Former Missouri Basketball Guard Willie Smith Named 2024 SEC Legend
Willie Smith was named Missouri's representative for the 2024 SEC Legends class, the conference announced on Wednesday.
Every year during the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, one great from each of the 14 member institutions of the SEC is honored as a member of that year's class of legends. Each legend is honored at halftime of his or her respective school's first game of the tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
The 1976 Big Eight Player of the Year led the league in scoring with 25.3 points per game, a Tiger record, and logged 783 total points, the second most in a season in MU history. Smith led Mizzou to its first conference championship in 46 years and first Elite Eight appearance since 1944.
Smith finished his two-year Mizzou career with 1,387 points in just 58 career games, which currently places him top-20 in school history and the most ever by a two-year player.
The 1976 All-American was selected in the second round (18th overall pick) of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He spent four years in the NBA each with different teams—the Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Smith's No. 30 jersey was retired by Mizzou in 1991, and he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
2024 Allstate® SEC Basketball Legends
Alabama – Richard Hendrix
Arkansas – Derek Hood
Auburn – Cliff Ellis
Florida – Taurean Green
Georgia – Rashad Wright
Kentucky – Orlando “Tubby” Smith
LSU – Darrel Mitchell
Ole Miss – Dwayne Curtis
Mississippi State – Timmy Bowers
Missouri – Willie Smith
South Carolina – Joe Rhett
Tennessee – Chris Lofton
Texas A&M – Elston Turner
Vanderbilt – Frank Seckar
