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Hogs’ Nick Smith gets top player honor from USA TODAY

Incoming Arkansas freshman Nick Smith was tabbed the USA TODAY National High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Incoming Arkansas freshman Nick Smith was tabbed the USA TODAY National High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Fellow Razorback Derrian Ford was one of 24 finalists up for the award as well.

According to USA TODAY:

“Smith masterfully used his 6-foot-5 frame to create scoring angles and size mismatches during North Little Rock’s run to the Class 6A state championship. He was at his best in the state final, dropping 25 points. The centerpiece of Arkansas’s No. 1 rated recruiting class in the nation, Smith’s NBA Draft prospects are on the rise.”

Smith, a consensus national top-three recruit, was also selected the No. 1 overall prospect in the country by 247Sports.com, the top-rated point guard in the country by Rivals.com and the top-rated shooting guard in the nation by ESPN.com.

He was a McDonald’s All-American and was named co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic.

Both NBADraftRoom.com and ESPN.com currently list Smith as the first collegiate player (third overall) selected on their 2023 NBA mock drafts.

CBSSports.com also has Smith as the top collegiate player but No. 4 overall.

Fellow signee Anthony Black is currently the No. 5 overall pick for 2023 by NBADraftRoom.com and No. 9 by CBSSports.com while ESPN lists him as the No. 12 selection.

The Hogs’ Jordan Walsh is listed  at No. 21. He is the projected No. 22 pick by CBSSports.com

Smith was a two-time MaxPreps Arkansas High School Player of the Year and a two-time Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year.

Smith joins Corliss Williamson as the only Razorbacks to be selected a national high school player of the year. Williamson earned the honor in 1992 as selected by Gatorade.

Information from Arkansas Communications

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2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (25)10-02681
2.Greenwood (2)10-02343
30Conway9-12022
4.Little Rock Parkview9-11714
5.Bentonville7-31625
6.Benton9-11486
7.Fayetteville8-21117
8.Pulaski Academy8-2898
9.Rogers7-3439
10.Joe T. Robinson9-122
Others receiving votes: Valley View 8, Mountain Home 7, Cabot 6, Little Rock Catholic 6, Shiloh Christian 6, Elkins 1, Farmington 1.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (27)10-01351
2.Conway9-11022
3.Bentonville7-3813
4.Fayetteville8-2454
5.Pulaski Academy8-2395
Others receiving votes: Rogers 3.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (27)10-01351
2.Benton9-11082
3.Mountain Home8-2623
4.Shiloh Christian7-3494
5.Little Rock Catholic9-1345
Others receiving votes: Marion 6.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (27)9-11351
2.Joe T. Robinson9-11062
3.Valley View10-0793
4.Farmington9-1484
5.Hot Springs Lakeside8-2205
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 7, Harding Academy 7, Morrilton 3.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (20)10-01261
3.Arkadelphia (5)8-2913
2.Little Rock Mills (1)10-0682
4.Warren8-2554
5.Dardanell (1)9-123
Southside Batesville10-023
Others receiving votes: Malvern 12, Gravette 5, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
1.Bismarck (12)10-01051t
2.Fordyce (10)10-0961t
3.Prescott (1)9-1704
4.Osceola (2)8-1543
5.Booneville (1)9-1395
Others receiving votes: Mansfield (1) 23, Rivercrest 10, Rison 4, Salem 4.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (20)10-01271
2.Conway Christian (7)10-01152
3.Des Arc8-2595
4.East Poinsett Co.7-352
5.Bigelow6-4183
Murfreesboro7-3184
Others receiving votes: Mount Ida 6, Junction City 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (27)5-0811
2.Midland9-0532
3.Cedar Ridge8-1253
Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3.

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