Mr. Basketball is staying in Illinois.
Edwardsville, Ill., standout Mark Smith, a 6-foot-5 guard, committed to Illinois on Wednesday night during a news conference at his high school. The pledge is significant for the Illini, who had two signees _ Jeremiah Tilmon and Javon Pickett _ decommit since coach Brad Underwood was hired in March.
Smith's decision also could be a watershed victory for the program, which has struggled to land top in-state players over the last decade under John Groce and Bruce Weber.
Smith, a four-star recruit who was honored as the state's high school player of the year, is the first Illinois Mr. Basketball to choose the Illini since Waukegan's Jereme Richmond in 2010.
"This gives me the chance to be part of the start of something big and leave my mark," Smith said before removing his Edwardsville pullover to reveal a white Illinois polo shirt and putting on a blue Illini cap.
Smith was a relative unknown outside of the state before his stellar senior season. He averaged 21.9 points, 8.4 assists and 8.2 rebounds while leading Edwardsville to a 30-2 record, drawing late recruiting attention from teams such as Michigan State, Kentucky, Ohio State and Duke.
Before his senior season, Smith's only scholarship offers for basketball were from Northern Illinois, Indiana State and Wright State. He originally intended to play baseball at Missouri before suffering an elbow injury.
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