Terquavion Smith injury update: NC State star day-to-day after being stretchered off court with neck pain

NC State star Terquavion Smith, the leading scorer in the ACC and a possible lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, suffered a scary injury on Saturday against North Carolina and had to be taken off the court on a stretcher by medical personnel at the Dean Smith Center. The injury came with 9:45 minutes remaining in the second half and UNC holding a 59-49 lead. Smith attacked the rim and tried to finish a left-handed runner but fell backwards and landed hard on the floor.

Sunday morning, NC State provided a positive update on Smith, revealing that all x-rays taken on Saturday were negative and he’s since been released from the hospital. Smith is listed as day-to-day by the team. 

“NC State men’s basketball sophomore guard Terquavion Smith reported neck and elbow pain and had numbness in his right arm after a foul midway through the second half of last night’s game against North Carolina. Due to the report of neck pain, medical procedure required the use of a backboard and a stretcher to move him,” the team said in a statement. “Smith was taken to UNC Medical Center and all-x rays taken Saturday night were negative. He was released from the hospital and returned to Raleigh.

“Smith’s playing status is day-to-day.” 

NC State players and coaches were huddled around Smith praying together as he was loaded onto a stretcher by medical officials on the court. Inside the Dean Smith Center, the raucous crowd fell silent before receiving a standing ovation upon his exit through the tunnel for further evaluation.

UNC star defender Leaky Black was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected for his role in the incident. Flagrant 2 fouls require excessive contact, which in this incident appeared to be incidental. Just as Smith was falling back from his layup attempt, Black was contesting the shot in a bang-bang sequence.

Smith, ranked No. 19 in the CBS Sports 2023 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings, is averaging 19.1 points, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game on the season, all of which rank top-four on the season among all ACC players.