Blog with Bryan Smithson

After a rocky start on Tuesday night vs Tusculum we pulled out the win.  They pretty much controlled the whole first half and had a 33-32 lead with 45 seconds to go.  I hit a three pointer, they went down court and turned it over and KJ found me for a deep trey at the buzzer and I knocked it down.  So we had a 38-35 lead at halftime.  The second half we took a 14-point lead midway through but they chipped away and got it within 3 points.  I hit a couple jumpers and Sean Smith and KJ garland both hit 3 pointers and we pulled away and got the win. I finished with 26, 5asst, 4stls. Tusculum was a good team that wasn't very athletic but very solid defensively and disciplined offensively.  They caused us some problems with their offense because in absence of 7ft 8in Kenny George (sore foot--nothing serious) they were able to spread us out and we had to be extremely disciplined on the dribble drive for the first time all season.  Usually when you have a guy who is blocking 8 shots in 16 minutes of play you get used to overplaying and forcing the dribble to the paint.  Although we missed him, it helped our team tremendously because we really had to buckle down and play defense by eliminating penetration which will make our team that much better when Kenny returns.

My hand definitely started feeling better during the game last night and it almost didn't hinder my play at all.  I did throw up an airball in the first half because I couldn't get a feel on the ball with the tape on my hand ( Or maybe I just launched it -lol).  But on a serious note my hand is much better and I went to the doctor today and he said I could play with no tape on my hand if I felt okay about it.  So, Ill slowly start taking the bandages off one by one and hopefully Saturday I will be "tape free".  Right now my concentration is on polishing my game and getting my mechanics back to a professional level 

We are going to Blacksburg, VA on Friday afternoon to play Virginia Tech Saturday night.  They have started off well and have a decent record as of right now.  I have been unable to see them play yet but I am looking forward to watching them this evening at 9:30pm on ESPN2.  This will give me a better idea of their team instead of relying on stats and articles.  I know they are very young, but very talented.  We are older and more experienced throughout the top 8 with a lot of talent in the backcourt.  After I see them play I will try and update my blog to give a little insight on what I saw. 

Posted by bryan at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was great being back in uniform and not in a tie for the game on Saturday afternoon.  And what a game to come back to !! This had to have been one of the most exciting college basketball games in the nation yesterday.  We started out pretty quick and grabbed an 8-2 lead in the first couple minutes.  They made their way back and actually took as much as a 14 point lead with 2 minutes to go in the first half.  I was able to hit a three pointer, I got a steal for a lay-up, and drove to the basket and got fouled at the buzzer for 2 successful free throws.  This cut the lead to 37-32 at half time.  We started the 2nd half off good and took the lead after a couple minutes of play.  There were several lead changes all the way down to the last second of regulation.  Both of us had a chance with 1 second left to win the game and both teams were unsuccessful.  In overtime, we took a 5 point lead with 2 minutes left but they hit a three and cut the lead to 2.  We went up 4 and they cut it to 2 with a mid range jumper.  This is where things got interesting.  They gave their point guard the ball and isolated him and i at the top of the key, he attempted to drive me to the basket but i beat him to the spot and he pushed off which resulted in a charge.  9 seconds left on the clock and our guy traveled on the inbounds pass (ran the baseline).  They ran a successful baseline out play and laid it in the goal.  Tie game ! 6seconds left.  We then turned the ball over again on the inbounds pass and they laid it in the goal  - 1 second left. Down 2.  No timeouts so we heaved a half courter that fell short.  I have never been so heartbroken after a regular season loss as I was with this one because we had the game won and we gave it away.  However, it is important for us to learn from our mistakes and make improvements.  We have a lot of room to improve and this is one of those unfortunate things that had to happen in order for us to clean up the little things before we get into the meat of our schedule.  I would have rather won and learned another way though ! The most important thing right now is getting ready for our next game on Tuesday vs. Tusculum college.

