NC State basketball standout Terquavion Smith has ‘a feel’ for 2023 NBA Draft Combine

Terquavion Smith went through the NBA Draft process a year ago after his freshman season at N.C. State, but then surprised many by withdrawing even after a strong performance at the NBA Combine. He wanted another year in college to polish his game and mature.

This year he’s all in and feels last year’s experience is helping him at this year’s Combine and during individual team workouts.

“I feel like last year was more about me learning and everything was new to me, everything was fresh,” Smith, 20, said during an exclusive interview. “But this year, having to do this two years, that kind of helped me out, helped me become more comfortable, more laid back about it because I know what’s coming. I got the feel for what it’s like.”

After averaging 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a freshman when the Wolfpack went 11-21, he put up 17.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a sophomore as the team finished 23-11, including a 30-point outing against Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament and a 32-point performance against Creighton in the NCAA Tournament. A second-team All-ACC selection, Smith finished as the league’s second-leading scorer while making the second-most 3s (91) in the ACC.

“I feel like that helped me showcase different things this season as far as my game because I went up on assists per game this year,” he said. “So, I feel like that helped me showcase my ability to pass and create for others. I also feel like it just helped me mature a lot more, too.

“With me going back, I could’ve easily got distracted with me being back at home and letting things get me sidetracked. I could’ve easily got caught up with the wrong things, you know? So I feel like that made me mature on what I wanted to do, and my goals as well.”

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard from Greenville, N.C. struggled in his first game at the Combine on Wednesday, shooting 3-of-16 for nine points — making 3-of-8 from deep — with two rebounds, one assist and two turnovers in his team’s 107-88 loss. He did have a nice dribble penetration pass to UConn big man Adama Sanogo for a layup, and on another possession, he made a perfect pass in transition but his teammate botched the layup.

Smith had workouts before the Combine with the L.A. Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets. He is meeting with teams at the Combine and will have more workouts beginning next week..

He is projected as the No. 31 overall pick by ESPN.com and No. 39 by Tankathon.

“(I’m trying to show NBA scouts) just that, that I can make the right plays, make the right reads,” he said. “I also want to show them that I can defend multiple positions so I can switch on different guys, and that I have good energy. Keep my energy up, talking, make sure I’m out there encouraging other people and cheering my teammates on, so just those things there I feel are most important.”

He added: “I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from every team that I’ve been to, so that’s been good for me. That’s encouraging words.”

N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said Smith addressed two key areas by returning to school last season.

“No. 1 thing was they wanted him to lead his team to winning,” Keatts said in a phone interview. “We had a much better year in winning, and him being the leading scorer was so important to that.

“The other box is they wanted to see, could he be a facilitator and so we played him as a one and two this year and his assist-to-turnover ratio this year was a lot better,” Keatts added. “He really passed the ball, got his teammates involved a lot more.”

Smith said some NBA teams have asked him if he drinks or smokes, and he said he was honest with them.

“(They asked) how often do I drink or do I drink at all, and how often do I smoke or if I smoke any?” he said. “I have before, just being in college, of course I’ve done that before, just by going out. So, I tell them occasionally, I did a couple times for my teammates’ birthdays, stuff like that.”

Smith models his game after several NBA guards including De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings, Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers and Immanuel Quickley of the Knicks — all of whom went to Kentucky.

Now he’s close to fulfilling his dream of following them to the NBA.