Post by marcus on Jan 15, 2006 2:40:03 GMT -5
Syracuse Sophomore Marcus Smith is expected to be one of the top few picks in the 2009 CSSL draft. He spoke to the media at the Nike pre-draft camp during the Jan 4-5 interview sessions.
Q: You talked to Nike GM and some others about what Nike is like. What did you hear?
Marcus Smith: From what I’ve heard, it’s not as bad as what some people said about it. They say it’s a great team. Everybody is going off on how bad the team was in the past. That is something I have to go out there and experience for myself.
Q: A lot of players today, when they are on the court they are very intense, almost look like they are sulking, but you always seem to have a smile on your face.
Marcus Smith: When I was young, I was sold on winning. I was always serious on the court. As I got older, I realized that it was just a basketball game. Just go out there and have fun.
Q: What did you get out of playing two years at Syracuse, both individual development and maybe mentally.
Marcus Smith: I got mentally tough. I didn’t face that much adversity since we were so successful this year. But I learned a lot of things – how to come in as a team, how to do everything with the program, off the court and on the court.
Q: Did you learn something about how to win during the NCAA Tournament?
Marcus Smith: We clicked at the right time. If you looked at us at the beginning of the season, you would never have thought we would win it all. But we clicked at the right time and everything worked out for the best.
Q: How ready are you for the CSSL?
Marcus Smith: I am real ready right now. My confidence is high right now and those two years at Syracuse did a lot for me, for my confidence and for me as a player.
Q: You feel you are ready to come in and contribute right away?
Marcus Smith: That is something I have been born to do, just come in and not take over from the beginning, but try to ease my way in and see where I fit.
Q: Where do you think you should go in the draft
Marcus Smith: I think I should go No. 1 (laughs). But things happen. I am just happy to be in the Draft, and if Nike picks me, then they pick me, if they don't then they don't. But where ever I go I will contribute
Q: Was winning the championship the deciding factor for you or were you planning to leave before then?
Marcus Smith: That was the finishing touch. I was thinking about leaving, but after we won the national championship, I sat down with my teammates, my coaches, and my family and they all told me to leave.
Q: Everyone has praised your game, but is there a weakness in your game?
Marcus Smith: No one is perfect. I know there is stuff that I need to work on, and not just one thing, but my game overall. Everything can get better.
Q: You talked to Nike GM and some others about what Nike is like. What did you hear?
Marcus Smith: From what I’ve heard, it’s not as bad as what some people said about it. They say it’s a great team. Everybody is going off on how bad the team was in the past. That is something I have to go out there and experience for myself.
Q: A lot of players today, when they are on the court they are very intense, almost look like they are sulking, but you always seem to have a smile on your face.
Marcus Smith: When I was young, I was sold on winning. I was always serious on the court. As I got older, I realized that it was just a basketball game. Just go out there and have fun.
Q: What did you get out of playing two years at Syracuse, both individual development and maybe mentally.
Marcus Smith: I got mentally tough. I didn’t face that much adversity since we were so successful this year. But I learned a lot of things – how to come in as a team, how to do everything with the program, off the court and on the court.
Q: Did you learn something about how to win during the NCAA Tournament?
Marcus Smith: We clicked at the right time. If you looked at us at the beginning of the season, you would never have thought we would win it all. But we clicked at the right time and everything worked out for the best.
Q: How ready are you for the CSSL?
Marcus Smith: I am real ready right now. My confidence is high right now and those two years at Syracuse did a lot for me, for my confidence and for me as a player.
Q: You feel you are ready to come in and contribute right away?
Marcus Smith: That is something I have been born to do, just come in and not take over from the beginning, but try to ease my way in and see where I fit.
Q: Where do you think you should go in the draft
Marcus Smith: I think I should go No. 1 (laughs). But things happen. I am just happy to be in the Draft, and if Nike picks me, then they pick me, if they don't then they don't. But where ever I go I will contribute
Q: Was winning the championship the deciding factor for you or were you planning to leave before then?
Marcus Smith: That was the finishing touch. I was thinking about leaving, but after we won the national championship, I sat down with my teammates, my coaches, and my family and they all told me to leave.
Q: Everyone has praised your game, but is there a weakness in your game?
Marcus Smith: No one is perfect. I know there is stuff that I need to work on, and not just one thing, but my game overall. Everything can get better.
