Arkansas’ Nick Smith, a projected NBA Draft lottery pick, returns from injury in loss to Mississippi State

Star Arkansas freshman Nick Smith returned to the Razorbacks’ lineup Saturday against Mississippi State, scoring five points on 2 of 7 shooting in 17 minutes off the bench in his team’s 70-64 loss. Smith had missed most of the past two months with knee issues after ranking as the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, per 247Sports.

The 6-foot-5 guard left the court indefinitely in December what the school termed “right knee management” and had not played since Dec. 17. Smith also missed the season’s first six games because of a knee issue. Collectively, the knee problems cast Smith’s future with the team into question as he is considered a likely lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft regardless. Smith ranks No. 7 in CBS Sports’ NBA Draft Prospect Rankings and went at No. 4 to the Charlotte Hornets in Kyle Boone’s most recent mock draft. 

The return of Smith is welcome news for the Razorbacks (17-8, 6-6 SEC), who entered the weekend projected as a No. 10 seed in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology but considered a bubble team. In addition to the prolonged absence of Smith, Arkansas also lost starting center Trevon Brazille for the season in December because of a knee injury.

Despite the injuries, the Razorbacks had started rounding into form with five victories in their previous six games before faltering Saturday against the Bulldogs. Still, offense has been a concern at times for the Razorbacks, who ranked 352nd nationally with just 4.9 made 3-pointers per game entering Saturday’s action. Smith’s versatile offensive game should open things up for the Razorbacks down the stretch as he gets reacquainted to game action.