AS for my injury-- It took me a couple minutes to get in the flow of the game and to get used to the wrap I had (on my shooting hand).  After those few minutes I was back to normal and didn't even think about my wound.  Although, I am sore today. I will be keeping a close eye on my hand to make sure everything is right and it keeps improving and healing.  I also want to recognize what a great job KJ has been doing for our team especially during the time of my absence.  He hit some big shots for us all game on Saturday

Posted by bryan at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I couldn't have felt better being on the sideline then when we were leaving Campbell last Saturday with a win.  The team has really come together and although I hate being injured I think that it has brought us closer as a team and some guys have really stepped up to compensate for my abilities.  We got down by as many as 12 at Campbell and were able to really buckle down and we ended up with a 24 point swing as we took the lead by 12 in the second half.  Kenny George completely dominated the game in the middle and guard KJ Garland completely controlled the pace of the game.  However, there wasn't much time to celebrate as the team traveled to Western Carolina on Tuesday night.  For all those who don't know this is a rival because we are both schools in the same mountains.  They are a very solid team but again, we were too much for them as we led the whole game from the 19 minute mark.  The crowd wasn't great @western because of the Thanksgiving break so this played in our favor.  What has pleased me the most is the fact that we have 2 road wins against 2 good teams and this says a lot about our team's mentality at this time in the year.  Everybody is pretty excited about the quick start and now it is about to get better because this morning at 930 am ----I was CLEARED TO PLAY !!.  The Doctor took the stitches out of my hand and it was slightly open because the laceration was so severe but he put some butterfly bandages on it and said I need to keep it protected as much as possible.  But the important thing is he said it cant get worst so "go for it".  I have already been in the gym a couple times today.

I am extremely excited to rejoin my team and help continue to this winning streak against East Tennessee State this Saturday (especially bc I am tired of running suicides by myself to keep in shape!!).  ETSU is a very good team and we had problems with them last year as we traveled to Johnson City and we lost by 8. They were trapping our wings on the first pass and it gave us some problems because our experience on the wings was lacking.  They have some good guards that love to shoot it (whether they make it or miss it they are going to shoot it), but we have one of the most underrated backcourts in the country when you look at #10(me) and #2(KJ) in our lineup.  We need to have good ball pressure and make them take contested shots.  On offense we need to handle ball pressure and be patient within traps and make ourselves available to teammates when they get trapped.  This is an athletic team who loves to run but is also pretty good in the halfcourt setting so defensive principles are important.  Though this is our toughest test yet, I like our team going into this game and I am looking forward to contributing in any way I can.   

Posted by bryan at 06:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am having a tough time with my injury and that is no secret.  Inside I feel like I am being cheated out of games that I deserve.  However, I cannot be negative for a variety of reasons.  One, my team needs me now more than ever because I am not able to physically help them I have to be there for them when they need direction or advice-because I have been through the fight.  We are 3-0 right now and we are going to Campbell tomorrow for a game on Saturday.  In preperation we had practice tonight at 8pm and that is where I can't let my emotions get in the way of what is best for the team.  Training my mind to be positive is tough when I look down and see my hand wrapped up with limited movement.  I push through it though and play through my teammates who have been there for me during the difficult time.  Also, I am aware that it could be much worst and from the drastic improvements I have already made I am looking to recover even faster than expected.  One thing for everybody to remember is when times get tough,  keep a good attitude because that is the only way you will be able to stay motivated in all aspects of life and not cheat yourself out of any one-time opportunities that may arise when your not ready for them!

As for Campbell on Saturday: They are a pretty tough team that is coming off of a loss to our conference foe, Coastal Carolina.  It was a  close game throughout but in the end Campbell could not stop the perimeter shooting of the Chanticleers.  After watching film on Campbell, I am able to see that they love the three point shot in transition, and they are not very good against the dribble drive. If  we can get back on defense and matchup quickly we will eliminate their numbers in transition.  Exposing their perimeter defense in order to create open jumpshots will spread the defense and put big Kenny George (7'8 360lbs) in a position to isolate in the post where they stand no chance in this world !  I will do my best to contribute from the sideline - but I will be ready to play Campbell when they come to Asheville in a couple weeks!

Posted by bryan at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So we started off last friday with our regular season opener vs. Furman. We jumped out to an early lead and pretty much led throughout the whole game by 10 points.  They made a run in the last couple of minutes where they just hit everything they threw up but we took the hit and pulled out a three point victory.  I finished the game with 24 points off of 8-13 from the field and 5-6 from the 3pt line.  my shot felt good.my conditioning felt good, and as a team we executed well.  I also added 4 rebounds 2 assists, and a steal.  However, they had me down for 4 turnovers and this is definitely misleading because 2 of the turnovers were when i got knocked to the floor and they didnt call a foul but instead a travel and also I made asteal one time and saved it to a teammate who wasn't able to hold onto the ball and they counted that as a to but not a steal??? So thats that and regardless of how the turnovers were recorded that has to be cut down and I realize that.  Overall it was a great win and my teammates did a great job getting me open off screens. 

