Maryland basketball legend Joe Smith on Terps' local recruiting, relationship with Williams, Duke and more

The Terps legend, who recently returned to College Park, reflected on a variety of Maryland-related topics.

Jeff ErmannAug 15th, 2022, 2:22 PM

Maryland basketball legend Joe Smith returned to College Park earlier this month for the alumni game against Georgetown. Smith didn't play, but he was invited as a special guest, and the fans at Xfinity Center made him feel like one, he told Etan Thomas of The Basketball News.

"I mean, it's very humbling, man, it's very humbling. I mean, when I first got to the University of Maryland and no one knew who I was, you know, whatsoever. And for me to be able to leave that type of impact and that type of mark in a couple of years, it just shows the type of work that I had to put in, the type of fans and type of appreciation that I got around the campus," said Smith who starred at Maryland for two years in the mid-90s, helping lead the program back to national relevance and becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

"I mean, it just makes you feel good when you're able to come back on campus and receive that type of attention. That type of love from the front of the alumni, from the older alumni, from the younger alumni, from new current students. It makes you feel good."

Speaking of Georgetown, one of Smith's biggest wins came in his career debut, when he helped the Terps upset Georgetown. It was a breakthrough win in Gary Williams' efforts to rebuild the program from NCAA sanctions and the aftermath of Len Bias' death.

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"We felt that in order for us to get some type of respect, that first game of my college career happened to be against Georgetown, but we had to come out there and make a statement. Whether we lost by one or kept it close, but we had to come out there and make some type of statement. We had some guys on the team, we had a young team, we started three sophomores and two freshmen when I got there, so we had a young team," Smith said.

"But we had some guys that can go and some guys that weren't afraid to put it all out on the line. And that's, that's what that game was about. You know, guys putting it all on the line. It went to overtime. The game was back and forth, the momentum kept switching. And it was one of those games where you really had to execute down the stretch and stick with a game plan. And that's what we were able to do. I mean, Coach Williams put us in some good situations down the stretch, and we were able to execute."

More below from Smith on his legendary performance at Duke, his relationship with Williams, Maryland's local recruiting and more:

More on the alumni game

"I got the call, maybe, four weeks ago. He asked me could I come up and so yeah, it was something that they really kind of pretty much threw together and to have the turnout that they had, you know, it was a was amazing. And like you said, the programs, for both programs, the University of Maryland and Georgetown, I think it's something big. Major for recruiting, for building up the programs and being able to get the type of talent, the type of players that we compete against each other. For recruiting to work throughout the recruiting process, kind of gives you the edge a little bit. So, to see games like that, you know, fun games like that, it's always something positive for the younger guys that look up to and see what they can be a part of in the future."

On beating No. 1 UNC with Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse in 1995

"They were very talented. You know, they were picked to win the ACC that year ... And they were running through everybody, you know, and but we felt we could match up good. What we felt good with the matchup that we had with the team that we had, and Keith Booth could match up well with Stackhouse, I could match up well with Rasheed. Duane [Simpkins] can match well with Jeff McGinnis and so forth. So when they came to Cole Field House, we had a lot of confidence. I think we were ranked top-15 at that time. So we felt pretty good about ourselves as well. And that was a year I believe we went undefeated at Cole Field House. So anybody that came to Cole Field House, they had a tough time, you know, walking out there with a victory. So we just put it all together. And then it was always a group effort with us. I mean, I might have gotten a little bit more shine, but it was always a group effort for us. We always did a great job of playing together and sticking together."

On is favorite among the 12 NBA teams he played for

"To be honest, man, I enjoyed every step I made, every step I made there was learning different cultures in different cities and then being in different environments around the country. Not just that, but being able to play alongside so many different guys and being able to see how they prepare, to see what they do before games and things like that. But it was a great experience. Every stop I made was great. I say my best stops was probably Minnesota with [Kevin Garnett]. And I say that because we had chemistry, we had the type of team chemistry, what we did off the court you could tell we carried onto the floor. You know, we'd go out to eat, we'd go out to watch movies, we'd go bowling and things like that. And you know that type of camaraderie, you can see it as we took the floor."

"I loved playing alongside LeBron. I had to chance to play alongside him for two years, two different stints, and probably one of the most, besides KG, one of the most unselfish players that I played alongside, superstars that I played alongside. And he wants you to get better as a player and wants to get the best out of you as well. As much as you would probably want the best out of him. So playing alongside LeBron was a great experience. And finishing off with the Lakers, man, that was my team growing up. Magic Johnson fan. I was a huge Lakers fan and then able to end my career and finish my finish by playing days with the Lakers, man, that wasthe best way I could go out."

On being coached by Gary Williams

"It was great for me, it was great. I mean, I'm kind of a laidback type of guy and he was able to get me fired up ... You have that coach that can put that fire, light that fire upon you. That's something that I admit that I needed at the time as a player, and plenty of other players need that type of coaching. But Coach Williams and I, we have a great relationship. And we've always had one, from the time I first stepped on campus. You know, he's welcomed me there too. When I decided to leave early, we sat down in his office and had a conversation about that, but Coach Williams and I've always had a great relationship."

