Q&A with the Newcomers: Mike Smith

Mike Smith was the Huskers' final signee for the 2005 recruiting class as he inked his National Letter-of-Intent in May. Despite being the last addition to the 2005-06 roster, Smith has made a nice transition into the program over the past two months.

 

A 6-2, 185-pounder, Smith came to Lincoln following graduation this summer from Bronx Regional High School, where he led his team to a 31-2 record over the past two seasons and was selected the Alternative League Player of the Year in 2005.

 

Each week before the start of regular-season practice on Oct. 14, Huskers.com will feature a different newcomer in a Q&A session. We caught up with Smith recently following the team's practice and this is what he had to say:

 

H.C: You graduated in July from high school and almost immediately came to Lincoln. What has been the biggest adjustment for you so far?

M.S.: The biggest adjustment has been getting in the habit of going to classes on your own, being around my teammates and getting adjusted to the Nebraska system, since so many of the things we do are new to me.

 

H.C: What are the differences you’ve seen so far on the court?

M.S.: All the types of defense and some of the offense. Pretty much all of this is new to me but I’m getting the hang of it now. The first few weeks I didn’t really know how to do much, but as we had a few more practices, I started getting more comfortable and trusting my teammates more.

 

H.C: When you came to Nebraska for your recruiting trip, was it the first time you ever flew?

M.S.: Yes.

 

H.C: What were you thinking?

M.S.: I thought the plane would be really tipping when we took off, but it was good. It was like a roller coaster, and I had to chew a lot of gum because my ears were popping.

 

H.C: What sold you on coming to Nebraska?

M.S.: The chemistry between the guys on the team was good. When I was here, everybody felt comfortable with each other and we had a good time. I felt comfortable around the whole team and thought this is the place I need to be. When they told me about the academics, that they have a lot of tutoring and people to help you, I knew this was the place for me.

 

H.C: When you first signed, you sounded really excited. Has it been everything you thought?

M.S.: Yes, it was what I expected it to be. It’s like another level. There’s more running, better drills, more structure. I knew what I had to do and I knew what I was facing, I just have to take on the challenges.

 

H.C: What are the strengths of your game?

M.S.: The strength of my game is probably slashing and getting the ball to people. I need to work on my jump shot and a little on ball-handling. My basketball IQ is getting better here too. I think it may take a little while for me to adapt and show the coaches what I can do, but I think I can be a good player here.

 

H.C: What do you need to do to separate yourself from the other point guards?

M.S.: To tell you the truth, I think I’m good enough to play as much as the other guards, but all three of them ? Jamel, Charles and Marcus ? can shoot really well and that’s something I have to work on. They all have a little more experience than me, but what I have to do is learn more of the game and I’ll be okay. I am a pretty strong guard and I think can be unstoppable at times, but I need to prove it in practice, learn the plays and focus on the court.

 

H.C: How have practices been going with Coach Novsek, who is working with the point guards this year?

M.S.: He is a great coach. He is teaching me better mechanics, and works very hard with us individually. He’s a great coach, and I look forward to him working with me the next couple years to help me learn more about the game and get some playing time.

 

H.C: How would you describe New York City style basketball that Nebraska fans only hear about?

M.S.: In high school, it’s like any other high school anywhere. You run straight set plays and you can’t just run around doing whatever you want to do. You have to make people better, depending on the position you are playing.

 

But with streetball, that is totally different. I know a lot about streetball because I’ve played that my whole life. The crowds are enthusiastic. Basically streetball is a one-on-one game. You want to become a street legend and do what you have to do. You don’t have to feed people the ball or make them better like in high school or AAU. It’s more fancy, dribbling and dunking. That’s what people want to see. It’s just about you.

 

H.C: What are the crowds like?
M.S.: RuckerPark gets hundreds and some times thousands of people. They have NBA Wednesday, and sometimes Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson, Jermaine O’Neil guys like that are there. Once they come, the place blows up. Sometimes people can’t get in the park. I’ve never played in Rucker before but I’m pretty sure after a year here, I’ll be ready to play in there. I’ve played in a lot of parks and tournaments that you probably wouldn’t be familiar with.

 

H.C: Who is the most famous player you’ve been on the court with?
M.S.: My team played against Sebastian Telfair and against LeBron James at IS8. That’s a league in Queens with all the top teams in the area and teams from all over, including prep schools or AAU teams from other states some times. I’ve guarded Andre Barrett who played at Seton Hall and Curtis Stinson obviously.

 

H.C: You grew up in the same building as Stinson. Having played against him, do you think you have an idea of what it will be like in the Big 12?

M.S.: Curtis was back for a weekend this summer and playing a game. I was watching his structure, the way he moves. After being here this summer and playing with this team, I can see what he’s gone through the past two years to get to where he is now. He’s a very smart player and he’s strong. We have our rivalry and he’s a good player, but I think if I can be here for a little while, I’ll catch up to him.

 

H.C: Now for a lighter question. Who will win the World Series?

M.S.: The Yankees, come on. Even if they don’t win, they’ll be the World Champions to me.