Illinois Basketball: Breaking down the guards for 2017
No. 3 Mark Smith (Freshman)
Mark Smith made all Illini fans happy by choosing Illinois over Michigan State, Kentucky and others. Smith is a four-star recruit who is the No. 78 player in the class of 2017 and the No. 18 point guard in the nation. He can score at will, shoot from distance, get to the rim and he can finish through contact.
All of these great attributes helped propel Smith to a great senior season, and he even won the coveted Illinois Mr. Basketball award over players like Jeremiah Tilmon and Jordan Goodwin.
Smith will be relied upon immediately with the transfer of Jalen Coleman-Lands. The good news is that Smith is Big Ten ready. He has a great build, and Coach Fletcher will certainly beef him up before tip-off this fall. Expectations are certainly high for him, but he looks ready to make his mark during his freshman year.
Having Mark Alstork on the team now will certainly take some weight off Smith’s shoulders, but he will still be expected to put up solid numbers night in and night out. Look for Smith to make the All-Big Ten freshman team next season. He definitely has that potential, and Underwood has to be drooling over this kid.
Prediction: Starter