March Madness
WILMORE, KY—While American basketball fans take in intense buzzer-beaters, surprising upsets, monumental victories and bittersweet defeats during this year’s March Madness, Asbury College will celebrate victories of our own.
Steve Smith ’77, head coach of Oak Hill Academy, just completed a 40-1 season, earning USA Today's No. 1 ranking for the 7th time. Smith, who has coached the high school basketball powerhouse for 22 years, has racked up more than 680 wins and produced some of the country’s most outstanding basketball players including Jerry Stackhouse, Rod Strickland, Carmelo Anthony and Ron Mercer. His former student-athletes have gone on to play for some of the winningest teams in the history of NCAA basketball including the University of Kentucky (No.1), University of North Carolina (No. 2), Duke University (No. 4) and Syracuse University (No. 6). They have captured NCAA National Championships and played for the NBA. Steve Smith’s twin brother is Rev. Stuart Smith ’77, associate dean of campus ministries at the College.
Will Shouse ’02 is the first-year men’s basketball coach for Kentucky Christian University. He took his team to NCCAA Division II National Championship where they finished third. Shouse received the Region Coach of the Year award.
Jason Seamands ’96, first year girls’ basketball coach for Lexington Christian Academy, just won the Kentucky Girls’ State Tournament.
Tim Glenn ’93, assistant boy's basketball coach for Scott County High school, just won the Kentucky state title as well.
As fans tune into watch the No. 1-seeded University of North Carolina, Asbury College’s JV men’s basketball isn’t likely to forget taking on the Tarheel JV team in January and at one point leading the game. The varsity men's team finished the year 22-10 and were named Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) co-conference champions. The women’s team had a 13-win season, winning their first-ever KIAC Tournament game.
If you know of other Asbury connections, please let us know.
Released: March 22, 2007
Tagged: steve-smith, mens-basketball, march-madness, breaking-news and alumni
