Former N.C. State point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is expected to be a lottery pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-3 point guard, who left the Wolfpack after his freshman year, is projected to be picked as high as No. 8 in the first round. Barring a trade, the New York Knicks have that pick.
The last first rounder from N.C. State was T.J. Warren, chosen 14th in 2014 by the Phoenix Suns.
Smith averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds for the Wolfpack (15-17, 4-14 ACC), whose difficult season ended with the firing of coach Mark Gottfried and the hiring of Kevin Keatts.