Dallas Mornings News with SMU BASKETBALL article today!!

[ponyscott]

What a surprise to open the Final Four page in the DMN and see almost a half page article with a picture about SMU Basketball on April 3rd, no less!!


http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/colleg ... -ahead.ece

Ponies up: 20 wins, CIT run have SMU seeing better days ahead

Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer
SMU finished the regular season with a winning record for the first time in Matt Doherty's tenure and with a record eight Conference USA victories.
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By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News

Published 02 April 2011 07:03 PM

SMU athletic director Steve Orsini kicked himself a bit over the last couple of weeks.

While he’s been immersed in his role as a member of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, his own men’s basketball program was making a run in a postseason tournament — albeit at a significantly lower level — in the CollegeInsider.com tournament.

Orsini traded observing SMU’s run to the CIT semifinals for his duties in monitoring the NCAA Tournament. While watching surprises like Virginia Commonwealth and Butler making this weekend’s Final Four, he said he’s kept his thoughts on the Mustangs.

“It validates our belief that if we do our job and do it well, that we have the potential,” Orsini said. “It’s a great case study for us.”

But when — and how — can SMU, which finished 20-15, reach that level? It hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament since 1993. The CIT was SMU’s first postseason apprearance since the NIT in 2000, with the school and boosters footing the $31,500 bill for each home game. It came in coach Matt Doherty’s fifth season.

SMU’s weak RPI and the fact three of its 17 regular-season wins were against non-Division I opponents kept it far from NCAA consideration.

“It’s all relative,” Orsini said, “but we were still playing in the postseason.”

After finishing the regular season with a winning record for the first time in Doherty’s tenure and with a record eight Conference USA victories, SMU lost in the first round of the C-USA tournament for the fifth consecutive season. The next day, the NCAA and SMU announced major violations involving text messages to parents of recruits, though all parties called the transgressions inadvertent and the penalties were light.

The season could have ended on that note. Instead, SMU rattled off three victories before falling to Santa Clara in the CIT semifinals after the Mustangs’ top player, senior Papa Dia, was injured on a hard foul in the first half.

SMU president R. Gerald Turner was among those applauding the Mustangs from the first row.

“The season’s over so I can announce that it is turned around, the program is officially turned around,” Doherty said after SMU’s final loss. “You can say that by the numbers but you can also say that by feel. The fact the crowd stayed after and applauded our work after a loss meant a lot.”

Doherty reminisced about the ride home after TCU routed the Mustangs in the second game of the season. Staying the course turned out to be rewarding.

“It’s been a fun ride with these guys,” said Doherty, who has maintained SMU was always a three- to five-year rebuilding project. “We were starting to play really good basketball.”

Orsini lauded what the CIT provided, starting with postseason experience for the players and including extra practice time and recruiting benefits, calling them all foundation blocks.

VCU, Orisni pointed out, won last season’s College Basketball Insider tournament, an event similar to the CIT.

Orsini said he was proud of the program’s improvement, commending Doherty for adding assistants Jerry Hobbie and Larry Mangino before this season. Recruiting seems to be on an upswing, making inroads in the Dallas area and adding Texas transfer Shawn Williams, of Duncanville, and Nevada transfer Cotton Giles, of Kimball.

Two players expected to contribute this season but not cleared by the NCAA because of international eligibility issues should be available next season.

“Coach Doherty and I talked before this season that the standard is top 25,” Orsini said. “I hope it’s with this leadership, because I do think that Matt is a very good fit for SMU.”

Orsini wouldn’t nail down a timeline for the jump. Doherty has two years left on his contract.

“We want progress to be from one year to the next now,” Orsini said. “We don’t want to slip back.”



As Doh goes

SMU’s results under coach Matt Doherty:



Season


W-L


C-USA


How it ended

2006-07


14-17


3-13


L, 59-52 to So. Miss., C-USA 1st rd.

2007-08


10-20


4-12


L, 71-49, to UTEP, C-USA 1st rd.

2008-09


9-21


3-13


L, 85-76, to Houston, C-USA 1st rd.

2009-10


14-17


7-9


L, 69-53, to Cen. Fla., C-USA 1st rd.

2010-2011


20-15


8-8


L, 72-55, to Santa Clara, CIT semis

Totals


67-90


25-55

[GiddyUp]

Good to see. They love to point out the 30K per game.

2 years left Doh. Maybe Orsini learned something being around the selection committee.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

I was going to say the same thing - great publicity but I'm sick and tired of people referencing the price. They always make it sound like SMU was the only one to do it...

I still think the interest generated in SMU basketball this March is a huge return on whatever investment the school had to make to have the three home games. I can't wait until next season!

[Charleston Pony]

the price is significant because SMU doesn't generate enough attendance to cover a paltry $30k. Hopefully that will change soon

[PonyKai]

I would guess for the semi final game we covered the cost. Attendance around 2400, 10$ a pop for terrace and 20$ for courtside/near court and the near court looked pretty full. Had to generate at least a few bucks on concessions and maybe some merchandise sales.

[Vitale]

the price is significant because SMU doesn't generate enough attendance to cover a paltry $30k. Hopefully that will change soon

Yeah, except that if, as Kate suggested in the story, boosters covered the tab, then SMU didn't lose a dime, in which case the price is irrelevant.

We weren't even invited to play in this tournament — with or without a financial guarantee — before this year. So it's a small step, but it's progress.

... with the school and boosters footing the $31,500 bill for each home game ...

[skyscraper]

Thought it was good to see. An unexpected surprised, for sure, considering bball finished up more than a week ago.
Was chatting with a friend yesterday, and we both said for the first time we're excited about bball for next year. I imagine there are others who feel the same way.

[Bergermeister]

I can't wait until next season!

Familiar refrain.