Hall, Smith prepare for first Big 12 tournament
March 5, 2014
The postseason is always a special time for an athlete. And for Quean Smith and Earl Hall, this postseason is no exception.
Both Smith and Hall will compete in their first Big 12 tournament as Cyclones this weekend, and they are already feeling the excitement.
“I’m actually pretty excited now,” Smith said. “I got to go watch it last year, and that was pretty exciting. But now that it’s my time to step up. I’m really excited to get out there and compete.”
Smith is heading into the Big 12 tournament just one win shy of qualifying for the NCAA tournament. While that may add stress to some, Smith isn’t letting it faze him.
“I’m one step to going, but I’m also one step to not going,” Smith said. “So I need to put all that I have inside that room, so that I have a better chance of going.”
Smith isn’t the only one who is just one win shy of qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Hall also only needs one win for him to qualify.
“I’ve been told that I only need one win to go, but I don’t want to set myself short,” Hall said. “I definitely want an NCAA seed. I’m ready to make an impact and I’m ready to make my move to the top. I just need to be ready to wrestle.”
Dealing with the pressure of qualifying can be difficult for anyone. However, All-American Kyven Gadson thinks that both Hall and Smith have what it takes.
“They just need to relax, it’s only seven minutes,” Gadson said. “If you go wrestle hard for seven minutes, and it doesn’t come out the way you want, you can live with it because you put it out there. If you hold back, then you’ll have regrets. They know what they need to do, and they’ll be fine.”
With just days separating the team from the tournament, the team is just focused on their final preparations for the championships. Smith is focused on more than just his game on the mat, however. He’s focused on his schoolwork too.
“I need to put in more time in the room,” Smith said. “Once I get my conditioning up, and get my attacks down, then I got to get back to the schoolwork. I’m just focused on winning the Big 12’s right now.”
