2017 G Mark Smith of Edwardsville (Ill.) has seen his recruitment skyrocket, and Northwestern is in the thick of things.
Story: Smith a hot commodity ($)
Story: Smith a hot commodity ($)
NU in the thick of things with 2017 G Mark Smith
- Thread starter lou v
- Start date
I'm far from a H.S. basketball talent evaluator; but Mark Smith's "highlight video" appears to be primarily against mediocre or less competition. Hell, IMHO, virtually every defensive player Mr. Smith faces one-on-one at the top of the key or somewhere beyond the 3-point arc exhibits a defensive style reminiscent of a traffic cone. Not one defender reacts to Smith's telegraphed initial 1st step in every drive to the hoop recorded on the videotape. If those same defenders are from high quality competitive b-ball teams from Peoria or the Chicago public leagues, then I'd say there's something to Smith's ability to induce a hypnotic trance on these opposing players where they don't move their feet AT ALL when he takes his initial step. Mind you, this video does show Smith's talent to leave these lesser players eating his dust; but then again I for one need more convincing as he faces stronger, more obviously talented defensive competition.
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Well, he did put up 37 points against Jordan Goodwin's team earlier this year, so he has faced some top-tier competition and had success.
I think he looks pretty darned good... though I'm not a HS basketball talent evaluator either.
I like what I saw and think he would be the first guard off the bench for NU next season.
Given that BMac and Lindsey will start again next season, you think he is better than Brown and Gaines?
He is a tweener small forward / lead guard. Looks like he would be a great fit. Ball skills, decent shot and size to bang inside.
What NU really needs is a purer 4 to replace Lumpkin and my guess is that will come in the form of a transfer.
I would think that Collins is looking to Smith or Duke to pair with Gaines. Would be a nice back court. Watch out for Indiana here as Crean is looking for a point guard and Bloomington is not too far from Edwardsville.
What NU really needs is a purer 4 to replace Lumpkin and my guess is that will come in the form of a transfer.
I would think that Collins is looking to Smith or Duke to pair with Gaines. Would be a nice back court. Watch out for Indiana here as Crean is looking for a point guard and Bloomington is not too far from Edwardsville.
IU is already over their scholarship limit in 2017 by 2. They have 1 senior (Collin Hartman) and have 3 guys signed to LOIs in the 2017 class. Obviously, Bryant will go into the draft, freeing up 1 scholy. Crean would have to Crean 2 more guys to be able to take Smith. Could happen, but more likely that NU gets him.
Don't look at the competition, WB. Look at the player and the skills he shows. First, he's got a heck of a body for a HS junior. Look at him compared to a BMac or Lindsey when they were that age -- heck, compare him to them now. He's got a good handle for a 6-4 kid. He's got some explosiveness off the dribble and in his leaping ability. He showed the ability to finish through contact at the rim. He also has a pretty effortless stroke -- 3s were no problem. He's definitely a plus athlete and a Big Ten-level player in my eyes. I can see why the big boys are flocking to him.
Yes. I thought very quick first step and good handles going to the hole. A couple nifty spin moves that few could pull off. The strength in finishing through contact was noticeable. As was the finishing ability around the rim, and the outside shooting stroke, including from well beyond the arc. They didn't show much other than scoring though, aside from 10 or so passes to mostly open teammates, though 1-2 of those he showed nice vision on. Would think he slots into something like the Scottie Lindsey role though if he were to come to NU.
Don't know much about Gaines but yes, I think he would get more minutes then Brown, who I see as more of a situational player, shooter and spark plug.
You may be right. But I think Isiah will make a big jump having seen how hard it is to play guard in the Big 10. He will slow down and figure things out and be significantly better next year.
I think he looks like a great player. Great mechanics on his jump shot and decent elevation, fast release. He looks to possess the ball skills to play point guard and would have incredible length for the position at 6'5", definitely has the potential to be a plus defender. His elevation for his size isn't great but it isn't bad either, it looks like he may struggle finishing against longer shot blockers at the college level, he may have to develop a floater or learn how to seek contact and draw fouls.
