Could the case be made that SMU is

[HighfalutinHorse]

more of a "basketball school", historically, and probably has the best short term chance to succeed in hoops v. football?? So....why not plow more resources into bball? Is the $$$$ in hoops comparable to fball? Looking back, SMU has 14 Conference Titles or co-titles in hoops vs. 12 in fball...10 bowl games in fball vs. 12 NCAA / NIT appearances in hoops.....7-8 players needed to COMPETE in fball vs. 20+ in fball.....it begs the question, is our money plowing into football a "texas thang" or what? Seems to me that some serious energy towards bball could and would generate quicker results (success) and probably cost less, with solid financial gains....?? :hmm:

[woodsnwater]

Highfaultinhorse,

You're in Texas, Football is King, it's nice to see the bball program doing well this year, but that's not what excites boosters and allows them to brag to their counterparts from other old-SWC schools. Let the nation's heartland and east coast have the roundball game.

:showoff:

[Charleston Pony]

Hey, I'd love to see the return of SMU basketball dominance. Hopefully the money is being raised to renovate Moody and keep the momentum going in hoops. We are making progress and hoops is a sport where a single recruit (see Ira Terrell) can change your fortunes. Let's hope the Bhop era sees SMU land another championship. I like this team and really expect them to make some noise next year.

Ah, the memories of Doc Hayes and the Mustangs ruling the SWC.

<small>[ 12-12-2003, 06:22 AM: Message edited by: Charleston Pony ]</small>

[OldPony]

Go to the NBA and find an SMU b'baller. SMU has produced huge numbers of good to outstanding pro footballers. Even as bad as we have been in the past 15 years, some have made and stuck in pro FB. Look at how we stack up in b'ball. That said, we should be raising more money for b'ball because we are close to being able to turn the corner and top flight facilities would certainly help Dement recruit. B' ballers might also like to stay in the game and coach someday but no PE major restricts Dement just as is does Bennett.

[Hoop Fan]

I'm a hoops guys first, but I realize that SMU has to have respectable football. The primary reason is geography. There is just no viable basketball only league in this part of the world and there never will be. All of SMU's regional and traditional rivals play football and emphasize football. If you wanted to deemphasize fball, you'd be relegated to starting a league with Oral Roberts and UT Pan Am.

[PK]

Originally posted by HighfalutinHorse:
more of a "basketball school", historically, and probably has the best short term chance to succeed in hoops v. football?? So....why not plow more resources into bball? Is the $$$$ in hoops comparable to fball? Looking back, SMU has 14 Conference Titles or co-titles in hoops vs. 12 in fball...10 bowl games in fball vs. 12 NCAA / NIT appearances in hoops.....7-8 players needed to COMPETE in fball vs. 20+ in fball.....it begs the question, is our money plowing into football a "texas thang" or what? Seems to me that some serious energy towards bball could and would generate quicker results (success) and probably cost less, with solid financial gains....?? :hmm:

From what you have pointed out above, Hoops has only been marginally more successful than Football over the years...hardly what you could call more of a basketball school. Thanks to the administrative restrictions on recruiting over the last 15 year, basketball has had a little bit of an advantage in that they only have to find three or four good recruits a year.

You are correct that you could probably get quicker results in basketball than in football if for no other reason in that basketball is not currently in as bad ashape as the football program. I'm not so sure about your conclussion on the solid finacial gains the extra money put into basketball might bring. We have had some fairly good teams and games in basketball lately and still have pitiful turnouts for the games.

[bhop]

Plus, football is the engine that is running the transformation of college sports. Even a traditional basketball powerhouse like the ACC is making decisions about its future based on football.

[Pony4Life]

If you're going to go by the number of pros playing these days, then SMU is a soccer school.

But I'm afraid as long as the school stays in Texas, football is first. If nothing else, compare the traffic on the football message board to those of basketball and other sports.

[EastStang]

That is referred to as the "Pye" plan. That was his vision. His view was that it worked at Duke and who cares if Duke has a putrid football team. Basketball will do just fine. Notice what most now think of the Pye plan. It was viewed as a failure.

[OldPony]

There have been many more pros from SMU football than all other sports combined. To equate SMU's basketball success over its history with fottball is ludicrous. I think SMU has had a top 10 ranked team for an substantial period of the year in b'ball only 2 times in history but maybe there was 3 times. Football has been there quite a few.

[No Cal Pony]

Pye had no "vision." He royaly ruined a lot of time for our program. I don't know as if he thought about duke in particular, but if so, he still missed the mark by a mile.

duke will take some chances on some kids. They also have programs that are "athlete friendly." Both of which we NEVER did or have done. Plus, duke's endowment is far greater than SMU's.

I want a good, clean program, but come on. We do need to make some concessions.

Here's to our future.

Go Ponies!

[Charleston Pony]

the truth is that there aren't many "good, clean programs" out there. Even Duke. Don't kid yourself. I saw a lot of what was going on during the 4 yrs I lived in Durham. It's very hard to police "supportive" fans.

[Hoop Fan]

Isn't Duke notorious for getting 'good jobs' for players parents that want to move to Durham?

[Otto]

Originally posted by Charleston Pony:
the truth is that there aren't many "good, clean programs" out there. Even Duke. Don't kid yourself. I saw a lot of what was going on during the 4 yrs I lived in Durham. It's very hard to police "supportive" fans.

Remember, despite all the "Coach K for sainthood" spewed by [deleted] Vitale and the other Duke-loving media, there was absolutely no effort to talk Corey Magette into staying in school when he declared for the NBA draft after his freshman year, because (according to many) he didn't have the slightest interest in being a student, and would have been very hard-pressed to remain eligible. It happens more than many would like to think.

[No Cal Pony]

Hey CP, believe me, I don't kid myself. I know more about duke even before moving to Chapel Hill. A fellow SMU alum used to work at duke. That person left because of the bs going on there. Back on MM, I got into it with "dukie" over this issue. Heck, even way back ucla gave Jackie Robinson a new car. No one speaks of this, but out in LA, folks who know can tell you about this. Cheating in one for or another has been a peart of the game for WAY to long.

Go Ponies!