Blog with Bryan Smithson

If you are a UNCA or a University of Tennesee basketball fan you already know the outcome of our matchup in Knoxville.  The game was broadcasted on regional television and turned out to be rather entertaining after a sluggish start by our team.  We got down 31-11 early and by as many as 25 before waking up and playing basketball.  We got the game down to 7 points with a couple minutes left to go but just couldn't hold off one last run by Tennessee, maybe because of the several missed layups we had on our end.  I got pretty hot from the floor and recieved my 4th fould when I stole the ball from their point guard, Howell.  I have to say that it was a clean steal, but I guess since the refs didn't know me on a first name basis (as they did with the UT players) it was a foul. However, I don't want anybody to think that I am complaining about the officiating because I got my fair share of calls as well.  Actually, I went to the line 11 times and that makes me feel pretty good considering my focus during my individual training has been on body control and getting into my defender to create more contact.  Since the Va Tech game I have been to the line 22 times and averaging just over 7 attempts per game which is an improvement. 

After the UT game I was able to go home to GA for a couple days where I was in desperate need of relaxation and recovery.  My hands have been injured --- damaged tendon from early season injury, sprained middle finger, sprained thumb, deep bruise on left palm, and deep bruise on right palm.--- The two palm injuries came from the UT game when I went to dunk on a backdoor play and was undercut by my opponent and came straight down on both palms.  Therefore, this break came at a good time because I could give nagging injuries such as these a rest.  I got to hang out with my mom and brother, and saw my Dad on Christmas Eve.  It was also very exciting to see all my old friends back home.  Some of them are the same and partied the whole time and some of them have grown up a lot.  I have other things on my agenda so I kept it chill. ( I STILL LOVE YALL THOUGH)  I made it to the YMCA a couple times to stay active, but didn't do anything too demanding.  Just kept my core active and did some cardio on the treadmill.  Overall, it was a great trip home and productive from a recovery standpoint.  O and I got an XBox 360!

I am now back at school, and have practiced 3 times in the last 24 hours in order to get ready for our Saturday afternoon game with Buffalo.  I have been in the gym a lot getting my touch back on my shot and handle and expect to get a good win tomorrow afternoon. 

Posted by bryan at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We got another home win tonight over a quick and athletic South Carolina State team.  We traded baskets with them through the first couple minutes before we went on a nice run and pushed the lead to 23-9.  I had 7 points that sparked this run.  Coach B started rotating the guards a good amount, possibly looking for that next piece to the puzzle and we kind of broke rhythm, and South Carolina State crawled back and tied the game at 35. A weakness of ours throughout the season, that we must improve in order to be Big South Champions, is learning to play with a lead.  Instead of burying our opponent we tend to execute less and not force the issue.  Of course, winning is the important thing but we had the heartbreaker vs. ETSU earlier in the season that we cannot get back.  However, on a positive note we had 5 players in double figures and I had a solid floor game.  I finished with 14 points, 9 assists, 2 steals, and a couple rebounds.  I would also like to note my block in the second half when I pinned the ball on the backboard when one of their players thought he had a fast break against the "White guy".  lol.  I felt like my team needed me to get others involved in the scoring tonight, so thats what I did.  I passed up some shots that a lot of people got on me for, but I felt that my contribution tonight helped us win and will help us in the next game.  With our team traveling to Knoxville to play the Volunteers on Wednesday, it is important for everybody to have as much confidence as possible.  We are 8-2 and I don't care how and why, we are 8-2.  Some guys scored some important points for us tonight and hopefully thieir confidence after tonights game will carry on to our game vs. Tennessee. 

UT is a very solid team that I have watched play a couple times on tv.  For such a high profile team, on paper, we match up pretty well.  Obviously, I feel like our guards can play with anybody's in the country.  They also play 3 guards and an undersized 4 man.  Our concentration has to be taking care of the ball and getting back on defense.  If we can hold them under 40% shooting for the game we will put ourselves in a position to win the game.  Kenny George will be an important factor in this game because he is so big he could dominate the game, however, Bruce Pearl will attempt to use this against us by running their "big men"  directly to the block in a hurry !! Kenny's minutes will be limited but when he is in the game me and KJ  have to make sure we get him invloved on the offensive end and we all have to scramble defensively. With less than 48 hours until we play again, it is important for me to get rest, hydrate, and eat perfectly.  It is past midnight right now and that means its past my bedtime so later.

Posted by bryan at 12:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night we completed a sweep on Campbell University in a home-home series.  We beat them earlier this year at their place when i was injured and they came to Asheville last night to try and redeem themselves but came up short in our 79-76 win.  It was an exciting game to watch as we traded baskets the last 2 minutes.  I hit a conventional three point play to put us up 77-76 and we held off a couple last strides by the Camels.  I finished with 21 and a very solid floor game w/ 5 assists 3 steals and 6 rebounds.  They face guarded me the whole game and made it very difficult for me to get in the flow of the game.  KJ Garland started off fast in the first half so they began to face guard him as well and not let him touch it.  It came down to him and I making plays in the second half for ourselves and each other.  As difficult as it was getting the ball in my hands, when I did get a touch on the ball I was able to beat my defender to the spot I wanted.  It was a great win for us going into a tough game with South Carolina State on Monday.

