Q&A with Coach Hewitt

A great article and interview with Coach Hewitt looking forward to the 2004/05 season...... Also note the summer prospectus for the team: right-click this link and "save as" to download.

Some worthy mentions from the interview:

- he wants his players to be "selfish" over the summer, focusing on their individual goals, not team goals. Then he flips the script when the team reports

- upperclassman have been passing on the expectations to the freshman for the conditioning required for ACC play.

- Ra'Sean Dickey came in at 6'9.5", 270lb. Coach sees him as a mix of the 4/5 spot and expects he will need to get down to 250-255lb.

- Jeremis Smith is the best athlete of the freshman and with Isma'il, the best athlete on the team

- Zam Fredrick and Anthony Morrow are the "shooters", while Dickey / Smith will provide upgraded inside presence.

- Thinks the leaders on the team like Elder and Muhammad are vastly underrated in the media.

- Talent-wise, this team will probably be better, but the freshman cannot replace the experience of those we lost.

- Feels that Luke Schenscher has the best chance for a break-out season this year of anyone on the team. Luke has been working out with Jeremis Smith, Malcolm Mackey and Ivano Newbill in the off-season.

- Luke will have a bone-spur removed from his foot August 9, but should return to pre-season conditioning just fine.

- Only Elder and Muhammad have not worked much in the off-season due to injuries (high ankle sprain and patella tendonitis), but have stayed in the weight room. They didn't start working out until about June 15. All the other guys have pushed hard.

- Coach feels we should be just as strong defensively this year because of senior leadership.

- Coach supports 100% a 5th year of eligibility for student-atheletes.