Eric Musselman shares latest on Nick Smith

Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman gave an update on injured guard Nick Smith after the Ole Miss game that Smith was on the bench for.

The Razorbacks got an important win in that game against Ole Miss, snapping a four-game conference losing streak and helping Arkansas to rebuild some momentum. That momentum helped the Razorbacks to dominate LSU on Tuesday night.

“Nick is not practicing,” Eric Musselman said. “He’s not practicing with the basketball team.”

Nick Smith suffered a knee injury and has missed time while trying to get back from it. At the same time, he was expected to be out until at least the end of January with rumors that he may never return to Arkansas and move on to the NBA at the end of the year.

“There’s really no update. He’s back in town. He’s rehabbing with the trainer and under our doctors. So, he’s still in the same situation.”

Eric Musselman and Arkansas would love to get Nick Smith back, if at all possible. According to the On3 Consensus, Smith was a five-star recruit, the best shooting guard, and the third-best player overall in the Class of 2022. In five games this season, Smith is averaging 12.8 points per game.

Eric Musselman on why this season has been an uphill battle

Injuries have played a huge role in Arkansas’ season, and while Eric Musselman won’t use them as an excuse, he does know how difficult they can make things.

“I want to be perfectly clear. There’s no excuse. Again, I’ve been around the game way too long and injuries are part of the game. But we’re missing two guys that we had projected to play right around 40 minutes for us,” Musselman said.

“We’ve got to do [something] and keep searching to try and figure it out.”