Much like teammate Devonte Green, Justin Smith is far more associated with the 2010s as a Hoosier than he is with the 2020s. However, Smith’s final season in cream and crimson came in the 2019-20 campaign, so he qualifies for inclusion.

Green came in at No. 15 on our countdown of the best men’s basketball players of the 2020s so far. Smith was more productive than Green in 2020 and ranked higher in advanced statistics. So he’s higher in the pecking order than Green.

Smith, a 6-foot-7 forward, was one of the first players recruited by then-coach Archie Miller, who took over as the Hoosiers coach in 2017, though Smith’s recruitment began during Tom Crean’s time as Indiana head coach. Al Durham was the only other player committed at the time Smith signed in 2017 out of the Chicago area.

Smith’s father was from Danville, Ill., just over the state line in central Illinois. Indiana was a program Smith’s family admired.

His trajectory was a common one. He got his feet wet as a freshman and became a regular starter in the 2018-19 season. By the 2019-20 season, Smith was well-established.

He started all 32 games in the 2020 season. Smith averaged 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds while making 49.2% of his shots. He scored a season- high of 24 points against Western Illinois and had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds in a December game against Nebraska.

Smith slumped late in the season, reaching double-figure scoring just twice in his final nine games. However, Smith’s defensive win shares total was 1.4, allowing him to reach an overall win shares total of 3.0 – the sixth-best peak of any Indiana player in the 2020s. It put Smith ahead of longer-term 2020s Hoosiers like Rob Phinisee and Anthony Leal.

Smith left Indiana after the 2020 season and moved on to Arkansas as a graduate transfer. The Razorbacks put the ball in Smith’s hands more often than Indiana did, and Smith thrived. He averaged 13.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in his lone season with the Hogs.

Smith later played in the NBA G League before he established himself in Israeli professional basketball. Smith plays for Hapoel Jerusalem and is currently averaging 11.6 points.

No. 13 - Rob Phinisee
No. 14 - Luke Goode
No. 15 - Devonte Green
No. 16 - Anthony Leal