And compares him to Michigan's POY Trey Burke:
"In addition to being the best point guard in America, Burke had two other things working in his favor in 2012–13. First, the Big Ten was the best conference in the country that season, as Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, and Ohio State were all ranked in the top five of the AP poll at some point. It’s not as if Burke wouldn’t have gotten lots of exposure anyway, but having every conference game he played in take on the feel of a must-see matchup certainly helped his cause.
"Second, Burke’s team was really fun to follow. Michigan had an unstoppable, perimeter-oriented offense that counted five future NBA players in its starting lineup, yet the Wolverines also somehow maintained a slight underdog vibe. (I’m sure it made sense at the time, but slotting a team that came a shot away from winning the Big Ten regular-season title and featured Burke, Nik Stauskas, Tim Hardaway Jr., Glenn Robinson III, and Mitch McGary as a no. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament almost seems criminal in retrospect.) Michigan was good enough to win a national title that season, but they weren’t so good that neutral fans felt like they were cheering for Goliath. As a result, the Wolverines bandwagon was packed to the brim, and the man leading the way (Burke) was showered with all sorts of praise.
"All the pieces are in place for Smith — who might be the most talented player in the country — to have his season play out exactly the same way. NC State probably doesn’t have five future NBA guys on its roster, but the Wolfpack have plenty of talent to pair with the 6-foot-3 freshman point guard. And like Michigan in 2012–13, NC State should be good enough to contend in the ACC and maybe even make a deep tourney run, but not so good that neutral fans will feel conflicted cheering for it. The ACC will be a bloodbath for Smith, much like the Big Ten was for Burke, meaning Smith will have America’s full attention to show what he can do."
LINK: https://theringer.com/college-basketball-preseason-player-of-the-year-race-14fbdf4148a3#.vpxik3txa
"In addition to being the best point guard in America, Burke had two other things working in his favor in 2012–13. First, the Big Ten was the best conference in the country that season, as Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, and Ohio State were all ranked in the top five of the AP poll at some point. It’s not as if Burke wouldn’t have gotten lots of exposure anyway, but having every conference game he played in take on the feel of a must-see matchup certainly helped his cause.
"Second, Burke’s team was really fun to follow. Michigan had an unstoppable, perimeter-oriented offense that counted five future NBA players in its starting lineup, yet the Wolverines also somehow maintained a slight underdog vibe. (I’m sure it made sense at the time, but slotting a team that came a shot away from winning the Big Ten regular-season title and featured Burke, Nik Stauskas, Tim Hardaway Jr., Glenn Robinson III, and Mitch McGary as a no. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament almost seems criminal in retrospect.) Michigan was good enough to win a national title that season, but they weren’t so good that neutral fans felt like they were cheering for Goliath. As a result, the Wolverines bandwagon was packed to the brim, and the man leading the way (Burke) was showered with all sorts of praise.
"All the pieces are in place for Smith — who might be the most talented player in the country — to have his season play out exactly the same way. NC State probably doesn’t have five future NBA guys on its roster, but the Wolfpack have plenty of talent to pair with the 6-foot-3 freshman point guard. And like Michigan in 2012–13, NC State should be good enough to contend in the ACC and maybe even make a deep tourney run, but not so good that neutral fans will feel conflicted cheering for it. The ACC will be a bloodbath for Smith, much like the Big Ten was for Burke, meaning Smith will have America’s full attention to show what he can do."
LINK: https://theringer.com/college-basketball-preseason-player-of-the-year-race-14fbdf4148a3#.vpxik3txa
