Justin Smith Scores 29 in Return to Indiana as Arkansas Advances to Round of 32
INDIANAPOLIS — In Justin Smith's return to Indiana, he showed out in the NCAA Tournament.
The former Hoosier, who played three years at Indiana before transferring to Arkansas, played a huge role in leading the Razorbacks past Colgate in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Smith finished with a double-double, 29 points and 13 rebounds, as the Razorbacks weathered a first-half Colgate really to win 85-68.
To go along with his double-double, Smith also had five steals, two blocks and one assist.
Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman said he did something he's rarely done this season, and that's play Smith at the five.
"I did not come into this game thinking Justin was going to play center," Musselman said. "That never came into our staff meeting. That's how it unfolded."
Smith thrived in the role, helping Arkansas go small and bringing athleticism and versatility to the five position.
Arkansas went down big in the first half to Colgate, but the Razorbacks went on a 17-0 run to end the first half and took a three-point lead into halftime.
The Razorbacks relinquished the lead briefly in the second half, but down the stretch, they stifled Colgate on the defensive end and got out in transition to pull away.
Smith played all 40 minutes in the game and scored his 29 points on an efficient 9-of-17 shooting.
"We're 40 minutes away to getting to the Sweet Sixteen. We're one game away from getting to a huge goal of ours," Musselman said. "Let's just keep winning, man, let's just keep advancing."
Arkansas will play Texas Tech in the Round of 32 on Sunday.
Related Stories on Indiana Basketball:
- ARCHIE MILLER FIRED: Indiana fires Archie Miller on Monday after four subpar seasons at the helm of the Hoosiers program. CLICK HERE
- SCOTT DOLSON VIDEO: Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson met with the media Monday and explained why he fired Archie Miller, how tough the decision way, and his vision for the future. Watch all 26 minutes here. CLICK HERE
- TOM BREW COLUMN: Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson didn't let that big buyout get in the way of making the right decision for the basketball program. CLICK HERE
- CHRIS BEARD TALKS BOB KNIGHT: Texas Tech is in Bloomington for the NCAA Tournament and Chris Beard talked about what it means to be there. He was an assistant for Knight at Tech. CLICK HERE
