Head coach Davis burns Smith’s redshirt to help CMU win
Early in the 2017-18 season, Central Michigan men’s basketball head coach Keno Davis was planning to give sophomore guard Matty Smith a redshirt.
On Dec. 19, Smith unexpectedly came off the bench for the Chippewas in a 92-86 overtime win against University of Missouri-Kansas City. He logged five points, two rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes of action, burning an opportunity to redshirt.
“It feels great to get out there and play with the guys,” Smith said. “I’m happy to practice, play in games and do anything to help the team win.”
Battling back from offseason surgery, Davis did not believe Smith would be ready to “help the team win” during the season. Following a rapid recovery, bringing the point guard off the bench was a no brainer for Davis.
“The idea early in the season was we didn’t want to play him unless he was going to be able to play,” Davis said. “We didn’t want him to play inconsequential minutes at the end of the game and take that (redshirt) possibility off.
“Even as the season was going on and he wasn’t playing, he was really improving. He was improving in practice and when we decided he could help us win games, the decision (to remove the redshirt) was easy. He’s going to continue to help us this year.”
When finding out of the possibility to redshirt, Smith was understanding of the situation. Now, he is more than ecstatic to be on the floor for the Chippewas.
“My knee is feeling a lot better, so rehab has progressed a lot more than we thought,” Smith said. “Coach wanted to give me some minutes and I was all for it.”
One of Smith’s finest abilities is leadership. Even when he was not playing, Smith constantly used his voice to help the Chippewas by pushing players to succeed, especially junior guards Shawn Roundtree and Gavin Peppers, along with sophomore guard Kevin McKay.
“He’s a leader,” Davis said. “You want your point guard to be able to distribute, but to also be a verbal leader. He’s well liked because he puts the team in front of him. If he has a bad game and we win, he’s the first guy celebrating. We need his leadership out there.”
Having Smith active is colossal for the Chippewas, as it gives Roundtree, the starting point guard, a break from time to time. Roundtree averages 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30.8 minutes per game, which is the second-most time played on CMU’s team.
“He gives Shawn a break when he needs it,” Kozinski said. “Matty is a high-motored guy. He can defend and pushes the ball well. It’s good to have him.”
Currently, Smith averages 1.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.3 assists in 10.4 minutes per game.
The next box for Smith to check off is becoming 100 percent.
“I’m close to 100 percent,” Smith said. “After practice, (my knee) kind of hurts, but when I’m out there, it feels good.”
