NCAA Basketball Recruiting: 2022 4-star wing Colin Smith releases top-10
By Ian Mumm
8. Illinois Fighting Illini
Head coach Brad Underwood helped steer his team to an excellent season anchored by NBA Draft entrants Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn. However, it was the overall depth of the roster, as a result of strong recruiting success, that helped to drive this team towards his final standing in 2020-21. The Illini have begun to garner a reputation for landing high-end talent combined with the ability to see their development through.
The on-court fit for Smith is very strong in that regard. He brings the typical physicality accompanied with Big Ten play while adding to the offensive versatility that Illinois has traditionally carried on the wings. Yet Illinois has managed to create quite an overall sense of depth across all positions and could present as an issue towards Smith seeing the floor early.
7. Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas made drastic on-court improvements last season under 2nd-year head coach Eric Musselman. The Razorbacks improved from 10th to 2nd in conference play and made it all the way to the Elite 8 during March Madness. Thanks to Musselman’s mix of transfers and incoming recruits, the program formed a good balance of experience with youthful talent. The same goes for this summer as Arkansas has reeled in several notable backcourt players this offseason.
These transfers carry good size for the most part and will make it harder for Smith to become a true small forward with the Razorbacks’ current roster. However, there is room for him to join the rotation as a more versatile frontcourt piece that can space the floor and knock down the 3. It follows the line that Indiana transfer Justin Smith was able to carry out last season, albeit with much less perimeter success. The likelihood Colin Smith will end up here is more so dependent on proximity to home and how many of the current transfers decide to stay with the program after next season.