Michelle D. Smith, Phil Brown Named to 2023 Class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball
1/27/2023 10:54:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
PRINCETON, N.J. — Brown University's Michelle D. Smith '86 and Phil Brown '75 were named members of the 2023 Class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball.
Michelle D. Smith '86
Known as a strong baseline driver and a physical presence under the boards, Michelle D. Smith enjoyed one of the greatest careers in the history of women's basketball at Brown. During her four-year varsity career, Brown compiled records of 12-12, 16-8, 15-11, and 12-14 for a combined 55 wins and 45 losses, including a 31-17 mark in Ivy League play and two Ivy Championships.
In her career at Brown, Smith played in all but one game, seeing action in 99 of a possible 100. As a freshman, Smith came off the bench to average 3.7 points and 3.8 rebounds, while shooting 42% from the field.
Smith's career took off from there. As a sophomore, she exploded onto the scene. Finishing the season by winning 15 of their last 18 games, Smith led the Bears to a 10-2 record in the Ivies and the first Ivy Championship ever for a Brown basketball team. She was named Ivy League Player of the Year in 1984, averaging 20.3 points and 13.6 rebounds, with a field goal percentage of .575 in Ivy play. Overall, she finished the year averaging 16.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, scoring 20+ points eleven times.
Smith certainly didn't let up as a junior, leading the Bears, along with Ivy Player of the Year Donna Yaffe, to their second Ivy League title with a conference record of 9-3. Shooting 57% in field goals, Smith averaged 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds for the season and was twice named Ivy Player of the Week.
Her final season with the Bears didn't disappoint. She capped off a stellar career by leading the team in both points (15.8) and rebounds (9.3), giving her career averages of 13.0 points and 7.9 rebounds.
Smith was a three-time First Team All-Ivy selection at Brown and 1984 Ivy League Player of the Year. Upon leaving College Hill, she ranked third on Brown's all-time scoring list with 1,291 points and second on the all-time rebounding list with 781 boards.
Smith graduated in 1986 with a degree in Organizational Behavior & Management and Afro-American Studies, before a stint in pro basketball with KFUM-Uppsala in Sweden. She was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000 (BIO HERE).
Phil Brown '75
Phillip Brown '75 came to Brown University after an outstanding high school career at Horace Mann School in New York City. "He can be a great one in college," his high school coach said. That's strong praise indeed - but it turned out to be an understatement. When you start searching for the best basketball player in Brown history, Phil Brown has to be given a long look. "I didn't see Harry Platt ('40), Moe Mahoney ('50), or Mike Cingiser ('62)," says former Bruin coach Jerry Alaimo '58, "but for my money, this big fella could be the finest all-around player Brown has ever had."
During his freshman season, Phil Brown was the 6-5 center on an exciting cub group that included Eddie Morris, Vaughn Clarke, Jim Busam, and Lloyd Desvigne. While parading to an 18-2 record that winter, the freshmen five frequently drew more fans than did the varsity games which followed. During Phil Brown's varsity years, the Bears were 14-12, 17-9, and 14-12, and the 30 Ivy League victories over a three-year span are the most in Brown's history.
At the end of his career, the talented center was a two-time All-Ivy selection, was All-New England, and had served as captain of the Bruins in both his junior and senior seasons. He was also named Rhode Island Player of the Year as a senior, a high honor in a state in which Providence College players dominated the headlines. Phil Brown ended with 1,248 points, which at that time made him Brown's fourth-highest scorer. He set both Brown and New England records for field goal percentage and Brown records for rebounding.
He played for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Eastern League, helping his team to two championships in five years and once scoring 58 points in one game. "Phil was the leader to that very talented 1975 group," Coach Alaimo says. "He could shoot, rebound, play defense, block shots. I don't know what else a man can do. And if he had been just a few inches taller he could have played in the NBA."
Phil Brown earned his MBA at the Wharton School. He was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980 (BIO HERE)
ABOUT THE 2023 CLASS
The 16-member class contributed significantly on the court, in the classroom and in life at their respective basketball programs, universities and chosen professions.
Each Ivy League institution is represented by one male and one female honoree, as selected by their university athletic department.
Each legend will be formally honored at the 2023 Ivy League Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments March 10-12 at Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton, N.J. A variety of ticket offerings are on sale now via IvyMadness.com.
BROWN LEGENDS OF IVY LEAGUE BASKETBALL
Smith and Brown are the fifth class inducted into the Legends of Ivy League Basketball. Below is the full list of Brown University honorees (by year).
2017
Jean Marie Burr, Coach (1988-2014)
Earl Hunt, Student-Athlete (1999-2003)
2018
Donna Yaffe, Student-Athlete (1981-85) | Authentic Ivy
Mike Cingiser, Student-Athlete (1959-62) & Coach (1981-1991) | Authentic Ivy
2019
Vita Redding, Student-Athlete (1995-99)
Jim Turner, Student-Athlete (1982-86)
2022
Martina Jerant, Student-Athlete (1991-95)
Mike Waitkus, Student-Athlete (1982-86)
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on Twitter, @BrownU_Bears on Instagram, like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.
