Tubbs will get us to the post season

[PerunaRaider]

The team is stacked this year. A healthy Hopkins equals solid guard play, and our big men are ripe to shine.

[Hoop Fan]

I've got high hopes for this team, but lets not put the pressure on yet. We have 4 starters back, but I noticed something not good in last nights program/stats flyer. For the season, SMU was beaten by its Opponents in EVERY single statistical category last year. Thats shooting percentage, rebounding, assists, turnovers, free throw percentage, you name it. Even in a bad season, you usually have one or two strengths that you are at least even in. Second thing that has been mentioned by others is depth.

[Corso]

I also have very high hopes for the team this year.

Hopkins, I think, should shine - he seems to be healthy for the first time since he's been at SMU, and looks like he's in MUCH better shape. He looks as if he's ready to be the super-quick, explosive player he was in HS, even better than he was the last two years. Coach Tubbs' up-tempo style should allow him to really blossom.

Even more than that, I look for the seniors to break out. Simpson is stronger than ever before, and should be much more effective on both ends of the floor. And Castro is leaner and looks in practice like he's running a lot better than we've seen. If he can get up and down the floor with the others, he also will be very effective.

The one who I think might make the biggest jump is Justin Isham. As we all know, he's extremely athletic, and the high-pressure defense and up-tempo offense should allow him to be the player we've seen flashes of in his first three seasons. He's a very good defender when he wants to be, and he's going to be a more effective slasher on the offensive end.

Roberts (before he got hurt) and Killen also seem very promising.

Can't wait for hoops!

[Pony_Fan]

Yea, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Post season? The other teams in the WAC are very competitive on any night.

Keys are defense (which should be better w/out our crappy zone) and hopefully improve on assists and not as many TO's. Someone mentioned an increase in steals which leads to good transition. Back in the Sasser days we had many, many points off TO's which has not been the case the last few years. As I said last year, I think Pearson will impress us this year.

[Hoop Fan]

Ponyfan said it, the competition has talent also. There are plenty of teams out there that are still more physical than we are, better shooters and more depth. We'll see if this team can bounce back put a good season together. Remember, SMU has to get 20 wins just to get NIT consideration. We had several years of 18 wins that never got us in.

[Pony_Fan]

I was about the mention that too. 20 wins at least. I wish Castro and Simpson had 1 more year and I would say it would be a viable option next year (realistically). Without them in '05-06, not sure when the Ponies will have a realistic shot at post season? I like the additions, just not sure that is enough..need PF right?

[EastStang]

Rice, UTEP, Nevada, Fresno, La. Tech and of course the team we never seem to beat on their Island, Hawaii. Tulsa can never be discounted. Boise added some JUCO's, as did SJS. The WAC is very competitive this year and very balanced. This is a good thing, since the autobid goes with the tournament champion. That means that a good four game run can win you a bid to the dance. If we are in the 4-5 slot for the conference tournament, we could be in a good position for a run.

[Waz]

We may actually have a better shot at getting into Post Season play by winning the automatic bid than by getting an NIT bid. A lot of teams can pencil in 20 wins just as soon as the ink is dry on the schedule, but I only see two that we can pencil in with any real degree of certainty. The 18 wins might be good enough to get in, but in the past, our 18 wins didn't come towards the end of the season. We usually peaked a couple of weeks before the end of the season, even in a good year. I am betting that will no longer be the case and that we will have a team that grows as the year progresses, not disintegrates.

[OldPony]

Anything less than NIT will be a disapointment. HF- I'm not concerned about stats from last year because the team quit for about 1/3 of the season. Barring a meltdown, this team is as good as we will see for a few years. If Tubbs doesn't do something with this group, recruiting will be harder. This is a very important year for Tubbs and us fans. Actually, our depth is better than it has been for sometime and our starters are game experienced. We ain't KU but we should challenge for the WAC (or maybe the 2nd spot). Remember, before these guys quit, they beat Purdue, played Wake close and beat TT. Maybe not greast talent but good enough to NIT. This is a very important year for us all.

[Hoop Fan]

OP, your from Kansas, any thoughts on Dez Willingham? You've been pretty quiet lately. I like Simpson, Castro and Isham, but I don't consider them as irreplacable as some of you do. Yes they are experienced, but until the big guys prove they can rebound better and Isham can shoot more accurately, those are big issues. If Hopkins didn't go off for 40 the day before against Miami, OH, we probably never even get a shot at a flat Purdue team.

I don't have a crystal ball, but I could see possibly being better next year with Willingham, and more experienced Derrick Roberts and Ike Ofuegbu. Chris Reay will be a junior and there is no reason to believe he cant step up and do most of the things Castro does. Every program has unproven players when you look forward.

[MustangStealth]

I don't think any one of the three seniors is irreplaceable, but as a unit they will be very hard to replace. This is their 4th year playing together and they give us a better frontcourt than we've had in years. Each of them has strengths that can be replaced but the chemistry will be much harder to recreate.

[Hoop Fan]

I don't think any one of the three seniors is irreplaceable, but as a unit they will be very hard to replace. This is their 4th year playing together and they give us a better frontcourt than we've had in years. Each of them has strengths that can be replaced but the chemistry will be much harder to recreate.

Stealth, I partly agree, the seniors are good kids and good team players. But is that the same team chemistry that was part of a meltdown last year? Dement deserves the majority of blame, but the players deserved some responsibility and should be out to redeem themselves this year, but that remains to be seen. One exhibition game does not a season make.

[OldPony]

Hoop- I saw them (KSU)play a couple of times last year when they played KU. I really don't remember Willingham at all but, as a point, he would have been matched up against Aaron Miles. That tends to make most guards look bad especially rookies. KSU wasn't very good and runs a pretty unexciting brand of ball. They make Dement look up tempo.
I am a big believer in experience and he got a lot against good opponents so it should help.
For the same reason, I still believe this is as good as SMU will be for some time. Maybe the younger guys are more talented but I sure haven't seen much from Reay to make me believe he is a trade up from Castro. I'd go with an experienced group of mid talent guys over slightly better talent with little experience if betting. That being said, Tubbs brand of ball may eliminate some of the advantage of experience just because it is different. I still believe this is a hugely important year for our program. Tubbs either needs to sign some real difference makers early or win a lot of games to get the momentum train rolling. I will be disappointed in this team if we don't NIT. This was the year I would have called for Dement's head if he didn't produce. The team quit on him so it was the right decision to let him go but that is kind of a different reasoning.

[EastStang]

Tubbs uptempo style game will force our younger players into the game just because the 1st team is tired. So next year there is no reason to believe that they will not be able to step up to the plate. Having a bunch of guys sit on the end of the bench waiting their turn does not usually develop players (unless of course they are projects).

[The Falcon]

I was surveying the schedule and can see 15 or 16 wins if the team plays
well at home.

It is the away schedule that bothers me. Usually defense and depth are
crucial to winning on the road. If we could win with d & d on the road,
we might take some games at Hawaii, Tulsa, Boise, Nevada, and
La Tech. We haven't won too many of those, and if we do this year,
we will have 20-21 wins - and if we win the ESPN bracket buster, we
could have 21 or 22 wins.

We will know in about 2 weeks if we can exceed that. Ok State & Tex Tech a win in either game might propel us further.