Castro, Dement, Isham, Miller, Simpson

[PonyFan]

Let's call the Rice game what it was: a disappointment, a fiasco, a collapse, a heartbreaker -- call it what you want. The Owls played well, and we didn't, making the final score anything but a surprise.

However, this senior class has been as enjoyable a class to follow and root for as any I can remember, and I want to thank all five (including Brian Miller) for all of their efforts.

Mike Dement, Jr.: MD2 could have walked away after last year, and if we're honest about it, most of us probably would have. A role player who spent a lot more time on the bench than on the court, nobody would have said a word if Mike hadn't returned after his father was fired. But he came back, worked hard and showed us what a team player really is.

Justin Isham: when "The I-Man" arrived at SMU, I thought he was nothing more than a leaper who could really dunk. But he got better in many aspects of his game, improving his shot and becoming a much better defender.

Brian Miller: there have been a lot of teams this year when I wondered "what if?" each time I saw Miller on the bench. What if he'd stayed healthy? What if we had that extra long-range shooter to add to the offense? (How valuable would Miller have been when Pearson got hurt at the end of the season?) What I like best is that he's graduating early -- a tribute to his hard work in the classroom. Here's hoping for a long, successful, backpain-free career.

Patrick Simpson: one of my all-time favorites at SMU. When he showed up at SMU, he was a tall skinny kid who started blocking shots all over the place while his offensive game rounded into form. He never got much thicker, but he became an all-around strong player who fought hard in every game, even when injured. He became a very solid offensive player and rebounder, and goes out as one of the best shot blockers in school history. On top of that, he's one of the nicest, classiest student-athletes SMU has ever had.

Eric Castro: the announcers during the last game talked about how he's improved every year he's been at SMU, and they were right, especially this year. He was the perfect example of a guy with good-but-not-great physical tools who took coaching constructively and worked [deleted] and off the floor. He developed a terrific array of low-post moves, and he teamed with Simpson to form the best tandem of interior passers we've had in a long time. All the while, he played with a big smile and great attitude -- nobody seemed to enjoy playing the game as much as Eric. And the Academic All-America honor couldn't have gone to a better guy.

Thanks for everything, guys. Good luck in the future.

[me@smu]

I totally agree with all your comments. We have spent so much time bashing this team and their performance it is easy to overlook what these guys have done over the past years.

[PK]

Ditto PonyFan...nice post.

[davish75]

Very nice and informative post.

I remember years ago when I was able to attend SMU games how inspiring it was to see the progress of players over the years. That's one of the things that makes Basketball a great sport.

I think Coach Tubbs has a great future and will have a program we will be very, very proud of.

[LA_Mustang]

Nice post, PonyFan. I agree with you 100%.

[Fresh]

Thank you, PonyFan, for putting the senior class's careers in the correct perspective. This has been a great group of players, students and Mustangs.

One thing that should be included in any discussion of the team's improvement is the progress made this year by BHop. When he got to the Hilltop, he was something of an Allen Iverson starter kid -- a quick gunner whose first three options on offense were shoot, shoot and shoot. This year, Coach Tubbs made him into a point guard. He ran the offense much better than in his first two years, became a better passer and a better defender. If he comes back for his senior year, and if he can stay healthy (a big IF, of course), he could really become the player we all thought he'd be when he was recruited.

[DiamondM75]

The one thing that I am really seeing in this thread is that the team apparently LEARNED alot this year. That is a sign of a good/great coach. The coach is not only a court general and recruiter, but must be a great teacher. I am beginning to see this as coach Tubbs greatest attribute. I can't get over how much this team learned in just one year.

I see people bashing the players on this team for not reaching their potential, but with only one year under a true teacher, what did you expect? I wonder where these players would have been with four years of teaching from coach Tubbs.

As for recruits looking at SMU. The chance to work under and learn from coach Tubbs should be a real plus. Let's just hope the high school coaches in the area and all over Texas explain this to their players/students.

[HorsePower]

And that they explain the fact that with Barnes leaving for UVa, and with a couple of guys leaving for the NBA (they hope), there's no reason to play at Texas, either. They need to start sending their guys to SMU!