Former Kansas State guard Mark Smith is MVP of college all-star game at men’s Final Four
Mark Smith ended his college basketball career in style ahead of the Final Four.
The former Kansas State and Missouri guard was named MVP of his team at the Reese’s Division I men’s College All-Star Game on Friday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
His West team, coached by Mizzou’s Dennis Gates, was unable to beat the East and lost 115-103, but that didn’t stop Smith from having a standout performance. He flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in just 23 minutes of action.
Smith, a 6-foot-4 guard from Edwardsville, Illinois, was selected to play in the game after he averaged 12.7 points and 8.4 rebounds on his way to third-team All-Big 12 honors this past season as a member of the Wildcats.
He was at his best as a rebounder. Smith became the shortest player to lead a power conference in rebounding, while he finished second in the Big 12 in double-doubles.
His 260 rebounds as a “super senior” were the most at K-State since Michael Beasley set the school record with 408 in 2008.
Smith was the first K-State player to participate in the Final Four all-star game since Barry Brown three years ago.
Shortly after the game ended, Smith shared a message on social media that thanked his supporters at K-State for making his lone season in Manhattan a memorable one and also made it clear that he will pursue a professional basketball career now that his college eligibility has expired.
A strong showing during his final game as a college player might help him along the way.
This story was originally published April 2, 2022 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Former Kansas State guard Mark Smith is MVP of college all-star game at men’s Final Four."