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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby JasonB » Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:01 pm

That would be amazing and would get us into the tourney no problem.

I don't think there is any way that projection comes true though, both with our past road results and what the conference has done on the road.
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby DanFreibergerForHeisman » Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:11 pm

JasonB wrote:That would be amazing and would get us into the tourney no problem.

I don't think there is any way that projection comes true though, both with our past road results and what the conference has done on the road.

It wouldn't surprise me too much though if our impending defensive improvements take hold like they should with all of the five-on-five practice!
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby mustangxc » Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:54 pm

I actually think that should be our expectation. I am still not convinced that it would be enough to get us in the NCAA tournament unless we are top 2 at worst 3rd in conference. Keep in mind that we got one of the weakest in-conference schedules to pair with our atrocious non-conference schedule. This overall schedule was designed to get ~25 wins. Hopefully the perception of this conference has risen to the point that a 25 win team would not be left out of the NCAA tournament.
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby Dukie » Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:29 am

DanFreibergerForHeisman wrote:
JasonB wrote:That would be amazing and would get us into the tourney no problem.

I don't think there is any way that projection comes true though, both with our past road results and what the conference has done on the road.

It wouldn't surprise me too much though if our impending defensive improvements take hold like they should with all of the five-on-five practice!

I love (seriously, not being snarky) that you are posting the 5-on-5 comment in every thread!
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby geezerdonk » Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:30 pm

The counter clockwise swirl is complete. The bowl is empty. The season is working its way surely and steadily through the interior plumbing toward The Sewer of Ignominy.
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby ponypatrick » Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:44 pm

DC-Pony wrote:My expectations for this year’s team keep going up and down, more so than for most teams I’ve supported across all sports. In the pre-season there were rays of sunshine with transfers following two tough years. Those rays were intermittently bright and clouded with the NCAA approval process and delays. The talent of the team is now a clear step or two above the teams from the last two years, and the depth is better than it has been since the sole NCAA tournament team of the Brown era (before the Brown error blocked the ability to have any depth).

When all the players finally were eligible and playing it felt like the upside of this team was the NCAA bubble. This notwithstanding the Georgetown game (willing to set that one game aside) and the weak non-conference schedule that the Mustangs would have to overcome through a VERY strong conference record. The keys to success for the season finally felt like they were in how this team jelled and matured. I still this that is the case. But, the jelling and the maturing (both at the individual player level and as a whole team) looks like it will require some more lessons that will include enough losses to prevent any at-large tourney bid. Though if the team keeps growing its ability to execute cleanly and resiliently fight, I don’t rule out an AAC tourney championship and resulting NCAA automatic bid.

I have read a lot of frustrations others on this board have expressed about Coach Jank. I get where they come from, given the past two years of futility. And, I think it’s also come from the G’town clunker/no-show and in-game executions at Georgia and ECU. A bunch of that could be coaching and a bunch of that could be coaching not fully sinking in and being executed by players. Unless I’m at all the practices it really isn’t possible to judge to degree to which it is one versus the other. But, a huge key to the program’s longer term trajectory will be in Coach Jank’s ability to get this group of players to execute cleanly for 40 mins and to fight for 40 mins. The Vandy game was both maddening at times through the team’s flashes and inconsistency, and also really promising through its fight in the end. The ECU game was really deflating and feels like a step back. But those are two games only, and so it goes with a young team that was put together just this year (4 of their top 7 players weren’t Mustangs until this year and 2 weren’t Mustangs until a few weeks ago). Up and down play is predictable if not unavoidable.

If this team can maximize its talent in games, then a NCAA tournament seems likely next year. And then Jank starts to make a name for himself in a G6 conference independent of Larry Brown (both from Brown’s success and the poison pill he left in his wake). And that “name” will be tested in Jank and Avis coaching staff’s ability to lure a few top flight recruits for the class of 2021 (may not be any spots for 2020 with no one graduating this year).

There are a lot of indications from great coaches and players that have worked with Jank that he’s up to the challenge.




Nice, optimistic take on the situation . I think you will now agree that it's time to move on from Jank !
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby Charleston Pony » Sun Feb 09, 2020 4:30 pm

Still too early to call which way this season will ultimately end. Obviously there is a lot of parity in the AAC and it seems almost anyone can beat anyone on any given night. Given the cushion the non-conference schedule provided, I personally set the bar at 20 regular season wins (which means going 10-8 or better in AAC play) in defining what constitutes a "successful" season. If this team can do that and win at least one game in the AAC Tourney, they might just sneak into the NIT at 21-11. With everyone coming back and adding McNeill at a minimum, I would expect this team to make a run at the NCAA next year. If one or two guys sitting deep on the bench leave and open up a couple of spots for an impact GT or even a quality transfer or two that might have to sit a year, there is a very real possibility this program can be rebuilt in the next couple of years.

