R.I.P. Beaver Smith

[quote="Beast of the East" post=276466]Can someone confirm if he had a twin brother , or if his brother played at Siena. Working off old information and one conversation.

I believe Smith was listed at 6'4 but was actually 6'2. I also vaguely remember that Searcy would wear 7 pairs of socks, for what benefit I don't know.

Also, did Smith ever win the award as the best college player in the Metro area. Again, a vague recollection.[/quote]

He was never a Haggerty Award winner, mostly because his junior and senior years lined up with Phil Sellers of those great Rutgers teams. He took the award in both '75 and '76.
 
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I was there in the student section behind the basket. Usually had the first or second row but MSG sold those at full price I think, because of Indiana. From what I recall, there was bad call (of course) against us with about 2 minutes to go that ruined our chances. Then we got to play them in the NCAAs. At Notre Dame. Athletic Department ran a student bus directly there from what I can remember. That was a long ride, about 15 hours. We then proceeded to get smoked by 20.

Beaver's time at SJU coincided with mine so it's pretty sobering to hear of his passing. RIP.
 
Sad to hear this. I have two memories. I was about 10 or 11 years old my basketball team got to play at halftime of SJU game. I think it might have been his last game at Alumni Hall. I remember the crowd giving an ovation for the Seniors. The second was when I was playing in High School. Beaver Smith was running some kind of business selling sports action photos. Each member of the team took pictures. I remember thinking that was pretty cool meeting this former college hoops star. I wish I could remember more.
My condolences to his family. I will say a prayer for him today.
 
[quote="fan since 65" post=276470]I was there in the student section behind the basket. Usually had the first or second row but MSG sold those at full price I think, because of Indiana. From what I recall, there was bad call (of course) against us with about 2 minutes to go that ruined our chances. Then we got to play them in the NCAAs. At Notre Dame. Athletic Department ran a student bus directly there from what I can remember. That was a long ride, about 15 hours. We then proceeded to get smoked by 20.

Beaver's time at SJU coincided with mine so it's pretty sobering to hear of his passing. RIP.[/quote]

I think you are referring to a steal at midcourt where the ref called a foul, I believe, on John Farmer. Too bad Steve Honzo wasn't the ref.
 
RIP Beaver. Used to jump center for us, and had to guard players a lot taller. I was a regular at games back then. Was so excited about the arrival of Beaver and Frank Alagia that I hung out in Alumni Hall all day waiting to see both in an early season practice. Beaver was also a very good passer. He was the master of the look away pass.
 
[quote="Ray Morgan" post=276474]RIP Beaver. Used to jump center for us, and had to guard players a lot taller. I was a regular at games back then. Was so excited about the arrival of Beaver and Frank Alagia that I hung out in Alumni Hall all day waiting to see both in an early season practice. Beaver was also a very good passer. He was the master of the look away pass.[/quote]

Memory is hazy on this, but were they the last players recruited by Frank Mulzoff?
 
[quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=276442]Difficult to believe it was 45 years ago, but still remember the many articles in NEWSDAY about Beaver (South Side H.S.) and Frankie Alagia (St. Agnes).

Arguably, this was the Golden Age of Long Island high school basketball.

When Coach Carnesecca was able to sign both guys it was like winning the lottery.

I trust that Chris, his staff and the entire team (as well as all senior athletic department leadership) will be attending the service on Thursday.

A Top 50 player in the history of St. John's basketball.[/quote]

My bad.

It was Frank Mulzoff who recruited and signed Beaver and Frankie.

They played for Frank (who recently passed away) as freshman.

Frank resigned on March 12, 1973, two days after SJU lost to Penn 62-61 in a first round NCAA contest.

Coach Carnesecca coached Beaver and Frankie their last 3 years at St. John's
 
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I remember getting on a bus real early in the morning for that Penn game; it was at William and Mary in Williamsburg VA. Same day trip. At the time, they used a Native American image since they're called the Tribe. They weren't too happy when we came into the arena with that image that some of us "borrowed" from their football stadium. Hey, we were young...
 
Great pic! That’s the Beav I remember. One of the greatest Johnnies. Thanks Paultz.
 
R.I. P.
I only saw him play in his junior and senior year at St. John's as I was in the military prior but the first Madison Square Garden game I attended when I returned to New York City was the game against Indiana. We gave them quite a battle but we were a very small team.
 
One of the great basketball nicknames of all time. I'm not sure if there has been any before or after, watching this guy sky above the rim was worth the price of admission. HIs given first name hardly mattered. Beaver Smith along with a small host of others were front and center of a cadre of great, tough, NYC area basketball players who stayed home and became household names to SJU fans.
 
