Catching Up with Forward Evan Smotrycz
7/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 22, 2011
The 2011-12 University of Michigan men's basketball team is built on strong leadership from its captains and will rely on the experience gained by last season's freshmen, like Evan Smotrycz, to help guide another young squad.
Smotrycz took huge strides in his first season as a Wolverine. He started 24 of 35 games and averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the field. The Reading, Mass., native shot 50 percent from behind the arc in the final five games of the season, which included the final conference matchup against Michigan State, two Big Ten Tournament games and two NCAA Tournament contests.
One of two true freshmen to start last season for the Maize and Blue, Smotrycz has a versatile style of play -- playing anywhere from the post to the perimeter -- that has made him a difficult player to defend in the Wolverine frontcourt.
MGoBlue.com sat down for an exclusive interview with Smotrycz to discuss everything from his unique style of play to his love for Boston sports to his actual height, which he insists is no media guide folly.
On using the three-point aspect of his game to his advantage ... "I think it definitely works to my advantage in that I can bring bigger guys out to the perimeter. They aren't used to guarding guys on the wing and at the top of the key, so it opens up the boards and it opens up the lane for other guys to drive and for me to drive. I've been working on my quickness so I can try to use that to shot-fake and get by the defender and get to the rim more."
On adjusting defensive skills to the college level during his freshman year ... "I think during the season it's harder to make bigger changes, but definitely since the season ended I've been working on my first priority, which is getting stronger. Defensive rebounding is a key to defense, and I need to get stronger to be able to chest-up guys and clean up the glass. So I think getting stronger was my main goal, but foot speed comes along with that."
On experience for freshmen from last season ... "The experience was huge. It obviously hurts to lose D-Mo (Darius Morris) -- he was a big part of the team -- but we have so many guys who played and contributed in a lot of different ways, starting or off the bench. I think it will help us in tighter games because we've been there before. We lost a lot of close games, and hopefully it will translate into wins rather than losses."
On summer preparations for next season ... "My first priority was just getting stronger, because I couldn't be playing the four or any position in the Big Ten at the weight I used to be and with the strength I had. So the first thing I did was live in the weight room. Also, I got a lot of shots off and worked on my foot speed so I could take guys out, go by them, and get to the rim more than I did last year."
On confidence and motivation provided by last season's NCAA Tournament bid ... "I definitely think our confidence is high. We don't want to settle, though. People are saying good things about us, but I think it will give us something to work for. No one is happy with just going once. We want to go every year. I know for the freshmen, we don't just want to go our freshman year. Everyone wants to get back there and win more games."
On working with incoming freshmen ... "It's kind of a process because they are still learning how to do the exercises and how we do things here, but talking with the freshmen is a big part of what we do here, our whole team concept. How we go through things, how we motivate each other, I think we are slowly but surely instilling that in them through workouts and open gym, always playing hard and doing things the hardest."
On personal goals for next season ... "Personally, I'd like to shoot the ball better than I have, be top two on the team in three-point percentage. I want to get to the rim a lot more and finish. I want to get to eight-plus rebounds per game, be in the top two in rebounding on the team. Other than that, I want to be a leader, on the floor and off the court and in workouts, too."
On his Boston accent ... "(Zack) Novak wishes he had one. He thinks it's the coolest thing. But people are kind of mad that I don't really have a strong one. Everyone says, 'You're from Boston? Why don't you have the accent?' I lived away in New Hampshire at prep school for two years so I kind of lost it, but when I go home for summer it picks back up again."
On his love for Boston sports ... "It's Title Town over there, we just win all the time. All we do is win. But outside of the Celtics, I like hockey. I played hockey growing up, so obviously I'm a Bruins fan. I'm a Red Sox fan -- they're doing really well right now. Outside of those sports, I like soccer. I don't like the New England Revolution. I don't like MLS, but I like European soccer. I like the Spanish league and the English premier league."
On being given a hard time about height ... "I was just with Bacari (Alexander), and we were in the weight room the other day and I was 6-9 and three-quarters. So I think in the media guide that gets rounded up to 6-10. I was on (Tom) Wywrot a lot about that last year. You know, 6-9? I'd rather have the double digits next to it."
On being the team comedian ... "I don't really try to be a comedian. I'm really sarcastic, so people have a really hard time deciphering when I'm joking or when I'm being serious, so I use that to mess with them a little bit, mess with their heads. They try to tell me I have a Will Ferrell sense of humor. I've just always been a really sarcastic person, I don't know why. I have kind of a dry sense of humor."
2011 Summer Basketball Q&A Series: Catching Up with the Wolverines
• Catching Up with Captain Stu Douglass (7/15/2011)
• Catching Up with Guard Matt Vogrich (7/8/2011)
• Catching Up with Forward Colton Christian (7/1/2011)
• Catching Up with Forward Jon Horford (6/24/2011)
• Catching Up with Forward Jordan Morgan (6/17/2011)
• Catching Up with Captain Zack Novak (6/10/2011)
• Catching Up with Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (6/3/2011)
Contact: Tom Wywrot, Whitney Dixon (734) 763-4423
