197. Nick Smith Jr.: Rising Star

In many ways, Nick Smith Jr. has been preparing for this moment his whole life. The hard work paid off. Smith was a five-star prospect, a McDonald's All-American, and is a projected top-10 NBA Draft pick.  But despite the accolades, he feels he hasn't yet arrived. Smith cares about his roots, his hometown of Jacksonville, Ark., and his desire to impact others in a positive way. Though he's battled injuries and adversity in his freshman season, Nick Smith Jr. is well on his way to making his hometown—and the state of Arkansas—proud.   FIND US ONLINE: Twitter: @HogsPlus Instagram: @thehogpod Email: [email protected]   CREDITS: Host & Executive Producer: Bo Mattingly (@SportAndStoryBo) Producer: Bart Pohlman (@Bart_Pohlman) Editor, Engineer & Mixer: James Youngblood (@CYoungJ)   The Hog Pod is a presentation of Arkansas Athletics, Sport & Story, and Learfield.