EDWARDSVILLE — Spring and change are often times synonymous. Last spring brought major changes to Mark Smith's life.
An arm injury kept Smith off the baseball field in early spring. A return to the grassroots basketball circuit with Ramey-Jets United was, at first, a way to stay active while his arm healed.
But by late May, Missouri baseball coach Tim Jamieson had resigned. Unable to pitch and facing the prospect of restarting his baseball recruiting, Smith committed fully down a different path.
Smith's de-commitment from Missouri baseball during the summer was met with a barrage of mid-major basketball offers the same day.