Talking Off the Top Of Your Head!!!!

[Stallion]

I'm am so tired of some of the "experts" on this board who claim that JCs, Teansfers, Non-qualifiers and even seasoned upper classman don't make any difference and that SMU's talent is SO much better than our competition. Look I'm sorry I don't have the time to look at each team individually to prove the facts of each team-I've already done this at least 3 times when you "crybabies" were embarrassed by other teams you "thought" had inferior talent-for now let's examine Louisiana Tech because they are the hot contender. Louisiana Tech has 6 JCs/CC/Transfers(not 1 or 2 a year). Louisiana Tech has 6 seniors INCLUDING ALL 5 OF THEIR TOP SCORERS. They have combined for a season average of a 59.2 points per game and an even more impressive 61.7 points per game in conference. They include the last two WAC Players of The Week. They have 8 players in all who are seniors and juniors. Unfortunately, they do not includes bios on each player so it is very difficult the reconstruct how good a prospect they were when they were recruited. But this idea that good players don't come from JC/CC/Transfers is just asinine. TheJC/CC/Transfer that have huge games against SMU this year would be the formation of an incredible All-Star Team. They don't have a .000000000% graduation rate over the last 4 years because they are recruiting a bunch of second class players. What these schools do is take top prospects who can not get into more established programs because they are academic risks. That's why the 4 year average graduation rates at Louisiana Tech, Fresno St, Nevada, Hawaii, and San Jose St average in the TEENS. I have documented on the WAC Fan Forum at least 4 All-WAC players at Fresno JC over the last few years who were non-qualifiers and of course they had numerous JCs/Transfers/Thugs as well. TCU beat us over tha last 10 years largely through the presence of top JUCO talent including at least two JUCO All-Americans. The two All-WAC centers at Tulsa in the Sasser years were top JUCO transfers. About a month ago I listed about 40 JUCOs/CC/Transfers on coming opponents mostly from the WAC-most teams in the WAC have 4-5 JUCO/CC/Transfers. Its time for some of you to stop talking off the top of your heads before you make these ridiculous claims.

[Stallion]

More on those no talent Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Antonio Meeking-a candidate for WAC Player of The Year was perhaps one the most highly recruited players in the South and TURNED DOWN OFFERS from SEC schools Arkansas and LSU to play near home. He was spotlighted as 1 of 25 key recruits by USA Today on signing day 1999. He has been called one of the Top Recruits in La Tech History-probably right next to Karl Malone. He also has grown 2 inches since signing date. Felton another top contributor was called a Big Time SEC Level recruit when recruited from JC. Wilder was a Prop 48 who averaged more than 20 PPG as a Teamate of Felton in JC. Powell was a Top 100 National Recruit according to USA Today. Woods was called a Top 5 recruit in Louisiana and a Top 20 from La, Alabama, Missippi, Georgia region-also Street and Smith Honorable Mention All-American-Offered by UT, OU, Mississippi. Johnson would have been more highly recruited but was a Prop 48. Darrin Brown is a transfer from SEC Mississippii--and was a Street and Smith All-America Honorable Mention. What a bunch of bums! Time for some of you to open your eyes about what is happening in the WAC with JUCOs and Non-Qualifiers.

[mulletmike]

Boring!!!! Do you know anything about SMU basketball and what happens on the court?

[Nacho Cheese]

Doubtful. To know what happens on the court he would have to start by actually watching a game.

[Q fan]

I agree with Stallion. I don't understand people on this board who seem to think we are loaded with talent. Right now, what I see at SMU is a talented, BUT YOUNG, starting five. Off the bench we have next to nothing. Once you get past the occassional good game from Lowe or Kelly, our bench produces essentially nada. You can't win without a bench unless your starting five is Bird, McHale, Parish, Johnson, and Ainge. How many times have we been burned by opposing reserve players who have huge games against us? I don't have any numbers but it seems like every time I turn an SMU game on the radio some reserve on our opponent's team who averages 6 or 8 points a game has poured in 18-20. Now how often does an SMU reserve do the same thing? NOT ONCE THIS SEASON! Stallion is also right that the WAC is not a freshman and sophomore dominated conference like the big conferences. WAC teams are not loaded with McDonald's All-American freshman. WAC players don't go pro after their sophomore year. The WAC teams that win CONSISTANTLY are the teams with substantial junior and senior talent. Freshman and sophomore dominated teams are invariably going to play inconsistantly. Next year, at least in our starting five, we will have juniors and seniors on the floor. Of course our bench will still be empty. Now, people will contend that we had substantial junior and senior talent in 1999 and 2000 with Woods, Sasser and Davis. Problem is, we didn't have any forwards worth a damn. We had no inside game and lived on died on the perimeter or off the drive. Next year, for the first time in a while, we will actually have a majority of juniors and seniors in our starting five AND will have two forwards who can actually contribute. With no bench though, we'll just have to see.

