Arkansas Trio Showcases Wide Range in 2023 NBA Draft

The Razorbacks, one of college basketball’s most exciting teams in 2022-23, are preparing to send three or more prospects to the NBA.

One of college basketball’s more exciting teams in the 2022-23 season, the Arkansas Razorbacks are likely set to send their three five-star prospects to the NBA in the 2023 NBA Draft. All of which has fairly different ranges.

Jumbo point guard Anthony Black is likely to hear his name called first on draft night 2023, with his most likely range from fifth to twelfth overall.

At 6-foot-7 with innate playmaking ability and some of the best perimeter defense in the class, Black is a surefire bet to make an impact down the line in the NBA. With Nick Smith Jr. in and out of the lineup due to injury, Black was able to showcase more of his game than analysts initially thought prior to the season.

Black averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 45 percent overall and 30 percent from beyond the arc.

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Smith, who many thought of as the top collegiate prospect coming into the season, dealt with various injuries and inconsistency throughout the season. He played in just 17 games, averaging 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting just 38 percent from the floor.

There’s always a chance a team could swing high on Smith’s potential. But his most likely range is the late lottery down to the early twenties.

Joran Walsh, who rounded out the Razorbacks’ five-star trio, is likely to hear his named called due to his versatile defense and upside as a connective NBA piece.

Walsh appeared in 36 games for the Razorbacks, scoring 7.1 points on 43 percent shooting, grabbing 3.9 rebounds and nabbing 1.1 steals per game. He’ll likely be drafted in the earliest as a late-first or anywhere in the second round. Walsh could potentially return back to Arkansas, but all signs are pointing towards an NBA team scooping him up this year as a defensive upside swing.

Other potential Arkansas draftees to enter their name are Ricky Council IV, who is a likely second rounder, and Davonte Davis, who is likely to return to the Razorbacks.

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