BROOKE SMITH: READY TO BE A LEADER

Interview by Bob Iacopi

Photography by Don Anderson

As the first game of the 2005-2006 basketball season approaches, Brooke Smith is emerging as one of the new floor leaders for the Cardinal. With T’Nae Thiel and Azella Perryman gone, the team needs the returning post players to step up and play tough at both ends of the court. On the practice floor, Brooke seems to be playing with great confidence. She credits the summer’s international experience for her increased maturity and leadership. “Just making that team in the first place was really great for my confidence.” To refresh your memory, Brooke was part of the 2005 USA Women’s World University Games Team that won seven straight to win the gold medal. She saw action in all seven games, and averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. The Marin native shot 80 per cent from the field, and finished with a perfect free-throw percentage, making all four of her attempts. Smith also added 10 assists and five steals during the U.S. gold-medal run.

“I think that the most important carry-over from the experience is the knowledge that I have the ability to play against the very best international competition. I had the best players in the United States on my team, and some of the best players in the world playing against us. I hope to be able to carry over that ability and effort to Maples Pavilion. “I learned a lot about myself, and improved my knowledge of top-level basketball. I learned that I can take on different roles in different situations, and how important the different roles are in making a team work. With all the great players on that team, I wasn’t the go-to post player, like I am here. So I had to work on other ways to help the team, like rebounding and especially defense. All of this definitely helped in developing my all-around game.” Which players impressed you the most? “I think Simone Augustus (the LSU All-American) is an extraordinary talent. Sylvia Fowles (also of LSU) is amazing, Megan Duphy (Notre Dame) played very well, and from the Pac 10, Lisa Willis of UCLA was outstanding. It’s hard to single out anyone because the everyone was just a great player.” I asked Brooke what she liked most about this year’s Stanford team in practices so far. “I think it’s really exciting because we have so many minutes to fill, so many openings for players who did not log a lot of time on the floor last year. The individual players who are stepping up differ with each day. The coaches want to see who is going make the most consistent effort, who wants to fill the new roles. It is a very competitive situation, and it’s going to get even more competitive once Cissy Pierce gets back on the floor. It has really been fun to watch.” The leadership issue is a recurring theme. “This is a new year and a new team. We need a different set of leaders, and I want to be one of them. We relied so much on T’Nae last year on defense. She was definitely our best defender, and she was always up against the best post players.”

So do you try to be a leader, or just let the other players come to you? “I definitely try to work on it. Everyone knows that we lost a lot of post leadership, especially, from last year’s team. Kristen (Newlin) and Ezzi (Okafor) are both doing a great job of working on the team defense, and helping the younger players work into the system.”

Should we expect to see Brooke and Kristen Newlin on the floor at the same time? “Yes, I think we’ll be out there together a lot of the time. One of our major points of focus has been trying to figure out the best ways for Kristen and me to play together. We’ve been adjusting some of our offenses so we can take the best advantage of having two post players in the mix.” The next subject was rebounding. All of you who have seen Brooke play know that is never going to win a weight-lifting contest. What do you have to do to rebound against players who may not be any taller, but certainly have more bulk and apparent strength? “Rebounding is a lot about boxing out. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have a lot of upper-body strength. It’s a learned skill, and I just have to work on it all the time.

“The coaches want me to do more rebounding, both on defense and offense. If I’m down low, it’s my job to get up on the boards and pull down those missed shots. I’m really concentrating on being more versatile, more valuable to the team in all areas.” Brooke is not known as being foul-prone. Do you ever remember fouling out of a game? She had to think. “I just don’t remember. Maybe once or twice, but I really have no idea. I haven’t been in serious foul trouble very often.”

Here’s no surprise. What’s your favorite shot? “The hook,” Brooke replied without hesitation. Are you naturally ambidextrous? “No, I had to learn that left hand move. Now I feel comfortable going either to the right or left.” What about free-throw shooting. “I wasn’t a good free throw shooter during the first half of last year, so I’ve had to work on it quite a bit. It’s a matter of practice and confidence. If I think the ball is going in, usually it does. In earlier interviews, both Kristen Newlin and Morgan Clyburn admitted to having the three-pointer among their favorite shots. How about Brooke? “No, not me. I’ve been working on my range, but I’m definitely not a three-point shooter. I can shoot the jumper from about 15 feet, but I really will be spending almost all of my time on the low block.”

There are some big games coming up before the end of the year. How does Brooke prepare for the likes of Tennessee? “To be honest, I haven’t watched much tape on them yet. So I really don’t know what they will be like this year. But regardless of the individuals on the floor, they’re always very aggressive, they’re very big, they put a lot of pressure on the ball. They like to deny our favorite shots. That’s what they’re known for every year. So we have to work really hard to withstand their pressure. As we get closer to the game, our coaches will let us know exactly what we have to do.”

As you get ready for the first real competition, how do you feel? Are you ready to play a full game? “I love to play, so I want to be out there for as long as the coaches want me. I don’t have an ideal number of minutes per game. Right now, I feel really good. I have no general health problems, and thankfully, no strains or sprains. We all worked very hard on conditioning during the off season, and now we still lift weights three times a week.”

Off the court, Brooke remains a serious student in Human Biology. “This quarter, I’m taking Physics, Health Care in America, Cognitive Development, and a course on the Death Penalty. When basketball is over, I think I want to go into a medical field—I don’t know exactly which one just yet, but maybe a nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, possibly a physical therapist, something along those lines. Her major has helped Brooke with her own general health. “I’ve taken a number of nutrition classes. So during the season, I just try to stay on a regular balanced diet. I think organic foods are very important to the diet, so I eat a lot of those, along with a lot of whole grains. I’ve never had a serious weight problem, and I think that’s because I pay attention to my diet.”

I reminded Brooke that Duke is ranked very highly, and there is a chance Stanford might wind up playing her old school. Did she look forward to it? “It’s so far in the future, I can’t really think too much about it. But yes, I’d like to play them. They have a great team. And I still have some friends back there.”

From what we have seen so far in practices, all the fans should expect Brooke to perform at the top of her game, right from the first game. She’s calm, clear-eyed and focused. Bring on those Lady Vols and Blue Devils!