I should add that, depending on how our guys respond to the Temple loss and close out the regular season, I still haven't abandoned hope that they could hit a hot stretch and win the AAC Tourney. This team lives and dies by the three, but the roster is deep enough that a 3 game tourney run is still possible. I will admit I'm an optimist when it comes to SMU sports and acknowledge that this team could just as easily tank and lose most of our remaining games. Whichever way it goes, I'm just too heavily invested in SMU athletics to give up yet. Keep in mind that 6 of our final 8 AAC games are against teams either tied with our guys or sitting below them in the current standings.
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby Charleston Pony » Wed Feb 12, 2020 9:25 pm

After the UConn win, this team is still in the hunt to finish among the top 4 in the AAC and get that all important 1st round bye in the tourney. My fear is that Houston is going to hand it to us Saturday and leave this team deflated as they prepare to hit the road for games at Tulane and Tulsa. Sure would be nice if all the SMU faithful show up to support our guys Saturday night against the Cougs. Our guys are going to need all the energy a packed Moody can provide
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby Charleston Pony » Sat Feb 15, 2020 8:43 pm

Can we all agree that after beating Houston and now being only one game in the loss column out of 1st place, this team is trending up? We have the advantage of playing both Wichita State and Memphis in Moody so as long as these guys can avoid laying an egg on the road against some of the weaker teams in the AAC, things are suddenly rather promising.

I should add that a win at Tulsa would be HUGE!
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby JasonB » Mon Feb 17, 2020 12:51 pm

Charleston Pony wrote:Can we all agree that after beating Houston and now being only one game in the loss column out of 1st place, this team is trending up? We have the advantage of playing both Wichita State and Memphis in Moody so as long as these guys can avoid laying an egg on the road against some of the weaker teams in the AAC, things are suddenly rather promising.

I should add that a win at Tulsa would be HUGE!


Laying an egg is a bit harsh.

The conference doesn't have any great teams. But the middle tier and bottom tier in this conference are much, much better than middle and bottom tiers in most other conferences in the country.

The teams at the bottom are good enough to play close on their home court, and the top teams aren't good enough to put them away. There are going to be some more weird losses before the end o the season.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us win out at home, lose two or three of our remaining road games and end up in 3rd place in conference.
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby PonySnob » Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:00 pm

Charleston Pony wrote:Can we all agree that after beating Houston and now being only one game in the loss column out of 1st place, this team is trending up? We have the advantage of playing both Wichita State and Memphis in Moody so as long as these guys can avoid laying an egg on the road against some of the weaker teams in the AAC, things are suddenly rather promising.

I should add that a win at Tulsa would be HUGE!


Have to get past Tulane on Wednesday first........
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby Charleston Pony » Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:09 pm

JasonB wrote:
Charleston Pony wrote:Can we all agree that after beating Houston and now being only one game in the loss column out of 1st place, this team is trending up? We have the advantage of playing both Wichita State and Memphis in Moody so as long as these guys can avoid laying an egg on the road against some of the weaker teams in the AAC, things are suddenly rather promising.

I should add that a win at Tulsa would be HUGE!


Laying an egg is a bit harsh.

The conference doesn't have any great teams. But the middle tier and bottom tier in this conference are much, much better than middle and bottom tiers in most other conferences in the country.

The teams at the bottom are good enough to play close on their home court, and the top teams aren't good enough to put them away. There are going to be some more weird losses before the end o the season.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us win out at home, lose two or three of our remaining road games and end up in 3rd place in conference.


Laying an egg would not be harsh at all if our guys lose every remaining road game, which they certainly could do. My expectation would be for them to finish at least 2-2 on the road which still leaves us with a losing road record on the season and makes those games at Moody against Wichita State and Memphis must wins
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby smitty329 » Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:42 pm

Charleston Pony wrote:Can we all agree that after beating Houston and now being only one game in the loss column out of 1st place, this team is trending up? We have the advantage of playing both Wichita State and Memphis in Moody so as long as these guys can avoid laying an egg on the road against some of the weaker teams in the AAC, things are suddenly rather promising.

I should add that a win at Tulsa would be HUGE!


Yes, regardless of when you begin to track the flight (last week, start of conference, start of season, last year) we are an improved team and fun to watch. The most important game is the next one - Beat Tulane!!!
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby Charleston Pony » Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:07 pm

smitty329 wrote:
Charleston Pony wrote:Can we all agree that after beating Houston and now being only one game in the loss column out of 1st place, this team is trending up? We have the advantage of playing both Wichita State and Memphis in Moody so as long as these guys can avoid laying an egg on the road against some of the weaker teams in the AAC, things are suddenly rather promising.

I should add that a win at Tulsa would be HUGE!


Yes, regardless of when you begin to track the flight (last week, start of conference, start of season, last year) we are an improved team and fun to watch. The most important game is the next one - Beat Tulane!!!


Yes; let's keep things rolling with a win at Tulane...something Cincinnati could not accomplish!
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Re: Trajectory of SMU Basketball

Postby Terry Webster » Mon Feb 17, 2020 9:18 pm

At Tulane has always been a tough game for us.
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