Sporting News: Joke Game of the Week -SMU vs. Hardin Simmons

[dcpony]

I concur. SMU should not be playing D-3 schools during the season.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vi ... hp?t=43825

[Pony_Fan]

That is true and funny - we should be beating these teams by 35 pts - i don't care if HS hits 100% from the 3.

Joke game of the week: SMU wants to be a real team, right? Conference USA wants to be a real league? So why is this program playing a home game against Hardin-Simmons? Indeed, this is a program that is hoping to make the NCAA Tournament this season -- the Division III tournament. Congrats, Mustangs, on that 85-70 victory. Must have felt good to lead by seven at the break.

[KnuckleStang]

That's good stuff. Tellin it like it is. I laughed out loud. I agree w/ Ponyfan, if you're going to play a DIII, you absolutely must blow them out. Or don't play them at all.

[MustangSally]

Oh man, I hadn't realized they were a DIII team, I guess because I had actually heard of the school.

[Billy Joe]

Actually, we should play Division III teams. We hardly have Division 1-A talent on the roster with the exception of maybe three or four players. The rest are very marginable Division 1-A players, at best. The SMU basketball program has fallen hard. Tubbs was hired for his ability to attract top local talent. He has missed on every single local talent since he was hired. His fault? Not entirely. The lack of Division 1-A facilities does not help. It takes a commitment from the University before the kids will take you seriously. It starts at the top and the decision makers simply do not give a damn. Darker days are ahead for this program. You heard it here first.

[Stallion]

All I'll say is that think there is a growing list of sleepers who have been given scholarships to SMU by both Dement and Tubbs including the Nyam kid coming in next year who really are just projections-not fundamentally solid Division 1A prospects. Tubbs better pray a few come thru. I'd say there are about 7-8 players that fit into that description right now. Hey but we might beat TCU which looks to have its worst team in 15-20 years.

[mustangbill67]

And we are both 4 and 3.

DALLAS, Texas - Hardin-Simmons gave Southern Methodist every thing it wanted, but the Division I Mustangs were too tough down the stretch and the Cowboys fell 85-70, Saturday night at Moody Coliseum.

"It was a great effort by our team," said head coach Dylan Howard. "They competed hard and had a chance down the stretch. Now we have to get ready for a huge crosstown ASC game on Monday at McMurry."

SMU led by nine, when the two teams exchanged four straight trips and at the 6:15 mark a Donald Rohde lay-up made it 70-63. Two Zach Pickelman free throws at the 5:43 mark made it 71-65. It was as close as they would be the rest of the game as back-to-back turnovers by the Cowboys and conversions by the Mustangs made 76-65 at the 4:17 mark.

HSU played a great first half and trailed only 36-35 at the 3:30 mark, before a quick 8-0 SMU run. The Cowboys scored again at the end of the half to make it 44-37 at the break. Each team shot well in the first hald. HSU hit 16-of-30 shots and was 5-for-9 from 3-point range. The Cowboys had 10 assists in the half. SMU shot 50 percent in the first half.

Zach Pickelman led the Cowboy effort with 17 points and Tanner Kudrna had 15. Derek Roberts and Devon Pearson each had 19 points to lead the Mustangs.

HSU shot 10-for-19 in the game from 3-point range. HSU only had nine turnovers. SMU hit 19-of-31 free throws in the game and HSU was 4-for-7.





Hardin-Simmons is now 4-3 on the year. SMU improved to 4-3. The Cowboys will play at crosstown rival McMurry Monday at 7:30 p.m.

[StangEsq]

Sounds like we were playing an intense defensive game. 10-19 from 3 for HSHS, and 7 free throws shot? Man, we must have been all over them.

It has been a long time since I have been more optimistic about the state of our football team than our basketball team.

[RGV Pony]

It's a good thing we played Hardin-Simmons and not McMurry, who pasted Hardin Simmons 126-102 last night. SMU might've lost the battle to see who the div. 1 Methodist-related school in Texas would be.

[friarwolf]

I know I am beating a dead horse but............here I go one more time. We know we have recruiting limitations and old facilities. Why are we chasing athletes that are (1) being recruited by universities with much better facilities, (2) in more glamourous conferences, (3) with better recent records, and (4) much easier academic standards at this time in SMU's history???????????? Tubbs is like the little kid in the back of the line jumping up and down begging the big boys to "pick me!!!!!!!!!!!" It ain't gonna happen.

Go a different route. Find someone who understands the Princeton offense, install it, go get smart, heady, "basketball players" who care about winning, teamwork, defense, and leaving it all on the court. There are plenty of those kids around here who would have loved to play in that old gym. Want names? Nick Tuszynski - 6'7" banger at Jesuit unsigned, Justin Reilly - 6'8" forward at Jesuit committed to Penn, Bobby Fenske, 6'8" small forward at TCA committed to Air Force, Drew Allen, shooting guard at Colleyville Heritage comitted to Boise State, Eddy Gloviak, 6'8" post at Rockwall comitted to Dallas Baptist, Thomas Andrews - 6'2" point guard at TCA unsigned, Eric Zastopil, 6"8" forward at Plano comitted to West Point, Craig Stanley, 5'10 guard at Plano West unsigned, and Nathan Tune, 6'4" shooting guard from Celina, unsigned (Celina's quarterback by the way playing for state this week). All smart - and qualified, tough, athletic, heady players who would worry much more about the team than their stats. And there are bunches more. Not one got a sniff from SMU - "not the right kind of kid". Zastopil and Tuszinski's dads played at SMU. Guarantee, if we had some of these kids in the right system at SMU, we would at least have a chance. It might not be above the rim basketball but you know what? I could give a rat's [deleted] about dunks - and an "exciting brand of basketball". What is so exciting about watching a couple of dunks (and a bunch of missed ones) and going home on the losing end of the score - again. I want wins! And who knows, put a few winning seasons together and maybe some of those studs (with qualifying SAT's) might start thinking SMU might not be so bad.......................

Ok, the dog piling may commence........

[No Cal Pony]

i won't dogpile. i tend to agree. plus, if kids were so concerned with facilities, then how does gonzaga do it? pepperdine is no jewel. Heck, even cameron indoor is no modern wonder. Want kids? Go out and win. Instill a sense there is going to be a possible future. Let them have fun.

Go Ponies!

[Stallion]

they cut corners with plenty of Division 1A Transfers and JC Transfers.

[friarwolf]

I'll say this - Gonzaga doesn't cut corners with the take your breath away above the rim athlete. They got the Doudney kid from Rockwall who left Tech - but he is glued to the bench. Their stud this year, Morrison, sure doesn't inspire you with his athletic prowess - he just beats your butt. Neither did their 2 studs last year - can't remember their names. I guess that is my point - find kids who want to play ball and win - not get on sportscenter with the best dunk or alley oop or block.

Rant is now officially over.

[PonyTales]

.... Hey but we might beat TCU which looks to have its worst team in 15-20 years.

I heard that game will be on TV. With the students (at both schools) on break, will anyone besides me turn out to watch that?

And No Cal Pony .... Pepperdine might not be a jewel, but park a school in Malibu and a lot of red-blooded males will give the place a good look.

[Terry Webster]

I haven't seen Sporting News for a long time. I remember when they were such a terrific paper for baseball. Is it still a good magazine now?