Smith Off Wooden List

Maryland All-American Joe Smith this week had his name withdrawn from consideration for the 1994-95 John R. Wooden national Player of the Year award by university officials for academic reasons, the chairman of the award’s executive committee said.

According to Duke Llewellyn, the decision came after Maryland assistant athletic director Dr. Javaune AdamsGaston, citing the Buckley Amendment privacy law, told him that the university could not provide a letter confirming that Smith had maintained a 2.0 (or C) gradepoint average through the fall semester.

Maryland Athletic Director Debbie Yow said that Smith, a sophomore, is “in good academic standing at Maryland and with the NCAA.”