While Arkansas freshman Jordan Walsh and junior Ricky Council IV remain unsure if their names will be called during the 2023 NBA Draft, the freshman duo of Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black are both locks to go in the first round.
The only question for Black and Smith is what franchise will they be a part of in exactly two weeks. ESPN recently put together a mock draft breaking down each first round pick based on the best fit and best available for the specific team picking.
An All-SEC Second Team and All-Freshman Team selection, Black put together a very impressive season during his lone year in Fayetteville. The 6-foot-7, 198-pound point guard led the SEC in minutes per game and he was the only player in the conference to rank top 25 in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots.
Black started all 36 games for the Razorbacks in 2022-23 and he averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game. After a strong showing in the strength/agility and shooting portions of the NBA Combine in May, Black is looking at being a lottery pick (top 14).
“I feel like I do a little bit of everything,” Black told ESPN. “But I think my best attribute is just making my teammates better and doing little things to help the team win.”
The mock draft — put together by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo — had Black as the best fit and best available for the Indiana Pacers at the No. 7 slot.
“There are arguments out there for Black going as high as No. 4 — an easy best-available choice for me here — but his range would appear to fall in the Nos. 6-12 range,” Woo wrote. “The Pacers are hoping to be competitive next season, and Black gets the nod over Amen Thompson here for me as the best fit. He’s a more polished half-court player, a solid multi-positional defender and closer to impacting an NBA game positively at this point.”
Indiana’s current roster features four point guards, two of which are over 30-years-old — George Hill (37) and T.J. McConnell (31). The other two are Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard, both of whom are 23-years-old.
“The notion of a backcourt that features Black and Tyrese Haliburton as dual ball handlers is certainly intriguing,” Woo wrote. “Indiana could run an uptempo, ball-movement-centric offense with the duo. The primary holdup for some teams is Black’s occasional struggles with not only making 3s but his willingness to take them and be aggressive. Landing in Indiana alongside Haliburton, who’s among the best in the league at empowering teammates, could be optimal for his growth.”
Black has been mocked No. 8 overall to the Washington Wizards by the Associated Press and No. 9 overall to the Utah Jazz in the NBA’s consensus mock draft. He also recently was reported to have had a pre-draft workout with the Dallas Mavericks, who have the 10th pick.
As for Smith, he is teetering on the line of being a lottery pick or falling just below the top 14 picks. An up-and-down freshman season, which was hampered by a right knee injury, led to Smith dropping on draft boards.
“I was just trying to stay with it,” Smith said in an interview following a workout with the Washington Wizards. “Just stay in the gym. Stay positive. Try to help my team win. I feel like coach (Eric Musselman) and the University of Arkansas was behind me ever since that time.”
The No. 2 player in the nation for the 2023 class, Smith played in 17 games for Arkansas as a freshman. He averaged 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 37.6% from the field, 33.8% from three and 74.0% from the free throw line.
“I feel like I bring everything to the team,” Smith said in the post-workout interview. “Whatever the coach needs me to do. Point guard. My point guard abilities, I feel like I didn’t get the chance to show a lot of that in my college year. My scoring ability. Being able to play defense and make different reads.”
Smith attended the NBA Combine, but did not participate in any physical drills or measurements. The native of Jacksonville has reportedly had workouts with the Wizards, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.
ESPN’s mock draft had Smith as the best available for the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 12, but his best fit was with the Utah Jazz at No. 16.
“With Giddey, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Tre Mann in the fold, Smith might need more ballhandling reps than the Thunder have to offer but is still the best long-term talent on the board,” Givony wrote. “Every NBA team is looking for versatile guards who can shoot off the bounce, create off a live dribble, finish with creativity inside the arc and bring strong competitiveness on both ends of the floor.
“We never got to see Smith at his best at Arkansas due to injuries, but there’s a reason he started the season as a projected top-five pick. I’m still bullish on his long-term outlook.”
If Smith were to be selected by the Thunder, he would join former Razorbacks Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe in Oklahoma City.
While there aren’t any former Hogs playing in Utah, the Jazz present an opportunity for Smith to potentially play sooner rather than later.
“Utah could have a big void in the backcourt with second-leading scorer Jordan Clarkson approaching a June 29 deadline to opt out of his contract, which he’s widely expected to do,” Givony wrote. “Committing significant years and dollars to the 31-year-old might not be the most prudent thing for the Jazz considering their rebuild timetable, which could cause them to consider Smith in the hope he can offer many of the same qualities as Clarkson eventually, with his confident, polished scoring instincts and impressive talent as a shot-creator.”
Other mock drafts have Smith being a lottery pick, including the Associated Press, which had him going No. 13 overall to the Toronto Raptors. The NBA’s consensus mock draft also has Smith going No. 13 overall to Toronto.
The NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, June 22, at 8 p.m. CT at the Barclays Center in New York City. The draft will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC.