Nick Smith, elite combo guard, commits to Arkansas

Nick Smith, a 6-foot-4 combo guard out of Sherwood (Ark.) North Little Rock has committed to Arkansas basketball for the class of 2022, he tells On3.

Smith is the Razorbacks’ fourth commitment of the class, joining four-star combo guard Derrian Ford, four-star small forward Barry Dunning, and four-star small forward Joseph Pinion.

Arkansas now has now established itself with a top-5 ranked recruiting class for 2022. The Razorbacks are still targeting Jordan Walsh, among others.

Smith ultimately chose the Arkansas Razorbacks over Alabama, Auburn, and UAPB. He also received offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, among others. The NBL and the Overtime Elite league also inquired about his services.

Nick Smith discusses his commitment to Arkansas

Question: Why did you choose Arkansas?

Nick Smith: “I’ve been talking to Coach (Eric) Musselman every day since this recruitment process has started. Just talking to him about the goals that he has for me and the goals he has for the future of Arkansas. It really caught my eye, and really caught my parent’s eye in terms of getting to the NBA and helping me be ready for the league. The opportunities and plans he has for me were something I couldn’t pass up. Just talking to my parents about it, it made sense for me to stay home and go with Coach Muss.”

Question: How did NIL have a role in your decision to choose college over the pro route?

Nick Smith: “To be honest, I’m well off right now so I’m not in a need of money. My ultimate goal is just to get prepared for the next level. God blessed me with the ability to get to the next level and I’m going to use my college experience to help me get there. I told coaches from the jump that I’m not going to make a decision based on NIL.”

Question: Is the plan to go to Arkansas and be the head guy? What was their recruiting pitch to you?

Nick Smith: “The way I look at it, it wasn’t going to happen if I wasn’t going to be that. Coach Muss has been telling me that since day one. I just had to figure out some stuff between Auburn, Alabama, and UAPB. Arkansas clearly had the best points and I had a vision with them.”

Question: Was it difficult to make your decision? Did you juggle between multiple schools? Or was Arkansas the clear-cut?

Nick Smith: “I can say this… I couldn’t go wrong with any of the schools. At one point, it was very hard for me and stressful when it came to picking the right school for me. But after talking to my parents, Arkansas made sense.”