Jabari Smith is expected to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft–Bruce Pearl has been talking like it’s been a done deal that Smith would become Orlando Magic teammates with Chuma Okeke–and if it were up to Alabama Crimson Tide hoops head coach Nate Oats, there’d be no doubt about the choice.
Alabama faced both Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith last season. Nate Oats would take Auburn’s Smith with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. https://t.co/8zp24MELgN
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) June 22, 2022
Oats has a unique point of view about this draft considering his Tide played both Smith’s Auburn Tigers and projected No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren’s Gonzaga Bulldogs during Alabama’s 2021-22 season.
Of course, Auburn got the better of the ‘Iron Bowl of Basketball’ both times but the Tide defeated the Zags in a neutral-site game at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Oats may naturally lean towards a player he first-hand saw lead a team to victory.
Smith had two of his strongest shooting nights of the season against the mullet ‘A’s, shooting a combined 13/24 from the field and 9/16 from beyond the arc. Smith amassed 17 points and five rebounds in his first game against Alabama, and 25 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in the rematch on the Plains. Meanwhile, Holmgren scored just 10 points, though he did collect 11 rebounds and four blocks himself against the Tide frontline.
Jabari Smith projects to be a more pro-ready prospect
Jabari Smith may not have made a deep March Madness run with the Tigers, but he was long ticketed for the No. 1 pick regardless of how Auburn fared in the postseason.
The main knock on Chet Holmgren is his body, which many see as a few years away from being properly filled out enough to make noise at the NBA level. Smith should be more prepared to battle bigs in the paint as a rookie.