I hate Hawaii

[boulevard bum]

That's all I have to say. This is BS. I can't believe all we had to do was beat Nevada to be in the NIT. UGH. The shots just wouldn't fall. It wasn't even a poorly played game. Just a bad shooting night. And Hawaii SUCKS!!!!!

[Fingers]

I don't know if you were there to see the game, but it WAS a poorly played game. The team showed a sever lack of hustle and focus in the first half, and by then the hole was so deep they couldn't get out of it. Not sure where to place the blame, but I just wanted to say that it was more than just a bad shooting night.

[FloridaMustang]

*cough* Dement *cough*

[OldPony]

Was it Sampson's fault that OU scored a grand total of 12 points in the 2nd half of the OU-MU game? Wasd it his superior coaching that got his players to make 3's in the first half and then miss them all the second? Did Williams get out coached by Snyder after winning the first 2 times against MU? Does Bobby Knight suck since he couldn't get his team to the NCAA's? All is not coaching. The Ponies plyed hard most of the game but when you can't make a shot, everything loolks bad. Q and Simpson played well but it takes some help from the other players to win. Will you think Dement is a lousy coach if we get to the dance next year? If our material is so good, does he get crewdit for bringing them in or could have just anyone done it. Time to get off Dement's case until next year.

[BTPony]

"Shots" weren't falling? Bad "shots" typically don't fall. We showed no patience, our shot selection was bad, we had too many turnovers, . . . Blame the loss on bad luck if you want but the team won't improve if that's what the coaches and players think. They should know better.

I was there, the Nevada game was UGLY!

[Charleston Pony]

You don't think those 5-10 footers we missed by throwing up brick after brick to fall behind in the opening minutes of the Nevada game were "good shots"? Were we watching the same game?

[BTPony]

"First few minutes" - How many minutes are there in a college basketball game? Hoo-haaa we had few good shots in the first "few minutes".

Sure, we don't have a problem, we're just fine! I love watching 100+ OTHER teams play in the post season year after year. After all, I can remember those good shots in the "first few minutes" of the WAC semis.

[Charleston Pony]

My point was that the game was played pretty evenly after that disastrous start when we had plenty of very good looks at the basket but played like a team with a very tight collar around our necks. After we fell so far behind, the rest of the game looked like a typical WAC game...some good, some bad and some ugly. It wasn't like we jacked up ugly shots all night. We just shot poorly early on and I think that set the tone. Our guys are not a very mature group. You would have to admit that even Q seemed o lose his composure and started forcing things up in the 2nd half. It was missing the "good shots" early that set everything in motion.

[BTPony]

I'm excited we played "pretty evenly" after the horrible start. However, it's sad our 'pretty even' play resulted in a 15 point loss. In the event you forgot, we were the #2 seed and lost to the #3 seed. We should've won that game. It's obvious from your posts you have no expectations of success and that your satisfied with any effort, regardless of the results. I sincerely ask you and all other SMU fans to examine WHY this is the norm NOT the exception.

We're close, but jez it'd be nice to smoke a cigar!

PS: Stallion, keep you're JUCO BS to yourself. We earned a #2 seed without JUCO's and LOST to a #3 seed - it's time to can the excuses.

[couch 'em]

Not to take a side in the whole JUCO thing.... but taking second and losing to third in the WAC ain't sayin much.

[BTPony]

We had a team that should've played in the WAC final - they didn't. We had a team that should be in the NIT (at least) - they aren't. These are things that should've happened given the talent we have (look at our record and conference seeding). It would be nice to floor top JUCO players but we don't. Doesn't it bother students and alumni that we don't perform to our potential with the players we have NOW - especially in big games at the end of the year? It would be nice to have our options open with recruiting, but I still think we'd play below our potential given our current coaching. Given the logic of some on this board, they'd be satisfied with the NIT even if we had JUCO's. These people seem to have expectations on notch below mine. I won't be happy till we're consistently contending for an NCAA bid.

[KnuckleStang]

We were a #2 seed, but we were also 2 point underdogs to #3 Nevada.

[OldPony]

BT- Just because people don't agree with you that Dement should be fired, it doesn't mean that they are accepting mediocrity. Many believe that Dement has done a good job under the circumstances and that continuity is important in philosophy and recruiting. People talk about how talented this team is but forget that 3 starters were sophs and one frosh. Unless you are getting the very top of the nation in recruiting, that won't get you too far. We aren't. Ask Matt Doherty if raw talent gets you in the tourney. The team will be mature for the next 2 years and then we can make a sound judgement re Dement (after next year).

[BigEasyPony]

You bring up a good point about Matt Doherty, but he is on a very short leash. This after only two (2) years.

Now I am in no way attempting to compare our two (2) programs, but clearly I don't care if a coach (Read: Dement) had a bunch of underclassmen that played big minutes. The problem I have with Dement is that you are allowed to rebuild if you built a team that went to the NCAA's. He never did. At some point you have to win. I think we are all frustrated by our lack of success. Coach Dement is going to get another year, but at some point even his most loyal supporters will grow weary of this "rebuilding." At some point the construction project has to be complete.

[BTPony]

Fair enough OldPony - what circumstances are you referring to that've prevented Dement from reaching the post season? I hear Stallion blasting the administration for their admissions policy (which I agree should be adjusted) and the lack of an athletics friendly degree (which I agree should be added) BUT that doesn't change the fact that the talent we have has consistently under performed.

You're right regarding the fresh and soph. However, I remember these same discussions with the Sasser, Hancock, and Q team. Don't you think they should've been in the NIT? Dement had 3-4 years to develop them and they failed to deliver. My frustration is that much of the focus is on our FUTURE potential with no critical evaluation of our past failures. In my opinion, Dement gets an easy ride when the focus remains soley on administration policies rather than his team's past failures.

Sitting back and trusting that "next year" will be better given that Dement hasn't taken us to the post season is the definition of accepting mediocrity. I don't care if you're [deleted] about the color of the seats in Moody, you should be [deleted] about something. Does anything raise your blood pressure about our basketball program? The time for putting our faith in "next year" has come and gone.

Go Ponies and here's to next year!