Smith's exit doesn't faze guard West

Don't bother asking Tennessee men's basketball signee Daniel West about the added pressure he could face next season now that he's the only point guard.

West, a two-time Class A state championship point guard from Saginaw, Mich., doesn't see pressure as being a problem, even though Ramar Smith is no longer a part of the basketball team.

"The best things in life involve challenges,'' West said. "I was shocked to hear about Ramar because he was a big part of the team. Really, I was supposed to be coming in to take some pressure off of him.

"But this doesn't bother me; I still want to earn a spot, and I'm still going to play.''

West, whose Saginaw team finished No. 4 in the national (USA Today) high school rankings, said he knows UT is pursuing another option at point guard.

Bobby Maze, a former Oklahoma starter now at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, appears to be the top target.

But with Cincinnati and Kentucky also in the mix for Maze's services, there's no guarantee the Vols will start next season with two true point guards.

"That's fine; I can play however many minutes Coach (Bruce) Pearl needs me to play,'' West said. "Thirty-two minutes is high school minutes - I can play another eight.''

Although it's a safe bet that won't happen, Vols' fans must admire West's determination and confidence.

Jack Ebling, a former sportswriter at the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal who covered Michigan State and Big Ten basketball for 25 years, has seen West play and said UT fans are in for a treat.

"With opportunity, he will not disappoint,'' said Ebling, who hosts a daily radio show and served as the color analyst for West's high school state championship playoffs.

"He'll have an adjustment period, it will take him a while to have the strength you need against the physicality we see in the Big Ten and the SEC,'' Ebling said. "But he can run, he can defend, he can stroke the shot and he can pass.

"He is as well-coached as any high school player I have ever seen.''

West said his confidence and abilities come from Saginaw High School coach Lou Dawkins.

"My high school coach has prepared me for this,'' West said. "We do the same stuff here that Tennessee does. My coach (Dawkins) played college ball and made it to the NBA draft. He knows what it takes to get there.''

Ebling said an interview with Minnesota coach Tubby Smith revealed Dawkins' abilities.

"I asked Tubby to give me his top five players of all time,'' Ebling said. "With all those great players at Kentucky, I wasn't sure what to expect. But he gave me Lou Dawkins as one of them, and Lou played for him at Tulsa.''

Pearl said a few weeks ago that UT's answer at point guard likely would come from Ramar Smith, with West playing a complimentary role.

Even though West might not have the strength to assume the starting job, Pearl said that West has an important quality that will prove key to the team.

"Daniel is a winner,'' Pearl said. "There's no doubt in my mind he makes people around him better, and he's a winner, pure and simple.''

West said he's already getting a case of Big Orange fever.

"Everywhere I go, people up here are talking about Tennessee,'' he said. "My family, my friends, people in the community, everyone is looking forward to this season.

"So I do pushups and curls and work out, and I know when I get there, there will be more.''

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
Want to use this article? Click here for options!