SWFL HOOPS
May 10, 2008
The newest edition to the SWFLHoops.com staff, Jacob Alley, recently caught up with Community School of Naples stud sophomore Mitch Woods while covering Mitch and the rest of his aau travel team, Naples Finest, at the AAU state tournament in Clearwater. Read about Mitch's experiences with travel ball, his goals, and much more in this first edition of "One on One."
Jacob: So Mitch, What would you say is the biggest difference between AAU play and regular season HS Basketball?
Mitch: Well obviously the competition is a lot better; it is like tournaments of all star teams playing against each other.
Jacob: Do you think that it is possible to reach the same level of team chemistry as with your regular high school team?
Mitch: I mean with this team, at the first practice nobody really talked at all, we were all just little tough guys. But since then we have come out of our shell and now we are all great friends; so I’d definitely say that after a while of playing together any level of team chemistry is possible.
Jacob: What is it like playing with some of the people you would usually be playing against?
Mitch: I mean during the regular season when you play these guys, you do not really give them any respect because they are the opponent and you have to know that you are better than the opponent. But once they become your teammates, you recognize their intelligence, their savvy. Take Joel (Vander Pol) for instance, I played him five times last year and never gave him any props but now we are close friends and I can say that he is a great basketball player, as well as everyone else on this team.
Jacob: Was it difficult transitioning from your regular season head coach’s style to Coach Bryan Crislip’s style?
Mitch: At first it was a tough transition. I went from a head coach who is primarily a disciplinarian that limited the amount of dribbles we were allowed to take in order to reach the other end of the court, to a coach who is results oriented and does not mind giving us some freedom. I think things will be different for me next year though, with coach Donnahue and the freedom that he brings.
Jacob: Where, if you could go anywhere, would you go to college to play hoops?
Mitch: UNC (Univ. of North Carolina)
Jacob: What would you say is the best part of your game?
Mitch: Dribbling, ball handling. I love getting past defenders and either taking it to the rack or drawing another defender and hitting the open man.
Jacob: What do you still have to work on in order to take your game to the next level?
Mitch: Work on my jump shot.
Jacob: Is your role on your high school team similar to your role on this team?
Mitch: Well this year my role was to get the ball to Kyle (Peterson) the entire time and to only shoot when I had to. Next year I will have a role almost identical to this where I am the scorer and the primary option.
Jacob: Who is your favorite player in the NBA?
Mitch: Kobe Bryant
Jacob: What was going through your head when you made those last 2 free throws with under half a minute left in the second pool play game?
Mitch: Nothing, I was just in the zone. I tried to zone everyone and everything out, all the teammates were like “You’ve got this man” and “we really need this” but I just tried to block them out and let my game take control. After I sunk them I knew my team had a new confidence in me and I had a new confidence in me, making those two baskets felt amazing.
Jacob: Thanks Mitch, good luck with everything and we will hear from you again in the coming season I am sure.
"One on One" with Mitch Woods
By: Jacob Alley
SWFLHoops.com
