Greg Smith (40) was a senior on the Caldwell County Tigers' 2nd Region championship team in 1964.
Princeton native Greg Smith has been chosen for the 2023 Class of the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame.
The KHSBHF announced the 14 members of its newest class on Tuesday.
Smith played in back-to-back Sweet 16s. Teaming with his older brother Dwight, Greg Smith helped Princeton Dotson win the 2nd Region championship in 1963.
Greg joins Dwight as the only brothers to be inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame.
After consolidation closed the Dotson High School in 1963, Smith spent his senior season at Caldwell County, helping the Tigers win their only 2nd Region championship in 1964.
Smith was named to the all-state tournament team as Caldwell reached the quarterfinals before falling to Butch Beard’s Breckinridge County squad 61-58.
Smith was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2nd Region Tournament that season.
Established Caldwell single-game rebounding record with 37 boards (21 offensive) in an 88-63 win over Madisonville Rosenwald on Feb. 14, 1964.
Greg scored 390 points in 24 games for Caldwell County as a senior for a 16.1 points per game average.
He is the only Caldwell County player to have his jersey retired.
After graduation, Greg joined Dwight at WKU. His career there garnered him two Ohio Valley Conference titles and NCAA berths, two All-OVC Team selections and an eight-year NBA career.
Greg Smith played on the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks NBA championship team alongside NBA legends Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Oscar Robertson.
Other 2023 inductees include former players Wayne Golden (Louisville Shawnee High School), Ronnie Daniel (Louisville Shawnee High School), Ervin Stepp (Phelps High School), Craig Eversoll (Warren Central High School), Brigette Combs (Whitesburg High School), Patty Jo Hedges-Ward (Louisville Western High School), A’dia Mathies (Louisville Iroquois High School), Charles Hunter (Ralph Bunche High School), Jerry Eaves (Louisville Ballard High School) and Jack Fitzpatrick (Somerset Dunbar High School).
Former coaches on the list are Tim Mudd (Elizabethtown High School girls), John Burr (Columbia High School/Adair County High School boys) and Chris Renner (Louisville Ballard High School boys).
This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony will be held Aug. 12 at the State Theater in Elizabethtown.
4 Responses
I am so happy for Greg Smith. I remember when Greg and his brother Dwight played at Western with Clem Haskins. Great players.
This is way Overdue
With you Jimmy. Greg Smith was special
Offensive goal tending gave him problems in those days. Dunking and 3’s were not allowed, and he was always above the rim!! Great, great player on the ’64 team: a center who ran the floor better than point guards, and caused me to watch from the bench!!