Arkansas lands nation’s top women’s junior college hoops player in Kiki Smith

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – The nation’s top women’s junior college basketball player is headed to Arkansas and will become the roster’s seventh addition for next season.

Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College freshman guard Kiki Smith (5-7) announced Tuesday that she had chosen the Razorbacks over Texas A&M and others.

Smith led her team to the national championship in March and was named the NJCAA Division I Player of the Year, a first-team All-American and was the MVP of the national championship tournament.

The Topeka native S averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 55.9 percent overall for the field, 44.4 percent from 3-point range 79.6 percent of her free throws.

Her 662 points this season set a freshman record as was the second-highest number in Hutchison history.

“Kiki had one of the most epic seasons in blue dragon history,” Hutchinson Community College head coach John Ontjes said in a release. “She is a player that always made plays within the system but in every big moment elevated her game and produced winning plays.

“Kiki is one of the most unselfish and competitive players that I have ever coached.  She is a player who is very driven and works extremely hard. Kiki will be remembered as one of the best players in Blue Dragon history.” 

Smith addition continued the roster overall for Arkansas, which included two players in the fall and now five this spring.

The first addition this spring was 5-7 Arkansas State transfer guard and former Batesville prep star Izzy Higginbottom, who averaged 22.8 points last season.

That total was eighth-best in the NCAA last season.

Arkansas has also added other spring signees in Barton (Kan.) Community College center Vera Ojenuwa (6-4), Finland’s 6-2 forward Pinja Pannanena and Malta’s 6-2 forward Danika Galea.

The Razorbacks signed two players in the fall in the 5-9 guard Phoenix Stotijn of the Haarlem, Netherlands and 6-3 forward Jada Bates of McEachern (GA) Powder Springs.