Outside Perspectives

[LA_Mustang]

Other than perhaps Memphis, UAB, UH and Tulsa, let's look at CUSA. Rice, Marshall, ECU, UCF, USM, Tulane, and UTEP (no longer Texas Western). None of them has made a ripple in the NCAA pond in 40 years. This conference is okay in football, but a disaster in basketball. That's why Memphis wants out sooo bad. Last night they played UAB in Birmingham and won by 11 after it was close with about 6 minutes to go and UAB is the second best team in the conference. I'm sorry, but even with freshmen and sophomores, we ought to be able to have a winning record against CUSA teams. I'm giving Doh the benefit of the doubt this year, but next year, he knows its win or walk. My view is that next year we ought to be at least .500 overall and .600 in conference with an RPI under 120. Not huge expectations. But if not, Doh's rope will be very short.

I agree, East. The only way I see .500 happening next season is if Doherty has a stud JUCO who can fill it up waiting in the wings....and I doubt it.

[MustangIcon]

I don't think so.

This is our 4th season in C-USA...3 have been with Coach Doh.

You are correct though that we have failed to win more than 4 conference games.

You are right. I was thinking Tubbs' first season (04-05) was our first in CUSA but we were still in the WAC then. His second season was our first in CUSA. I think I was a little thrown off bc I rembered beating Rice in Rd 1 of the conference tourney, but that was in fact still in the WAC, not CUSA.

Thanks for the help on that one!

[MustangIcon]

I think we will go .500 next year.

[LA_Mustang]

I think we will go .500 next year.

based on the current roster? As of now, we will only add a project center to mix. I see more of the same next season....McCoy being our only scorer and a bunch roll players that if you're lucky may show up every other game.

[mrydel]

Come on it can't be that hard. 15 losses and you are half way there.

[Z1]

Fans somehow thought freshman and sophomores would be more organized than they are...

That's because right now, SMU's fan base should be considered
" freshman". You know - uncertain about supporting the team, how to do that, whether to attend a game, griping about growing pains, etc. There hasn't been much for fans to support at SMU in a long time. You can find more "senior " fans (no puns about age please) posting here nightly. It's not always positive, but you can tell that there are people who care about the state of SMU sports.

And I know MD was on CSTV for a year or so before it was bought out by CBS in 2005. At that point MD was out recruiting for FAU. So he may have a friend or two there. No harm in having friends. And I can see the humor in the winning streak statement too. I'll be conservative and wait til we get to three W's before I call it a "streak". I disagree about the W's tho- SMU committed to building several programs when they hired
Orsini. BB is just one of them. Everyone want's the W's because it boosts morale immediately. It's tangible evidence of growth. We're still a year away from seeing or even requiring that in quantity. According to Orsini, we are building a program in FB and BB. That takes time and work on the intangibles. The most obvious work to be done is still promoting the men's teams to the fans. Without educated fans that support the team SMU will never get the results they want. I'm still amazed at how hard a sell this has been just to get the students to attend games. This year you can see a few more out there but it seems like most of the seats are being filled by alumni.

Z

Where have you been over the last X # of years?
Try getting a job on Sunday morning & you can preach there.
Real fans, patience, growing pains? My [deleted].
Do you know how many years we have been hearing this BS?
I'm a die hard & u have no clue to the level of frustration of losing year after year after year. Until that changes, I will continue to ? the bad product I see on the court. When I see something positive I'll tell you.

Get real dude.

So what kind of hiring plan should we have ?
Hire a new coach for 2010 and then fire them in 2012 ?
That' d leave us with two coaches that weren't given time to implement a program. Good credibility for hiring a third new coach, huh?
No. Regardless of the current situation Orsini can't not give MD another yr. I can give him til then and if it don't work out then I'll be riding the papa train and looking for change too.

And just so you know - I can easily relate to everyones' frustrations, 25 plus years of cheering for UNCW. A prison of frustration in itself.

As for preaching, not my intention , just expressing what I see. Good or bad.

[Pony_Fan]

reality check. we are dead last in a crappy conference.

[Z1]

reality check. we are dead last in a crappy conference.

Yes - I see that, lol. Unfortunately, I still have this fact filed under the "Bad " in the Good or Bad. Looking forward to the day I can move it to the other file.

[papawasamustang]

reality check. we are dead last in a crappy conference.

Yes - I see that, lol. Unfortunately, I still have this fact filed under the "Bad " in the Good or Bad. Looking forward to the day I can move it to the other file.

I look @ our collection of talent & keep telling myself we can't be that bad. My eyes tell me one thing but the results speak for themselves.
Then I look @ the standings & see a team like Tulane with 7 conference wins & I think what great opportunities we are missing out on to win in such a poor to avg conference. There is just no reason we shouldn't be around 500.

[Z1]

reality check. we are dead last in a crappy conference.

Yes - I see that, lol. Unfortunately, I still have this fact filed under the "Bad " in the Good or Bad. Looking forward to the day I can move it to the other file.

I look @ our collection of talent & keep telling myself we can't be that bad. My eyes tell me one thing but the results speak for themselves.
Then I look @ the standings & see a team like Tulane with 7 conference wins & I think what great opportunities we are missing out on to win in such a poor to avg conference. There is just no reason we shouldn't be around 500.

I agree - of the last ten losses there were 3 games I thought we should have won- the Marshall game included. We'd be 5 and 9 in conference. Turnovers , they're killing us. IF we keep the ball 5 more times than we give the other team in a t/o, how many games might have had different results? The bad part is that it's split between the guards and the rest of the team. That stuff is taught in junior and senior high school. Some of the guards ' T/O's might be attributable to defensive pressure focused on the ball- but that is expected isn't it ?
I like McCoy and Williams. They're a much more reliable duo handling the ball than two yrs ago, but like W's -the other stats don't lie either.
And the talent is there -sometimes in a raw form. Your right -at times we look better than our record indicates. But do you think this might be a tale of two seasons - first half and second half of the year ?
The first part we looked every bit as bad as our record shows , but the last few weeks seem different because the guys know they've been on the verge several times. We're getting out ahead of opponents now, where before we started from behind and stayed there.
I really hope the results next year meet and exceed what they could've been this year, or your right- MD may be gone.