LSU Gold

Smart to Enter 2021 NBA Draft

by Christian L Verde
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Smart to Enter 2021 NBA Draft

BATON ROUGE – LSU guard Javonte Smart, who in three years went from local prep star to outstanding leader and one of the league’s top point guards, announced on his Instagram account late Thursday morning that he will be entering the NBA draft.

Smart said “… thank you for an amazing three years. I, along with my family, have decided to enter the 2021 NBA Draft with an agent.”

The All-SEC second team selection had his best season at LSU in 2020-21, averaging 16.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 28 games for LSU. He posted 25 games in double figures, 66 over his three-year career. He had eight games of 20 points or more topped by 29 versus Texas Tech (1/30), 27 in the NCAA Tournament against Michigan (3/22) and 25 versus Sam Houston State (12/14).

Smart had 11 games with three or more three-point field goals made this season with 12 games of five or more assists (29 for his three-year career). He posted 70 three-pointers for the season, the 13th best single season at LSU. His 157 career three-pointers is tied for 12 all-time. Smart was the seventh Tiger to finish with at least 1,200 career points, 300 assists and 111 steals.

The Baton Rouge native was first in the SEC in minutes played at 35.33 a game and first in the league in three-point percentage at 40.2 percent. He was 10th in league scoring average and third in assist average.

Smart played in 93 games, starting 76, finished with 1,211 career points.