SEC MEDIA DAYS REPORT

Van Buren grad gains maturity

Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin speaks during the SEC men's NCAA college basketball media day, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, in Birmingham, Ala.
Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin speaks during the SEC men's NCAA college basketball media day, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, in Birmingham, Ala.

MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. -- Missouri forward Mitchell Smith, a redshirt sophomore from Van Buren, has resumed practicing with the Tigers after being suspended after an arrest Sept. 22 for driving while intoxicated.

"Mitchell's practicing with us and he's doing a good job," Missouri Coach Cuonzo Martin said Wednesday at SEC media days. "This past week has probably been his best week of basketball as far as his approach, putting in extra time and realizing what it takes to be a successful player, the commitment. I've been impressed in him."

Smith tore the ACL in his left knee 11 games into the 2016-17 season when he was a true freshman. He redshirted last season as he continued to recover from his knee surgery.

Missouri senior forward Kevin Puryear, Smith's roommate, said Smith is 100 percent physically and running the floor well.

"You could tell last year he was playing on edge a little bit because he wasn't feeling all the way healthy," Puryear said of how Smith practiced. "Now he says this is the healthiest he's ever felt. I'm looking for him to be very productive this year."

Smith, 6-10, has added about 25 pounds and is up to 220.

"He's always been able to shoot the ball and stretch the floor," Puryear said. "Now that he's gotten a lot stronger, he can bang with bigger guys down in the post, too.

"Basketball is becoming more of a positionless game every year, so he'll probably play inside and out."

Puryear said he and Smith have become best friends, and he made sure to offer Smith all the support he could after his arrest and suspension.

"It's kind of a rough deal when something like that happens, but he's handled it like an absolute champ," Puryear said. "He's changed his life and is taking steps in the right direction.

"After [the suspension] happened, Coach Martin really challenged him, challenged his mental toughness. One thing about Coach Martin, everybody can't play for him. He's a really tough coach, but at the same time, you know he's all for you and developing the best young men that we can possibly be."

Ali impresses Gafford

Daniel Gafford was asked which new University of Arkansas teammate has been impressing him in practice. He said a lot of the newcomers are doing well, but singled out 6-10 freshman Ibby Ali for praise.

"I'd say the guy who really has impressed me is Ibby," Gafford said. "He's been working hard and getting all of our plays down. He's been soakling up everything like a sponge.

"He was kind of sluggish at first, but I guess he's gotten to be where he has that mindset he wants to get better for this program."

Gafford said Ali had a strong practice Tuesday.

"He came out and he played with energy, he was blocking shots," Gafford said. "He was finishing tough layups, and he was dunking.

"He tried to dunk on me, but you know how that went. I blocked his shot, but then a couple trips down later, he blocked one of my shots. That let's me know he's not the kid he was when he first got here. He's gotten better. That showed me a lot about Ibby."

Smaller Aggies

Texas A&M lost three 6-10 players -- Tyler Davis, Robert Williams and Tonny Trocha-Morelos -- from last season's 22-13 team that made a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Billy Kennedy said the Aggies will be perimeter-oriented this season and may have four guards on the court much of the time, led by 6-4 senior Admon Gilder and 6-2 sophomore TJ Starks.

"It's totally different," Kennedy said. "I'm looking at guys my size instead of having to look up."

Kennedy said the Aggies will play at a faster tempo, shoot a lot more three-pointers and not pound the ball inside as much.

"The guys have bought into it," he said. "They like this style of play."

Low-key reaction

Arkansas forward Daniel Gafford said it was nice to be voted to the preseason All-SEC first team, but it wasn't a major deal to him.

"I didn't really have a big reaction to it," he said. "I just gave myself a pat on the back and said, 'Good job and work harder,' so I can be picked again at the end of the season."

Kentucky senior?

Kentucky Coach John Calipari has a different kind of one-and-done player this season.

Calipari has built a program recruiting star freshmen who then leave Kentucky after one season as high NBA Draft choices.

The difference this season is Kentucky newcomer Reid Travis, a 6-8 forward, is a graduate transfer from Stanford.

"I never say much to Reid," Calipari said. "He's my age."

Travis was a first-team All-Pac-12 player last season when he averaged 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds. The media picked him to be a first-team All-SEC player this season.

photo

Missouri forward Mitchell Smith

photo

Ibrahim Ali

photo

AP/BUTCH DILL

Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy speaks during the Southeastern Conference (SEC) men's NCAA college basketball media day, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, in Birmingham, Ala.

photo

Reid Travis

photo

AP/BUTCH DILL

Kentucky coach John Calipari speaks during the SEC men's NCAA college basketball media day, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, in Birmingham, Ala.

Sports on 10/18/2018

Upcoming Events