Chris Smith selected as All-American

The UCLA Bruins are back to practice as a team and the preseason accolades are sure to continue to come flying in.

One of those players set to receive significant praise this preseason and surely through the season is senior guard Chris Smith. Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today placed Smith on his All-American Team, landing on the third team, as one of only 15 players nationwide to make the list.

Mick Cronin’s squad will go 10-deep in Westwood, with Smith set to be the Bruins’ go-to scorer. The 6-9 wing wisely decided to return to school for his senior season and should help UCLA compete for both a Pac-12 regular season title and a high seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Smith agreed to return to the Bruins this year after testing the NBA draft waters. Ultimately, he decided to return, stating he has unfinished business. The coronavirus pandemic shutdown the Pac-12 Tournament as well as the 2020 NCAA Tournament, both in which the Bruins and Smith had high aspirations for.

“I’m returning for my senior year, because I’d really like to finish what I’ve started at UCLA. We have some unfinished business and I want one last run with my teammates and coaches. These guys mean the world to me. It’s also very important to me to finish up strong in the classroom and earn my degree.”

Through his career, he’s averaged 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, registering double-digits in points in 34 career games. He has three career double-doubles and had a career-year across the board in 2019-20.

Smith will anchor a strong UCLA team that should continue to receive praise ahead of the 2020-21 season.

Congratulations, Chris!