VIDEO: Kyle Smith Interview with Matt Chazanow

[ScottHood]

Video: https://washingtonstate.rivals.com/news/video-kyle-smith-interview-with-matt-chazanow

 

[Brent H.]

Video: https://washingtonstate.rivals.com/news/video-kyle-smith-interview-with-matt-chazanow

I like him. He has a cool personality. Who know's if this will work, but I'm optimistic. I feel like he understands what needs to be done as a coach to try and win here. I'm just looking to be competitive and play decent basketball. Get better every year, eventually competing for a NCAA bid. If he can improve on our atrocious defense and our turnovers per game that'd be a success. Leach went 13-26 in his first 3 seasons plus the Portland State game. Since that game has gone 37-14 since that game, which includes a lost to EWU. Hoping by year 4, we see us playing above .500 ball and competing for a spot in the tourney. It happening sooner isn't out of the realm of possibility according to Smith's track record.

 

[CecilYounger]

Agree on everything you said. I'm ambivalent on Chazanow's play by play; but I liked him in that interview as well.

 

[7ICoug]

Matt did seem to do a nice job, actually haven't listened to his play-by-play much as I gave up on Ernie quite a while ago.

 

[etowncoug]

Smith doesn't carry himself like the "nerdball" moniker suggests. Guy is an alpha. He's not a Ken Bone wet blanket personality.

The more I see, the more I like.

 

[bogusto]

Basketball is a quicker fix than football. The smaller roster can be turned over and improved much quicker. After year two there should be definite signs of upward momentum in talent level and performance metrics on the court.

 

[etowncoug]

Basketball is a quicker fix than football. The smaller roster can be turned over and improved much quicker. After year two there should be definite signs of upward momentum in talent level and performance metrics on the court.

I think we'll see signs of improvement next year. Of the returners, there are quite a few solid pieces to work with. Elleby (who will be back), Cannon, Ali, Robinson, Kunc and (maybe back) Pollard have demonstrated the ability to contribute at this level. Moore, Wade, Hensen and Murphy are reasons to be optimistic as well. Ernie always had talent, he just wasn't able to get his team to do the little things necessary to win. Smith seems to have prevented the mass exodus of players I feared (and ElC desperately wanted).

Cutting out the sloppy turnovers and better defensive rotations should result in a couple more wins even if we don't upgrade the teams talent level. And