GAME THREAD: SMU MBB vs. Memphis

[SoCal_Pony]

but remember...posters such as Jason said if SMU didn’t go to the NCAA’s last hire that he would be fired. Well SMU had a losing record and he returned.

I don't remember anyone suggesting that Jank was under pressure to reach the NCAAs last year, but I do remember hearing the TV crew covering one of our games last season saying that "the expectation for SMU basketball is to return to the NCAA tourney once the program has cleared sanctions and gets back to a full roster".

If that is true, the only question is what happens if this team fails to reach the NCAA (fails to win the auto bid) but earns the NIT invite and wins a couple of games in that tourney? My guess would be Jank comes back, especially when he can play the "we have no seniors" card and there is a reasonable expectation of improvement next year.

As I referenced in the sentence...Jason said it.

Now I realize Jason isn’t a decision maker and I certainly don’t agree with everything he says (he’s not critical enough IMO, way too rose-colored optimism), I do think he is knowledgeable and I enjoy his posts.

As for the remainder of the season, I thought SMU would win last night, I also think they win at USF and have a 50/50 chance of winning tourney game #1.

Regardless, I think jank returns next year.

[Arkpony]

It would help if we could hit some 3 pointers.

[mustangxc]

If you’re a winner you want to win every game no matter what. Make a change if you still don’t win enough. Anything less is a loser mentality and too much of that lingers in our fan base.

We 100% disagree on this xc

I’ve fired enough people in my lifetime to know this is true. Keeping dead weight and hoping for ‘change’ is a losing strategy.

Keeping Jank is the loser mentality, period.

You are right, we completely disagree on this point. Losing is the ultimate losing strategy. You win by winning. Like I said, keep winning and if it's still not enough to reach the goal then make the appropriate changes.

[ponyte]

I think at this point it would only be fitting for this team to complete the improbable 9-0 Home AAC record and 1-8 Away AAC record-that would be a symbolic ending to this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde season. SMU really pissed away what could have been a highly successful season-perhaps even a Championship season. Conservatively, we should be in first right now with a tad of road fortitude at ECU and Tulane and its not a stretch to argue we should be all alone in First without a 19 point implosion at Temple. Just pissed a great opportunity away

Quick question. Your statement about "this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", were you referring to the team or fanbase?

[EastStang]

Winning starts with talent. Top talent goes to the top of ACC, the Big XII, SEC and the B1G. What's left over is available to us. Still lots of good players, but many are projects or don't have the size or are cast offs from the other conferences. This leads to having a young team with good but not greatest players. And having new players every year. As I said in an earlier thread, this is our world as a mid-major. If we are competitive every year and challenging for top spot in the Conference that is probably the best we can hope for with an occasional trip to the dance. No coach in a mid-major program is going to have any sustained success without bending rules or has a scheme that players buy into (Shaka Smart at VCU, Don Cheney at Temple). Even the Big East is not looking at 7 bids anymore. When you can say, this is the guy who is available and who can do a better job than Jank without cheating, then by all means we should talk about it. But at this point, I don't see anyone who meets that criteria. Just "getting rid of Jank" isn't going to improve our lot if we get some coach who can't recruit any better than Jank.

[JasonB]

I don't remember anyone suggesting that Jank was under pressure to reach the NCAAs last year, but I do remember hearing the TV crew covering one of our games last season saying that "the expectation for SMU basketball is to return to the NCAA tourney once the program has cleared sanctions and gets back to a full roster".

If that is true, the only question is what happens if this team fails to reach the NCAA (fails to win the auto bid) but earns the NIT invite and wins a couple of games in that tourney? My guess would be Jank comes back, especially when he can play the "we have no seniors" card and there is a reasonable expectation of improvement next year.

As I referenced in the sentence...Jason said it.

Now I realize Jason isn’t a decision maker and I certainly don’t agree with everything he says (he’s not critical enough IMO, way too rose-colored optimism), I do think he is knowledgeable and I enjoy his posts.

As for the remainder of the season, I thought SMU would win last night, I also think they win at USF and have a 50/50 chance of winning tourney game #1.

Regardless, I think jank returns next year.

At the beginning of last season, it was certainly an attitude of "we better improve". When Foster didn't return straightaway, the expectations were lowered a bit. And then when he got injured, you heard the language change from commentators, who had obviously been talked to by people close in the program.

The other factor is the financials around Jank's contract and resulting buyout were bigger than most anticipated.

My perceived optimism in reality is that I never root for my team or our players to fail. I root for them to succeed, and then judge them based on results.

