Two Razorback Signees Named to McDonalds All-American Roster

Taylor Jones
·2 min read
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Arkansas Basketball has one of the nation’s best recruiting classes for the class of 2022, which includes two five stars and three four-star signees.

Two of the biggest names of the class, Nate Smith and Jordan Walsh, learned Tuesday that they had been named to the McDonald’s All-America Team.

Smith and Walsh are the first Arkansas signees to be named McDonald’s All-Americans since Bobby Portis was named to the team in 2013. They are also the first duo from the same signing class to earn honors since 1988 when Lee Mayberry and Todd Day were named to the prestigious team.

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Arkansas has had Nick Smith, a five-star guard from North Little Rock, on their radar for years. The Razorbacks were one of the first programs to offer Smith, doing so in July 2019. It is a great thing that the Razorbacks were early to offer, as he has grown in popularity by collecting 26 total offers from programs across the country.

He is gaining attention at the professional level as well, recently being named as the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Joining Smith as a McDonald’s All-American and Razorback is five-star forward Jordan Walsh of Branson, Mo. Much like Smith, Arkansas was one of the first programs to extend an offer to Walsh. Brandon Jenkins, basketball recruiting analyst at 247sports believes that Walsh is a huge threat as a defensive player.

“Walsh’s calling card may be on the defensive end where he is disruptive guarding the ball and contesting shots,” says Jenkins. “He has a nose for the ball and looks to control the glass when motivated and he can lead the break after securing a defensive rebound.”

Only 24 of the nation’s best players can call themselves a McDonald’s All-American each year, so to have two signees join the club is a huge accomplishment and a testament to the recruiting efforts of Eric Musselman and staff.

The McDonald’s All-America Games will take place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. on March 29, 2022 at 8 p.m.