Terquavion Smith's unlikely decision to return to college basketball

WHEN NC STATE TOOK connected Purdue successful mid-December of past season, the attraction was each connected the Boilermakers. They had conscionable moved to No. 1 successful the AP poll, and defender Jaden Ivey was successful the midst of a sophomore run that would yet vault him to becoming a top-five prime successful the NBA draft.

Ivey didn't disappoint connected that Sunday afternoon, finishing with 22 points and 7 rebounds successful the 82-72 overtime win. But it was his NC State counterpart who caught the eyes of NBA unit watching.

Terquavion Smith, a borderline top-100 precocious schoolhouse imaginable who was averaging 11.0 points implicit the archetypal period of his assemblage career, had a breakout performance, scoring 21 points and going toe-to-toe with Ivey and Purdue earlier losing successful overtime.

"That dude has cojones," an Eastern Conference scout recalled thinking. "The crushed they went to overtime was due to the fact that helium looked astatine Jaden Ivey and said, bring it on. He had nary fear."

While Ivey's trajectory garnered headlines the remainder of the 2021-22 season, Smith's emergence successful NBA draught circles was arsenic impressive. He ascended into the 2nd circular of mock drafts aft a stellar freshman season, and past became a imaginable first-round prime aft a standout showing astatine the NBA draught combine.

"He's the adjacent feline with that quickness and burst," different NBA scout said. "Like Jaden Ivey, Ja [Morant]."

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Check retired highlights from NC State's standout defender Terquavion Smith arsenic helium decides to instrumentality to schoolhouse for the 2022 season.

But Smith returned to assemblage basketball, and is present a projected lottery prime successful June's NBA draft. He is considered the champion NBA imaginable to instrumentality to school.

"I'm excited for him," NC State caput manager Kevin Keatts said. "That was earned, not given. I'm excited for the kid due to the fact that he's enactment truthful overmuch enactment into it. He's ever been the underdog. He's worked his butt disconnected ... I thought helium could person a large twelvemonth arsenic a freshman. Twelve points, 14 points. But I would beryllium lying if I told you I saw lottery."

Including the Purdue game, Smith scored 20 oregon much points successful 12 of his last 21 games and deed the 30-point people twice. He finished his freshman play averaging 16.3 points. He besides scored 34 and 20 successful 2 games against North Carolina, and 19 against Duke. This, for an NC State that struggled past season, losing 11 of its last 12 games.

"In each of the large games, helium was 1 of the champion players connected the floor," Keatts said. "He didn't privation to lose. He played with grit. He won 3 authorities championships [in precocious school]. I thought, this guy's fearless."

Here's the thing, though: Smith didn't go a household sanction erstwhile this play began. He was 1 of the champion freshmen successful the state past season, and projected arsenic a borderline first-round prime successful mock drafts past spring.

So for him to instrumentality to NC State aft a beardown showing astatine the harvester came arsenic a astonishment to some. After all, the Wolfpack finished past successful the ACC successful 2021-22, going 11-21 wide and 4-16 successful the ACC.

Smith could person kept his sanction successful the draft. He besides could person transferred, and been the astir sought-after subordinate successful the portal.

None of that appealed to the Farmville, North Carolina, native, though.

"It's conscionable the situation of NC State and Raleigh," Smith said. "The emotion for assemblage basketball. You lone get that once. I consciousness similar I person much to prove. I consciousness similar I stayed due to the fact that I'm large connected loyalty. They recruited maine astatine the property of 15, they ne'er switched connected maine oregon ne'er lied to maine astir what I could bash astatine NC State."

Despite the 3 precocious schoolhouse authorities championships, Smith didn't person the recruitment of a highly touted prospect. He committed to Keatts and the Wolfpack -- his archetypal assistance connection -- during his sophomore year. And lone East Carolina Pirates and High Point Panthers joined the Wolfpack successful Smith's recruitment.

Terquavion Smith truly showing his burst, shot-making and wide scoring instincts astatine the NBA Combine truthful far. Has had immoderate bully reps passing connected the determination arsenic well. Impressive stuff. pic.twitter.com/URLHk28Cbb

Since Smith opted to instrumentality to Raleigh, Keatts has noticed a fewer changes successful his prima guard.

The 6-foot-4 sophomore is taking connected a bigger relation this season. Dereon Seabron, who led the squad successful scoring, rebounds and assists past season, near for the NBA draught past spring, and seasoned guardant Jericole Hellems, who averaged 13.7 points successful 2021-22, graduated.

"He's listened to everybody," Keatts said. "His mentality is simply a small spot different. He's making a concerted effort to enactment other enactment in. He's making a concerted effort to enactment connected weight. ... And he's besides making bully plays. He's gotten better. And he's focused and he's locked in.

"He doesn't travel disconnected arsenic arrogant," helium added. "I benignant of wanted that, truthful I could spell astatine him a little. But helium hasn't done that. I don't person to interest astir cockiness. But erstwhile helium starts playing, he's a tribunal personality. When he's playing, he'll spell astatine your neck."

Through the archetypal fewer games of 2022-23, Smith has picked up wherever helium near disconnected past season. But his absorption connected becoming much of a distributor, idiosyncratic who tin play successful pick-and-rolls much effectively, work the crippled and marque the close decision, is showing.

He's averaging 19.0 points done 4 games, opening the play with a 26-point show against Austin Peay, and leads the squad successful assists and steals. Smith's biggest strides truthful acold person travel successful his organisation and violative efficiency. After averaging 2.1 assists and shooting 39.8% from the tract past season, Smith is up to 5.7 assists and 51.2% shooting.

Terquavion Smith is simply a playmaker.@Tgetsbuckss23 | @PackMensBball pic.twitter.com/iB5fJOXBK8

But NC State's level of contention volition leap a level astatine the Battle 4 Atlantis, erstwhile the Wolfpack look Kansas connected Wednesday (12 p.m. ET, ESPN) and past play either Dayton oregon Wisconsin connected Thursday.

"He's a peculiar talent, man," said fifth-year defender Jarkel Joiner, who spent the past 2 seasons astatine Ole Miss. "He tin instrumentality it arsenic acold arsenic helium wants to. We're going to request him this year, to play large for us, each and each night. Not conscionable 1 night, not against definite teams, each night. And helium knows that. And he's going to bash that, he's going to beryllium wherefore he's a lottery pick."

Of course, NBA unit person their questions astir Smith: changeable selection, decision-making and his perfect presumption astatine the adjacent level. Can helium play constituent guard, oregon is helium much of a axenic bucket-getter successful the mold of Collin Sexton and Cam Thomas?

"I wouldn't beryllium shocked if helium plays his mode into a lottery-level relation by the extremity of the play oregon by harvester time," a Western Conference enforcement said. "He'll stroke investigating and measurements retired of the water. He mightiness beryllium the quickest subordinate successful assemblage basketball. He's arsenic quick-twitch arsenic they come. He shoots it with confidence. There's a batch of worth there."

Smith isn't acrophobic astir that close now, though. The lottery-pick projections, the preseason first-team All-ACC honors -- it's each noise. He's conscionable focused connected getting amended and starring NC State to much wins.

"Stuff similar that, I admit it, but I ever person a spot connected my shoulder," helium said. "I ever spell hard. Regardless of what I person oregon what I get from doing what I do, I'm going to ever spell hard and support getting much than I've already got. There's thing astir being humble and keeping a spot connected your shoulder."