Slow down, John Groce. According to the Mac Irvin Fire Twitter account, 2017 forward Justin Smith has received an offer from Illinois Basketball--it's at least the third scholarship that program has dished out this afternoon. Smith, who's from Lincolnshire, IL (Stevenson), is listed at 6'7, 185 lbs. and has garnered interest from Wisconsin, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Northwestern.
#MacIrvinFire 17u 6'7 G-F Justin Smith (Class of 2017) just received offer from Illinois. #Illini #ShowAndProve #NikeEYBL
— Mac Irvin Fire (@TheMacIrvinFire) April 27, 2015
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Smith attends Stevenson high school and was teammates with Villanova signee Jalen Brunson this past season; the duo led the Patriots to a Class 4A IHSA State Title.
In addition to Smith, the Illinois coaching staff has also expressed interest in fellow class of 2017 stars Christian Negron, DaMonte Williams, Nojel Eastern, Jeremiah Tilmon, and Alonzo Verge. For more on the program's 2017 recruiting targets, check out our Illinois Basketball Scholarship Grid.
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