When one hears of a blue-uniformed quintet known as the Fab Five, often what comes to mind is a notorious college basketball team from the early ’90s at Michigan.

However, the Fab Five at DePaul is not found on the court, but in fact just beyond the bench. The Fab Five is how DePaul women’s basketball star senior Khara Smith refers to her five younger siblings that inhabit part of Smith’s personal cheering section at DePaul home games. And of course, just as the original Fab Five had a coach, this Five’s leader is Smith’s mother, Gloria.

Syracuse will visit Smith and No. 16 DePaul tonight at 8 in Allstate Arena.

Gloria is often heard encouraging her daughter from the crowd. She will even holler at the other players to feed Smith the ball when her daughter is in a groove. Smith’s siblings often parade signs that warn the other team of the ‘Beast from the East.’

‘They’ve always been there for support,’ DePaul assistant coach Sarah Kustok said. ‘And she’s glad to hear they’re behind her.’

The achievements Smith has accumulated over the years makes her more than worthy of her own cheering section. She dominates the DePaul record books, recently becoming the all-time leader in rebounds. Last year, she was named to the Conference USA all-decade team. Currently, she is a candidate for the John Wooden Award for national player of the year.

‘All the accolades and skills she has and the leadership she brings are so important,’ Kustok said. ‘She’s such an intelligent person. She brings so much to the team.’

Family has always been an integral element of her development into a basketball star. In fact, Smith might never have achieved her success in basketball if it was not for her cousin, Charlene. Since Charlene, just a year older than Smith, and Smith lived together, the two developed a close relationship.

They would engage in never-ending games of one-on-one. Smith used her 6-foot-2 frame to post-up, and Charlene used her quickness to drive by Smith. This match continued back and forth without resulting in a clear winner, just plenty of practice.

Smith was a varsity player her freshman year at Proviso West. Charlene, also a varsity member, made Smith a fiercer player. The pair would later reunite at DePaul, where they became a prolific duo with a vibe for each other was on the court.

However, Charlene’s career at DePaul ended when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament early into her senior season. Though disappointed, Smith assumed the role of leader with Charlene cheering for her alongside the Fab Five. The transition to leader seemed natural to Smith, thanks in part to her big family.

‘Coming from a large family, you learn to lead by example,’ Smith said. ‘And people are always looking up to you.’

Though Smith developed her basketball skills more on her own, her father, Ken Norman, who spent 10 seasons in the NBA, certainly was helpful to have around. He especially came in handy during the recruiting process.

Since he had already experienced the overwhelming process, Norman helped his daughter learn the ropes of the NCAA system. In fact, DePaul head coach Doug Bruno had attempted to recruit Norman to Loyola at Chicago. Norman chose Illinois but 18 years later, Bruno was able to snag Smith for the Blue Demons.

But in the end for Smith, it was a simple decision.

‘It was close to home.’ Smith said. ‘And they wanted to spend $25,000 on me and give me a free education.’

When a guest first walks into Gloria Smith’s house, they are immediately reminded of who was raised there. All the awards that Smith has won through the years decorate the room. They range from watches earned in high school from a letter that announces her qualification for the USA Olympic team.

DePaul’s game against Syracuse will mark Smith’s final home game. She tries not to think about graduation or the option of the WNBA Draft, taking everything one day at a time. The Fab Five, though, will not be ignoring the significance of tonight’s game. The quintet is designing T-shirts for the family members attending the game. Each shirt will have its own message to honor Smith to make sure her last home game is one she will never forget.

‘Honestly, I’m going to hate (Smith’s DePaul career coming to an end),’ Gloria Smith said. ‘I want to watch all her games again.’

Published on February 27, 2006 at 12:00 pm