The Final Four of the 2005 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held in St. Louis this weekend at the Edward Jones Dome.
Through the history of the Final Four, basketball players from the St. Louis metropolitan area have played key roles in helping their respective teams reach the apex of college basketball. Throughout the month of March, the St. Louis American has taken a look back at some of the talented area players who were fortunate enough to compete in college basketball’s greatest spectacle.
This week, the American features former Alton High basketball standout Larry Smith.
This weekend’s Final Four will feature the University of Illinois, which brings a 36-1 record and the nation’s No. 1 ranking to St. Louis. It marks the school’s first Final Four appearance since 1989.
Coach Bruce Webber’s 2005 edition of the Fighting Illini has been constantly compared to the 1989 Illinois team that reached the Final Four in Seattle. That 1989 team featured a group of versatile, athletic clones in the 6’5″ to 6’6″ range that earned the nickname the “Flying Illini.” Until this season, the 1989 team was arguably the most celebrated team in the 100-year history of Illinois basketball.
The “Flying Illini” caputured the nation with its teamwork, tenacious rebounding and ridiculous feats of athleticism around the basket. Most of the top players on that 1989 team were from the Chicago area, but the one player from the St. Louis area on that team was Larry Smith, a smooth 6’3″ combo guard who starred at Alton High for four varsity seasons.
When he entered Alton High, Smith was following in the large footsteps of his older brother John Smith, who was a star at Alton from 1977-80. Smith carried the family mantle nicely as one of the top players in the state of Illinois during his career. Smith joined the likes of East St. Louis Lincoln’s LaPhonso Ellis, Vashon’s Anthony Bonner and Beaumont’s Craig Upchurch as great players from that time.
Smith was capable of scoring 20 points on any given night, but he was also a skilled passer and ball handler who would get his teammates involved. Smith earned All-Southwestern Conference, All-Metro and All-State honors in Illinois in 1986.
“I think Larry was the best player ever to come out of Alton High,” said Alton Telegraph sports editor Steve Porter, who has covered athletics in the Riverbend area for more than three decades. “His brother John may have been a better shooter, but Larry was a great all-around player. He could do it all.”
Smith signed with the University of Illinois where he joined a star-studded group of athletes from the state. He joined a nucleus of players that included Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, Marcus Liberty, Lowell Hamilton and Stephen Bardo to put together that special 1988-89 season.
Smith spent his high school career as a scorer, but his role changed in college to that of a point guard and distributor. On a team full of potent scorers, Smith became a valuable backcourt reserve for a great team.
Despite not being a starter, Smith averaged five points as a junior for a team that finished 31-5, won the NCAA Midwest Regional and advanced to the Final Four in Seattle. Smith scored seven points off the bench in Illinois’ 83-81 loss to Michigan in the national semifinals in the Kingdome.
After sitting out the 1990 season, Smith closed out his career at Illinois with his most productive season as a collegian. Smith averaged 13.6 points and registered a team-high 144 assists to help lead Illinois to a 21-10 record. He was also second on the team in steals with 42.
