Good Intro Survey to This Year's Team

[Red Horse]

My post below should have included the following
attachment. I'll try to put it in here; and give
credit to PonyFans.com who wrote and posted the
article earlier. It does talk about our new
recruits and our prospects for improvement.

I am excited (but then I am the eternal optimist
each year before the season starts.) We have been
picked to finish 2nd to Nevada in the WAC by one
evaluator (for what that is worth.)

I personally think our season will hinge on the
improvements yet to be shown by Castro, The Rack,
and Isham. All have potential and they need to
get tough and produce. Hop and Simpson will be
forces. Lowe will be steady on both offense and
defense. I also think that Brian Miller will be
back in form with his shooting and his 3 pointers
could win a couple of games - he needs to get
screens or good ball movement to get his shot, but his back has healed and he looks good again.

I hope that coach will go back to team play
and not rely on one player to do it all ala
Sasser or Hancock.

Isham could be the surprise in this group. He has
all the tools and just needs some early season
success to give him confidence.

What do my fellow Mustangs think about our
chances?

Here is the article from Ponyfans.
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Hopkins, Simpson key as Mustangs try to compensate for loss of Ross

http://www.ponyfans.com/ staff

SMU head coach Mike Dement is in a tough position as the 2003-04 season approaches. In years past, he has entered a season needing to replace a top player — point guard Damon Hancock last year, and Jeryl Sasser and Willie Davis the year before. But replacing 2002-03 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year Quinton Ross might be Dement's hardest task yet. When the previous players left the Hilltop, Dement had a senior-in-waiting ready to take over as the team's lead Pony. But Ross might well be the best player Dement has coached at SMU, having been the Ponies' best scorer and defender, a very underrated passer and a fearless rebounder, even when wandering in to the lane amid players who had siginificant advantages in height and strength. An Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honoree, "The Q" was (is) the ultimate team player who made those around him better. With his departure, the 2003-04 team will have to rely heavily on underclassmen.

Leading the Mustangs' charge will be sophomore point guard Bryan Hopkins, who was named WAC Freshman of the Year despite never playing at 100 percent in 2002-03. The local phenom arrived at SMU last year being touted as perhaps the top recruit in school history. But a foot injury slowed his offseason conditioning, and when he tried to play his way in to shape, he suffered a groin injury that nagged him all season. Because of his injuries, he never displayed the quickness and explosiveness that made him something of a local legend during his high school career at Dallas Lincoln (where he led his team to a 40-0 record and a No. 1 national record in his senior year). He altered his game, and still averaged 13.1 points per game (second only to Ross' 20.3, which led the WAC in 2002-03) and led the team in assists (112) and steals (61 — his average of 2.1 per game led the conference in 2002-03). Hyped as a pass-first point guard, Hopkins had to slow the frantic pace at which he was accustomed to playing, operating instead in a more methodical half-court style. As the season went along, he became more comfortable shooting the ball, hitting 117-of-333 (.351) shots from the floor, including 54-of-164 (.329) from behind the three-point stripe. When he came out of high school, Hopkins was called one of the top players in the nation, and drew favorable comparisons to Texas point guard T.J. Ford at the same stage of his career. Now fully healthy, expect Hopkins to play in a much higher gear, especially by using his quickness on the defensive end to create steals that lead to easy buckets for his teammates or breakaway dunks for himself.

Along with Hopkins, the only returning Mustang who averaged in double figures in scoring is forward Patrick Simpson, a lanky 6-9 junior with a developing array of post moves to go along with a feathery touch on his jump shot. Simpson averaged 11.9 points per game, and at times appeared to be on the verge of breaking out as a star in the conference. A .519 shooter (hitting 139-of-268 shots from the floor) last year, Simpson will be counted on heavily this year to provide inside scoring punch for the Ponies. He also experienced some success from the three-point line, although he shot only 34 threes all year, hitting 14 (.412). Simpson's biggest strength could be on the defensive end of the floor, where he blocked a team-high 45 shots and altered countless more. He also had 212 rebounds, including 140 defensive boards — both team-high totals. His average of 1.5 blocks per game was third-highest in the conference.

