Is anybody else as sick of constant disappointment

[Arkpony]

I agree the MAJOR factor in or consistently poor showing is the coaching. BUt (sigh) what else is new at SMU? At least the AD got off his [deleted] and got us a good football coach.

[SoCal_Pony]

The only reason we had a winning record this year because 6 of our wins were against teams with an average RPI ranking of 289 (NTSU, Garner Webb, SJSU and UTEP).

We have serious depth and scoring questions next year and outside of an anticipated WAC / NIT run in the 2004-2005 season, our longer-term prospects appear rather bleak. Look at this years recruiting class. It is a step down from prior years, as there appears to be zero momentum from the BHop signing. This recruiting class * 4 does not equal an NIT bid.

I’m with Stallion all the way on this one. While I am not satisfied with our current coaching, I lay 100% of the blame on an administration that places too much emphasis on graduation rates and not nearly enough on wins and losses. There can be an acceptable balance. Instead, the only March Madness we will experience is on this BOARD.

[GallopingGuy]

Any coach who doesn't switch out of the zone when the other team is jacking up three after three, and hitting them all, needs to find himself a new job, because he doesn't know what he's doing out on the hardwood.

And he's definitely not a "coaching legend." Sorry, jc500.

I heard something about Lavin maybe being free soon?...

-- GG

[Diehard Pony]

If we are going to have any hope for improvement next year (yes, I'm hallucinating as I type this), we are obviously going to have to have a number of people step up big time to replace the big whole that Q's absence will leave...a point that has been made by many. But additionally, we must have improved play on a consistent basis in the post. Since absolutely no apparent development occurred with "the Rack" this season, I hope there are plans to send him to big man camp. There are no centers in our recruiting class.

I think I will now slip back into my hallucination where we were about to be announced as the #1 seed in the South Regional in San Antonio. I have just ordered my fourth top shelf margarita and....................

[Charleston Pony]

Re: our prospects for improvement next year w/o Quinton Ross...I really thought we'd be worse this year than last because I didn't think Bhop could replace Damon. I was actually surprised when the 3 Sophs stepped up the way they did. So, I have hope that next year the 4 returning starters will improve enough to offset the loss of Q, and that guys like Lowe & Miller will contribute significant minutes. I expect Rack's development to be slower. The taller guys are usually slower to develop and some never do (Forinash, for example). Think back and remember what a stiff Koncak was his Fr & Soph years. He was painful to watch at times, but as they say; you can't coach height...so it's hard to say what Rack might become before he's done at SMU.

The real key to improvement next year will be how much our 4 returning starters improve and whether the incoming Frosh can contribute. I wouldn't be too quick to bash the incoming recruits. If Reay and Pearson can help as bangers and supplement Castro & Rack, Simpson could play some at the 3 spot and give opponents some serious match-up problems. If Bennett turns out to be a shooter who can get into a rotation with Isham & Bhop in the guard spots (look at Isham's assist/turnover ratio...he might play some point guard next year), then Dement just might be putting the pieces together that will blend into a pretty good team.

[Stallion]

you're right about big man development but Knocak improved more from his freshman to sophmore year than anyone in the history of SMU BB.

[SoCal_Pony]

Hey CP,

The purpose of my last post was not to bash our upcoming recruiting class, but to try and be as objective as possible about our future prospects.

As I see it, this class is below Dement’s standard effort. There is no Woods, Sasser, Hancock, Davis, Q, Simpson, Castro or BHop in this group. Given the fact that BHop is far and away our most celebrated recruit in FB or BB since the DP, I was expecting more. One a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this class a 4; this is hardly bashing the class.

Since we have yet to seriously compete for a WAC title with better recruiting classes, why would we possibly think this one will be the core of any future success. It might play a complementary role in our 2004-2005 season and but I doubt much more.

I sure hope I am wrong, but we cannot escape the cold hard truth that during Mike Dement’s 8 years at SMU, we have yet to seriously compete for even one WAC title and only ONCE have we ever won more than one game at a WAC tournament (we won two!).

[Charleston Pony]

Actually; Tim Mason, Carl Wright and Kato Armstrong all made dramatic improvements between their Fr & So years. Probably more dramatic that Koncak, at least statistically.

Mason averaged 3.8 pts as a Fr and shot 44% FG and only 31% FT. His Soph year, he averaged 15 pts and shot 54% FG and 76% FT. Wright averaged 7.7 as a Frosh and 14.6 as a Soph, while improving his FG percentage from 39% to 50%. Armstrong was even more dramatic, going from 2.7 pts as a Frosh to 17.3 as a Soph, while increasing his shooting percentage from 34% to 52%.

