CHAMPAIGN — Mark Smith's commitment to Illinois in April 2017 was a watershed moment.
Illini coach Brad Underwood was on the job a month when he was forced to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Michigan State, Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State in the final stage of Smith's recruitment. The blue bloods put on late pressure, but Illinois prevailed.
That Smith picked the Illini also made him the first Illinois Mr. Basketball winner to do since Jereme Richmond in 2010, while the winners in between chose UConn, Stanford, Duke (three times), Villanova and California.
Just less than 11 months later that bright moment for Illinois basketball has turned.