After practicing the last 2 weeks on body control and really getting into my defender as I drive into the lane, I am pleased because I was able to get to the line 7 times last night.  I really need to average about 6 free throw attempts per game at least and this was a good start.  I am going to conitinue to work on this stuff in my free time and evaluate my improvements.  I am extremely tired today as a result of just under 40 minutes logged last night and I will be spending most of the day resting my legs and rehydrating before I go to practice at 3:00pm.  I have been pretty broke lately so I haven't been able to eat as healthy as I would like, so I need to make sure to stay fully hydrated and rested even more so than usual.  ..............For now, I am going to take a look at this Mitchel Report which is INSANE !!....... Im sorry and embarrassed for Major League Baseball.

Check for new pictures and videos 

Posted by bryan at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally !!! the semester is over for me.  I can't express how excited I am about this because it has been my hardest one yet.  I guess being a senior I should have expected that, but for some reason I thought the closer I got to the end the easier it would be.  O well.  However, I am worried about one of my classes that I struggled with throughout the semester (management course) because my test grades are pretty low.  I studied like crazy for the final and still came out feeling horrible about it.  If I am not able to pass the class it will be the first class since I have been in college that I haven't passed.  Everyone keeps telling me its okay because you can take it next semester and still graduate on time.  I feel differently about it.  I have never been one who really dedicates himself to school and I have always found better things to do (like basketball), but it is really bothering me that I somewhat tried during the semester and really tried the last 2 tests and I still might be in danger.  This has taught me a lot about myself in the sense that I may act like school is no big deal but deep down I really take pride in the fact that I have a college education and will be recieving my degree in May.  Maybe being in school 5 years has something to do with it too !!

As for practice, it hasn't been too tough physically because we had a lot of bumps and bruises to heal up in the gap between games.  My hand is still swollen and I it hurts when I do certain things but not to the point where it would effect me in the heat of a game.  I actually dunked again today for the first time since my injury and it felt weird, but good.  With these days off I have been able to reflect on my game up to this point and take a look at what some other guards are doing in the country.  Some look good and some not so good.  And Of course, I compare myself to them (I wouldn't be a competitor if I didn't).  I have really noticed at how a particular system can make a player look really good or it can make a player look really bad.  Obviously, I don't want to mention the teams that make their players look not so good because they still have a whole season to play , but a couple guys that I worked out with this summer who were very very good at many different things are in this current situation.  It is dissappointing that it works out this way but I hope that scouts take it into consideration.  I think that the Tennessee program makes Chris Lofton look pretty good---most of the time--- (from a professional standpoint).  He is a great shooter w/ unlimited range but takes some really bad shots.  How effective will he be in the NBA as a role player bc of his limited skills and athleticism??  Some may think he will be ok but Im not so sure and those are the kind of things I try and look at bc-- ppg in a system like that can be very misleading. As for my situation, obviously I am in a good situation at a mid major school with another talented guard by my side and a MONSTER big man in Kenny George.  I have to pull my weight but at the same time I don't have to carry the scoring load on my own all the time.  But many times, I will be called on to put the ball in the basket, and I am very comfortable doing that.  And watching Jose Juan Barea get into the Mavericks vs. Denver game last night reiterated my thoughts on where my well rounded game could get me even though some people don't like the fact that I am at a mid-major school. I remember watching JJB in college and he got things done every game, but in the NBA he has had to take on a different role that he is still adjusting to. He has gotten where he is today by doing what he is told and I think this is something we have in common.  Tell me what to do ----I can and WILL do it ........

Posted by bryan at 09:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coming off our tough loss at Virginia Tech we have nearly two weeks off without a game.  Our next game is vs. Campbell on the 13th of December.  The Va Tech loss was tough to take because we battled hard and had a chance to win the game.  We were down 8 at half time and I hit a three and a mid range jumper immediately out of half time and from there on it was a close game.  We took the lead with about 6 minutes left when Vincent James got a three point play on the fast break.  From there we had a scoring drought of a couple minutes.  Meanwhile, the Hokies went on a 10-0 run and we couldn't ever get back in the game.  I was very impressed with the way we were able to turn the game into a half court battle for the most part.  When we lost our edge was when we let them run out and play in transition.  Though, the loss hurt because we definitely had our chances to win, we learned a lot about our team and just how talented we are.  Our backcourt was definitely better than theirs ( they are going to run into some problems in the ACC) but Hank Thorns is pretty quick, and our undersized big men were able to compete with some BEASTS underneath.  I finished with a poor shooting night from the floor with a 4-14 fg, but I was 3-3 from 3pt range and had a good floor game.

Since Saturday's game we have had a couple days off bc we have began our exam week and do not have another game until the 13th.  I have taken these couple days to hit the weights hard (already gained 4 lbs since Saturday) and work on creating more space for my shot.  During the Va tech game I went to the basket several times and didn't get to the line once.  Although I was mad after the game bc the lack of calls made in my favor, I also took it as sign to work on some things.  Using my body to get into the defender off the first step, 8 foot floaters, steps backs, and a lot of freeze fakes-- these are all things I have been working on the last couple days and will continue to do up until we play Campbell and then I will assess my game from there.  As for right now, I have some really important exams to complete throughout the week so I will be grindin the books for the next couple days.   I have been wanting to give some insight on what has been going on in my life away from basketball but honestly, between ball and school I have done nothing except hang out with my brother and talk on the phone to a couple people.  Exciting??? I love it ! holla

---check for some new pics and videos soon 

Posted by bryan at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)