Sit down with Shaka Smart
Taylor Howsmon - Sports Editor
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Sports
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A: Its been great, I am glad the season is here. We have a big-league challenge ahead of us in terms of our expectations and our fans' expectations. But we're excited about going and meeting those.
Q: I have seen on Facebook statuses and heard from your players how hard you have been working them. Talk about your conditioning goals.
A: I think you talk to any coach across the country and they would tell you that they want to have the best conditioned team. I am not so caught up on that-I just worry about us being in condition to the point where we can play the way we want to play. We have a long way to go conditioning wise, but our strength coach Daniel Roose has done a phenomenal job so far.
Q: You have been around some great coaches in your career, starting with Bill Brown and going through to Billy Donovan. What attributes do you take from those guys that can make you successful here at VCU?
A: I took something different from everybody. I have been fortunate to be around five head coaches that were very different and all had major strengths that I could learn from.
Q: I know you have been asked this question and will be asked it again: who is going to replace Eric Maynor at the point guard position?
A: Mike Rhodes (VCU assistant) is out of eligibility, but he is a phenomenal point guard. But Joey Rodriguez is doing a good job. He is learning and getting better at the position. If we had to play today he would be our starting point guard. Our two freshman point guards are also coming along. They're definitely freshman-that's been confirmed by the first four days of practice. But they are talented and they each bring something that will help our team, I think this year, which is good to know.
Q: Obviously to have Joey (Rodriguez) back is huge after almost losing him. What does it mean to this team to have him back?
A: There has been a lot of questions about that and we did not really recruit him to come back. We really put it on Joey to make the best decision for him. The only thing I told Joey is that the only way he can come back is with both feet in the circle. To his credit, he made that decision and he has done exactly that. He has worked hard, he has had a good attitude, and he's shown leadership capability. We're excited having Joey back because I think he is one of the toughest guys in this league and you can never have enough toughness.
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