The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2021 THE WOLVERINE 11 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sitting Down With Graduated Point Guard Mike Smith Former Michigan point guard Mike Smith was just the addition Juwan Howard's basketball team needed to get over the hump and win a Big Ten championship in 2020-21. The 5-11, 185-pounder averaged 9.0 points and 5.3 assists per game, shot 41.8 percent from three-point range in his one sea- son in maize and blue, and enjoyed every minute of it. Smith joined The Wolverine for an ex- clusive sit-down Zoom call from the NBA G-League Elite Camp in June, where he was named a top-five per- former on day two after scoring 14 points and going plus-18 in his team's win. The Wolverine: Recap your one year in a Michigan uniform for us — was it everything you hoped it would be? Mike Smith: "It was special. Obvi- ously, we came up short. We wanted to win it all, but at the end of the day, we won the Big Ten regular season. We get to say that, and get to come back to campus and get a banner for that, see that banner in the rafters, get a ring for that. "… We were top five most of the sea- son and played really well. Coach How- ard did a great job." The Wolverine: People tend to over- look you because of your size. What do you hope to prove going forward? Smith: "I've always been the under- dog. I spoke about it all year at Michi- gan … that I've been the underdog. I had to play harder than everybody else. I just had to go out here and leave my mark. At Michigan, people tried to post me up, but I think I got scored on four times in the post. Every other time I walled up and chested people, did what I had to do to show I could guard in the post if I had to switch against teams. "… I don't have anything to lose. I al- ways want to play like that. At the end of the day, a lot of people didn't think I was going to be here, but at the end of the day, I'm here. I'm just going to go out and play my best, play hard, live with the results and have fun at the same time I'm trying to make connec- tions." The Wolverine: You shot a career best from three-point range this year. How different is it shooting from a bit further out at the next level, and how do you adjust? Smith: "I had a really good shooting year and shot the ball really well … 42 percent from three, so a step-back is not that bad. Really, you're shooting NBA threes in college, anyway. And I led the Big Ten in assists. I can find people when they're open [if I'm not shooting well]." The Wolverine: You have Columbia and Michigan degrees, and word has it you have some opportunities waiting for you in the business world. What's the next step? Smith: "[Pro basketball] has been a dream of mine forever, and I think playing on that platform [at Michigan] definitely helped me get to where I'm sitting at right now and where I'm go- ing to be in the next couple months. "I have a couple 9-5 offers, but I'm not ready to hang it up yet. It's the Colum- bia and Michigan [degrees and net- works] together … it's a one-of-a-kind connection I'm blessed to have." The Wolverine: Where do you see yourself playing next year? Smith: "I want a team that wants me, because I don't want a team that says, 'Oh, we can take him; we can just put him on the roster.' I don't want to be that guy. Whatever G-League team says they want me, and maybe I have a chance to get called up, then I think that's the best option for me. "If they say, 'Hey, you're going to be like the ninth guy,' then I'll go overseas and make a lot of money, play in Eu- rope, have a good career for myself and go with that money, and start building a business when I'm done." — Chris Balas For just the second time in the 28-year history of the Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup, a school other than Stanford has taken home the crown, with Texas being named the 2020-21 champion after winning three na- tional championships and earning 1,252 total points. Stanford finished second overall with 1,195.75 points, while Michigan slotted third with 1,126.50 points, beating out fourth-place North Carolina, which wound up with 1,126.25 points, by a razor-thin margin. For reference, a first-place finish in a sport earns 100 points, second place garners 90 points, third place col- lects 85 points and lesser values are amassed for lower finishes. The Maize and Blue took home the women's gymnastics national championship, along with 10 top-10 showings across the 18 sports that they scored in. Michigan earned 130.0 points in fall spor ts, 614.50 points in winter sports and 382.0 points in spring sports. The Wolverines topped the Big Ten and were one of two schools — joined by No. 9 Ohio State — to finish in the top 10 of the standings. Michigan athletics has a histor y of strong showings since the award began in 1993-94. The Wolverines have placed among the top 10 in 21 of the 27 renditions, which is tied with Texas for the fifth-most top-10 finishes. — Clayton Sayfie Smith was named a top-five performer on day two of the NBA G-League Elite Camp in June and called his lone year in maize and blue "special." PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL MICHIGAN FINISHES THIRD IN 2020-21 LEARFIELD IMG DIRECTORS' CUP STANDINGS