Mullet Mike is astounded....

[Mullet Mike]

by the lack of faith in our current staff and head man. You people act like Rome was built in a day. The talent level on this team is good, not great. Tubbs and co., each year, add to the concoction w/better athletes, positional players, and students.

You folks talk lack of program control, but have you ever recruited a National Top 100 player to SMU to play hoops? Helluva tradition and fan-base to sell, don't ya think! What about the predominantly white/rich student body who is mostly apathetic and scorning of the athletes? That makes for a nice recruiting tool for ghetto superstars as well.

Ok, suppose you get one(Sasser). What do you think you had to offer up, short of jack, to get him to commit? Try ample PT and the greenest of green lights. Thats the promise and commitment you make to giving the program a name/profile. Don't think local gets like Davis and Elsey weren't offered the same promise. all of the sudden, you can recruit locally and nationally in one fell swoop. However, to do such things, certain control elements have been taken from the staff.

How was Jerryl or anyone from that class ever going to respect Dement? He gave them the show just to get the LOI. They wanted the platform to showcase there stuff. They were given it, and honestly, it worked out better for SMU than the kids. Willie D played out of position for 4 years and Elsey was recruited over. Jerryl was given just enough rope to hang himself and his arrogance tied the noose.

Whatever, its old news. Dement never had control of these kids and never will. It was part of the original arrangement.

Ok, so the staff are wussies, right? Hell no! Its the only way piss-poor programs are rebuilt. Now, Dement has 4 years of kids who are talented and weren't given those promises. Thats a cohesion in principle that is different from what we've seen in the Sasser years.

Look a program w/big recruit classes nationally, unless they pan out early, they never do. The great ones use the limelight and head to the league. The lessor ones stay and get frustrated. Then, they become seniors and think something is owed to them. When was the last time SMU had seniors w/any pro aspirations? Its a huge mind-screw for the program/fans and it happens everywhere. The season starts w/huge aspirations and turns into a mock showcase. Team chemistry is destroyed and privately the coach and underclassmen can't wait for the Seniors to jet. It happens all the time everywhere. Recognize this!

So, you people want to jetison the only coach who has done a damn thing post-DP, from a program building standpoint. He's bringing in his best class, returns two all-league types in Damon and Q, and doesn't make excuses like Cavan.

And who would you braintrusts give this vacant position to? Jimmy Tubbs, I'm guessing. Do any of you know if Tubbs can X and O at a higher level than high school ball?

Do you folks really think he is completely responsible for recruiting? Hell no! He's no different than any other recruiting assistant. He hits the road hard and turns dividends b/c he's good. Guess what, so is Dement. He is highly visible at the events and is respected as a coach who is a program builder at the D1 level. You hear that Cavan, a rebuilder at the D1 level.

You know, after hiring from D1AA in football, you'd think some of you wuld be gun shy on Tubbs. Seriously, what has he done minus be a good recruiter. Guess what? Tommy Amaker is a world class recruiter and he can't stop the lockerroom brawls. The devil you know is better than the one you don't. It especially applies if the devil you know is already moderately successful and looking to get better.

Next year, if the team is as undisciplined and w/o any low post presence, start your bickering. This team has a rudder in waiting in its coach. Unfortunately this year, but fortunately overall, this has been jerryls team for 4 years. Next year it is the staffs. If not, eyebrows can be raised. Until then, understand your situation for heavens sake. Nobody takes losses lightly, but sometimes the why is the important thing when gauging a programs future.

[Rambo]

You have many good points but some things you say lack validity.

First off, the students are not scornful of the athletes. Absolutely not true. Where did that come from. Apathetic yes, scornful no.

The talent level on this team is GREAT. How else can you account for the pre-season hype that surrounded SMU. I am not saying that Sasser and Davis lived up to everyone's expectations, but neither has Dement. He has shown over the past season(s) that he cannot win clutch games. He has to be able to get in the players heads and lead them to victory. That can't happen on the court, he can't get out there and play so his job is during practice and off season. He is a very stubborn man, and what he says goes. Or so he'd like to think. I have witnessed a loss of respect for Dement from the coaches, players and fans. Its not completely his fault but he needs to take control, not be given it. By taking control I don't mean punishment and yelling, I mean leading, something he jsut cannot due. He didn't use the non-conference games like he should have. Thats when he should have given playing time to Nigel and the like. Before Nigel's suspension he had 5.6 minutes TOTAL in the season. Thats ridiculous. Dement lets his personal relationships affect the team, though its difficult not to. Nigel could have used games like Pine-Bluff (who lost by an average of 50+ points) to build confidence. But alas, he played freshman. Hell, he never put Nigel in until the walk-ons went in.

You said that Dement never had control of these kids and never will. Bingo! He can't control. To him, control is punishment for doing something against team rules. Voc is the only player I have seen show any respect to Dement. But he is a freshman. He will grow and demand better.

