in the country in the 2022 McDonald's All-American Game.

Smith, a consensus five-star recruit, trailed just Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead on ESPN's top 100 recruits list for the class of 2022. The Jacksonville, Arkansas, native picked his hometown Razorbacks over Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, Georgetown and Kansas, among others.

Nick Smith Jr. faced injury setbacks at Arkansas

Nick Smith Jr. had many highs in high school, but he endured lows during his single season at Arkansas. The top recruit hit the ground running, scoring 59 points in his first four games, including a 21-point outing against Oklahoma in nonconference play. However, Smith's freshman year came to a screeching halt after injuring his knee in a game against Bradley.

Smith missed a good chunk of time, returning in mid-February when the Razorbacks were deep in conference play. The results were brutal the rest of the way, with the guard putting up a shooting slash line of 37/35/68. In addition, he averaged 1.8 turnovers per game compared to 1.7 assists per game. Smith was nearly unplayable in March Madness, going 2-for-14 from the field in the team's first two NCAA Tournament games.

Smith on why he came back

Nick Smith Jr. showed enough during his first four games that if he sat out the remainder of the season, most teams would still salivate at the idea of selecting him in the lottery of the 2023 NBA draft.

Instead, his return only hurt his draft stock. Smith went from a consensus top five pick to nearly outside the top 10. In addition, a poor showing in the NCAA tourney, including weak shooting performances, has tanked his draft stock.

NBAdraft.net, which had Smith going No. 3 for most of the year, now has the Arkansas product going No. 10 to the Dallas Mavericks. CBS Sports' latest mock draft has Smith joining the Houston Rockets with the No. 20 selection.

Lowest picked top five recruit in a decade?

Although Nick Smith had a nightmare year at Arkansas, his pro prospects remain optimistic.

Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead, the two players ranked ahead of Smith on ESPN's rankings, are projected to go after Smith.

In the class of 2021, the top three recruits were Chet Holmgren, Jaden Hardy and Emoni Bates. Hardy was selected in the second round, and Bates returned to college. Although Nick Smith Jr. has seen a significant dip in his draft stock, it could always be worse. Lengthy combo guards with elite defensive traits remain scarce in the NBA, only helping Smith reach the next level.