Illinois Basketball: Which Illini players hit expectations in 2017-2018

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini gives instructions to his players during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 08: Mark Smith /

Mark Smith

Expectation: Did Not Hit

Mark Smith was the highest rated recruit for the Illini in the class of 2017. He skyrocketed up the recruiting rankings and finished as the No. 79 player in the class. Brad Underwood ended up getting a commitment from Smith and everything looked good for Illinois.

Smith started for Illinois early on and wasn’t having a bad season. He tore up the early non-conference teams and even had a 21-point game against DePaul. But, after that, he really declined in play. The game seemed a little too fast for him and his play slipped. Underwood eventually had him coming off the bench and weened him into playing time.

I think the possibility of Smith becoming a really good player is still there. He has decided to move on to a different program, but I think he will develop into a solid player. I am not sure where he is going to go but I would assume it will be a mid-major program like Illinois State or Southern Illinois. He would shine at both of those programs.

At Illinois, though, Smith never met the high expectations I had for him entering his freshman season. He finished the year averaging 5.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. I hope Smith nothing but the best, but he did not hit the expectations I had set for him.

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