SMU basketball

[LA_Mustang]

1st year under Coach Tubbs WAC record = 9-10, loss in the 1st round of the WAC tourney
2nd year under Coach Tubbs C-USA record = 4-10, win in the 1st round of the C-USA tourney, loss in the quarters
result = Tubbs fired
1st year under Coach Doherty C-USA record = 3-11 with one game remaining

My point – everyone dogged Jimmy Tubbs for being a bad coach, not landing any local studs and having very low attendance numbers after giving him only two years. Well, after one year and one recruiting class under Matt Doherty, do we look any better? I say no. Ten games into this season, some were proclaiming this team to be tournament bound, at the very least, NIT bound. End result = likely the worst conference record at SMU in over 10 years. We landed zero top 15 players in the state, more importantly none from DFW.....losing out to Tech and Baylor for highly recruited local guys. Our highest ranked local recruit, Malone is ranked #27 in the state.

This team currently has no one who can consistently score the basketball and Ryan Harp appears to be the only true scorer we have coming in. For this team to be any better next season we all better hope he can fill it up from day one at the college level or it will be another long year for SMU hoops. As for attendance - the 1500 may now be down to the 1000.

I’m not on here trying to make Coach Doherty look bad, because I think he is fine coach and he will find success again, but many took unfair shots at Jimmy Tubbs, who was in a winless situation.....just Matt Doherty appears to be now.

[mavsrage311]

after 1 recruiting class?? I'd give him the benefit of the doubt on that one, hard to recruit when you're hired and all you can get is Cam Spencer after every one else is already committed/signed.

[LA_Mustang]

The one recruiting class I'm referring to this year's: Harp, Malone, Dia......I think it is a nice class and obviously we have no idea how good they are until they start playing, but I don't see our major problem of putting the ball in the hole being solved based on this class. Harp is only one who is averaging 20+/game in high school.

[jkflamebo]

ur an idiot who really doesn't know what he's talking about. if u take a look at our previous bball recruiting classes, u can kind of see why were 4-10, 3-11 in conference. this new class with dia, nyakundi, malone, harp looks amazing compared to past classes. to say they won't put the ball in the hole better than the team we have now is stupid. the talent level coming in is much better than what we have now and that's a start to build something. in regards to tubbs i do think ppl took unfair shots at him but realistically, long term, i'd rather have doherty at the helm

[ALEX LIFESON]

Alex Malone averaged 23 points a game.

[LA_Mustang]

Tell me exactly what you’re basing that on? We have the #18 (Harp), #27 (Malone) and #38 (Nyakundi) players in Texas….and you’re saying that is amazing compared to the previous classes, huh? How many times have you seen those guys play?? I’ve seen each on more than one occasion and I have a pretty good feel for their games. Now I’ll admit I know very little about Dia and Walker, but neither appears to big a time scorer.

Past few classes - Derrick Roberts was the #8 ranked player in Texas and averaged 30pts+ a game in a tough Houston 5A district. Devon Pearson was a 2003 McDonalds All-American nominee and was considered a top 150-200 national prospect. Dez Willingham was a national top 100 prospect by all major recruiting services, Brian Morris was a highly regarded player out of Portland, and in my opinion, the best looking freshman we’ve had since Hop.....but for whatever reason he transferred. Of course, this is all opinion coming out of high school, but I would say that Roberts, Pearson, Willingham and Morris were all just as highly regarded as anyone we’ve signed this year.

And yes, I still have major questions about who will put the ball in the hole next year. Almost every d-1 basketball recruit averages 20-25 points a game in high school, but guys that produce in college as big time scorers usually average in the 30s during their high school career. Harp is the closest thing we have to that and asking him to put up big numbers as a freshman is tall task.

btw, thanks for call me an idiot for having an opinion that is different from your's.....education served you well.

[SCHOOPS]

Speaking of Brian Morris. I found this article about him. He transferred to North Idaho JC. Seems like the coaches there had problems with him to. I wish him luck but I think he may be out of options.

Starting center cut from basketball team
Phay suspends Brian Morris indefinitely for poor attitude
Kellyn Ross
Issue date: 2/12/07 Section: Sports
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1 Starting center Brian Morris was suspended from the men's basketball team Jan. 23, according to Jared Phay, head coach.

At the Jan. 30 Booster Club meeting held at the Coeur d'Alene Brewing Company, Phay confirmed Morris would not be returning to the team.

