Arkansas women’s basketball gains commitment from JUCO player of the year Kiki Smith

Junior College National Player of the Year Kiki Smith publicly committed to Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors and his staff Tuesday.

Smith, a 5-7 transfer guard from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, officially visited Arkansas and Texas A&M before selecting the Razorbacks.

The highly decorated Smith was a first-team National Junior College Athletic Association selection, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Player of the Year and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Freshman of the Year.

Smith was MVP of the JUCO National Tournament, where she led the Blue Dragons to a 37-0 record and the national championship. She averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 2.2 assists per game and shot 55.9% from the field, 44.4% from three-point range and 79.6% from the free-throw line.

She also blocked 20 shots and averaged 30.5 minutes per game. Smith scored 20 or more points 11 times. She had a season-high 33 points during a 92-62 victory over Pratt Community College on Feb. 7. During that game she was 12 of 17 from the field, 6 of 11 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the foul line.

Smith scored 23 points, had 4 steals, 1 assist and played 45 minutes during the 88-80 overtime victory over Northwest Florida State College in the national championship game April 1. She was 10 of 16 from the field.

Her 652 points was the highest ever for a freshman at Hutchinson. She was the school’s first national player of the year and led the school to its first national championship.

Smith signed with Evansville University out of Topeka, Kan., before she opted to attend Hutchinson. She was named 6A All-State all four years of high school, including first-team honors three times. Smith averaged more than 20 points per game and added more than 3 assists and 3 steals her junior and senior seasons.

She is the fifth spring signee or commitment for Neighbors. Malta center Danika Galea, Finland forward Pinja Paananen, Arkansas State transfer guard Izzy Higginbottom and Barton (Kan.) Community College transfer forward Vera Ojenuwa have signed with the Razorbacks.