Dement to ECU?

[Waz]

R_A, One should be so lucky as to be your broker with your definition of underperform. Make a lot of money, but not much job certainty.

[Hoop Fan]

Everybody knows this kid is 7-1 and plays on the best team in the country and yet he is not rated that high and in fact despite the BS on this board didn't get many top offers. For example during the summer he was rated the No. 25 player in Texas(lower than the 3 stiffs Dement brought in his 3 year or so) and recently he was rated about the No 18 player in the entire state of Virginia after he was recently scouted by the author. I'm not saying he ain't a decent recruit for SMU but just that your constant overrating of his ability to immediately contribute will soon become very evident. It is very likely that he will be shoved around like a rag-doll next year. You need more than simply height to have much success at this level.

my constant overrating? Hardly. I said he is not ready offensively, but looked like he could contribute defensively especially in a mid major conference, based on actually seeing how he played against an NBA prospect in Derrick Caracter. Thats my belief, shoot me. Kind of like you watching Mitch Enright in a game and observing what he can do. What makes you think Fall will get shoved around anymore than Simpson does as a senior? I'm telling you, he is good for some minutes as a freshman and he can help the team. We'll see.

[PlanoStang]

It is likely that no one will (WIN CONSISTENTLY) until changes are made in academic requirements though. There are a lot of fans who believe if you don't win, fire the coach.

There are a lot of fans, AND ONE AD WHOSE INITIALS ARE Copeland who believe if you don't win, fire the coach.

[Lotus]

oh please, why hasn't he been picked up by now then..

Who knows. Maybe he's been approached, maybe he hasn't. I do know that if I was being paid a salary and required only to work on my golf game and try to land every largemouth bass in Texas, I might not jump at the first school to approach me. Maybe he has, maybe he hasn't. But he's a good man and will have a chance to coach again one day, if he so chooses.

Good luck, Coach Dement!

[Hoop Fan]

let me clarify something I said on Bamba Fall. I am saying I think that he could contribute quite a bit defensively on next years team with his body as is. In fact, I think it would help us to have him right now on this years team as is. Put him in the middle with Castro and Simpson more free to guard players they can handle, with backside shot blocking help from Fall. Having said that, it would still be ideal for his own personal development to redshirt and gain strength. Maybe Tubbs will get him to redshirt next year, I don't know, but I kind of doubt it based on our needs.

I don't have a crystal ball, but if he doesnt play and contribute early in his career here I will be surprised. I don't recall saying that about any recent frontcourt players we have gotten.

[Charleston Pony]

one thing is a given...you can't coach height. Anyone who saw Jon Koncack play as a freshman will remember what a stiff he was, but by his Jr & Sr years, he was a pretty solid collegiate player. For that reason alone (that they are close to 7 ft), I like the potential that guys like rack and Bamba bring. No, they aren't going to take SMU to the final four...but if they can move their feet they will help our interior defense. It's all about building a team.

Meanwhile, this thread was about Dement's chances at ECU. I assume he's a candidate and I hope he gets the job. I'm always pulling for a guy to get back home...but I though Herion was a decent coach. CUSA is a tough conference. It will be easier next year and ECU will fare much better against Marshall and UCF than they did againt Louisville, Charlotte and Cincy.

[Stallion]

Koncak averaged 29 ppg and 18 rpg out of high school and was first team all state in high school in Missouri.. That comparison doesn't work.

[EastStang]

Come on Stallion, Missouri, the hotbed of college basketball? He was a big gangly kid who because he was 7' tall could pretty much stand flat footed and dunk over his opponants in high school. It give him a lot of credit he worked hard and became a Division 1 center. No one who saw him his freshman year believe that he was anything more than a tall project. I agree with the other posts. While you might make a 6'7" player into a solid collegiate center, a 7'1" player has an advantage just by sheer numbers. No, he's not the rebirth of Shaq. But he is going to be a player who can contribute to the team.

[OldPony]

If I am not mistaken, Koncak was about 6-8 in HS. He did a lot of growing once at SMU. He was not a highly sought after recruit.

[Dark Horse]

Mike Dement(+Tubbs) early recruiting classes were easily the best this school has had in any sport since the DP PERIOD....

Um .... really? ANY sport? Check the classes put together by Schellas Hyndman, Steve Collins, Carl Nuefeld, Dave Wollman, Eddie Sinnott, even John Cossaboon who's only been here a couple of years. They've all had nationally-ranked classes.

.... There simply is no question Hoop Fan-I really don't understand your fascination with a sleeper recruit like Bamba Fall-he is not ready to play Division 1A Basketball according to just about every single report I have ever read about the guy. He is at least a 3 year project-get used to it-you heard it here first.

Good thing we have you here to clear that up. Because that 14-block performance he recently had -- playing for a team so talented that he probably played about half the game -- was meaningless. After all, if you can drop the opponent's score by 20 points per game, that's not as good as raising your team's total by 20, right? Look, I don't know how good Fall is going to be any more than you do. But just like there are 300-pound linemen who don't get football scholarships, there are tall guys who don't get basketball scholarships. I'm pretty sure Coach Lineburg and Coach Tubbs -- who have seen him play -- didn't recruit him just to change lightbulbs in their offices. What say you see him play for a while before you dub him a 3-year project?

[Stallion]

what kind of class did the Equestrian Team and Tid-Le-Winks team sign?

[Dark Horse]

Point well taken. Just amused by "in any sport" comment!

[EastStang]

Where did that comment come from? Sam Jones Equestrian Index rates the class very well. Rivals spends all their time rating trival sports like basketball and football. The star of the class is Betsy Bigbut, she has real talent. She really knows how to keep a big stud between her legs. She can handle at least three hands.