From the moment he fell to the court inside Pauley Pavilion on the final day of 2020, his knee ligament having given way, it was widely anticipated that Chris Smith had played his final game for UCLA.
Coach Mick Cronin essentially said as much when the diagnosis was delivered two days later while also making sure that his only senior knew that he would be welcome back for one more season. The option to return was granted thanks to an NCAA eligibility extension related to the pandemic that would allow Smith to come back while not counting against the team’s scholarship limits.