COLLEGE BASKETBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NATION : Smith, Sampson Get Honors From AP

Maryland sophomore Joe Smith and Oklahoma’s Kelvin Sampson were honored Friday by the Associated Press as the national college basketball player and coach of the year.

Smith, who will receive the Adolph Rupp Trophy, is the sixth sophomore to be so honored in the 35 years of the award and the first since Shaquille O’Neal of Louisiana State in 1991.

The 6-foot-10 Smith was selected Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year after averaging 20.8 points and 10.4 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field as the Terrapins finished in a four-way tie for first place.

Smith was followed in the player-of-the-year voting by Ed O’Bannon of UCLA, Shawn Respert of Michigan State, Jerry Stackhouse of North Carolina and Damon Stoudamire of Arizona.

Previous sophomores to win the award were Lew Alcindor of UCLA in 1967, Bill Walton of UCLA in 1972, Mark Aguirre of DePaul in 1980 and Ralph Sampson of Virginia in 1981.

In his first season at Oklahoma, Sampson, 39, led the Sooners to a 23-9 record and into the NCAA tournament, where they were upset by Manhattan in the first round.

Following Sampson in the voting were Jim Harrick of UCLA, Richard Williams of Mississippi State, Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, Gary Williams of Maryland and Steve Lappas of Villanova.

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Dick Bennett, 51, who developed Wisconsin Green Bay into an NCAA tournament competitor, became Wisconsin’s coach, succeeding Stan Van Gundy, who was fired after less than a year on the job and a 13-14 season.