Dennis Smith Jr. has almost become the forgotten freshman point guard.
While everyone has become infatuated with UCLA's Lonzo Ball's passing and Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox's speed and versatility, as well as the early projected No. 1 NBA draft pick, Markelle Fultz at Washington, Smith has quietly been putting up numbers that hold up against all of them.
Smith started the season with a four-game stretch in which he averaged 24 points, 6.3 assists, made 8-of-20 shots from long range and 26-of-30 from the free throw line.
But few seemed to notice.
Maybe it's because Smith opted to play for NC State instead of a blue blood such as Kentucky or North Carolina, or maybe it's because the Wolfpack played against an underwhelming field at Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands (where they went 3-1).
Whatever the case, NBA personnel are following Smith closely.
"He's in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick," one NBA general manager told ESPN.
"I think he has more upside than any of the freshman point guards," added another.
You can't find Smith anywhere in the final Class of 2016's ESPN 100. At one time, he was listed in front of Ball (No. 4), Fox (No. 6), Fultz (No. 7) and Duke's Frank Jackson (No. 10).
But then he tore his ACL prior to his senior campaign at Trinity Christian Academy in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and wound up enrolling early at NC State to more effectively rehab and also adjust to college life and coach Mark Gottfried's system.
So he disappeared from the rankings. And while the other point guards received the majority of the hype, he worked to regain the athleticism that made him arguably the top player at a loaded position prior to the injury.
Smith admittedly struggled in a loss at Illinois on Tuesday. There were no highlight-reel dunks, and he and his teammates seemed confused at how to attack the Illini's zone. Smith finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists -- and offered no excuses.
I had an interview already lined up with him prior to the game, and he had the option of declining after a sub-par performance. But Smith showed maturity and spoke for 20 minutes, explaining that he needs to watch film of the loss to Illinois to figure out how to be more effective.
"They did a good job," Smith said. "Give them credit. The last three games, teams have walled up on me. I need to figure out how to play when they do that to me."
Smith will also get some much-needed help soon in the form of skilled forward Omer Yurtseven and also wing Maverick Rowan. Yurtseven was suspended for the first nine games of the season (receiving money for playing overseas) and will be eligible on Dec. 15. Rowan, who averaged 12.9 points per game last season and scored 17 points and grabbed nine boards in his lone contest this year, is still recovering from a concussion.
"People don't understand how good Omer is," Smith said. "He's that good. He's the smartest player I've ever played with. ... He and Maverick will help space the floor a lot. When they come back, there's no way they can guard us like they have."
Teams are packing it in against Smith and daring him to shoot it from the perimeter. He missed on both of his attempts from beyond the arc on Tuesday.
Smith said he's extremely close with Fultz and watches as many Washington games as possible. He tries to keep tabs on the other top freshman point guards and feels he's still the best of the bunch.
"I definitely feel that way," he said. "That's just my nature."
That confidence along with freak athleticism is why some NBA execs have compared him to Russell Westbrook.
"I like that comparison," Smith said. "But right now I'm not focused on the NBA. I'm just concerned about winning games. Winning gets you everything."
UConn's depth takes a hit
The ballyhooed freshman class has seen its share of injuries, with the latest being UConn point guard Alterique Gilbert. He dislocated his shoulder on Nov. 17 against Loyola Marymount, marking the third time he's dealt with a left shoulder dislocation. Coach Kevin Ollie and the Huskies are also without VCU transfer Terry Larrier, who tore his ACL, so they will rely more on the other freshmen in Ollie's heralded class (No. 9 in 2016). Mamadou Diarra (ESPN, No. 93) will redshirt this season to try to get his knee healthy, which means Juwan Durham (ESPN, No 52), Vance Jackson (ESPN, No. 78) and Christian Vital will all get extended minutes as Ollie has just eight scholarship players at his disposal.
Freshmen on the bench
Gilbert and Diarra's season-ending injuries add to the lengthy list of top-100 freshmen who either haven't played or won't play this season. Duke's Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden still haven't logged a minute due to injuries, Terrence Ferguson opted to play in Australia instead of Arizona, Omari Spellman (Villanova), Abdul Ado (Mississippi State), Romello White (Arizona State) and J.J. Caldwell (Texas A&M) didn't qualify, and Virginia's duo of De'Andre Hunter and Jay Huff, in addition to Syracuse guard Matthew Moyer, will redshirt. DeShawn Corprew was supposed to play at Texas A&M, but didn't qualify and is now at South Plains Junior College. Baylor's Mark Vital and Ohio State's Derek Funderburk have yet to play a minute.
Aggies' big surprise
One freshman who has blown away NBA executives is Texas A&M's Robert Williams. The 6-foot-9 athletic Louisiana native was ranked No. 50 in the ESPN 100, but the NBA folks didn't know much about him. He's coming off the bench for coach Billy Kennedy, but he is ultra-athletic, a big-time shot-blocker and has shown the ability to score at times with his back to the basket. Multiple NBA executives told ESPN that Williams will be in the mix as a first-rounder. His teammate, Tyler Davis, and Kennedy both said work ethic will be the key to Williams' development.
Second-leading scorer
Fultz leads all freshmen in scoring. Who is second? It's none other than Michael Weathers of Miami (Ohio), who is putting up 22.5 points per contest. Weathers is from the Kansas City suburb of Roland Park, Kansas, and came to play for coach John Cooper along with his twin brother, Marcus. Michael Weathers is a 6-foot-2, 161-pound point guard who is long, athletic and quick. He went under the radar, according to Cooper, and played for a small AAU program called JC Hoops. "He can really go by you off the dribble," Cooper told ESPN. "Solid long-range shooter and getting better at making good decisions once he gets in the paint."