Auburn’s Jabari Smith Declares For 2022 NBA Draft

Auburn power forward Jabari Smith has confirmed that he’ll put his name into the 2022 NBA draft pool, making the announcement in a video published on the men’s basketball program’s official Twitter account.

While Smith didn’t specify whether he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility or testing the waters, it’s safe to assume – based on both the tone of his announcement and his projected draft range – that he has played his last college game.

A freshman in 2021/22, Smith started all 34 games he played for the Tigers and averaged 16.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.0 BPG in 28.8 minutes per contest. The 18-year-old also showed an impressive ability to knock down outside shots, hitting 42.0% of his three-point tries. He was a consensus second-team All-American and was named the NABC Freshman of the Year.

Smith is widely viewed as one of the top three prospects in the 2022 draft class, with some experts even placing him atop their boards. His time at Auburn came to a disappointing end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament when the team was upset by Miami — Smith shot just 3-of-16 from the field in what was his worst offensive game of the season, but that performance is unlikely to hurt his draft stock much, if at all.

In his scouting report, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony refers to Smith as one of the most dynamic shooters in college and a “highly versatile” defender who has the ability to switch all over the floor. Smith is the No. 2 player on ESPN’s big board, behind only Chet Holmgren.

Smith is the second standout underclassman at Auburn to declare for the draft this spring, joining teammate Walker Kessler, who is also projected to be a first-round pick.