FAYETTEVILLE — Nick Smith still has work to do to be fully back for Arkansas, but he took a big step forward Saturday.
The 6-5 freshman guard started and played 32 minutes in the Razorbacks’ 84-65 victory over Florida in Bud Walton Arena.
It was the third game for Smith since he missed 13 consecutive games because of management for his right knee, and his first start since Dec. 17 against Bradley in North Little Rock.
Smith, a projected NBA Draft lottery pick, had 10 points, 2 steals, 2 turnovers and 1 assist against the Gators. He hit 4 of 12 shots, including 0 of 4 on three-point attempts, and 2 of 2 free throws.
But the key stat for Smith were all those minutes he played. In the previous two games, Smith played a combined 21 minutes off the bench — 17 in the Razorbacks’ 70-64 loss loss to Mississippi State at home and four in their 62-56 loss at Texas A&M.
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman clearly felt more comfortable having Smith play big minutes at home against the guard-oriented Gators than putting him in that position in his first road game against the Aggies in College Station, Texas. Smith missed his only shot against Texas A&M and had two turnovers.
After Smith sat out the first six games this season with the same knee issue, he played in the next five, but they were all at home with four in Bud Walton Arena and the Bradley game in North Little Rock.
More from WholeHogSports: Analysis of the Razorbacks' 84-65 win over Florida on Saturday
“As a coaching staff, we try to be prepared,” Musselman said of what has gone into the decisions regarding Smith’s minutes since he was medically cleared to play again. “We try to have a reason for everything. We don’t just roll the dice out on lineup and substitution patterns.
“We knew when Nick came back, there’s not a high school player, there’s not a college player, there’s not an NBA player [who wouldn’t need time to adjust].
“There’s a reason why Major League Baseball [teams], when guys are out extended periods of time, send them down to the minor leagues to get their rhythm and their timing [back].”
With Arkansas (18-9, 7-7 SEC) in the stretch run of conference play and trying to secure an NCAA Tournament bid, determining Smith’s minutes that are best for him and the team is a balancing act.
Arkansas needs to win now, but playing time is essential for Smith because the Razorbacks don’t scrimmage in practice this late in the season.
“We’re a basketball team and a program that does not go live and hasn’t gone live because we want to be fresh in March,” Musselman said. “It’s hard for Nick to play three-on-three post-practice and get rhythm.
“Really happy that he got the minutes that he got [Saturday]. Happy how his teammates responded with him, and he gives us a little bit of an edge.
“He’s competitive. He’s verbal. I think that helps us tremendously.”
Arkansas outscored Florida by 23 points with Smith in the game. After the Gators jumped out to a 21-16 lead, Smith scored six points in a 14-2 run that put the Razorbacks ahead for good at 30-23 with 3:58 left in the first half.
Smith started the run with a three-point play, then capped it the same way.
“He just had to get back in the flow,” Arkansas junior guard Ricky Council said when asked his assessment of Smith’s play. “I mean, he missed, like, two months.
More from WholeHogSports: Diamond Hogs hammer Oklahoma State in final game at College Baseball Showdown
“If anybody missed two months, it would be the same or even worse. Not worse on his part, just saying the comeback flow. He definitely looked better out there [Saturday]. He got two and-ones early, brought a lot of energy to the crowd and us.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to see his growth.”
Smith was one five Razorbacks who scored in double figures against Florida along with senior forwards Jalen Graham (career-high 26 points) and Makhi Mitchell (10), Council (15) and freshman guard Anthony Black (14).
“He’s obviously a very talented player,” Florida coach Todd Golden said when asked about Smith. “[Shooting] 4 of 12 is not very efficient, but he’s obviously capable and he’s got good talent.
“They have a lot of good players. He’s obviously a highly touted freshman. I think Council’s a really good player. I think Devo [Davonte Davis] is a good player.
“I think they have a lot of guys out there that can hurt you. I think Nick is going to be a very good player, but right now he’s kind of just one of their guys.”
Arkansas faces Georgia on Tuesday in Bud Walton Arena, plays road games at Alabama and Tennessee, then finishes the regular season at home against Kentucky.
“I think that this [Florida] game was important to him to get 30-plus minutes,” Musselman said. “We have a big game coming up on Tuesday and two big games on the road, then a big one at home.
“Every game right now for the Razorbacks is important.”
Especially for Smith and his minutes.