THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606160249
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 64 lines
Joe Smith was at Lake Taylor High and he was ready. Smith had the big smile and the big game Saturday. The only thing missing was Old Dominion's Odell Hodge, Smith's counterpart in the match-up to highlight the opening weekend of the Hampton Roads men's Pro-Am basketball league.
``It wasn't going to be a one-on-one battle,'' said Smith, former Maury High star and forward for the NBA's Golden State Warriors. ``I just wanted to come in and get a good run.''
Smith turned the fizzled hype into a one-man show with 25 points, as his D.J. Music and Video squad beat the Hodge-less Central Fidelity 113-108 in the nightcap before a crowd of 650.
The only time the pair faced off, two years ago in a Pro-Am playoff game, Hodge scored 50 points and Smith 45.
``We recognize that these guys have other responsibilities,'' chairman of the league Wayne Hoffler said. Hoffler suggested that Hodge may have been playing elsewhere.
``Most of the time a guy says he's going to be here, he'll be here.''
From his game-opening basket to blocking Norfolk State's Derrick Bryant's shot to end the contest, Smith was all business - and smiles.
On consecutive possessions in the second quarter, Smith threw down an alley-oop and then a tomahawk jam that pumped up the crowd. The 20-year-old rookie, who is studying sociology at Norfolk State this summer, had five dunks and 18 rebounds. Many of Smith's feeds inside were courtesy of Hagerstown High (Md.) guard Brett Harper.
``We played last year for four games. . . and I knew his game pretty well,'' said Harper, who finished with six assists.
In turn, Harper was the beneficiary of a couple of Smith passes, even if they were not all intentional.
In one third-quarter sequence, Smith, with his back to the basketball, tossed the ball with two hands off the backboard. Harper, soaring like the big men, came crashing in with a two-hand dunk.
``I was off-balance and I just threw it up,'' Smith said, displaying a grin. ``I didn't want to travel.''
While Smith was the only current NBA player in action at Lake Taylor, he was not the only person representing ``the league'' Saturday evening. NBA official Tony Brothers, a Virginia Beach native, was the crew chief of Smith's game.
Brothers officiated some of Smith's games in high school and the former Commodore was stunned to run into the Hampton Roads native in the NBA.
``I never expected to see a guy from here in the NBA,'' Smith said, who finished third in the NBA rookie of the year balloting this season. ``He's a familiar face I can relate to.''
As for the Pro-Am, which was known for its long and rugged contests, the games were reduced from 48 to 40 minutes this season.
``I am glad we got through our first day,'' Hoffler said. ``We look forward to having a very good summer.''
In the opener, A&G Imports defeated Altuf Printers 83-72. James Madison's Clayton Ritter led A&G with 31 points. ILLUSTRATION: B\W photo by Mike Heffner
Golden State Warrior and Maury High alum Joe Smith grabs a rebound
during D.J. Music and Video's 113-108 victory over Central Fidelity
in the nightcap of the Pro-Am opener. Smith finished with 25 points
in the absence of ODU center Odell Hodge. by CNB