How Terquavion Smith Sliced Up Duke's Defense

Last season, Terquavion Smith burst onto the scene as one of the best freshmen in the country. He averaged over 16 points per game while shooting nearly 37% from deep in a preposterous 15.2 attempts per 100 possessions. He initially entered the draft pool to test the waters and received some serious first-round buzz, but withdrew less than a month before draft day to look to improve his draft stock for this cycle. 

Now, with former backcourt member Dereon Seabron on the New Orleans Pelicans, the NC State combo guard has been given the opportunity to raise his draft stock with full reigns to the offense.

If one was to peruse mock drafts and big boards from around the internet and social media, they would likely struggle to get a grasp of the consensus opinion on Smith…and that’s because there isn’t one. Projected anywhere from the late lottery to out of the first round entirely, the newly-turned 20-year-old is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft Class, and it’s fairly easy to see why.

He’s really good at his strengths, most notably his shooting and ball-handling abilities; he’s very much amongst the best in the class at these skills. On the flip side, he’s got some relevant deficiencies. Smith’s 6-foot-2 165-pound frame can cause him to struggle to play through traffic. His stature really inhibits him from getting all the way to the rim for higher-percentage shots when faced with contact on drives. Per Synergy Sports, just 25.7% of his field goal tries come at the rim, which ranks in the 13th percentile of all players. This lack of easy buckets is why he’s shooting under 40% from the field for the second straight season.

However, on Wednesday night, Smith was able to lead the Wolfpack to a blowout win over Duke. He toyed with the Blue Devils’ defense all night and sent a message to NBA scouts in the process.

For starters, Smith made sure to get out in transition. Whether he had to go coast-to-coast with the ball or run the floor to get himself open for the pass, the North Carolina native prioritized pushing the pace.

The easiest points typically come in transition, so this was key for Smith, who has a tougher time creating similar chances in half-court settings. With a runway to the cup, he attacked relentlessly, converting multiple layups and drawing many fouls against these unset defenses. He also looked for his deep ball in these scenarios. Some of these shots were bold decisions, but he’s surely earned the green light to take them.