From both sides of the Braggin’ Rights game to the Big 12, Mark Smith has officially hit 3 of the power 5 conferences during his tenure in college basketball. The Edwardsville, Illinois native was part of the Mizzou Smith trio the past 2 seasons, alongside Dru and Mitchell Smith. With Dru Smith in the G-league and Mitch overseas in Finland, Mark Smith is the last of the trio and is finding success in his covid year at Kansas State. 

Mark, through 13 games this season, is averaging 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists a night. The point totals are similar to Mark’s averages at the University of Missouri. However, the rebounding is a career best and up 5 and a half boards a game from last season. He is currently leading the team in rebounding, which is something unusual for a guard in the SEC. 

One of the reasons for the rebounding numbers is Mark’s crashing tendencies on defense. He takes every opportunity to crash the boards and even snatches boards that appear to be going towards a teammate. Another reason for the inflated stats this season is Kansas State’s big man situation. Bruce Weber starts Kaosi Ezeagu and Ismael Massoud at the forward spots for the Wildcats.

Ezeagu only plays about 15 minutes a night and is not a terrific rebounder. Massoud is 6’9” but plays well outside of the paint in most games. Massoud sees himself as a stretch 4 and shoots on average 4 3-pointers a night. This allows for Mark Smith to have a free run at offensive boards and most defensive rebounds too. 

Overall, the move is working out well for the guard, and Kansas State has played well to start the season. Mark posted his best statline of his collegiate career on New Year’s Day with a 25/16/5 performance against Oklahoma. The Wildcats are currently 8-5 and 10th in the Big 12, so tournament hopes are slim. However, if they can string together some wins versus talented opponents, they may have a chance at an at-large bid.