The center of it all

Hawkeye Tangela Smith leads Iowa into Tournament

In the world of college basketball, it's typically about the hype. It's about who can get on national television and make Dick Vitale say, "Awesome, baby" the most.

But in the Big Ten, it's often the unknown player who grabs the attention.

"Tangela Smith, I'm telling you, is the Big Ten Player of the Year," said Minnesota coach Cheryl Littlejohn.

Smith, a 6-foot-4 senior from Chicago, has carried a struggling Iowa squad back from an awful non-conference start to a No. 1 seed in this weekend's Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament. Although the rest of her teammates struggled throughout the season with injuries, Smith developed into the steady force the Hawkeyes needed, averaging a team-high 18.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. But Smith said some of the credit should go to her teammates.

"It feels great to have all of our players back," she said. "We have so many good players. If it wasn't for my teammates, I wouldn't get the ball."

Smith, noticeable on the court with her James Worthy-like goggles and big kneepads, has raised the level of her play throughout the last three years. Last year, Smith played a key role in Iowa's run to the Big Ten Tournament, averaging 11.3 points and 6.2 boards per game. In the conference tournament, Smith turned up the heat, averaging 17.3 points and eight rebounds and helping the Hawkeyes capture the championship.

The beginning of Iowa's season was a tough road. Top-ranked teams like Connecticut, Louisiana Tech and Vanderbilt each put a hurt on the Hawkeyes, who were without stars Angela Hamblin and Tiffany Gooden. Smith responded during the conference season, scoring in double figures in all of Iowa's 16 Big Ten games and in 23 of Iowa's 25 games during the entire season.

"She has a great attitude, she's bright, and she doesn't make mental mistakes," Wisconsin coach Jane Albright-Dieterle said. "She scored 34 points against us. I think that was the worst we defended anyone all year, but I think it was more her than us."

Iowa stayed relentless throughout the season, going 13-3 in conference play, including a big win against then-No.8 Illinois on Jan. 30. Smith paced the Hawkeyes with a 16-point, nine-rebound performance. That win was important at the time because it kept Iowa alive in the hunt for a NCAA berth. In retrospect, that win gave the Hawkeyes the Big Ten regular season championship as Illinois struggled in the final two weeks of the season. The win also helped Iowa to a first-round bye in the conference tournament, and perhaps an easier way to an automatic berth to the Big Dance.

"I'm glad that we don't have to play four games like last year," Smith said. "We don't have to feel pressure this year."

As for player of the year, Smith knows the votes will be very close between Berggren, White and herself. Looking at the big picture, she's just happy her team is on a roll going into March Madness. But she knows talk can easily turn to hype.

"I think that would be a great honor for me and the team," Smith said. "I don't know. I think Berggren should get it. It could be either one of us."

Again, it's all about the hype.