Bill Smith story

[ExCuse52]

Don't want to be that guy, but I was on the Hill the same time as Smith. I remember him loudly berating the woman who was in charge of the cafeteria. He just wasn't a nice person.

I grant you that a snapshot of a person isn't the whole person, but, as a short person, I always had a thing about tall people using their sheer physical presence to intimidate others. I saw Smith do that on more than one occasion, at least once on his then girlfriend, who was very petite.

I hate to be the one to tell you, but you are that guy.

 

[ExCuse52]

Nice story by Scott. I wish I had a chance to see him play for Syracuse...

I wish you did too.

 

[ExCuse52]

As a teen he was my favorite player. Skilled and tough as nails. I was at the games mentioned and I had always thought he’d be an NBA all star but as the story said, he tore his knee up.

I appreciate your kind words. Thank you very much.

 

[ExCuse52]

All the scholarship basketball players were housed in Lawrinson dorm back then. Bill Finney used to host some of the other players in friendly card games, and seeing Bill Smith play Indian Head Poker always got me chuckling. The zoo was always rocking and Bill Smith was a big help in raising our profile after some lean years.

Thank you for the recognition. It meant a lot.

 

[ExCuse52]

I not only saw him play, I lived on Lawrenson 11 with him for two years. He was quite laid-back when not on the court. His girlfriend/wife was 4'11" -- a strange looking pair. It too Smitty only about five minutes to teach me how to juggle three tennis balls. I was also there for his 47-point game.

You're welcome!

 

[ExCuse52]

Smith doesn't get talked about often, but my father insists he deserves to be mentioned with Seikaly, Bouie, etc. as the best centers in program history.

He apparently was really, really good -- not just a guy viewed through a historical lens who wouldn't thrive against today's players.

He was ahead of my time, so no memory of him playing -- but I always found that interesting.

You should listen to your father.

 

[bevosu]

You have something mixed up because I was on Lawrinson 11 in 1968-1969 (room 1102) when Smitty and I were both sophs. I was in corner room 1104 in 1969-1970 when we were juniors. Smitty was in the corner room down the hall both years. I lived off-campus in 1970-1971 when we were seniors, so I don't know where he was that year.

I'm pretty sure Smith was living off-campus in 70-71. I had a close friend living in a newer apartment complex on James Street. Smith also had an apartment in the same complex.

I was pretty spaced out during those years...a combo of beer and Mary Jane. I honestly don't remember if that was the exact year. I'll ask my friend and see if he remembers what year it was. Those years were wild times.

 

[TexanMark]

You should listen to your father.

The 1970-71 was the first season I seriously started following the Orangemen. I still remember that 47 point game. Left quite an impression on a kid. IIRC we lost a fairly close game in the first round to Michigan on national TV. I think the game was at UM. Anyone confirm?

The NIT back then was an excellent tournament filled with lots of conference 2nd and 3rd placed teams and high flying independent teams.

1971 National Invitation Tournament - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Symphony Steve]

The 1970-71 was the first season I seriously started following the Orangemen. I still remember that 47 point game. Left quite an impression on a kid. IIRC we lost a fairly close game in the first round to Michigan on national TV. I think the game was at UM. Anyone confirm?

The NIT back then was an excellent tournament filled with lots of conference 2nd and 3rd placed teams and high flying independent teams.

1971 National Invitation Tournament - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Pretty sure it was at MSG. Pretty sure I was there. Was John Orr the UM coach?

Also saw 'em at the Quaker City Classic in Philly. They lost to that Penn team that went to the Final Four. You just didn't beat a Big 5 team with those refs in Philly at the time.

 

[Roger N]

Yep, that was just a couple of years later. Jimmy's older brother Mike, along with Syracuse native Mark Wadach and Smith, were the frontcourt starters for that NIT team.

Wadach was only 6-1, and Lee was 6-3. And they were the forwards.

Wadach, at 6' 1" got called for goal tending in the NIT game.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Don't want to be that guy

Too late.

 

[two3zone]

Love posts like this, I'm 45 and I've lived through some great times but seems like some history seems to get lost not due to anything than it just being a long time ago. Could read this stuff all day.

 

[longtimefan]

Pretty sure it was at MSG. Pretty sure I was there. Was John Orr the UM coach?

Also saw 'em at the Quaker City Classic in Philly. They lost to that Penn team that went to the Final Four. You just didn't beat a Big 5 team with those refs in Philly at the time.

That Penn team didn't go to the Final Four. They were undefeated during the regular season, and won their first 2 NCAA games to reach 28-0. They faced Villanova, whom they had beaten earlier in a Big 5 game, in the Elite Eight. Nova won 90-47. That's right--by 43 points.

That was the Howard Porter Villanova team that lost to the Sidney Wicks/Curtis Rowe UCLA squad in the championship game.

UPenn made it to the FF in 1979 (beating SU on the way), but then got spanked by Magic Johnson and the MSU champs in the semifinal.

 

[Symphony Steve]

That Penn team didn't go to the Final Four. They were undefeated during the regular season, and won their first 2 NCAA games to reach 28-0. They faced Villanova, whom they had beaten earlier in a Big 5 game, in the Elite Eight. Nova won 90-47. That's right--by 43 points.

