Tony Smith was not only one of the finest athletes to ever attend Tosa East, but he was also one of the most coachable, according to Coach Jim Rebholz. He was both a star on the basketball court and an incredibly unselfish team player. Smith led his basketball team to an undefeated regular season, a first place state ranking, and a runner-up finish at the state tournament. Individually, Smith made 1st Team All-State, UPI, and WCA. Over the course of Tosa East’s history, he holds the record for most field goals in a single season (213) and ranks 3rd for most points in a single season (500), 5th for total career points (1,006), 14th for most points scored in a single game (31), and 10th for most offensive rebounds in a single season (73). Tosa East retired Smith’s basketball jersey number, 34, in honor of his astounding achievements. In addition to his feats on the basketball court, Smith was also a phenomenal track athlete. He won back-to-back state championships in the triple jump and finished 3rd at state in the 110-meter hurdles. He also helped lead his team to back-to-back conference championships. Following graduation, Smith went on to play basketball for Marquette on a full athletic scholarship; he was inducted into Marquette’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. After graduating from Marquette, Smith was drafted into the NBA as the 24th pick of the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers and went on to have an extremely successful professional basketball career.
