Champaign, Ill. – Less than six weeks on the job, new Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has made a major first statement on the recruiting trail with the signing of 6-4 guard Mark Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois) to a national letter of intent. Smith is the reigning Illinois Mr. Basketball – awarded to the state's top player – marking the first time since 2010 that Illinois' Mr. Basketball has signed with the Fighting Illini.
Smith had a phenomenal senior season to take the state by storm, leading Edwardsville High School to a 30-2 record and IHSA Class 4A super-sectional appearance. He averaged 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 2.1 steals for the Tigers. Smith scored in double figures in 30 of 32 games, with eight 30-point performances. He recorded a career-high 45 points in a sectional final win over Ottawa on March 10.
Smith's many accolades garnered this season include Illinois Mr. Basketball, Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, Champaign-News-Gazette Player of the Year, First-Team All-State by the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Champaign News-Gazette and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, Belleville News-Democrat Player of the Year, St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro and Collinsville Holiday Classic MVP.
"We are thrilled to welcome Mark Smith to the University of Illinois family," Underwood said. "This is a big day both for us and for Mark, as he has now achieved the goal of being able to represent his home state by wearing the Fighting Illini jersey. Mark is obviously a talented player, but he will impact our program in many different areas. He is a phenomenal young man of high integrity, he comes from an outstanding family led by parents Anthony and Yvonne, he is committed to performing in the classroom, and he is a great leader.
"Mark has benefited from playing for a top high school team and an elite AAU program, improving to a level where he earned Mr. Basketball status, a tremendous honor with so many great players in our state."
A former division I college baseball prospect, Smith made a rapid ascent up the national recruiting lists after deciding to focus solely on basketball. The four-star prospect is now ranked No. 52 by Rivals, No. 74 by 247Sports Composite and No. 76 by Scout in the top 100 for the Class of 2017.
