By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- The latest 2023 NBA Mock Draft by ESPN has four Razorbacks being drafted including two in the first round.

ESPN has guard Anthony Black Jr. being drafted at No. 8 by the Washington Wizards. Guard Nick Smith Jr. is next being taken No. 12 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

In the second round, ESPN projects the Charlotte Hornets to draft wing Ricky Council IV at No. 42. They also have the Phoenix Suns taking forward Jordan Walsh at No. 52. 

ESPN wrote the following about Black.

"The Wizards have had a revolving door at point guard ever since John Wall's departure in 2020, and Black, who supplies a breadth of winning-oriented skills NBA teams covet, would appear a tailor-made fit here. He made a strong individual scoring jump at Arkansas, and while not a great 3-point shooter (30% on less than three attempts per game), he made some strides in his willingness to take them. His eye for playmaking will help drive a successful offense, and he's a smart, active and switchable defender. Considering how many organizations are emphasizing positional size, skill and feel in building lineups, Black looks like a perfect fit for the modern league."

They had this to say about Smith, who has dropped in the mock drafts since the beginning of the year.

"Oklahoma City has built out a deep, talented roster with cover at every position, which might allow it to take a swing on someone such as Smith. To put it nicely, Smith had a highly uneven season at Arkansas, appearing in just 17 games because of injury and finishing out shooting just 39% on 2s and 33% on 3s. NBA teams have to weigh the value of Smith's pedigree -- for a time, he was viewed by some as the top prospect in the freshman class -- versus his on-court results. His decision-making and shoot-first style have cast aspersions on his ability to play the point full time, which has reframed the conversation about where his ceiling lies as a bucket-getting combo guard. Smith's range is wide at this point, with the lottery still in reach but not necessarily a lock."

Black played in 36 games and showed he was durable by averaging 34.8 minutes per game. Black averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Black shot 45.3% from the field, 70.5 from free throw line and 30.1 from 3-point land.

Smith played in 17 games while battling knee issues on and off all season. He averaged 25.8 minutes per game. Smith shot 37.6% from the field, 74.0 from the charity stripe and 33.8 from behind the 3-point line. Smith averaged 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.1 block each game.

Council led the Hogs in scoring averaging 16.1 points in 36 games. He averaged 34.1 minutes per game. Council also averaged 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks each outing. He shot 43.3% from the floor, 79.4 from the free throw line and 27.0 from deep. 

Walsh played in 36 games and averaged 24.4 minutes each outing. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.1 steal and 0.5 blocks per game. Walsh shot 43.3% from the field, 71.2 from the free throw line and 27.8 from the 3-point area. 

At this time, Black and Walsh haven't announced their intentions as far as declaring for the NBA Draft or returning for another season. It's almost a certainty that Black will enter the draft while Walsh could be an interesting decision.