Joining Simpson in the frontcourt will be junior forward/post Eric Castro, a burly 6-8, 260-pounder who scored 9 points pre game and pulled down 180 boards in his sophomore campaign. His .565 shooting was the highest among players in SMU's regular player rotation. He's not as quick or athletic as Simpson, but he's fundamentally very sound in the low post, and is adroit at getting rebounds for quick put-back buckets. He also developed an outside shooting touch last year, hitting 12-of-28 shots from three-point range; his .439 accuracy rate from beyond the arc led the team. He and Simpson will be vital to the Ponies' frontcourt offense.

If Hopkins' return to health signifies that the team will move to more of an up-tempo style, perhaps no player will benefit more than shooting guard Justin Isham. The 6-5 junior is extremely quick and has freakish leaping ability, and he may well team with Hopkins to generate more of a fast-break offense than the team has enjoyed in recent years. Isham became a more reliable shooter last year, hitting 83-of-181 shots (.459) a year ago, and has emerged as a very good defender, able to guard quick guards on the perimeter and also to utilize his leaphing ability as a shot blocker.

Forward Kris Lowe returns for his senior season in 2003-04. The 6-6 Lowe actually shoots a better percentage from better from beyond the three-point stripe (.385) than his overall percentage (.380). Lowe also is the team's finest free-throw shooter, connecting on 35-of-42 shots (.833) from the stripe last year.

After the graduation of center Nigel Smith (6-10, 270) and muscular forward Jibran Kelley (6-8, 240), perhaps no SMU reserve will be more important this year than sophomore center Donatas Rackauskas (6-11, 240). Rackauskas has solid skills and mobility, and a deft shooting touch for a big man, but at times appeared flustered during his freshman campaign. After playing in 23 games in his freshman year, Rackauskas has added significant strength and needs to step forward to aid Simpson and Castro with scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.

Other key reserves will include shooting guard Brian Miller (a 6-5 gunner who has battled back problems but reportedly is now healthy), 6-2 point guard Bobby Aitkenhead, a 2002-03 walk-on from Guatemala who developed into something of a fan favorite when filling in last year for Hopkins, and 6-3 guard Lavardicus "Voc" Atkins, a shooter whose future remains unclear because of ongoing knee problems. One of the team's emotional leaders, Atkins can provide quick points off the bench, when healthy.

The Ponies will welcome a trio of newcomers to the 2003-04 squad.

The lone Texan among SMU's 2003-04 freshmen will be forward Chris Reay, a 6-9, 245-pound bruiser from Plano (Plano West High School), Texas. Reay reportedly is something of a Castro clone, a well-coached, dependable post presence who tallied 15.8 points per game and 6.8 rebounds as

[Hoop Fan]

If Hopkins is 100% healthy, ie back to normal, I am very hopeful for this season. Now that he has a years experience, if he also has his explosiveness back he could be one of the most improved players in the country. I really believe that. If we had Q back, this team might be really tough. As it is, i think we are dangerous and SMU will finally win a few games we are not supposed to. We will probably lose a few we are no supposed to also, but i can live with that. The year after next shapes up to be our big year with I-man, Simpson and Castro as seniors and Hopkins as a junior. By that time, either Pearson or Rack should be a force and Bennett will be solid from what I've seen.

[LA_Mustang]

Miller's injury and Voc's have really hurt this team over the last couple of years. After the first several games of the 2001-2002 season I was most impressed with Miller of the four freshman (Simpson, Isham, Castro, Miller) He was hitting outside jumpers, taking the ball to the hole strong, and playing with confidence. He hasnt been the same since the injury. I really hope he can get back to his old self.

[OldPony]

Bennett may be an overlooked key for this team. If he is as good a shooter as Dement thought he was when he signed him, he could add some badly needed firepower. I thought the PonyFans review was good. I still believe Isham is the biggest unknown. When he shot, he tended to make it. He is a great leaper and slasher who can help big time on the boards. Unfortunately, sometimes he just disappeared. I've never seen Miller healthy nor BHop. There is a reason they were both signed and that Bhop carried the rep. I hope to see it all this year. I think our big guys will be OK. Simp is a stud, Castro is solid and Rack could be special with more PT. Reay and Pearson are big enough to help after some PT. Lowe has always been solid except for shooting.