The Rafters, Class of 2010: Doug Smith

Doug Smith (1987-91, 6'10, 220)

Alright, back to the REAL Rafters inductees.  If Steve Stipanovich wasn't the best big man in Mizzou history, it was this guy.  The second Smith inducted in this class, Doug was the best of the Motown Tigers, displaying a diverse and athletic game that both got his number retired and hung in the REAL rafters, and got him drafted sixth in the 1991 NBA Draft.  Big men aren't supposed to be this athletic, and players aren't supposed to pass up potential millions in the pros to come back to school and play one more season for a team on postseason probation.  Doug Smith was, and Doug Smith did.

Michael Atchison: A starter and double-figure scorer his first two seasons, 6’10" Detroit native Doug Smith erupted as a junior. In the process of leading the Tigers to a Big Eight championship and the top of the national polls, he was named Big Eight Player of the Year, won the league scoring race, earned second team All-America honors, and blistered Nebraska for 44 points (the second highest total ever by a Tiger). Despite the lure of the NBA – and an NCAA investigation-turned-probation for the Tigers – Smith returned for his senior season and won his second straight Big Eight Player of the Year award and another scoring title (averaging 23.6 points and 10.4 rebounds), in addition to yet more All-America recognition. In his last hurrah, he propelled the Tigers to the 1991 Big Eight Tournament title, capturing MVP honors with 92 points and 30 rebounds in three games, a sweet cap to a season marred by the NCAA's post-season ban. Doug Smith closed his career as the only Tiger ever to collect 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. A truly dominant interior player, Smith ranks second in points scored (2,184) and rebounds (1,053), third in blocked shots (129), and fourth in steals (178) in the first century of Missouri basketball.