Basketball (M)

Razorbacks Picked 2nd by SEC Media; Smith Preseason 1st Team

October 19, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Arkansas men’s basketball team was picked to finish second for the 2022-23 season and freshman guard Nick Smith Jr., was selected first team preseason All-SEC by a select panel of both SEC and national media members.

The #2 SEC preseason rank is the highest for the Razorbacks since being picked to win the Western Division prior to the 2007-08 season. Team points were compiled on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each media member also voted for a five-player All-SEC Team. Ties were not broken.

Smith is the first Razorback freshman to earn preseason All-SEC (first or second team) and becomes the 11th Razorback to earn first team preseason All-SEC honors joining Todd Day (1991-92), Scotty Thurman (1993-94 and 1994-95, Corliss Williamson (1993-94 and 1994-95), Joe Johnson (2000-01), Ronnie Brewer (2005-06), Patrick Beverley (2007-080), BJ Young (2012-13), Bobby Portis (2014-15), Moses Kingsley (2016-17) and Daniel Gafford (2018-19).

Smith was the 2022 USA TODAY High School National Player of the Year and was the top-rated prospect in the country by 247Sports.com. He has also been tabbed the National Newcomer of the Year by Blue Ribbon Yearbook.

Arkansas will face Rogers State in a home exhibition on Monday (Oct. 24) at 7 pm in Bud Walton Arena. The Razorback’s second exhibition will be at #12 Texas on Oct. 29 to open the Longhorn’s new Moody Center. Year four of the Eric Musselman era officially begins on Nov. 7 (Monday) versus North Dakota State. Tipoff at Bud Walton Arena is set for 7 pm.

First Team Preseason All-SEC
Nick Smith, Jr.  – Arkansas
Colin Castleton – Florida
Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky
Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky
Santiago Vescovi – Tennessee

Second Team Preseason All-SEC
Brandon Miller – Alabama
Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama
KJ Williams – LSU
Josiah Jordan-James – Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee

SEC Preseason Player of the Year
Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Kentucky
  2. Arkansas
  3. Tennessee
  4. Auburn
  5. Alabama
  6. Texas A&M
  7. Florida
  8. LSU
  9. Ole Miss
  10. Mississippi State
  11. Missouri
  12. Vanderbilt
  13. Georgia
  14. South Carolina

 

For more­­ information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.

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