Zhaire Smith Enters Draft; Does Not Hire Agent

As expected,

Zhaire Smith has entered the NBA Draft but has not hired an agent meaning he could return to Texas Tech.  However, it is looking more likely that Texas Tech should prepare for life without him.

Five months ago, the thought that Texas Tech true freshman guard Zhaire Smith would leave school for the NBA after just one season was on virtually no one’s mind.  Now, that scenario is looking more likely by the day leaving Red Raider fans to worry about what life without the phenom will look like.

Wednesday, Smith announced that he has entered the NBA Draft but has not hired an agent in order to maintain his college eligibility.  He will have until June to finalize his decision meaning fans will likely have two months to fret over the thought of losing the team’s top returning scorer from this past season.

The wording of Zhaire Smith’s announcement, in which he thanks Chris Beard and the Texas Tech fans gives off a tone of finality leading one to think that the writing is on the wall.  Plus, Smith continues to see his stock climb in mock drafts indicating that he is certainly in the conversation for NBA teams.

It seems that the national attention Texas Tech received during the NCAA Tournament brought Smith to the forefront of the underclassmen discussion.  Entering the tournament, opinions on his potential draft positioning varied from a top-15 pick to being a second round selection.

But now, virtually every mock draft includes Zhaire Smith in the first round and some have him going in the top half of that round.

Sports Illustrated projects Smith going No. 22 to the San Antonio Spurs.  This would likely help ease the pain for many Texas Tech fans who are also Spurs’ fans.  However, the Tech fans of the Mavericks and Rockets would certainly find this a tough pill to swallow.  It would be a great situation for Smith though as he would not be asked to carry the load right away and could develop under the tutelage of Spurs’ head coach Greg Popovich.

Bleacher Report projects Smith to be taken a bit earlier at No. 19 by Atlanta.  That would give Texas Tech fans a reason to think about Atlanta Hawks basketball for the first time since the Dominique Wilkins era of the 1980’s.  Speaking of which, Smith’s athleticism would certainly draw comparisons to the former Hawks superstar.

Likewise, NBADraft.net has Smith being taken at No. 19 but going to Utah.  (Why the two sites differ on which franchise will be picking at No. 19 is unclear at first examination.)

According to SBNation, Smith will be off the board at No. 16 thanks to the Phoenix Suns.  In that scenario, Smith would be looked upon to be a defensive ace more than a primary scorer as the Suns are led by all-star Devin Booker and his 24.9 points per game.   Another site NBADraftroom.com also has him headed to Phoenix but a pick earlier at 15 (the Suns hold the back-to-back picks).

The Sporting News rates Zharie Smith as the No. 24 prospect in the draft.  The site has the following scouting report:

"“Digging into what makes Smith an interesting prospect requires overlooking his meager scoring numbers. Instead, it requires focusing on some of the things he does that have historically been found to be difficult to improve once a player reaches the NBA . The Texas Tech freshman has a foundation. The scoring can come later.Smith is a noticeable athlete on the floor, both on the defensive end and on the offensive glass. He’s one of the best offensive rebounding guards in the country, which suggests a certain level of basketball IQ based on a good feel for the game. He’s also active defensively where he frequently is tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. Smith’s hustle translates to 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per 40 minutes.The 18-year-old isn’t unskilled on the offensive end, either. He just doesn’t have a refined game yet. For example, although he’s not a high volume 3-point shooter, he’s elite attacking closeouts, averaging 1.375 points per possession (91st percentile) in those situations, per Synergy.Smith may not have the traditional profile of a first-round prospect, but his statistical indicators and athleticism are a positive. At this point in the draft, there aren’t a ton of high-upside players available. Given Smith’s foundation, he could be one. “"

Certainly , no one would fault Smith if he were to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA.  Now it appears that the only motivation for him to return to Texas Tech would be if he wants to come back with the hopes of being a lottery (top 13) pick in 2019.

Should Smith be taken in this year’s draft, Tech would be able to use that fact as a recruiting tool when trying to show potential recruits that Chris Beard can take the No. 194 prospect in the nation and get him to the NBA.  However, that would be a small consolation.

Without Zhaire Smith in the fold, the 2018-19 Texas Tech basketball team would be looked at as a rebuilding team.  With only one returning double-digit scorer, Jarrett Culver, Tech would be counting on players like Davide Morretti and Brandone Francis to greatly increase their offensive contributions.

Tech would also have to count even more heavily on a bevy of newcomers like former 4-star prospect C.J. Roberts (a transfer from Missouri), South Plains JC transfer Deshawn Corprew, and true freshmen Kyler Edwards and Khavon Moore.

Next: Top 5 Texas Tech Basketball Games of 207-18

Those are names Tech fans should become familiar with regardless of what Zhaire Smith decides.  However, it is looking like they will all play an even bigger role next season than initially expected.