On telling Williams he was leaving for the NBA

"When he was in his office and he told me straight up, he was like, 'This is the opportunity of a lifetime,' he's like, you know, a lot of people don't get this type of situation. [He said] I know you have a couple more years left, but you don't want to take that risk of being able to be an injured or something happening in that, you know, not able to take that next step to the next level. So he told me straight up there, if that's the decision I want to make, that he will back me in and support me no matter what."

On the DMV's talent

"I've been saying that for years. There's some great talent coming from the DMV area, I mean, all the way down to where I'm from in Norfolk. We, you know, have great talent in that area, all the way up to Maryland. So just to be able to put those guys together and be able to bring a group of guys from the area together, I think it's good to have a start with those two guys. That's a great start. Again, you know, it's kind of a trickle-down effect. You know, once you have two guys from the area that sign with the school and the program, then it kind of trickles down, you start to see more and more, but we have to stay in the area to you know, in order to, I feel we should stay in the area to build our programs and to get get the team going back in the right direction."

More on the alumni game

I thought it was awesome. I thought it was awesome. I really didn't know what to expect. You know, when they called me to come up for it. I really didn't know what to expect, what type of turnout we would have. But when I walked in that gym, man, it was awesome just to see. Standing room only. A lot of Maryland fans, lot of Georgetown fans, they really came out and showed out for both sides. And it was a great, great atmosphere. Man. I think that's something that's real positive, like you said, for the area, for recruiting, for all types of things for the future, the programs both.

On his 40-point performance to win at Duke without an ill Williams in 1995

"It was weird, you know, not having coach Williams on the sideline. But coach [Billy] Hahn, he's one of those fire-starters as well. You know, like, he could get you going. He knows what to say to light that fire up under you. Going into that game on the road, obviously, we were the underdog. But we came out, man, and we were like, I gotta tell people from the beginning of the season, we wanted to go out and prove stuff, had things to prove. We went down to media day, my freshman year, and they had us picked at the bottom of the ACC. They had us unranked. So we came back from there. You know, we felt like we had a lot to prove. My freshman year, man, whoever stepped out on the court against us, they was gonna get our best effort. And down at Duke, it was no different. You know, we stepped out there and they was giving us hell, the crowd was giving us hell, the Dukies. You know, they were all on our necks, but we stuck with it and we were able to come away with the win. But it was a tough game. It was a tough game. I think I ended up with 40 [points and] 20 rebounds that night. But it was a great."

On his game-winning tip-in in that game

"That was just the attitude that I had as a big, you know, when that thing goes up on the rim, get to it before anybody else can. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going after that ball. They had a couple of seven-footers down here but I was still able to, you know, maneuver, never gave up on the play. Kind of got my position in there where I wanted, I kind of felt the rebound was coming, got up off the ground first. But I mean, it was just all about reading and reacting."

On educating players about handling their finances

"Since I retired, you know, I had my struggles about, you know, money, with my financial problems, stuff like that. So now, that's what I'm preaching about. I mean, just from preaching about how to manage your money, how to take care of your money, and how to take care of your finances now and then what you need to do and who you can talk to and things like that. Just trying to keep these guys on the right path financially, because that's something that's one of the biggest things that no one talks about, to the younger guys coming into the league, or the younger guys that's looking to get drafted. Nobody talks to them about their finances. Just as quick as they come, is as quick as they can go. So I try to talk to them. I preach to them about that a little bit more nowadays. Now that have went through some tough situations."

On Maryland's local recruiting struggles over the years

"I wish I could put a finger on it for you. But I mean, it's, I don't know. I've heard it. I've heard it from a lot of people,jJust, probably as many players as you've heard it from, as we traveled through the league and talked to a lot of players. But I don't know. When we first came out, we had three guys from the area. We had Johnny Rhodes, Duane Simpkins and Exree Hipp from the area. Keith and Rodney Elliot came from Baltimore, came from Maryland. So there we go. We did a good job of keeping guys in the area. I'm not sure what happened after that, man. I don't know if we started reaching too far away from the area, stopped looking right there, you know, right there at home? Or what? But I mean, I think we have enough talent in that DMV area to put some good teams together for both Georgetown and Maryland, for both programs. So I don't see why there should be an issue with finding a talented in the area."

On what he's doing now

"Joe Smith Basketball Academy. I'm down here in Georgia, right outside of Atlanta. Doing skills and skill development for kids of all ages. So if anybody's in the area, just holler at me, Joe Smith Basketball Academy on Instagram, just Joe Smith on Facebook -- hopefully you can find it because it's somebody Joe Smiths out there [laughing]. Joe Smith on Facebook, and reach out to me if anybody wants to get trained, I'm looking to get back up there in Maryland area and do more things up there up that way basketball-related so as far as training and skill development, so look forward to putting that out there and getting you guys. Anybody that can't get down here to Georgia, I'll be up in the Maryland area very soon."