How Illinois commit Mark Smith went from potential MLB draft pick to big-time college hoops recruit

Posted May 8, 2017
Mark Smith had his future all mapped out. As a high school junior, he committed to Missouri to play baseball as a right-handed pitcher with a fastball sitting in the low 90s. If he continued to improve his velocity and command, there was reason to believe his big 6’5, 225-pound frame could make him an MLB draft pick before he ever arrived on campus. (SB Nation)

Related: College Basketball Recruiting

Arkansas' John Calipari watches 5-star SG Jordan Smith Jr. Thursday night
Arkansas head coach John Calipari is currently in to watch five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. tonight at the Bass Pro Shop Tournament, a source...
Sat Jan 17, 2026

Bass Pro Tournament of Champions: Stars from the classes of 2026 and 2027 shine
The third quarterfinal of the night featured Principia from St. Louis and local program Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo. Led by Wake Forest bound four-star guard Quentin...
Sat Jan 17, 2026

How AJ Williams, Colton Hiller and other top 25 recruits in Class of 2028 are performing this season
Georgia is home to two of the top five players in the sophomore class. AJ Williams of Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) is the...
Fri Jan 16, 2026

Top-ranked 2027 recruit CJ Rosser schedules visits to Kentucky, Louisville
The top-ranked high school junior in the country will make his way to Lexington soon. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, 6-foot-9 power forward CJ Rosser...
Fri Jan 16, 2026