PonyFans.com

Josh Bell(Kansas 3 star). Biren Early(Arizona 4 stars). James Francis( Baylor 2 star-5.4) Kendall Mouton(SMU 2 stars 5.4) and Stephen James(Oklahoma St-2 stars 5.4) . You guys always want to know how School X which doesn't sign highly rated classes seems to find success. They cut corners-just like TCU, Tulsa, UTEP, UH, and many others. You won't see these kids reflected in the Rivals' recruiting scoreboard unless they go through JUCO first -and then only with the Star System-and yet this is one of the accepted methods used by almost all schools to build programs. I'm sure PK will now add that SMU can't aggressively persue these transfer students. Advantage Opponent.

Tell me again, why Mouton left SMU?

Allow me to pinch-hit for PK:

I don't know why Mouton left SMU. If, in fact, it was because of academic issues, then I'm pretty sure it's safe to say we can't aggressively pursue him. Or am I missing something very basic here?

If we have all these stipulations that prevent us from accepting all of the JUCO basket-weaving classes that some schools accept, then I would guess that there are some courses at other D-IA schools we wouldn't accept, either. A lot of true jock factories (Florida State, Georgia, Iowa, etc.) have majors like "general studies" or "university studies." I don't know what classes have to be taken to earn those lofty degrees, but I expect students are required to take the most basic of introductory classes and fill in the rest of their schedules with whatever classes they want. I don't know, that's a guess. But there's a reason some very smart, academic-minded students come to SMU every year. You actually have to go to school and be an actual student.

I'm not saying Bell, Early, Francis and Mouton aren't real students, or bright guys (and again, I have no idea why Mouton left). I don't know anything about those guys, and I hope they all go to class and get a degree at Cougar High. But there's a very real chance that academics played a part in the fact that they ended up at UH instead of SMU. Slightly different academic environments, as they say, and frankly, that's just one aspect that makes me proud to be an SMU graduate.

EastStang wrote:Tell me again, why Mouton left SMU?

Because unlike about every other school, we actually expect our athletes to not only attend classes...(just ask BHop)...but attend real classes and make real grades.

Advantage Opponent

Ikus wrote:But there's a very real chance that academics played a part in the fact that they ended up at UH instead of SMU. Slightly different academic environments, as they say, and frankly, that's just one aspect that makes me proud to be an SMU graduate.

UT alum are laughing in your face.

Advantage Opponent

How did UT enter the conversation? I was suggesting the possibility -- and since I don't know for sure, it's just that, a possibility -- that academics played a part in guys transferring to Houston instead of SMU. Lumping Houston and Texas together academically would be a stretch, in my opinion.

SoCal_Pony wrote:UT alum are laughing in your face.

Advantage Opponent

SoCal, you have been away much tooooo long. UT is not one of our Opponents any more.

Stallion wrote:Josh Bell(Kansas 3 star). Biren Early(Arizona 4 stars). James Francis( Baylor 2 star-5.4) Kendall Mouton(SMU 2 stars 5.4) and Stephen James(Oklahoma St-2 stars 5.4) . You guys always want to know how School X which doesn't sign highly rated classes seems to find success. They cut corners-just like TCU, Tulsa, UTEP, UH, and many others. You won't see these kids reflected in the Rivals' recruiting scoreboard unless they go through JUCO first -and then only with the Star System-and yet this is one of the accepted methods used by almost all schools to build programs. I'm sure PK will now add that SMU can't aggressively persue these transfer students. Advantage Opponent.

I love it...you are using as an example a JUCO we recruited that now has officially become a D-1 transfer because he attended SMU. Since none of us know why he is transferring or why any of the others you mentioned above are either, your post sheds little real light on the process. Are these guys transferring because they didn't pan out and were going to be riding the pine? Or did they get into academic trouble. You act like all D-1 transfers and all JUCO's are the end all on one hand and then you turn around and complain about every JUCO we get. San Jose had tons of JUCO's and it didn't do all that much good for them. Are you saying that only the dumb JUCO's are any good at football. If that is the case, that's pretty damn sad.

Very funny PK...

Point is Ikus your concern about how athletes perform in the classroom is not shared by the overwhelming majority of UT students / alum who are now celebrating a National Championship and couldn't give a big hoot about whether or not Scott / Wright / Young / Huff / Griffin and crew graduated or even attended classes.

And UT has a better academic reputation to uphold than we do.

That type of thinking, however noble, places us at a DISADVANTAGE....and I say this as someone who truly values his SMU diploma.

Advantage Opponent

SoCal_Pony wrote: .... That type of thinking, however noble, places us at a DISADVANTAGE....and I say this as someone who truly values his SMU diploma....

That type of thinking IS noble, and underscores a reason you, Ikus and I are better off for having gone to SMU. We can win a lot of games and still have our athletes go to class and graduate. Personally, I'm proud of the fact that our athletes also are students.

Advantage: SMU

Stallion wrote:Josh Bell(Kansas 3 star). Biren Early(Arizona 4 stars). James Francis( Baylor 2 star-5.4) Kendall Mouton(SMU 2 stars 5.4) and Stephen James(Oklahoma St-2 stars 5.4) . You guys always want to know how School X which doesn't sign highly rated classes seems to find success. They cut corners-just like TCU, Tulsa, UTEP, UH, and many others. You won't see these kids reflected in the Rivals' recruiting scoreboard unless they go through JUCO first -and then only with the Star System-and yet this is one of the accepted methods used by almost all schools to build programs. I'm sure PK will now add that SMU can't aggressively persue these transfer students. Advantage Opponent.

Why don't we see if they are any good and play and beat us before we pound a chest of yet another opponent and how wonderful it is there and how we are doomed.

Amen brother.

Especially since their bevy of jucos and transfers last year couldn't beat us.

WELL SAID!

well I see that all of you have jumped to the conclusion that all Division 1A transfers are academic casualties which is simply not a fact. Nice! go off on a tangent so you really don't have to deal with the issue.