Check out the Recruiting Hawgs Podcast with Alex Trader and Mason Choate. New episodes including interviews with Arkansas recruits are available every Wednesday on YouTube, Apple and Spotify.

The highest-ranked recruit in the Rivals-era of Razorback Basketball, Nick Smith Jr., just added another accolade to his legendary high school career. The North Little Rock product was voted Boys Basketball Player of the Year by USA Today.

Of the 24 nominees, three were from the state of Arkansas. Smith, Derrian Ford (also committed to Arkansas), and Kel’el Ware (committed to Oregon).

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.”

This marks the fifth Player of the Year award for Smith, but his first national player of the year award. He was previously named the MaxPreps Arkansas Player of the Year twice, as well as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year twice.

Smith is only the second Razorback to be named a national high school player of the year, the first being Corliss Williamson being named Gatorade National Player of the Year in 1992.

Smith is currently on multiple Mock Draft boards as a lottery pick and has high expectations leading the Razorbacks as one of a trio of McDonald’s All-Americans on campus.

**JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH ARKANSAS FANS ON THE TROUGH, HAWGBEAT'S PREMIUM MESSAGE BOARD**