Point guard Mark Smith chooses Illinois over Kentucky, Michigan State, others

Posted Apr 27, 2017
Mark Smith concluded his unprecedented rise from fire-balling pitching prospect to high-major basketball recruit when he pulled on a hat with an orange block I Wednesday. The Illinois Mr. Basketball and Illinois Gatorade player of the year, Smith chose to play for Illinois despite receiving more than 20 offers — including Kentucky, Michigan State, Missouri, Ohio State and Texas. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Related: College Basketball Recruiting

Arkansas coach John Calipari gives thoughts on signees JJ Andrews, Abdou Toure
The Arkansas basketball team added two new players into their 2026 signing class last week with five-star JJ Andrews and four-star Abdou Toure signing on...
Mon Nov 24, 2025

Men's basketball recruiting: 2026 class post-signing window takeaways, intel
The early signing period for men's college basketball is over. After a quiet start, things ramped up at the end of the week as major...
Sun Nov 23, 2025

Jon Scheyer talks Cameron Williams, Duke basketball's 2026 recruiting class
Duke basketball has officially announced the signing of three players from the 2026 recruiting class. Bryson Howard, Maxime Meyer and Cameron Williams have signed their...
Sun Nov 23, 2025

Bruce Branch III, the No. 1 player in 2027, reclassifies to the 2026 class
Bruce Branch III, who was ranked No. 1 in the 2027 class, is moving to the 2026 class, he told 247Sports. Branch is following the...
Sat Nov 22, 2025