On saturday we had a light practice and i spent the whole day getting my body ready for sundays game vs. Lees Mcrae (DII).  I started the game off well and scored on a drive with my left hand.  We had the lead the whole game but at around the 7 minute mark of the first half things crashed down for me when i had a one on one fast break and attempted a nice dunk from the left side with the right hand.  My opponent attempted to block the dunk but was nowhere near high enough and so he hit my arm as hard as he could which flung my hand ackwardly into the rim.  The ball bounced off the back of the rim and I  made my way to the free throw line to shoot 2 when my teammate Garrett Moles said "B look at your hand" So I lifted my hand to look and flung blood everywhere.  my hand right between my index and mid fingers all the way down past my knuckles was split wide open.  There was a ton of blood because I cut through several veins but luckily i learned from my several doctors appts. that there has been no severe tendon damage and it is not a season ending injury.  I am working as hard as i can to get my fingers to loosen up and typing is proving to be a tough challenge rght now.  But we did win the game and followed this win with another win vs. Brevard by 40 points where I was not able to dress out.  

With all that said, I cant express the emotions i felt leaving the game not knowing what would come of my last season, but i do know that i will be back asap and until then i will be working on my left hand and my lower body conditioning so i do not get to behind.  Thanks to everyone for their support and get well wishes!! 

Posted by bryan at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I just finished up my last practice of the week and it went pretty well.  We had a good overall week with a scrimmage (blue vs. white) yesterday with refs.  We played six- 6minute segments with different rotations and coach changed up the offensive and defensive sets.  I played well and my team won every segment with the exception of 1.  I shot a high percentage from the field and had several assists, a few rebounds, steals, 1 turnover, and I went 4-4 from the charity stripe.  (I haven't been able to see the stat sheet yet).  Before practice today, I went to the gym early to watch the film of the scrimmage and to critique my game and find areas that I could improve in.  One constant that I saw was when I was playing defense off the ball sometimes I wouldn't be as low as I should in order to react quicker-- so I tried to focus on that in practice today.  Our first game is Friday vs. Furman and I want to give my team the best chance possible to win the game so I need to do a lot of little things like that (staying low) that do not make it to the stat sheet. 

So I went out to eat with my brother last night and while waiting for a table I saw a big UNCA basketball fan, that attends every home game, at the resteraunt. After talking to him for a couple minutes he proceeded to tell me something that really made me happy.  He said how impressed he was with the way I have carried myself off the court as of late and that he can tell I have made it a priority to act in such a way.  I thanked him and it was really good to hear, but I cannot take all the credit for this.  I have to give some to Coach Dave Thorpe---executive director of professional basketball training @ IMG and basketball analyst for ESPN.com.  .  The first time I worked out with Dave it was not unusual for him to be yelling "be a pro" during the workouts.  I thought this was just his way of motivating, but when I got the chance to sit down with Dave to have a conversation he really stressed to me how important it is to carry myself like a "pro" on and off the floor.  He harped on this and told me how I will be giving many first impressions in the next year and that it is important to make the most of it on the court and from an image standpoint.  Not only that, but he said its just the right thing to do!!  It was a long weekend when I was down there last and the days are hectic so I had some facial hair growing in and Dave suggested that I should keep a clean shave at all times because that is being  professional.  Though it seems nit-picky, when I really thought about it ---- He couldn't be more right.  He covered from dress, attitude, being approachable, hygein, speech, etc. and I took his words and ran with them.  Dave's basketball knowledge is limitless just like many other high profile trainers, but this is how he seperates himself from the pack because he goes beyond on-the-court training- which speaks for itself.  This is why guys like Kevin Martin, who is a class act (Sacramento Kings), pay him big bucks to be a trainer for them year round.  So, I say this because Coach Thorpe is the reason I just recieved a great compliment from a dedicated fan and it proves that his approach isn't crazy but it is very effective. He has been great for my growth and understanding of the "big picture." Oh and I am clean shaved now---(well not all the time- but don't tell coach Thorpe)

-- There are some new videos up on the page now ! 

Posted by bryan at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)