Central Michigan University Athletics
Jay Smith On The Upcoming Season
10/24/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 24, 2000
Jay Smith's Opening Statement
It's like anything else ... we're excited to start the season. You hear all that fluff from every coach that's been up here. We're excited about the opening of practice and the opening of the season. We'd like to build on last year's success. I think we ended on a high note. David Webber scoring 51 points against Ball State and playing Toledo right down to the wire at the end of the regular season were big. Then we got a chance to play in the first round tourney game at Akron and were able to upset Akron and then play Marshall right down to the last shot. It could have went either way and we would have had a chance to be in the semis. We'd like to finish on that high note and that success.
One of the main reasons is this guy right here to my right, David Webber. He's really done a great job. He had a little bit of a wrist problem with some minor surgery but that's been cleared up. He took a couple shots to the thigh so he's been sitting out already one practice. He will lead our team. Another young man that people have forgotten about is Mike Manciel who was freshman of the year two years ago. He's back at full strength and has really made practice interesting for us. Another kid, Chad Pleiness, our 6-6 freshman in the post last season has done a great job. We're looking for a couple of freshman to contribute, one Chris Kaman, a seven-foot kid from Grand Rapids who will definitely make an impact on our team and 6-8 Gerrit Brigitha out of Niles High School, has a chance to step in and be a real good player for us.
We're led by our seniors and they have really done a good job. Tim Kisner, Jon Borovich, Luke Johnson and Todd Schrotenboer have all done a good job of leading. They all understand their roles. I like the chemistry of our team right now. I think guys are understanding how to play. Our first few practices have gone way too fast. We're throwing the ball all over the place. The last couple we've settled down and started to get into a little bit of a rhythm.
We're looking forward to an exciting season. It should be interesting. It's kind of interesting where they pick you. You look at it and you try and guess. I didn't think we'd be picked that high but some of you guys must think we are going to be pretty good. I hope you're right.
Q: Coach, I know at the end of some of your press conferences last season you found yourself wishing Mike Manciel was there. Now you have him back along with David Webber, who really exploded last season. How good is this one-two punch?
A: I think it's almost a one-two-three because I think you can throw Pleiness in there. He really started to come on at the end of the year. I think it's a double-edged sword. We're able to stretch the floor out now instead of two or three people being able to bump David on moves and cuts to the basket now we they've got to worry about Mike Manciel, Chad Pleiness and David Webber. It's kind of like a three-prong approach. If we can get one of those freshmen to come in and shore up that rebounding deficiency. We were last or second to last in every rebounding category last year and I think we've got it cleared up with the addition of a couple of other guys we've brought in. We've got a 6-8 kid from East Grand Rapids (Tom Pantlind) and another 6-7 kid from Iowa (Adam Dentlinger). Size doesn't always mean you are going to be a better rebounding team but it definitely helps. I think we've cleaned up that area and free throw shooting shooting.
With David and Mike it's a double-edged sword. There's two guys that can put numbers on the board. Anytime you can score points, people are concerned about you.
Q: How good has Manciel's progress been?
A: Right now, I'd say he's inconsistent having not played for 18 months and just getting back. We've been very gradual with it, especially in conditioning. It's there, it's just not there on a consistent basis playing-wise. In practice right now he shows dominance and there are other times where he kind of disappears for a while and then all the sudden he comes back. I think its just going to come with more practice time and being on the court more and getting a better feel with his teammates. He hasn't played with Chris Kaman or Chad Pleiness and he's 18 months removed from playing with Tim Kisner. As time evolves and practice starts going, I fully expect Mike to fit in and be where he was, if not surpass where he was two years ago.
Q: How big was it to get that tournament win at Akron and then really play Marshall close to the buzzer?
A: It was big all year. I think we lost 11 games by nine points or less and as coaches we can always try to justify that. Sometimes if we're not careful we start believing that. We hung together and my whole thing was our team chemistry. A lot of teams at the end of the season become disenchanted, upset because you're not winning games. Our kids stuck right together. They were like glue, they just did not separate. Our crowds were good at our home games even coming off some tough losses. We tried to build on the success of getting that first MAC tournament victory since 1990. It was an achievement for us and a little bit of a benchmark. Finishing on a high and staying together has propelled us through the summer. We had our players up during the summer working out together and we formed a close bond. Now, I think we've got to develop a chemistry with them. I think that's a big part of it. We've talked about "experience" to the younger players and told them how important it is to pay attention to details and that they should be the first ones to jump into the drills and don't be the guy always looking to get out of a drill. It's competitive in practice and we play guys that play hard.
Preseason All-MAC Selection David Webber
Q: There has been talk about you changing your game this year. Are you going to be more emotional this year?
A: Definitely. It's already started in practice. I'm much more of a vocal leader this year and I'm getting into my teammates faces when they are not doing what they have to do. I'm stressing defense this year. I'm getting back to my defensive ways that I had in high school and my freshman year. My only goals this year are to win and be the defensive player of the year. I don't care about scoring. None of that stuff matters. I think last year with Mike out I had to score. I had to do certain things like that. Now I'm changing my game. I'm trying to rebound and defend.
Q: Last year it would have taken a psychic to predict Ball State and Miami in the MAC tournament final. Do you think you guys can maybe be one of the surprise teams this year and do you have the talent to come out and make some noise?
A: I definitely think so but you never know. Each year the teams are picked to win and each year those teams don't win. It's hard to say but I just hope at the end of the year we can be right there in the hunt.
