2017 Four-Star Forward Commits To Indiana

On Monday evening, Indiana got some huge news on the recruiting trail and for its 2017 class as the program landed a commitment from forward Justin Smith. It was a pickup that should build an intriguing class for the Hoosiers.

According to 247Sports, Smith is rated as the No. 4 player in the state of Illinois and as a four-star prospect overall. He’s currently listed at 6-foot-7 and 185 pounds and projects as the No. 17 power forward in the nation.

Smith isn’t the five-star that some fans like to see, but his offer sheet speaks for itself. Along with Big Ten attention from programs like Illinois, Northwestern, and Wisconsin, he also had huge offers from Florida State, Stanford, Villanova, and Xavier among others.

With his commitment, Smith joins Aljami Durham as members of Indiana’s current 2017 recruiting class. The class is currently rated No. 32 nationally and No. 6 in the Big Ten by 247Sports, but obviously, there’s still a long way to go before the class rankings become too important.

Smith will likely project to fill in the role for some of the talented wing options currently on Indiana’s roster like OG Anunoby, Collin Hartman, and Freddie McSwaim. With plenty of attrition anticipated next spring, he could be a key piece for Indiana’s future down the line.

There’s certainly a lot of excitement in Bloomington following Indiana’s Big Ten title run last year, but with Smith in the fold, fans have to be really excited about where things are headed in the years to come.