PonyFans.com is proud to have 15-year-old Nate as a guest columnist. In this installment, Nate offers his own thoughts to the seniors who helped lead the SMU men's basketball team to yet another stellar season. Feel free to post comments and constructive criticism, ask him questions, and/or give suggestions for upcoming columns! (He can be followed on Twitter at @Pony_NATE_tion.)

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Dear Nic Moore, Markus Kennedy and Jordan Tolbert:

To Nic and Markus: To give some perspective on how much you have done for the program and for the city of Dallas: in the previous five years (2008-13) before you two arrived, the programs record was 71-88. In the three years you played at SMU, your record was 79-22.

Nate is among the many who feel enormous gratitude toward seniors Jordan Tolbert, Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy (photo by PonyFans.com).

You guys helped turn Moody Coliseum into THE place to be. Countless times there were large local celebrities, including the likes of Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarco Murray, Jason Garrett, Mark Cuban, Chandler Parsons, President George W. Bush, and many others, in attendance at Moody Coliseum. Not only did you draw large amounts of attention from these celebrities, Moody also was turned into one of the best home-court advantages in college basketball. It is never quiet, always loud; it all starts with you and then The Mob and the rest of the crowd feeds off of it.

In case you two had forgotten, you only lost four times in Moody. You also won the program’s first conference tournament title in a little over a quarter of a century, and also the first regular season title in 22 years. SMU went dancing for the first time in 22 years because of what you built. You deserved to go much further in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, even though it was decided by a bad call by a referee. I will take it to my deathbed adamantly believing that that was not goaltending.

To Jordan: Thank you for not backing out and not quitting this year. Thank you for the constant feed of highlight-reel dunks and the many occurrences of you posterizing other opponents.

You brought an unmatched energy and electricity to the arena. Your high-energy defense and athleticism gave your teammates the drive to keep fighting. Though you are only 6-foot-7 or 6-8, you played like you were 7-3. You didn’t back down to anyone, even if they had a four- or five-inch height advantage. You embraced your new teammates and fit right in, and as far as I’m concerned, you are one of the most beloved players in SMU history.

What is my favorite memory from your year at SMU? I’ll pick a specific play and another game as a whole: your dunk against Hampton when you missed a driving layup and in mid-air, collected your own rebound, and threw it back down over the opponent, all in the same motion. As far as a complete game, who could forget your incredible game this year against Michigan where you were utterly unstoppable, throwing down dunk after dunk as you finished with 23 points nine rebounds and shot 11-for-12 from the field … with nine dunks.

I’m so sorry you were robbed of the chance to head to the NCAA Tournament in your last season of eligibility. It really is a shame the NCAA deprived you and the other two seniors the opportunity to make a run at a national championship, because frankly, this year’s team is one of the best, if not, the best team SMU has ever seen. Even though the team was dealt a bad hand this year, thank you for your limitless effort and commitment to SMU. You will be greatly missed.

To Markus: Thank you for being the bundle of happiness and vigor for your teammates and the fans. Your love and bond with the fans was incredible. You didn’t pass up an opportunity to speak with fans or sign autographs for a little bit. You truly were the heart and soul of the team for three strong years. You had an endless commitment and affection for your teammates, or as you would likely put it, your brothers. As Ben Moore personally put it on an Instagram post, you really did take him under your wing and mentored him. You helped turn him into the fantastic player he is now.

Your unbelievable post play played huge parts in your 79 wins at SMU. It could not have been done without you. You had a genuine care for the program and the team. That was your main characteristic that really struck me. The relentless juice you brought off the bench led to back-to-back Sixth Man of the Year awards.

My favorite memory of you isn’t necessarily a specific play. It would be something that you would repeatedly do. During a big run by the team and a timeout is taken, you would jump on the opportunity to wave your arms and give even more life to the already-raucous crowd. You truly valued your fans. I love your motto as well, and it’s a great thing to live by: FOE, or “Family Over Everything.” Again, I’m sorry the NCAA wronged you and you will be missed at SMU, but you most definitely won’t be forgotten.

To Nic: Mr. Conference Player of the Year, and arguably the most beloved player in SMU history. I don’t even know where to start with you. No. 11 should be retired and hung in the rafters at Moody Coliseum.

You are by far the best player I’ve seen at SMU in my 15-year lifespan. You showed that the basketball motto “Heart over Height” really is true. You proved that your 5-9 height didn’t matter. No matter how undersized you were compared to your opponents, you frequently dominated them.

You truly were the leader of the team and embraced that role as leader of the team. No matter what the situation, you always seemed to come through in the clutch, whether it was a couple of massive three-pointers (i.e. this year’s home game vs. Cincinnati) or your signature floater over someone who is at least a foot taller than you. You always fought and didn’t back down to anyone, even if you were forced into a position where you had to box out and try to outrebound another team’s center or forward. Your confidence and tenacity was never-ending, and you were always ready to take the big shot. Your leadership towards the younger players, especially Shake Milton has been crucial. I am ecstatic that Shake got the opportunity to be mentored by you this year, and it will pay off next season.

What would my favorite memory of you be? I’m sure mine is the same as many others’ in the SMU community: the buzzer shot in the NIT against Cal. That moment will live on in SMU history. I will tell my kids about that game. That was the absolute loudest I have ever heard Moody Coliseum. When you went through a screen and darted out to the corner, caught the ball and took the shot in front of your bench, I had no doubt in my mind it was going in … and of course, it did. You won that game and sent SMU to New York and to Madison Square Garden.

Nic, thank you for being the leader of the resurrection of this program. The consensus is that none of this would have happened without you. My No. 11 jersey will most definitely be a keepsake forever.

I wish the best of luck to the three of you at the next level. Nic Moore, Markus Kennedy, and Jordan Tolbert: thank you for being part of the start of something great.

Sincerely,

Nate