Rumors that June recruits based on videos and doesn't build relationships with high school coaches? Me seeing with my own eyes the lax practices the last two years as well as the immediately negative impact of the new S&C coach? Okay, he has the right to take chances like that. But rather than focus on [deleted] about his methods, I'll root for the team to succeed and then judge on results. I gave everyone a heads up on lighter players and the lax practices, BTW, if you go back and read the reports. I just didn't see the logic in firing him until the results tanked on the field.

I have been critical of some of Jank's strategies, and the fact that the team isn't strong defensively. As a coach, I loved watching LB's teams play. I am aware of the various rumors about recruiting. I understand the frustrations. Again, I am a results based person. I would have liked to see a change after the results of the past two seasons, but I understand the logic in retaining him, both financially and because of the sanction impacts.

My expectations coming into this year were a top 4 finish and an NIT berth, and nothing short of the NCAA will be an expectation for next season. How we have gotten to this point is odd, but we are weirdly on track right now.

If we lose out, could I see frustrations boil over and him getting let go because we finish middle of the pack and get no post season bid? Yeah, I could see that happening. It would be expensive, but at the same time, Jank would be on the hot seat all next year, and that next recruiting class is huge and would be impossible to execute on until the Spring when it is clear on if he is back or not.

At the same time, if they flipped the switch defensively at the Memphis game and continue that through the rest of the season, I could see us winning out and going deep in the conference tourney. In that case, we would most likely exceed expectations for this season in my book, and in the SMU book. In which case Jank is clearly back, probably with support heading into next year.

I am going to root for the latter scenario. That makes me a fan, not an optimist. Look at it this way... if the team wins out, it means Jank turned up the intensity, which is one of the things everyone has been most critical of. It means he took steps forward as a coach. And that is better for us moving forward.

[Mustangsabu]

Winning starts with talent. Top talent goes to the top of ACC, the Big XII, SEC and the B1G. What's left over is available to us. Still lots of good players, but many are projects or don't have the size or are cast offs from the other conferences. This leads to having a young team with good but not greatest players. And having new players every year. As I said in an earlier thread, this is our world as a mid-major. If we are competitive every year and challenging for top spot in the Conference that is probably the best we can hope for with an occasional trip to the dance. No coach in a mid-major program is going to have any sustained success without bending rules or has a scheme that players buy into (Shaka Smart at VCU, Don Cheney at Temple). Even the Big East is not looking at 7 bids anymore. When you can say, this is the guy who is available and who can do a better job than Jank without cheating, then by all means we should talk about it. But at this point, I don't see anyone who meets that criteria. Just "getting rid of Jank" isn't going to improve our lot if we get some coach who can't recruit any better than Jank.

Totally agree.

[skyscraper]

The fact that people on this board still believe we can't do better than Jank is mind-boggling.

[mustangxc]

The fact that people on this board still believe we can't do better than Jank is mind-boggling.

I think everyone knows we can do better than the current results. The question is how likely is a replacement to exceed Jankovich's results. Reasonable minds can differ on that. If we replace Jankovich, I don't want a maybe. I want guaranteed results. I know Rick Pitino can guarantee results. I don't know many others that we could lure that can provide guaranteed results but I am open to suggestions.

[Charleston Pony]

Play defense like they did against Memphis and hit the wide open threes these guys have been missing the last couple of weeks and this team is capable of winning the AAC Tournament. This has been an emotional roller coaster of a season but I'm with those who refuse to be pessimistic. Having said that, it's on to another "must win" game Sunday vs Wichita State

[mustangxc]

Play defense like they did against Memphis and hit the wide open threes these guys have been missing the last couple of weeks and this team is capable of winning the AAC Tournament. This has been an emotional roller coaster of a season but I'm with those who refuse to be pessimistic. Having said that, it's on to another "must win" game Sunday vs Wichita State

I have no doubt this team has the talent to win the conference tournament. The problem is the lack of consistency. This team has shown it is incapable of running off 3-4 wins in consecutive days.

[Charleston Pony]

Play defense like they did against Memphis and hit the wide open threes these guys have been missing the last couple of weeks and this team is capable of winning the AAC Tournament. This has been an emotional roller coaster of a season but I'm with those who refuse to be pessimistic. Having said that, it's on to another "must win" game Sunday vs Wichita State

I have no doubt this team has the talent to win the conference tournament. The problem is the lack of consistency. This team has shown it is incapable of running off 3-4 wins in consecutive days.

A big part of the inconsistency has simply been home vs road and we played a good 1st half at both ECU and Temple before falling apart. Actually played pretty well at Houston, too but we have no idea what these guys will do on a neutral court where none of the teams in our conference have ever played a game. Anyone who has ever played this game knows there are some road venues that you just get comfortable in and shots start falling. No way of knowing what team might get hot for 3 nights in a row, or even 4 nights in a row. Houston will presumably be the favorite going in, but right now I could see any of 5-6 teams winning the AAC Tourney.