Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
The Arkansas preseason All-SEC list has two names on it.
Freshman Jordan Smith Jr. was named to the second team by the league’s media members.
Junior Billy Richmond III landed on the third team in the same vote.
The SEC released both teams Monday, two days before the Razorbacks head to SEC Basketball Media Days.
Arkansas is scheduled for the SEC Network set Wednesday from 4:50 to 5:15 p.m.
Hogs coach John Calipari will go first. Cooper Bowser will join Richmond after him.
Richmond tested NBA waters
Richmond went through the NBA draft process. He even took part in the 2026 NBA Draft Combine.
In the end, he returned to Arkansas for his junior season.
His preseason honors didn’t stop with the third team. He also drew votes for SEC Player of the Year.
That award went to Florida’s Thomas Haugh. Florida’s Alex Condon and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner were the other players to receive support.
Defense is a big part of his game. Richmond earned a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team last season.
He could score a little, too. In SEC games only, he shot 57.4% from the field (97-of-169). That was second-best in the league.
He saved his best for late. He scored in double figures in 12 of the last 15 games.
Five of those were 20-point games, and they came in a row.
A season of steady growth
In the 2026 SEC Tournament title game, Richmond had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists.
The Hogs won that one for the tournament crown.
His scoring nearly doubled from his freshman to sophomore season, going from 5.7 points per game to 11.2.
He handed out 74 assists as a sophomore, up from 49 and the blocks went from 15 to 30. Steals climbed from 19 to 41.
That’s a lot of extra work on both ends of the floor.
Smith hasn’t played a college minute yet
The media put Smith on the second team anyway.
That’s what happens when you’re the consensus National High School Player of the Year.
The Washington, D.C., native won that honor last season.
The Field of 68 ranks him as the SEC’s top freshman. Three of his teammates also made its top 10 SEC freshmen list: Miikka Muurinen at No. 3, JJ Andrews at No. 5 and Abdou Toure at No. 8.
Dick Vitale’s preseason Diaper Dandies team has just nine players. Smith and Muurinen both made it.
Smith spent part of the summer at the Baha Mar Summer League in The Bahamas. He led the team in assists and steals.
He also had a triple-double against Carleton University. The line was 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Not bad for a guy whose college debut is still weeks away.
The company they keep
Smith’s second-team group includes Alabama’s Amari Allen, Florida’s Condon, Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic and Texas’ Matas Vokietaitis.
Richmond shares the third team with Texas A&M’s PJ Haggerty, Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno, Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford and Texas’ David Punch.
The first team is Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu and Haugh, Tennessee’s Juke Harris, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard and Vanderbilt’s Tanner.
Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas each placed two players. Florida led the way with three.
Richmond gets the first crack at talking about it Wednesday. Smith will have to wait for his turn at the podium.
