SMU offers California shooting guard

[Lotus]

Found this on scout.com:

Where Will He Visit?

Landry Fields, 6-3 SG from Los Alamitos (Calif.) High, told us recently that he’s hearing from a wide variety of schools since the July evaluation period.

“Cal, Washington State, Wyoming, Richmond, Creighton, Stanford, New Mexico, Gonzaga, Western Michigan, Long Beach State and SMU,” said Fields.

We asked Fields if he has a list of schools that he’ll definitely visit.

“New Mexico, Stanford, Gonzaga and Cal -- I’ll probably visit those schools for sure,” said Fields. “I have to get back to all the coaches and set the dates. I’ll probably take them sometime in September and October.”

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 170
Position: SG
Projected as: SG
High School: Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos), Calif.

Biography:
2005 - High School Basketball:
Baby-faced, and still not mature yet physically, Fields has a sweet stroke out to the stripe. Quick release. Good understanding of the game. Very big hands --could get bigger. Possible mid to high major.

SCHOOLS OF INTEREST
California (High Interest), Gonzaga (High Interest), New Mexico (High Interest - OFFER), Stanford (High Interest), Boise State (Medium Interest), Long Beach State (Medium Interest), Santa Clara (Medium Interest), SMU (Medium Interest - OFFER), Utah (Medium Interest), Virginia Tech (Medium Interest), Western Michigan (Medium Interest)

[LakeHighlandsPony]

What happened to recruiting Lincoln, Kimball, Carter and SOC.......

[Lotus]

There's no reason to think those schools aren't being recriuted (see Darrell Arthur, etc.) But if we don't get the kids we want out of those schools, should we not offer a kid the coaches think can help the team? I don't see this is a dismissal of the Dallas recruiting plan.

[SWC2010]

What happened to recruiting Lincoln, Kimball, Carter and SOC.......

The day we can beat Gonzaga &/or Stanford on the court-- we should stop recruiting from the same pool of players.

[EastStang]

Not all the great players are in the state of Texas. This is not football, but basketball. They are all over the country. I'll take a California kid with some solid abilities any day. Heck, I'd even take a Canadian kid.

[Billy Joe]

I think it is pretty obvious Tubbs is striking out on the local players. I find this suprising since many of the local coaches wrote Copeland letters of support. One would think some of these local high school coaches would be able to urge some of their players to attend SMU. I do not blame Tubbs for his lack of recruiting local players during his head coach tenure. Instead, I blame the administration, i.e., Turner, Copeland, and the Board of Trustees, for failing to take the necessary steps to compete at the Division 1-A level. For instance, many of our rivals and the successful programs have first class facilities. SMU's are outdated and need improvements. It is obvious many of the local players do not take SMU seriously when it comes to athletics. The rhetoric coming out of the athletic department does not equate to their actions (or lack thereof). Frankly, I believe Tubbs has serious problems in turning this program around when he is getting outrecruited by Baylor for the local kids. No disrepect to Baylor but they did just get levied some pretty harsh sanctions from the NCAA.

[WorldStang]

Striking out is pretty harsh when we have no idea who signs with us yet. We're already burying this guy and he's not been with us a year? Come on..

[Scoops]

There you go again, WorldStang, clouding the argument with logic.

[EastStang]

I've always maintained the argument that while we need to recruit in Dallas, it is short-sighted to not recruit throughout the country. SMU has traditionally had a lot of kids from the Chicago area. They have pretty good hoops players in the Chicago area. We have a lot of kids from the St. Louis area. St. Louis has some good programs. We get a few kids from the DC area and ought to keep our eyes open. By focusing your recruiting in one market, you might miss some real good players. Tubbs is surely working the DISD, but I am sure he is working the phones wherever there is a good kid to recruit. Bamba Falls is from Virginia for example.

[No Cal Pony]

I agree with you East. While I believe SMU needs a good showing in Texas, it wouldn't hurt to have kids come from all over. It seems to work for duke. I've long advocated looking at kids from CA. Plenty out there.

Go Ponies!

[BUS]

We are getting some pretty good recruits right now. The large body from the northwest sounds pretty good and if the project ( Bamba ) works out, then last year was good. The Dez capture is, IMHO, a great move. And a Dallas guy.

[Stallion]

the problem is "pretty good" don't get you to the Tournament. SMU has been recruiting "pretty good" players for years. Dement always signed "pretty good" players. Very few dominant players though especially inside.

[BUS]

I would agree. So, if Bamba works out to be able to catch the ball and the power Forward can get some rebounds... This is a lot better.

[EastStang]

Wide body big men are the hardest to find in the country. That is why you look all over for them. And pretty good might be all that's available to you. If you are a U.S. top 100 player are you going to pick Duke or SMU. Gonzaga or SMU, Georgetown or SMU, Maryland or SMU. Get the picture. If the top 10 perennial powers get 2 top 100 recruits that leaves 80 for everyone else. Assume that out of 100 top recruits 40 are big men. If the perennial top 10 powers get 15 of those, that leaves 25 for everyone else. That is why the top 50 is so hard to break in basketball. Having said that CUSA will benefit us. First, UAB, Memphis, Tulsa are known basketball names. Second, the east coast presence of the conference gives us some in roads into south eastern recruiting centers. Our television contract with Pax may very well get us some national basketball coverage. I'm expecting a jump in the program.