Michelle D. Smith '86
Known as a strong baseline driver and a physical presence under the boards, Michelle D. Smith enjoyed one of the greatest careers in the history of women's basketball at Brown. During her four-year varsity career, Brown compiled records of 12-12, 16-8, 15-11, and 12-14 for a combined 55 wins and 45 losses, including a 31-17 mark in Ivy League play and two Ivy Championships.
In her career at Brown, Smith played in all but one game, seeing action in 99 of a possible 100. As a freshman, Smith came off the bench to average 3.7 points and 3.8 rebounds, while shooting 42% from the field.
Smith's career took off from there. As a sophomore, she exploded onto the scene. Finishing the season by winning 15 of their last 18 games, Smith led the Bears to a 10-2 record in the Ivies and the first Ivy Championship ever for a Brown basketball team. She was named Ivy League Player of the Year in 1984, averaging 20.3 points and 13.6 rebounds, with a field goal percentage of .575 in Ivy play. Overall, she finished the year averaging 16.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, scoring 20+ points eleven times.
Smith certainly didn't let up as a junior, leading the Bears, along with Ivy Player of the Year Donna Yaffe, to their second Ivy League title with a conference record of 9-3. Shooting 57% in field goals, Smith averaged 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds for the season and was twice named Ivy Player of the Week.
Her final season with the Bears didn't disappoint. She capped off a stellar career by leading the team in both points (15.8) and rebounds (9.3), giving her career averages of 13.0 points and 7.9 rebounds.
Smith was a three-time First Team All-Ivy selection at Brown and 1984 Ivy League Player of the Year. Upon leaving College Hill, she ranked third on Brown's all-time scoring list with 1,291 points and second on the all-time rebounding list with 781 boards.
Smith graduated in 1986 with a degree in Organizational Behavior & Management and Afro-American Studies, before a stint in pro basketball with KFUM-Uppsala in Sweden. She was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000 (BIO HERE).
Phil Brown '75
Phillip Brown '75 came to Brown University after an outstanding high school career at Horace Mann School in New York City. "He can be a great one in college," his high school coach said. That's strong praise indeed - but it turned out to be an understatement. When you start searching for the best basketball player in Brown history, Phil Brown has to be given a long look. "I didn't see Harry Platt ('40), Moe Mahoney ('50), or Mike Cingiser ('62)," says former Bruin coach Jerry Alaimo '58, "but for my money, this big fella could be the finest all-around player Brown has ever had."
During his freshman season, Phil Brown was the 6-5 center on an exciting cub group that included Eddie Morris, Vaughn Clarke, Jim Busam, and Lloyd Desvigne. While parading to an 18-2 record that winter, the freshmen five frequently drew more fans than did the varsity games which followed. During Phil Brown's varsity years, the Bears were 14-12, 17-9, and 14-12, and the 30 Ivy League victories over a three-year span are the most in Brown's history.
At the end of his career, the talented center was a two-time All-Ivy selection, was All-New England, and had served as captain of the Bruins in both his junior and senior seasons. He was also named Rhode Island Player of the Year as a senior, a high honor in a state in which Providence College players dominated the headlines. Phil Brown ended with 1,248 points, which at that time made him Brown's fourth-highest scorer. He set both Brown and New England records for field goal percentage and Brown records for rebounding.
He played for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Eastern League, helping his team to two championships in five years and once scoring 58 points in one game. "Phil was the leader to that very talented 1975 group," Coach Alaimo says. "He could shoot, rebound, play defense, block shots. I don't know what else a man can do. And if he had been just a few inches taller he could have played in the NBA."
Phil Brown earned his MBA at the Wharton School. He was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980 (BIO HERE)
ABOUT THE 2023 CLASS
The 16-member class contributed significantly on the court, in the classroom and in life at their respective basketball programs, universities and chosen professions.
Each Ivy League institution is represented by one male and one female honoree, as selected by their university athletic department.
Each legend will be formally honored at the 2023 Ivy League Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments March 10-12 at Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton, N.J. A variety of ticket offerings are on sale now via IvyMadness.com.
BROWN LEGENDS OF IVY LEAGUE BASKETBALL
Smith and Brown are the fifth class inducted into the Legends of Ivy League Basketball. Below is the full list of Brown University honorees (by year).
2017
Jean Marie Burr, Coach (1988-2014)
Earl Hunt, Student-Athlete (1999-2003)
2018
Donna Yaffe, Student-Athlete (1981-85) | Authentic Ivy
Mike Cingiser, Student-Athlete (1959-62) & Coach (1981-1991) | Authentic Ivy
2019
Vita Redding, Student-Athlete (1995-99)
Jim Turner, Student-Athlete (1982-86)
2022
Martina Jerant, Student-Athlete (1991-95)
Mike Waitkus, Student-Athlete (1982-86)
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on Twitter, @BrownU_Bears on Instagram, like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.
Mike Martin Media Availability - 12/1/25
Monday, December 01
Men's Basketball 2025-26 Hype Video
Wednesday, November 05
Mike Martin Media Availability - 3/6/25
Thursday, March 06
Mike Martin Media Availability - 2/27/25
Thursday, February 27
