No ordinary Joe. (University of Maryland basketball star Joe Smith; includes related article on other quality freshman players) From: The Sporting News | Date: January 31, 1994| Author: Markus, Don | COPYRIGHT 1994 Sporting News Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

He came to the University of Maryland five months ago without much of a reputation or, as is often the case with players overlooked in high school, the slightest chip on his shoulder. On the school's sprawling campus in suburban Washington D.C., he was as invisible as his name.

Joe Smith.

Midway through his freshman season, the 6-foot-10, 220-pound center from Norfolk, Va., has exploded, leaving his anonymity behind. He has gone from relative obscurity to imm...