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Miner Legend Juden Smith has passed away

Thanks for sharing this 2step. How incredibly sad. We had recently discussed on this forum the 1985 Sun Bowl Basketball Tournament final, where the Miners beat Alabama. That game featured a great battle between Juden and Crimson Tide star Buck Johnson, one that ended in a fight with both players being ejected. Before that happened Alabama jumped out to a huge lead (close to 20 points), from which we battled back to eventually win by 12. After the game Haskins was asked how we came back from that deficit. His answer: "I turned number 21 loose on 'em."

Smith was one of the best athletes I've ever seen in a Miner uniform, and had the absolute quickest first step that I've ever seen from a Miner. He is one of the three best defenders I've seen play for UTEP (the other two were Julyan Stone and Julian Washburn). "The Beast" was a tough player, and a real winner. He will definitely be missed.
 
Man, I remember being a jr high kid listening to every game of the great 83-84 season on the radio with my dad. And going when we could afford it. And same through high school. For me those players were my heroes right up there with Jordan and Bird. Juden, Pony, Jeep, Soup, Lockhart. Legends or me in a more real way than the 66 team since I wasn't alive for that, but I was a young player in jr high and high school so being a Miner was a dream for all of us at that age.
 
RIP Juden Smith! One of the best players to don a UTEP uniform. He was our version of Michael Jordan with his thunderous dunks, alley-oops and clutch shooting. One of the fiercest competitors and greatest athletes during a time period when UTEP basketball was considered one of the best mid-major programs in the country.
 
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