The 6-8 sophomore was leading the Cards in scoring and the conference in defensive rebounds but according to Phay, his attitude toward the team had become poor.

Phay mentioned he was disappointed with Morris' academic effort and listed him as a negative influence around a group of guys who are good kids when around positive people.

"We wish him the best," Phay said. "It's not one thing he did; we just felt he wasn't representing us well."

Phay said he encouraged Morris to stay in school and hopes Morris will get another opportunity in the future.

Morris graduated from Jefferson High School in Portland, Ore., and was named MVP of his league.

His team qualified for state three consecutive years finishing third his senior year. He was a senior team captain and twice, an All-State selection.

Morris attended Southern Methodist University and transferred from SMU's Mustangs to the Cards with an average of 7.2 points per game in his last year.

Six-foot-eight sophomore center Zach Parks, from Anaconda, Mont., replaced Morris as the starter. In the Cards' last two games with Morris -- home against Eastern Utah -- Parks played a combined 29 minutes to Morris' 63.

[mavsrage311]

no need to call anyone names, all he is saying is how can you judge players that havent even put on a Mustang uniform? Personally, I'm excited about our incoming freshmen. I think there are a few difference makers in the bunch, and compared to past recruiting classes I'm happy with what we have coming in (still wish we had gotten the Plano PG that went to Tech)

[jkflamebo]

i called u an idiot becuase u have no idea what you are talking about. u don't need to elaborate on the definition of what an opinion is, already know what it is. devon pearson nominee for mcdonalds all-american? that is pretty fun for someone who has no stars on rivals...surprised u mentioned morris becuase if he was on the team this year i think we coulda done something this year but he's not in this equation BECUASE HE'S NOT ON THE TEAM ANYMORE...i think dez is pretty good and doh's finally realizing this with more playing time...we got a no-star killen, ritter, epps/ofoebu(JC), pearson, etc. excluding hopkins and guys that aren't on the team anymore, the amount of stars comin in next year is equivalent to the past 5 years. i could care less what a high school basketball expert has to say about these guys, as far as i'm concerned these incoming players are prolly better than what we have...nice comment about my education..."call me" excellent grammar!

btw, thanks for call me an idiot for having an opinion that is different from your's.....education served you well.

[Treadway21]

I have nothing against Jimmy Tubbs, but the program was going in a downward spiral. Doherty is absolutely going to turn it around. Was Tubbs going to get us the scorebaord and the practice facility? Ike is the only consistent scorer on the team and didn't see the floor under Tubbs. And no disrespect to any on this board, but I think Doherty is a little better judge of talent than anyone who posts here.

[angryfan04]

Doh definitely has more hype than Tubbs ever had, but that's all it has been so far: Hype

[mr. pony]

Tubbs had Hopkins. Doherty didn't.

[goponies1]

Tubbs had a commitment from Alex Malone and was way down the road with Papa Dia.

[LA_Mustang]

jkflamebo,
again, I ask you - have you seen any of these recruits play? Or are you an expert on this class based on what you've read? I'm no expert, but I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable fan of the game, and I've seen these guys play. So, I might have some idea what I'm talking about.

And yes, unless the SMU athletic site is incorrect, Pearson was a McDonalds All-American nominee in 03. Here is his bio…..

High School: Averaged 20.6 points and 10 rebounds as a senior and 17.6 points and 6 boards as a junior... Shot 53 percent from the floor... Played four years of varsity basketball... Led Northwestern to three Florida Final Four appearances and a 79-30 record over the last three seasons... 2003 first-team All-Dade County and 2002 second-team All-Dade County... Maintained a 3.0 average in honors classes... Participated in the NBA Players Association Camp, Nike All-American Camp and Nike Supershowcase... Rated No. 194 nationally by HoopScoop... 2003 McDonald's All-America nominee... Played in the 2003 Florida-Georgia All-Star Game... Prepstars says "Pearson is a terrific leaper who not only jumps high, but gets off the ground very quickly."

[Argyle Pony]

I am too unhappy that we didn't win more games. I don't remember anyone really thinking that this team could make the big tournaments or even the NIT anytime this year...even when we had a good record...It will take time to turn this team around. With the addition of Sharp and Malone, we will have some help for our guard play, while the inside game should be potentially stronger. I feel positive about the direction(long term) that our basketball team is headed. I remember when Gillispie didn't win a conference game in the Big Twelve and he had some good talent on that team....It will be slow but by the middle of next year we should be a developing team. Go Mustangs!!!