Athlete of the Week: Tyler Smith

What goals do you have for yourself this season?

My main goal is to win a conference championship. My individual goal is to be named to the All-Conference team.

How does it feel being looked up to as one of the leaders on your team?

It feels great to be looked up to as one of the leaders on the team. It shows a lot that the team and your coaching staff has faith and trust in you to lead. I plan to lead my team by being that veteran that has been here for a while and helping younger players with their development. I know the team wants a championship one just as bad as I do, so leading them and showing them that we want nothing less than that.

How do you think this year will be different from previous seasons?

We have more experience this year. I think last year there were a lot of players that hadn’t had a lot of playing experience and had to play sooner than expected. This helped us out this year because now those players are experienced which makes our bench deeper.

What is your opinion of the rankings that came out a few days ago? (ranking your team second in the Capital Division and fifth overall in KIAC Preseason) Do you think they are accurate?

I am absolutely pumped about it.If they believe that it’s accurate then that’s what they think. On the other hand, we believe that we should be ranked higher but we also love being considered the underdog. So I think we would much rather be at this spot, just so we can surprise teams.

What is the hardest thing about preseason?

Practice. During preseason you’re playing your team every single day and it gets tough and annoying.

When do you feel most confident on the court?

I feel confident throughout the entire game. I think any player that has made it this far in their basketball career should feel confident at all times while on the court. You’ve put in so much into drills, practice, making yourself better, and shooting a million shots in your career.

What is your favorite professional team?

My favorite professional team is the Chicago Bulls! #BullsNation #SeeRed