That was the Howard Porter Villanova team that lost to the Sidney Wicks/Curtis Rowe UCLA squad in the championship game.

UPenn made it to the FF in 1979 (beating SU on the way), but then got spanked by Magic Johnson and the MSU champs in the semifinal.

I remembered them getting smoke by that 'Nova team. Thought it was in the FF. But that was a long time and many chemicals ago...

 

[longtimefan]

Ev

I remembered them getting smoke by that 'Nova team. Thought it was in the FF. But that was a long time and many chemicals ago...

Everything was bracketed by regions in those days; no shipping teams across the country to balance the bracket. So the 2 Philly schools were in the East as the Ivy champ and the leading eastern independent. Plus the FF was set up the same way every year: East vs Mideast, Midwest vs West.

 

[SWC75]

That Penn team didn't go to the Final Four. They were undefeated during the regular season, and won their first 2 NCAA games to reach 28-0. They faced Villanova, whom they had beaten earlier in a Big 5 game, in the Elite Eight. Nova won 90-47. That's right--by 43 points.

That was the Howard Porter Villanova team that lost to the Sidney Wicks/Curtis Rowe UCLA squad in the championship game.

UPenn made it to the FF in 1979 (beating SU on the way), but then got spanked by Magic Johnson and the MSU champs in the semifinal.

I watched the 90-47 game. If you blinked each time the ball reached the basket, you would think it was an even game. Penn shot 20% and Nova 80% and so it was a blow-out.

 

[SWC75]

Ev

Everything was bracketed by regions in those days; no shipping teams across the country to balance the bracket. So the 2 Philly schools were in the East as the Ivy champ and the leading eastern independent. Plus the FF was set up the same way every year: East vs Mideast, Midwest vs West.

I actually liked that better. You established the championship team of each region and the FF was a battle of champions. Regional rivalries could develop. If they'd retained that in to the 80's and 90's, the Eastern Regional would have been a tong war between the Big East and the ACC.

 

[baggerbob]

I actually liked that better. You established the championship team of each region and the FF was a battle of champions. Regional rivalries could develop. If they'd retained that in to the 80's and 90's, the Eastern Regional would have been a tong war between the Big East and the ACC.

But in the early years of the UCLA run they only took conference champions, and a lot of good teams were left out.
Also UCLA usually didn't have to play any good teams until the final four.

 

[longtimefan]

But in the early years of the UCLA run they only took conference champions, and a lot of good teams were left out.
Also UCLA usually didn't have to play any good teams until the final four.

I don't think different bracketing would have made any difference to the Alcindor or Walton teams. The two champions in between would have been vulnerable.

 

[SWC75]

But in the early years of the UCLA run they only took conference champions, and a lot of good teams were left out.
Also UCLA usually didn't have to play any good teams until the final four.

But Wooden was 20-2 in the Final Four so I don't think you can say that they won those championships because of weak regionals.

 

[ar inj]

But Wooden was 20-2 in the Final Four so I don't think you can say that they won those championships because of weak regionals.

I agree they did not win that many because of weak regionals, but consistently weaker regional opponents, which I submit was the reality, significantly reduced the possibility of a loss or an upset before the Final Four. Tougher regional opponents probably would not have materially changed the number of championships or the percentage but may have put a dent in those numbers.

 

[lovehoops]

Bill wasn't as athletic as Seikaly or Bowie or even Schayes. But he wasn't a stiff, either. I think he's important as one of the players who helped transform SU into a credible program. He could have had a long NBA career as a reserve center if he hadn't gotten injured.

BTW, if anyone is unduly underappreciated when it comes to our rise in the basketball hierarchy, it's Roy Danforth. It was fun to see him out there scrimmaging with his players, and his personality played a key role with those overachieving teams.

He did punch the ref. Still got mvp and no charge for the punch. He told me himself. He was my boss in 1981.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Not sure how I missed this thread when it was first posted, but Bill Smith is definitely one of the all-time greats that gets overlooked. He’s right up there with our greatest centers. Lots of great memories of his games when I was a student.

 

[Eric15]

I hate to be the one to tell you, but you are that guy.

Symphony Steve posts that he didn't appreciate Bill Smith physically intimidating a woman and he's "that guy" because of it? I don't usually say things like this but I'm kind of glad you only have 8 career posts.

This kind of goes back to the post I made in the Paterno thread the other day that sports fans strangely make moral exceptions when it's their own player.

I'm sure he matured as he got older, like most people do, but it's safe to say Bill Smith was a great player and also a total lunatic as a younger man.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Symphony Steve posts that he didn't appreciate Bill Smith physically intimidating a woman and he's "that guy" because of it? I don't usually say things like this but I'm kind of glad you only have 8 career posts.

This kind of goes back to the post I made in the Paterno thread the other day that sports fans strangely make moral exceptions when it's their own player.

I'm sure he matured as he got older, like most people do, but it's safe to say Bill Smith was a great player and also a total lunatic as a younger man.

Symphony Steve is a great longtime poster. We may have met once long ago at a board get together somewhere.

From the content of his posts and name, it seems possible that ExCuse52 might actually be Bill Smith. If so, that might explain his response.