Arkansas 5-star signee Nick Smith is one of five finalists for the Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year.
Smith, 6-5, 185 pounds, of North Little Rock, is rated the No. 6 prospect nationally by ESPN and the No. 3 shooting guard.
Shooting guard Keyonte George of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., center Dereck Lively of West Chester (Pa.) Westtown, center Kyle Filipowski of Wilbraham (Mass.) Wilbraham & Monson Academy, and small forward Dariq Whitehead of Montverde Academy in Florida are the other finalists.
The winner will be announced on March 4. Should Smith win the award, he would be the first Arkansas prep athlete and first Razorbacks signee to do so since the award was created in 1987.
"He has set himself for this consideration by playing on the biggest stages in country versus the best competition in spring and summer and high school," North Little Rock coach Johnny Rice said. "No stage is too big for him. Fierce competitor."
Smith is averaging 26.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.3 assists this season. He was recently selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago on March 29.
He was named the All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year after averaging 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists as a junior while playing at Sylvan Hills. He was the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Underclassman of the Year after averaging 21.3 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals per game as a sophomore.