Don’t be distracted by the two-tone mane of bountiful hair, which makes him look taller than his 5-10ish. Don’t be misled by the exuberant demeanor and playful personality. And if you are, don’t worry about it. Mike Smith is used to being overlooked and mis-read.
He’s the guy controlling the basketball most of the time for the No. 4 team in the country, the point guard for a Michigan squad with eyes on a championship. That he’s here is nearly as amazing as where he was. You can say the same for the Wolverines in Juwan Howard’s second season — 19-3 and Big Ten champions, a likely No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
A year ago, Smith was finishing up his sociology degree at Columbia and wrapping up the Ivy League scoring title in a 6-24 season. He had internships with equity firms but also one more basketball shot as a graduate transfer. As it turns out, smart senior point guards are a valued commodity these days.
Smith chose Michigan over Gonzaga, partly because the Wolverines had a larger need with the departure of Zavier Simpson. All Smith has done in one season in Ann Arbor is solidify the most important position, help unify a team loaded with newcomers and lighten the mood during the tightest times.
Smith wasn’t content being a top scorer at a lower level and wasn’t interested in being labeled and limited. He’s always wanted to be a well-rounded person — hence the journey from Chicago to Columbia — and now he wanted to be a well-rounded basketball player.
“(Gonzaga) really didn’t fight for me like Coach Howard did, they had (touted freshman) Jalen Suggs there,” Smith said. “Coach Howard called me right away and shot it to me straight. He said, look, you can come in and play right away, but he never promised I’d start. He said it was a possibility, but you have to fight for it.”
Michigan has a lot of interchangeable parts, but in some ways, Smith might be the most indispensable. When the Wolverines open the Big Ten tournament Friday, his role could grow, depending on the status of Eli Brooks, who sprained his ankle against Michigan State and is wearing a walking boot. Michigan isn’t deep at guard, but the good thing is, Smith isn’t reluctant to do more.
He averaged 22.8 points his final season at Columbia and played an astonishing 94% of the available minutes. With the Wolverines, he averages 8.7 points, shoots 44% on 3-pointers and led the Big Ten in assists. He also gradually ratcheted up his defense.
When did Howard become interested in Smith? It began with game tape and ended with straight talk.
“I saw the film of a lot of his games, and I saw that Mike is skilled, can shoot extremely well and is a high IQ ballplayer, and also a competitor that has that Chicago DNA in him,” Howard said. “Mike has stepped on campus and won the trust of each and every guy in that locker room. He’s one of those leaders that people just enjoy being around.”
Hair-raising skills
Smith is funny in a sharp-witted way and had no problem developing relationships, even as the team was isolated during the pandemic. He lived with Franz Wagner over the summer, and during numerous “Call of Duty” video game battles, they bonded.
“My first impression was, what a character, what a great guy,” Wagner said. “He loves to make jokes, loves to laugh, is very vocal. But once practice started, you could see how experienced he was. When teams make a little run, I look at Mike and he’s not fazed at all. That helps the younger players when they see their point guard being super relaxed.”
Smith strikes the right balance for college life. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, but takes his responsibilities very seriously.
Even his hair tells an unintentional story. He hasn’t cut it in three years, and his sister TeAnna, a beautician, likes to get creative with it. At Columbia, he was told the bushy, blond-tipped style made him look like the school’s mascot, a lion. No, that wasn’t the intent.
“I’ve always just tried to be different and try different things,” Smith said. “Because at the end of the day, being different, there isn’t anything wrong with that. Also, if you look good, you play good, I’m a firm believer in that.”
He’s also a firm believer in having fun, which fits in Howard’s player-friendly program. Smith and freshman Hunter Dickinson have developed chemistry, whether playing video games, running the pick and roll, or doing Zoom interviews. Recently, Dickinson was talking about two-way players and mentioned “little Mike Smith,” who happened to be lurking on the Zoom call.
“I could’ve sworn you said ‘little Mike Smith,’” Smith interjected. “I don’t know if that was correct or not. Sorry for interrupting, big guy.”
Coming up big in B10
As comfortable as he appears now, it wasn’t an easy leap from Chicago to Columbia in New York City, then from Ivy League to Big Ten and shooting guard to point guard. In early practices at Michigan, he wasn’t quite used to the demands. It helped to have two kindred spirits on the team — Jaron Faulds, a walk-on transfer from Columbia, and Jaaron Simmons, who played his senior season at Michigan and now is the program’s valued video analyst.
“The question was, could I make that transition to the Big Ten,” Smith said. “And I think I answered that question for sure. A lot of people would’ve given up, but I don’t take no for an answer. I’ve always been the underdog and I love it. If you work hard, I think you can do anything you want in life. Not only that, you can help the next person that’s 5-10, 5-11, or even 5-7. The coaches in the Big Ten might see somebody my height and say, man, I remember that kid Mike Smith that played at Michigan and he was small. So why would we give up on this person that’s 5-10?”
Nothing matures a person quite like adversity, and Smith had his share. He tore the meniscus tendon in a knee his junior season at Columbia, which gave him time to work on other aspects of his life. His parents instilled a deep appreciation for education, and he was almost as interested in Michigan’s business school as its basketball program.
“Obviously I didn’t want to get hurt, but I think it was a blessing,” Smith said. “I was thinking my path was cut short, and the next year I’m on the No. 2 team in the country winning a Big Ten championship. I was told I was too little, wasn’t good enough to play at this level. If I can do it, then the next person can do it as well. It’s not just a story for me, it’s about helping other people get to their dreams.”
He talks differently than your average player, looks differently and thinks differently too. He raves about Howard’s mentoring, and about gaining his coach’s trust. That trust might have to grow if Brooks is sidelined for any amount of time. Smith has proven he can score when necessary, hitting double figures 10 times this season. He’ll also have to crank up the ferocity because Brooks is the team’s top defender.
The way Smith sees it, he’s got that Chicago DNA to drive him.
“Toughness and competitiveness, those are the traits Chicago people have,” Smith said. “The Chicago, DNA is, everybody talks and everybody wants to win. I accepted the role when I got here of doing whatever the team needs. And now it’s March and I have to just hone in and understand we may need a little bit more from me, and I’m totally fine with that.”
Not that long ago, it was far-fetched to think Smith would be here. It was almost as far-fetched to think Michigan would be here. The overlooked lesson is, with shared visions, shared needs and shared determination, you can get just about anywhere.
