Paul Smith is part of the 2018 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction class. The class will be inducted at a banquet on Sat., Jan. 27.

All Paul Smith knew about Wichita State came from a friend. That was all he needed.
 
"If you can't trust your friend, who can you trust?" Smith said. "I wasn't even really looking to go to college. It all happened pretty quickly."
 
From a conversation and recommendation, Smith flew from New Zealand to Wichita in January 1980, following friend and countryman Steve Guy to play tennis for coach Rex Coad.
 
"I left about 85 degrees and I remember driving up 13th St. and it was about 20 degrees," Smith said. "I didn't have any winter stuff. It snowed one day in 19 years growing up."
 
Neither the new surroundings nor the new competition kept Smith from shining immediately. He started a landmark career that included winning the 1983 ITCA National Indoor Doubles Championship and a semifinal berth in the NCAA Nationals doubles tournament – both with Roberto Saad - and eight Missouri Valley Conference championships.
 
Coad had never seen Smith play. Just as Smith relied on Guy's recommendation regarding Wichita State, Coad relied on word of mouth to recruit Smith. In the early 1980s, college tennis programs were just beginning to recruit overseas and Wichita State jumped ahead of the game.
 
"In those days, you made some phone calls and you contacted some people," Coad said. "It did not take very many phone calls to find out he was an exceptional talent."
 
Coad got Smith to Wichita in about two weeks. His first look at Smith on the court proved his background work correct.
 
"It took about 30 seconds watching him hit the ball," Coad said. "Paul has a lot of finesse and he's extraordinarily accurate. Very much a shot-maker."
 
Smith, a member of the MVC All-Centennial team, won four MVC singles titles and qualified for the NCAA singles tournament in 1983. His doubles partnership with Saad produced his biggest moments. Nobody was sure if the partnership would work because of their different personalities and styles. Even when it worked, Coad wasn't sure if it would continue.
 
"It was always a challenge," he said. "It was a really unique situation. They're just so different."
 
On the court, Smith and Saad blended perfectly. Smith played with calm and composure, always on target and willing to set up Saad to best take advantage of his power and emotion. Smith played at the net and made every shot. Saad possessed the big serve and the big forehand.
 
"It worked well because we were so different," Smith said. "Often in doubles, opposites do attract. The opposition can't get into any rhythm. His strengths and my strengths weren't the same."
 
In 1983, Smith and Saad (also a member of the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame) went 37-2 to earn All-America honors, a run highlighted by the ITCA title and the NCAA semifinal berth.
 
"It was just magical," Coad said. "(Smith) has a sixth sense about how to play doubles. His skill set allows him to set up his partner and take full advantage of his particular skills. He was Mr. Consistency. Roberto was the firepower."
 
Smith continued to play tennis after college, rising to No. 1 rankings in his age group three times in the United States and playing internationally around the world. He coached World Team Tennis for 13 years. He currently works as a tennis director and instructor.