SMU's Hopkins to enter NBA draft

[Stallion]

Dez Willingham would start at point in place of Hopkins-not Roberts.

[DallasDiehard]

I'm looking forward to Roberts running the point next year.

Make that Dez Willingham. Roberts is a SG with ball-handling skills, not a PG.

[OldPony]

Hoop- I hear you but I wasn't basing it on SMU's record but Hop's inability to stay with top guards. Not a great shooter, TO's galore. If he has the talent, he needs a lot more time. He will not be drafted.

[StangEsq]

Yawn.

See you next year, BH.

[rich_alum]

This may be a good thing. I think this team will be much better off with someone steady at the point who is more of a distributor. This team did nothing during BHop's tenure here so maybe he was part of the problem. We can now move on to the future. I am not sure this team could go very far with Hopkins running the point anyhow.

I think we'll see what some of these other guys are really capable of when they get more shots, touches, etc... This is a positive.

[MrMustang1965]

I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall to hear that conversation between BHOP and Tubbs!

[Lefty]

This could be a very good thing. A few years ago, Sasser pulled this, and when he withdrew his name and came back to school, he got a lot of attention for the school, as he was written up everywhere as having been a draft prospect. If nothing else, he should be preseason all-WAC next year (personally, I'm hoping he comes back).

[ponyboy]

The negative responses on this are pathetic and ill-informed. Even the headline here on this board reads "Hopkins to bypass senior season."

As I believe Hoof Fan said, he hasn't hired an agent and is simply testing the waters. Any wise kid with his talent would do exactly the same thing.

What a bunch of friggin' backstabbers and kneejerk pessimists we seem to have here.

[Dooby]

The negative responses on this are pathetic and ill-informed. Even the headline here on this board reads "Hopkins to bypass senior season."

As I believe Hoof Fan said, he hasn't hired an agent and is simply testing the waters. Any wise kid with his talent would do exactly the same thing.

What a bunch of friggin' backstabbers and kneejerk pessimists we seem to have here.

Oh, puh-lease. Some people are so melodramatic. I started this thread. The headline I used was cut and pasted from the DMN website. I didn't know I was being unfair when I said a guy that can't make first team all-conference in a weak basketball conference as a Junior may not get drafted. If he comes back, then great. If he doesn't, then he's an idiot.

[Pony_Fan]

Well, most people are stating the truth here. At this point he has too many weaknesses. There is a lot more to the article in today's paper with quotes from NBA scouts. I guess he will learn the process and come back, try to improve and see what happens.

I hope the rule passes where kids have to be a minimum age. Kids coming out of High School just isn't right in my opinion. It will also help the NCAA competition.

I think people are frustrated with his play up to this point. He is not a great defender, is 5'11, turns the ball over, and is a streaky shooter - those are the facts jack.

[Hoop Fan]

Hoop- I hear you but I wasn't basing it on SMU's record but Hop's inability to stay with top guards. Not a great shooter, TO's galore. If he has the talent, he needs a lot more time. He will not be drafted.

Inability to stay with top guards is pretty subjective. John Lucas benefits from his cast, but is not that impressive as a prospect. He didnt look nearly as confident back when he played on Baylor at Moody and got stomped by our guards. I would agree the Rivera from Utep is a more ready player but i dont think Hop got run off the floor by him either. Didnt Rivera have 6 turnovers, forced by Hopkins, probably a season high for him? Hopkins lead the WAC in steals so he is doing something right out there. Like I said, i dont think Hop has a great chance at the NBA at all right now, but I'm interested in providing some balance to all the negativity about him.

[Pony_Fan]

If he played like he did in high school we wouldn't even have this thread but he is isn't.

[youngalumpony]

After reading the updated article in the DMN today, it's even more clear to me that we'll see Bhop at Moody this November.

[mavsrage311]

here's my 2 cents on this:

As I've said before, I think B-Hop can make the NBA. If Q can make it at a dime-a-dozen position, Bryan can make it at one of the harder positions to fill. I don't think he'll get a spot out of training camp, and I doubt he'd get drafted, but he could go the Q way...play in Europe, get noticed, and then come back with a spot on a team. I think Bryan is too talented to not get a shot in the NBA. I think he'll get a lot more open shots in the pros, and be a better player than he was at SMU because he wont be the focal point of defenses. However, I do think he needs to stay another year at SMU, and atleast become 1st team all Wac as he improves his game. I have heard he's pretty set on trying out Europe and making some money and a name for himself. I don't know how willing he is to come back to SMU.

Another thing I have heard, and this is just a rumor, but it's from people that would know, is that he might not be too happy with Jimmy Tubbs's coaching.

[allsportswatcher]

The real deal is that he has a kid to support and isn't happy with Tubbs either. Both lead to looking at how to leave and make money now. He can move and play somewhere near or far for pay, doesn't have to mean NBA.

Next season is looking bleak.