Honestly, how many schools have seniors with major pro aspirations? Fewer than you'd think.

No one here is saying that Dement is worthless. I give him tons of credit for what he has done to build this program. But I think (and many agree) he has taken this team as high as he is ever going to.

You bring up an interesting point, in who would replace him. Most likely not Tubbs, but who is there. The school can't afford to kill Dements contract and hire a new gun.

Let the turmoil continue....

PS never bring Cavan up on the BB board again.

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Viva Ponyball!!!!!

[This message has been edited by Rambo (edited 03-01-2001).]

[ponytalk]

Who ever said that Tubbs would take over?

I would not want Tubbs as the head coach, he is too good at what he does.

I would also be willing to bet that Dement has not sold one big time recruit on coming to SMU, I will give all the credit to Tubbs.

LONG LIVE JIMMY TUBBS!!!!!!!!

[Mullet Mike]

The talent on this team is NOT great. The talent on Arizona is great. This is a top 2 or 3 WAC club, not a Top 10 national juggernaut. Pre-season publications mean jack. They see who left, who comes back, and who comes in. Its prognostication. SMU returns everyone minus Woods,and adds two Top 200 recruits, so we look good on paper.

What they can't gauge is the differnce makers Jefferies and Maddox are at Fresno. What Greedy could bring to the table on any given night. Face facts, we didn't improve as much as we should have. Our glaring weaknesses were still our glaring weaknesses. No frontcourt play, DeWayne not giving a rats [deleted], Damon not being a true table setter, and no real outside shooting, BTW, Willie is completely lost on the court. Watching this team has been abyssmal and I'm no Dement apologist. I'm Mullet Mike, totally different.

He should have taken control long ago. This I know. He needs to develop and mature in his relationships w/players. Another truth. No one is more aware of the prevailing attitudes of recruits w/regards to hard asses. Its a way of the past. This generation takes a different approach. Hell fire and brimstone gets old.

As for the replacement issue, Tubbs is often brought up. His recruiting prowess is noted.

Nigel Smith should have been a much bigger part of this team. Again, the truth. He is our only true post w/innate ability. Enough said.

All this said, he has neither achieved nor underachieved. He needs to be more of a scheduling road warrior. Give up the 2 for 1s. Its bunk to think we deserve better as a program. Respect is earned in the lockeroom and nationally. Frustration w/undisciplined hoops is Mullets middle name.

He is not firing material, though. Not even close, actually.

Sometimes kids need to be the leaders, they play the game. Blame away, but its not going to make Jerryl or Willies decision making any better. Its not going to make Damon a true point. The way the team is comprised needs to be addressed and altered slightly.

Mullet Mike will be happy to lay all the blame on Dement, when he sees the talent to be the best in the league. Until then, he needs to step it up, get some more horses, and mature as a coach. We didn't have the troops to get it done, admit that.

Lastly, Mullet Mike stands behind his point about the SMU students. They view our athletes as second class citizens. I went there, I know. Never convince Mullet otherwise.

Injuires hurt this team.

PS: Rambo, I'll bring up Cavan any time I dern well please. It was a direct rebuild comparison, not a football argument. Your scent makes Mullet uneasy.

[Pony_Fan]

All the "hype" from the publications never amount to anything...agreed. We definately didn't grow as a team from this point last year to this point this year.

Points taken:
1) Willie played worse this year
2) Floyed played worse this year
3) Damon is more of a shooting point guard than a true point guard

Our weaknesses were shown in big fashion this year. We need a true big man who can post up..not just a big man in the middle to take up space.

SMU students are apathetic and pathetic towards football and basketball. I went there too and I didn't go to all the hoops games with Schumate on board..talk about boring!! That was crap! SMU students won't change and that definately hurts recruiting to be excited to play here. I know plenty of alums who live here and don't go to games. I am not sure if it will ever change or what could be done to change it.

Let's hope Dement has a little more control of them without Sasser on board next year.
Let's also congratulate Sasser and Willie on Saturday!

[Bballer]

My points and opinions are these:

We did have the troops this year. We showed it by competing and even beating (at time) big named teams like Tennessee, OU, etc. I think that blaming this year on the players or lack thereof is bogus.

Injuries nagged us but did not hinder the season. With every season you will get the injuries we had. Hamstrings, groins, quads, that is all natural. We did not have any injuries that sidelined people for long periods of time...besides Renaldo.

I don't think Dement should be fired. I don't think that the people above are saying he should be fired. I think they are simply stating that he has taken this team as far as he can take him. A NCAA coach needs to be more than someone who can draw X's and O's, be needs to be a leader and a guardian. I do not think this is what Dement is or is cut out to be. Bad parents lead to run-aways, and part of the team has run away.

Don't fire Dement. But don't say that it isn't his fault. I think more of the blame goes to him than the players.

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Ponies to the NCAA Tourney in 2002!