NBA Mock Draft: Thunder Select Former Five-Star

Despite an up-and-down freshman year, USA Today's prediction has OKC taking a swing on a highly touted prospect with major upside.

In a recent mock draft, USA Today's Bryan Kalbrosky slotted Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr. to Oklahoma CIty with the 12th overall pick. This comes on the heels of a disappointing tournament appearance for the former five-star recruit, who scored only 17 points across three games in March Madness.

Smith Jr. was the No. 1 high school prospect in the country last year according to 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite rankings. The North Little Rock High School alum chose to play for the Razorbacks over accomplished programs such as Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina. 

During his lone season in Fayetteville, the talented wing prospect dealt with knee injuries and was forced to miss the beginning of the season, finally making his collegiate debut in late November. In 17 games at Arkansas, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard averaged 12.5 points, 1.7 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 37.6% from the field and 33.8% from 3-point range. 

Smith Jr.'s top performance came against Kentucky in Arkansas' final regular season contest, when the homegrown talent scored 25 points in addition to six assists, four steals and three rebounds. The heralded prospect turns 19 later this month, intriguing many NBA scouts with his youth and occasional brilliant flashes during his time with the Razorbacks.

To have success at the next level, Smith Jr. will have to become a more efficient shooter and utilize the playmaking ability he showcased in high school. 

In the second round of his mock draft, Kalbrosky slotted Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kansas' Kevin McCullar Jr. to Oklahoma City. Both players are highly accomplished veteran players, similar to other prospects the Thunder have valued in the second round. 

McCullar Jr. transferred to Kansas for his senior year after spending three seasons at Texas Tech. With the Jayhawks, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged a career-high 10.7 points, seven rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals per game, shooting 44.4% from the field and 29.6% from beyond the arc. 

Jackson-Davis put up a remarkable 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, four assists and 2.9 blocks per game this season. The 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward shot 58.1% from the field during his senior year without attempting a single 3-pointer in 32 games.

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