All eyes on Anthony Black as freshman debates NBA or Arkansas
Of the five players on the Arkansas basketball team who were in legitimate consideration for the NBA, decisions have come from two of them.
Freshman guard Nick Smith Jr., unsurprisingly, announced his intention to enter the NBA draft early Thursday morning. Later in the day, sophomore forward Trevon Brazile announced he would return to Arkansas for another season.
The two were tied together for various reasons. Both were in their first season with the Razorbacks. Both suffered knee injuries. Both were projected first-round picks at some point. Both saw their NBA stock drop.
Now, even with Ricky Council and Jordan Walsh still with decisions, most of Arkansas’ fan base is looking at guard Anthony Black. Also a freshman last season, Black arrived to Fayetteville as an expected left-hand-man to Smith. Instead, as Smith’s injuries limited him, Black stepped into the primary ball-handling and No. 2-scorer roles.
Black’s stock shot up. The 6-foot-7 point guard went from a player expected to be taken late in the first round or early in the second to a guy who has leapfrogged Smith in the hierarchy and is now a likely lottery pick himself. Sam Vecenie at The Athletic has Black being selected No. 7 overall. Or, about the spot Smith was projected over the winter.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Black returns to Fayetteville. He likely wouldn’t be in the top three of next year’s draft and he has seen first-hand what can happen with a run of bad luck in college.
So, it’s expected, at some point over the weekend or next week, Arkansas will have lost a second player to the NBA. But, really, can you blame him?
