Spring Break
From Chi-Town to Cow Town
Marc Gauthier
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Husky Hoopla
Darius Smith knows a little something about the cold weather we face at UConn. After all, he's from the coldest and greatest city in the world - all self-proclaimed, of course.
"Chicago, man, it's the best city in the world; the windy city," Smith said. "It's nothing; I'm pretty much used to [the cold]. I either have the coldest winters, or the windiest fall-time. I'm used to it."
Smith, a Chicago native, graduated from John Marshall Metropolitan High School - a school system that was never easy, according to him. But it was the difficulties he faced in public school that turned him into the young man he is today.
"Chicago made me the player I am, from just playing tough and the school system I went to," Smith said. "John Marshall is a tough program. You think about Marshall, you think about a war."
Smith was dubbed one of the top unsigned recruits in the country until UConn assistant coach Pat Sellers got the 6-foot point guard to commit with the Huskies at the end of March this year.
"Coach Sellers latched onto me, gave me all the updates of UConn, on the coaches and on the team, so he played a big deal in me coming here," Smith said. "He gave me the information and you know, I did my own homework on coach Jim Calhoun and it was just like, 'I need to be here.'"
But coach Sellers wasn't the only reason Smith decided to come to UConn. Smith felt that his Chicago background and John Marshall experience would be a great fit for UConn, and more specifically, the Big East.
"[Chicago] is just a tough place period," Smith said. "That's why I felt the Big East fit my style 'cause coming from Chicago to the Big East - it's a war. Every night it's a war."
With the departures of A.J. Price and Craig Austrie, Smith said that he felt he would be able to immediately contribute to Calhoun's system.
"It's kind of exciting to know not only does the coaching staff have trust in me but my players do too," Smith said. "It's all about trust and I'm glad they're putting that trust in me."
"Chicago, man, it's the best city in the world; the windy city," Smith said. "It's nothing; I'm pretty much used to [the cold]. I either have the coldest winters, or the windiest fall-time. I'm used to it."
Smith, a Chicago native, graduated from John Marshall Metropolitan High School - a school system that was never easy, according to him. But it was the difficulties he faced in public school that turned him into the young man he is today.
"Chicago made me the player I am, from just playing tough and the school system I went to," Smith said. "John Marshall is a tough program. You think about Marshall, you think about a war."
Smith was dubbed one of the top unsigned recruits in the country until UConn assistant coach Pat Sellers got the 6-foot point guard to commit with the Huskies at the end of March this year.
"Coach Sellers latched onto me, gave me all the updates of UConn, on the coaches and on the team, so he played a big deal in me coming here," Smith said. "He gave me the information and you know, I did my own homework on coach Jim Calhoun and it was just like, 'I need to be here.'"
But coach Sellers wasn't the only reason Smith decided to come to UConn. Smith felt that his Chicago background and John Marshall experience would be a great fit for UConn, and more specifically, the Big East.
"[Chicago] is just a tough place period," Smith said. "That's why I felt the Big East fit my style 'cause coming from Chicago to the Big East - it's a war. Every night it's a war."
With the departures of A.J. Price and Craig Austrie, Smith said that he felt he would be able to immediately contribute to Calhoun's system.
"It's kind of exciting to know not only does the coaching staff have trust in me but my players do too," Smith said. "It's all about trust and I'm glad they're putting that trust in me."
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