[quote="fan since 65" post=276470]I was there in the student section behind the basket. Usually had the first or second row but MSG sold those at full price I think, because of Indiana. From what I recall, there was bad call (of course) against us with about 2 minutes to go that ruined our chances. Then we got to play them in the NCAAs. At Notre Dame. Athletic Department ran a student bus directly there from what I can remember. That was a long ride, about 15 hours. We then proceeded to get smoked by 20.

Beaver's time at SJU coincided with mine so it's pretty sobering to hear of his passing. RIP.[/quote]
Believe Alagia got mugged coming across 1/2 court and no call. Indiana got ball and that was all she wrote.

Most vivid memory of Beaver was the 2 man game him and Alagia would run. Beaver giving Alagia ball at top of key, circling behind the defense and receiving an alley oop foe a roof raising dunk.

Also recall Bernard King elbowing Beaver when he clamped down on defense.
 
[quote="Section3" post=276515][quote="fan since 65" post=276470]I was there in the student section behind the basket. Usually had the first or second row but MSG sold those at full price I think, because of Indiana. From what I recall, there was bad call (of course) against us with about 2 minutes to go that ruined our chances. Then we got to play them in the NCAAs. At Notre Dame. Athletic Department ran a student bus directly there from what I can remember. That was a long ride, about 15 hours. We then proceeded to get smoked by 20.

Beaver's time at SJU coincided with mine so it's pretty sobering to hear of his passing. RIP.[/quote]
Believe Alagia got mugged coming across 1/2 court and no call. Indiana got ball and that was all she wrote.

Most vivid memory of Beaver was the 2 man game him and Alagia would run. Beaver giving Alagia ball at top of key, circling behind the defense and receiving an alley oop foe a roof raising dunk.

Also recall Bernard King elbowing Beaver when he clamped down on defense.[/quote]
Bernard a Vol.
 
[quote="Paultzman" post=276516][quote="Section3" post=276515][quote="fan since 65" post=276470]I was there in the student section behind the basket. Usually had the first or second row but MSG sold those at full price I think, because of Indiana. From what I recall, there was bad call (of course) against us with about 2 minutes to go that ruined our chances. Then we got to play them in the NCAAs. At Notre Dame. Athletic Department ran a student bus directly there from what I can remember. That was a long ride, about 15 hours. We then proceeded to get smoked by 20.

Beaver's time at SJU coincided with mine so it's pretty sobering to hear of his passing. RIP.[/quote]
Believe Alagia got mugged coming across 1/2 court and no call. Indiana got ball and that was all she wrote.

Most vivid memory of Beaver was the 2 man game him and Alagia would run. Beaver giving Alagia ball at top of key, circling behind the defense and receiving an alley oop foe a roof raising dunk.

Also recall Bernard King elbowing Beaver when he clamped down on defense.[/quote]
Bernard a Vol.[/quote]
Scott May perhaps
 
[quote="Paultzman" post=276516][quote="Section3" post=276515][quote="fan since 65" post=276470]I was there in the student section behind the basket. Usually had the first or second row but MSG sold those at full price I think, because of Indiana. From what I recall, there was bad call (of course) against us with about 2 minutes to go that ruined our chances. Then we got to play them in the NCAAs. At Notre Dame. Athletic Department ran a student bus directly there from what I can remember. That was a long ride, about 15 hours. We then proceeded to get smoked by 20.

Beaver's time at SJU coincided with mine so it's pretty sobering to hear of his passing. RIP.[/quote]
Believe Alagia got mugged coming across 1/2 court and no call. Indiana got ball and that was all she wrote.

Most vivid memory of Beaver was the 2 man game him and Alagia would run. Beaver giving Alagia ball at top of key, circling behind the defense and receiving an alley oop foe a roof raising dunk.

Also recall Bernard King elbowing Beaver when he clamped down on defense.[/quote]
Bernard a Vol.[/quote]
Yes, when Bernie and Ernie visited Alumni Hall along with another local boy Irv Chatman.

Edit: I changed games on you. Lol
 
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RIP Beaver, great rebounder, I was too young to have seen him play but did meet him in the late 90's. I think he may have been a security guard at SJU at the time. My friend and I bumped into him fishing at a pond in Nassau County.

Also great job by the University honoring Beaver Smith on their website.

In the Norm era they failed to do the same thing when Sergio Luyk died of cancer at age 36.
 
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Very sad news. Was a classmate of mine. Condolences to his family and friends. RIP.
 
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