Illinois Basketball: Mark Smith commits to Illini over Spartans

There have been many recruits over the years that the Illinois basketball team needed to snag. I can’t remember the last time a player had this much hype, though.

Illinois has been after Mark Smith for quite some time. He was a high priority for the previous coaching regime and even when Brad Underwood and his staff stepped in, Smith continued to be No. 1 on their list.

All of the hard work by both coaching staffs have paid off. It was announced today that Smith has decided to commit to Illinois and be the next great guard in Champaign. Yes, a recruitment of a high profile player finally went our way.

Smith is a four-star recruit who is listed as the No. 76 player in the class of 2017 and the No. 18 point guard in the nation. But, I honestly believe if he came onto the scene earlier, his ranking would easily be in the top 50 among 2017 recruits.

The recruitment of Smith really didn’t start until the end of 2016, though. He wasn’t on the radar of many teams except for lower level D1 programs, but thanks to a nice summer and an even better senior season in high school, Illinois jumped on him and offered him a scholarship.

Many more teams were to follow in the Illini footsteps. Teams like Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana and Kentucky all were vying for Smith’s services. But, when it was all said and done, the decision really came down to Michigan State and Illinois.

Illinois beat out the Spartans in what is a huge commitment for the program. Smith now gives Underwood another option at guard and I have no doubts he starts year one for the Illini.

Illinois now has a class of 2017 that consists of three-star Da’Monte Williams, four-star Trent Frazier and now four-star Smith. This upcoming season, I look for both Frazier and Smith to make an impact and I wouldn’t doubt if Williams redshirted.

I would think the starting point guard is likely to be Smith since I have heard that Underwood pitched him as the main ball handler. The No. 2 guard could be Te’Jon Lucas, who can also handle the ball and didn’t shoot bad when given a chance last year.

The No. 3 spot could be Jalen Coleman-Lands, who is another knockdown shooter and someone who can slash in Underwood’s system. He didn’t have much of a chance to develop a driving game under the previous regime.

The No. 4 and No. 5 spots would be Kipper Nichols and Leron Black, respectively. These two are undersized for their position, but they have nice wingspans and they are athletic. I am actually not too worried about the paint next season.

Next: 4 Illini recruiting targets doing well in AAU league

Winning the recruiting battle for Smith is huge for the Illini. He is going to be a great player, and he also gives Underwood flexibility with his roster. The future is bright in Champaign and we will win.