Oh, and another thing. I find absolutely remarkable the smack people are talking about Bryan Hopkins on this board. Has Hopkins hit the freshman wall...I think so. But, whether it be this season or next, he will break through. And when he does he is going to be a SPECIAL player for us. Even in his weakened state, Hopkins will in all likelihood be the WAC freshman of the year this season. Without Hopkins this team would be an absolute stinker. It amazes me how many people on this board are so short sighted as not to see that.

[mulletmike]

Ok, but why do we have these glaring holes in the roster you point out? Whose fault is it? You can make up w/excuses till the cows come home, but someone has to be accountable for these shortcomings.

If you can get Sasser or Willie D in, you can get a big man worth a damn in. Dement didn't. We are all well aware there were no forwards or centers on that team. The real question is why weren't there any? The answer is b/c Dement struck out w/every single decent big man senior he courted. Most were qualified and thats on him.

We may have some younger parts this year and no bench, but why? If reserves are killing us, why didn't ol'Mike get some quality situational ballers?

You people don't make the head of our program accountable for anything. He's got free reign to have a bad bench, an unbalanced roster, and a slew of recruiting misses that led to one of the worst frontcourts in D1 for years running.

Somehow, you still see him as a quality recruiter. Whats worse, is that anybody who argues for Dement never does so w/any mention of on the court happenings like offensive and defensive game-planning. Its always about the opponents, their respective age, and their inability to read.

[OldPony]

You are all correct. We don't have Top 25 caliber athletes. There are several reasons including stallion's points and recruiting points made by others. At times, our game plan looks non-existent but at other times it looks good. Dement has not lost control of this team. He has even started taking them to the woodshed in public ala Knight. He worked their butts off Monday for not hustling in the past 2 games. Bhop most likely will be very good. For whatever reason though, to date he has mostly stunk. To criticize anyone on this team and not include Hopkins is not just. As he is now playing he causes more points for the opposition than he creates for us.
This team played like a team with desire and hustle and good passing and worked for about 3 weeks including Bhop. It all came apart on the road trip. That is about concentration and hustle. Let's see if Dement's anger at this team and his running them to death this week has an impact tonight. If so, this will be a very good game. As of right now, we have 2 warriors (Q and Simpson). If the rest play with the same intensity, we can be good

[Waz]

Problem with Dement running them and yelling etc. is that it shouldn't have to happen at this stage of the year to a team that, in reality, has to struggle for every win. It is not like we are taking a break because we are underestimating the competition and need a little reminder that the pace needs to be picked up. Even the best teams in each league start to have trouble maintaining focus at this time of year. The successfull ones rely on the foundation that has been laid in the earlier parts of the season to keep it together. They rely on the organization and discipline that has been stressed since October. They have "go to's" in place.

Bad news, our boys go to that well and it is bone dry. We can run until we can do two suicides in under twenty seconds and all we will do is increase cardio vascular efficiency. We can hear Dement scream on the Boulevard and all Q, Isham, B-hop, et al will hear is the same old degredation that they get all year long, just at higher decibles and in a more public setting. Other posters have mentioned the lack of respect that the team has for Dement. This is the time of year when that lack of respect manifests itself. Instead of having faith and renewing the commitment to be successful, Dement may have hit it on the head. When is Spring Break? If you have ever gone through a college season as a coach or player, it is looooonnnnngg. After 7 months with Dement, Spring Break begins to look pretty good. Check the history. This will not be the first group that that is booking reservations.