NC State’s Terquavion Smith Entering NBA Draft for Good This Time

March 28, 2023

NC State guard Terquavion Smith is entering the 2023 NBA Draft and sticking with it, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Smith entered the draft last year, but opted to return to college after testing the waters and going through the pre-draft process.

He said he was happy with his decision to return and is confident with his current one.

“I showed a lot of different things this year,” Smith said, via Givony. “Teams wanted to see me be more of a point guard, making the right play, making the right decisions. They wanted to see me improve my finishing, and I increased that. I showed I can be a leader.

“… I improved my grades. I’m a year closer to getting my degree now. You only get one chance to be a college student and get that college vibe. There was no rush for me. I’m ready to contribute to an NBA team now.”

Smith is 6-foot-4 and just completed his sophomore season, averaging 17.9 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 34 games. The Wolfpack were eliminated by Creighton in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Smith scored a game-high 32 points in the loss.

“I’m feeling good about everything now,” Smith said, via Givony. “I came back to do what I needed to do. I feel like I did everything the right way. I know what’s coming now in the pre-draft process because I’ve been there already and know what to expect. I’ll be a lot more confident in myself now. It’s going to be a straight grind.”

Smith is viewed as a late first- or early second-round pick at the moment. That could change, of course, with an impressive showing at the NBA Combine in mid-May.