Auburn basketball: BB calls Jabari Smith #1 overall draft prospect

The 2021-22 season was a historical one for Auburn basketball. Though the Tigers ended falling short in the NCAA tournament, they secured the SEC regular-season title, earned their first #1 ranking in the AP Poll, and won various individual awards and honors throughout the year.

Certainly, a major factor in the success of this year’s team was the contribution from the highest ranked recruit in Auburn basketball history, Jabari Smith Jr. The six-time SEC freshman of the week went on to win SEC Freshman of the Year and NABC Freshman of the Year, was named an All-American, and was a finalist for several other high-profile awards.

After one season on the Plains, he will be entering his name into the 2022 NBA Draft, and is projected to be one of the top picks of the draft. Busting Brackets called Smith the top player in the class of 2022:

"In my eyes, Auburn’s Smith Jr. solidified himself as the top player in this class. Smith was an incredible shooter at 6’10, looking nearly unguardable at times. I think he’s an underrated defender with good movement skills for his size and the potential to slide across multiple front-court spots.His ability to self-create with the handle is the next step up to him becoming a superstar. He’s still 18 so I’m not ruling out that possibility, and even if Smith is able to add weight, he should be able to just dislodge guys with his strength and then shoot over them."

Though many experts seem to be divided over whether Smith, Chet Holmgren, or Paolo Banchero will be the #1 pick in the draft, the former Auburn Tiger turned heads all season long and played a grueling schedule that should prepare him for what is to come in the league.

The 2022 NBA Draft takes place on June 23, 2022, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.