Report: Terquavion Smith to withdraw from 2022 NBA Draft, return to NC State

A big-time player is reportedly returning to the ACC next season.

Terquavion Smith is coming back to NC State next season, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He was projected to be a second-round pick by ESPN after a huge freshman year with the Wolfpack.

Smith averaged 16.3 points per game — second on the NC State roster behind Dereon Seabron. He also appeared on the honorable mention All-ACC team as NC State finished 11-21 overall, including 4-16 in league play.

In Givony’s post-lottery NBA mock draft, Smith was projected to be the the No. 33 overall pick to the Toronto Raptors. However, Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo put him as the No. 28 overall pick — putting him into the first round. Last week, On3’s Jamie Shaw listed him as one of the biggest NBA Draft decisions earlier this week and projected him to return to the Wolfpack for his sophomore campaign.

Out of high school, Smith was a four-star recruit and the No. 79 player in the country from the Class of 2021, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on Terquavion Smith, ACC basketball in 2022-23

Smith’s decision is huge for NC State and coach Kevin Keatts after a rough go in 2021-22. The Wolfpack still await the decision from Seabron, who also has left the door open to return to Raleigh this coming season.

NC State only has one recruit coming in from its 2022 recruiting class in three-star Liron Thomas — the No. 153 player in the country. The Wolfpack also have four transfers coming in, including former Winthrop big man DJ Burns and former Illinois State and Utah big Dusan Mahorcic. The big decision will be Seabron, though, and the deadline to withdraw from the draft and maintain college eligibility is coming up June 1.