Koncak averaged 10 pts and shot 46% FG as a Frosh and averaged 14.6 pts on 52% shooting as a Soph. Koncak did increase his rebounding average from 5.7 to 9.4 and blocked 18 more shots as a Soph than he did as a Frosh, but the great thing about big Jon was that he improved every year and that's what we really need to see from Rack. You definitely want your low post guys hitting 50% FG and improving their rebounding year after year. Simpson & Castro did well this year, improving to 52% and 56% FG and averaging 7 and 6 rebounds per game, respectively. The Rack, in limited minutes, hit only 26% of his FG attempts!

[Diehard Pony]

As memory serves, Koncak played virtally all the minutes as a Freshman. That's why I hope "the Rack's" folks, or some legal group, have the funds to send him to big man camp.

Even if that is not the case, I would love for him to find a way to improve himself. Koncak did it without big man camp, but he did have Dave Bliss.

[This message has been edited by Diehard Pony (edited 03-15-2003).]

[50's PONY]

While I agree that all of the players above showed great improvement from their freshman to sophomore years I would have to say that the greatest improvement that I have seen was by the great Jim Krebs! It was shocking to see how he developed his great hook shot between those two years and the Ponies were off and running.
As to the other questions -- it doesn't make any difference whether Bennett can shoot -- or whether Lowe and Donatis will step up -- it just doesn't make any difference! We won't compete for the W.A.C. next year and that will put us at 9 years -- and counting!

[PX]

Hard to say who will be the favorites for the WAC title next year. Hawaii, Rice and Nevada seem to have the best returning groups of underclassmen, and 2 of the recruits most likely to make an early impact. La. Tech, Tulsa, and Fresno are the hardest hit by graduation. SMU returns 4 starters, but loses the guy who put the team on his back and carried them in most games. SJSU could be competitive if they found someone over 6'5" to play center for them, but there isnt any height in their recruiting class. UTEP needs major personnel changes before they will be competitive, could be years away.

The guys in our incoming class will get a few minutes next year, but none of them are ready to be consistent roleplayers. Bennett is a streaky shooter, some days he cant miss, some days he looks completely average. Rackuaskas is better than Craft or Reay.

[No Cal Pony]

To talk of Koncack is to talk of a man who was determined. I went to school with him, as did PX. Knew him, but couldn't call him a buddy. He was very nice guy. (Also my TA in some classes.)

Point is that he was determined. He was playing in a big conference, good coach, and wanted to win. From what I remember, he also wanted to go big. He improved because it was his desire. Will today's Ponies follow? I hope so.

Dement still needs to get a big guy, but can he? I hope for the best.

Go Ponies!

[Ringer]

Uh...hmmm. PX don't underestimate the foundation that still looms out in El Paso for quality college basketball. UTEP mad a misstep in their last coach but the one they have now is a keeper. A real good coach that will get the players he needs to get their program back sooner than you think. They do a lot out there with what they have. The fact that they won any games at all this year was a statement in and of itself. Gillespie will get the job done. I say give them one more season and they will be back to competing consistantly for the WAC title. They just have to many things going for them not to.

[wilthestilt]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Diehard Pony:
<B>As memory serves, Koncak played virtally all the minutes as a Freshman. That's why I hope "the Rack's" folks, or some legal group, have the funds to send him to big man camp.

Even if that is not the case, I would love for him to find a way to improve himself. Koncak did it without big man camp, but he did have Dave Bliss.

[This message has been edited by Diehard Pony (edited 03-15-2003).]</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bliss played Koncak as a freshman to give him game time experience. Bliss was a developer of talent on his teams.

Dement lets his big young guys sit on the bench and watch. Dement has proven that he cannot develop a player past their high school basketball level.

With the level of competition SMU has faced since it joined the WAC, 15 game win seasons should have been a gimme. Copeland needs to bring in a coach that can teach basketball beyond the high school level to keep pace with the meager competition SMU has (one step away from Div. 2).

[Stallion]

...that would be total B.S. Koncak played because we sucked-and Bliss was in the early years of an unprecedented rebuilding job. The Rack doesn't play because he is clearly no where in the vicinity of even being able to hold his own in Division 1-we've got at least competent players ahead of him-to do what you are suggesting means rebuilding every year just to give a project a chance to improve his game.