Three Freshmen are among the best in the SEC
Arkansas Basketball had a solid recruiting period for the 2022 cycle, signing three McDonald’s All-Americans as part of their six-signee class that ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Those three All-Americans have a great chance to make an impact not only with their team but in the SEC as a whole.
Jamie Shaw of On3 recently shared his rankings for the top newcomers in the SEC, where three members of Arkansas’ 2022 signing class, Anthony Black, Nick Smith Jr., and Jordan Walsh, made the cut.
The first freshman mentioned was Black, who ranks No. 3 on the list. Shaw says that Black could be a steady force in Arkansas’ half-court.
Eric Musselman likes to put three and four players on the floor who can create in the half-court, so this Arkansas team may not have a traditional point guard; however, Black could end up being just that. He has an excellent passing feel and makes good decisions. Still coming into his own as a basketball player, look for Black to be a, and possibly the, steadying force for this Razorbacks team.
Behind Black in the rankings is the highest-rated signee for the cycle, Nick Smith. Smith could be the Razorbacks’ leading scorer this season.
Nick Smith is gathering all the early season accolades, and rightfully so. The 6-foot-5 guard has long arms, vertical pop, and a smooth handle that gets him to his spots. Consistency will be the big thing with Smith this season. Like with any freshman, there will be ups and downs along the way. There is immense talent, but will his decision-making allow him to string together multiple games in the SEC when teams are game-planning for him? He has a talented cast around him, so he will not have to do everything, but for this team to be as good as projected, Smith will need to carry a load. Look for him to be Arkansas’s leading scorer this season, and have some pretty spicy highlights along the way.
The final player on the list was forward Jordan Walsh, who was listed as “other freshmen to watch.” Walsh was the No. 2 prospect from the state of Missouri, and the No. 19 prospect for the 2022 class.
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