It hadn't been an easy couple of weeks around the Missouri basketball program. Saturday, some of those clouds of uncertainty were lifted when Frank Haith and the Tigers picked up a commitment from Shawn Smith.
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A visitor to Columbia during the summer, 6-foot-3 combo guard Jacksonville (Fla.) Providence, decided that there was no reason to hold off a commitment any longer.
"I picked them because I think they fit me well," Smith told Rivals.com. "They recruited me the hardest."
Long-limbed and athletic, Smith is a high-major talent who has shown plenty of flashes. He can be a physical presence with the ball in his hand capable of getting to the rim.
At times, Smith has also shown to be a dangerous shooter and transition playmaker. Now, it's just a matter of putting it all together.
Pursued for some time by assistant coach Isaac Chew, Smith developed a relationship with the entire staff and he feels comfortable putting his future in the hands of the Tigers staff.
"I think I could come in and do what Coach Haith asks of me," said Smith. "Help to become a team to beat."
A three-star prospect, Smith joins a class that already includes North Carolina big man Aaron Scales and junior college frontliner Quantel Denson.
Haith has been under fire lately after a Yahoo! Sports report alleged his former program at Miami committed multiple infractions.