Awards

IUB Athletics Hall of Fame - 2017

About Keith Smart

Keith Smart played two years for the Indiana University men's basketball team from 1986-88 and is best remembered for hitting the game winning basket in the closing seconds of IU's 74-73 victory in the 1987 NCAA Championship game in his home state of Louisiana (New Orleans), giving IU its fifth national title. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he overcame great odds to even play basketball at the collegiate level. Smart was only 5-7 as a senior at McKinley High School and was limited to just three games in his final prep season because of a broken arm. He began his collegiate career at Garden City Community College where he gained the attention of the IU coaching staff by earning Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore. He started 52 games averaging 13.2 points as a senior and 11.2 points as a junior. He was named Co-MVP of the team in 1988 and is tied for the IU single-game record with 15 assists which he recorded in an NCAA tournament game win over Auburn in 1987. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors and was later traded to the San Antonio Spurs. Smart has served as a head coach in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings and is currently on the staff of the Memphis Grizzlies.