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USF's Peter Smith to Wear Phil Smith's No. 20 Jersey
June 8, 2009
(San Francisco) - Sophomore guard Peter Smith will pay tribute to his father, former USF All-American and NBA standout Phil Smith, by wearing No. 20 for the 2009-10 season as announced today by Dons men's basketball head coach Rex Walters. It marks the first time in school history, a player will be wearing a number officially retired by the program.
A USF Legend of the Hilltop and Hall-of-Famer, Phil Smith scored 1,523 career points at USF (18.1 ppg) and as a rookie helped the Golden State Warriors to their only NBA Championship in 1975. Phil Smith passed away in 2002 after a courageous battle with cancer.
"Peter Smith has been a great addition to our basketball program," Walters said. "Talented, Hard Working, Unselfish, are some of the words that come to mind when thinking of him. This year Peter will be wearing the uniform of one of the all time greats here at USF, his father Phil Smith. We are proud of these USF Dons."
Peter Smith was on hand when USF retired his dad's No. 20 February 17, 2001 at halftime during a home game against San Diego and welcomes the opportunity to honor his father.
"It's exciting to be playing at the same school my father did and now to be wearing his number, it's truly an honor especially because he accomplished so much even though he was a walk-on," Smith said.
Phil Smith is one of only five men's basketball players - Bill Cartwright (24), Mike Farmer (17), KC Jones (4) and Bill Russell (6) - to have his number retired by the University of San Francisco. He was named one of the Top-50 WCC athletes of all-time in 2001.
Peter Smith emerged late in the season as a factor for the Dons and scored a career-high 21 points in a win at Pepperdine (2/28/09) and was honored with two team honors - the Phil Smith Most Improved Player Award and the Art Zief, Jr. Inspirational Player Award. A standout in the classroom, Peter Smith posted a team-high 3.81 GPA in Business.
