Arkansas Adds Former NCAA Tourney Star, NBA Coach Keith Smart As Assistant

Former NBA head coach and college basketball star Keith Smart has been officially added to the Arkansas Razorbacks' staff as an assistant. He's been an NBA coach three different times, so his experience looms large.

Will it really influence the program, though? It just might.

The Razorbacks struggled in conference play the last few years as Kentucky, Auburn, and LSU dominated the SEC, and now Smart looks to remedy that. What's most compelling, though, is that this signing makes for 60 years of experience between that staff and they're hoping that can help them recruit. It probably will.

As much as college basketball fans hate to admit: the players still have their eyes set on the NBA. If you can deliver lottery picks and deep March Madness runs, then programs can turn around rather quickly. The good ol' Domino Effect.

More leadership was necessary as the team went just 4-8 on the road in 2020, which makes me like this pick up.

Will top high school prospects follow Keith Smart to Arkansas? So far, the Razorbacks have four-star small forward Chance Moore committed for the 2021 campaign. Hopefully there's more to come.