It's tough to say from a recruiting ranking perspective without watching him live; if I'm assuming he's a strong defender then I think he would compare to point/combo guard recruits in the 100-130 ranking range.
It's tough to say from a recruiting ranking perspective without watching him live; if I'm assuming he's a strong defender then I think he would compare to point/combo guard recruits in the 100-130 ranking range.
I wouldn't write off brown just yet. I think he could develop into a great starter for us as he continues to learn the offense and keeps his effort up on defense.
What I like most about his game is his ability to draw fouls, not only at the rim but also on the drive; he knows when he has his defender out of position and seeks out the contact. To put this into perspective: McIntosh has attempted 52 free throws in 665 minutes and Brown has attempted 54 free throws in 302 minutes. This type of nose for fouls can take years for a guard to develop if they ever figure it out; the fact that Brown has that ability as a freshman is pretty incredible.
The best thing about Brown is that he is fearless. He knows he can score, and once that is balanced by experience at the Big 10 level, I believe he will be an outstanding player for NU.
No? Not at all, I said I liked him based on little to no skill or knowledge of evaluating HS bball prospects.
Wait..... you list him as a 2017 player. Doesn't that make him a senior in these clips?
Smith is a top 50-65 talent. IMHO. Has the tools and skills to be an immediate impact player next year. Brown is the kind of player every team needs....especially off the bench. One cool customer....who feels certain he will make every shot. And who is unafraid to make plays.
Getting Smith for next year would be huge.
GOUNUII
I don't think Crean believes in scholarship limits. I fully expect him to Crean guys.
We have two power forwards waiting in the wings for next year in Falzon and Ivanauskus. Do we need another? I think a center is a higher priority.
While Falzon and/or Ivanauskus will likely make much bigger offensive contributions next year than we got out of Lumpkin this year, but I don't know that either could replicate his defense and rebounding (which have been pretty important).
The scouting report I saw on Rap is that he has the potential to be a very good defender. I agree that he's likely not going to be strong enough next year to guard some of the bigger 4's and he's not as quick as Sanjay but Rap does have 3 or 4 inches on Lumpkin and that can make up for some of those issues. Looking at the players on the bench, Rap is definitely the second tallest player on the team. That should definitely help on the boards and I hope he can block a few more shots as well. Even in today's game, being 6'9" and fairly mobile gives him an advantage over most players. I am hopeful that his shoulder will heal in time for him to have an extended period of weight training.
You can't teach hustle. Although I still think we add more than we lose next season. Lumpkin is great and I don't necessarily see anyone replicating what he does, but after adding Falzon, Rap and Gaines as well the growth of returning players, I think the team will be even better.
At this juncture, it would be a wild guess and I wouldn't sit on Brown.
Even as a frosh, Brown has attacked the basket and made circus shots despite plenty of contact from larger defenders which I haven't seen from the likes of Law and Lindsey, as well as juke a defender so badly that he had tons of room on a step back jumper.
Expect Brown to make a major step forward w/ a year under his belt.
Henricksen has a nice write-up on Smith...
http://www.suntimeshighschoolsports...ot-mark-smith-edwardsville-no-longer-unknown/
Smith is a different type of player and with a different look. He’s a very versatile guard, though maybe not the typical creating, break-you-down point guard with a burst off the dribble when projecting him to the highest level. But he takes care of the ball and has high-quality passing instincts.
His size allows him to see the floor while his strength allows him to take a bump on the perimeter, get where he needs and finish at the rim. He has a nice blend of power and finesse for a guard, which you see with one of his rollicking, full-court, to-the-basket transition baskets or a down-the-lane drive.
Plus, he has sneaky athleticism off the floor. You don’t expect his big body to get off the floor the way it does and finish with a dunk.
But the area Smith starts to really intrigue you with is his potential as a shooter. He elevates nicely off the floor on his jumper and the mechanics are pretty sound. He can shoot it with range or beat you with a much-improved pull-up jumper off the dribble.
Why is everyone sleeping on Brown? He's gonna be the first guard off the bench, just as he is this year.