Thoughts at the end of the season

[ponydawg]

I think if Doh finds a good JUCO power forward Dia's schollie goes bye, bye and the same goes for Harp if he finds a good JUCO shooting guard.

Harp is going anywhere, coach needs him.........

From the latest blog:

"Now, I must add that Ryan Harp and I DOMINATED the ping pong table! Team Harp/Doherty went 8-0 as we smoked the competition! Fun time had by all...except those that were defeated!"

[indianmustang]

i think next year our non conference schedule looks ok so far
like TCU,AM,Northwestern

[Z1]

After watching 5-6 home games over the season I see:

1. A front court that is tall and long but largely unathletic. USM had much better athletes and almost negated our height advantage.
2. McCoy and Walker are capable guards but none is a show stopper.
3. MD has dramatically improved his bench coaching style. Last year and at the beginning of the season he was micro managing the kids all over the floor. He seemed to give them more rope.
4. We desperately need a 6-6 type slasher SG or SF that can penetrate. Our big men are largely set pieces who only take up space and get the occasional rebound.

We will have another poor year next year if we:
1. Don't recruit a SG / SF that can penetrate and generate space for the other big men.
2. Don't STOP the cut pass and lob pass inside to unathletic big men. How many TO's has that created this year. The Bigs aren't athletic enough to catch and shoot with accurace in one motion.
3. Don't get better in FT shooting.
4. Don't learn to block out on the offensive board. We get almost no offensive rebounds.

Get me a 6'6" athletic SG / SF who can penetrate and SMU will be a pretty decent CUSA team. That is the missing piece.

I agree with most of what you stated. I really believe it's been the turnovers that have killed us all year long tho'. A factor that didn't get better all season. We could easily be 3 - 5 games better off if we just took care of the ball. Cut those in half and our season looks much better.
I like Otis, he's tough and he's a hoss for his size, but stat wise he just warms the floor as opposed to the bench. I think his ride ends after next season - this year if more than two JUCO's or your 6'6' athletic scorer signs. Nyakundi showed up on the boards several times and is a threat to score when he's on the floor. I see him starting most of Otis's games next yr. As for Harp, if he can't stroke it when we begin next year we may have another boat to offer. If he put's up half the #'s he did in HS we may have a decent roster to start the season. Either way I look forward to seeing the team play when the are hitting on all cylinders from all players.

[PonyDoh]

After watching 5-6 home games over the season I see:

1. A front court that is tall and long but largely unathletic. USM had much better athletes and almost negated our height advantage.
2. McCoy and Walker are capable guards but none is a show stopper.
3. MD has dramatically improved his bench coaching style. Last year and at the beginning of the season he was micro managing the kids all over the floor. He seemed to give them more rope.
4. We desperately need a 6-6 type slasher SG or SF that can penetrate. Our big men are largely set pieces who only take up space and get the occasional rebound.

We will have another poor year next year if we:
1. Don't recruit a SG / SF that can penetrate and generate space for the other big men.
2. Don't STOP the cut pass and lob pass inside to unathletic big men. How many TO's has that created this year. The Bigs aren't athletic enough to catch and shoot with accurace in one motion.
3. Don't get better in FT shooting.
4. Don't learn to block out on the offensive board. We get almost no offensive rebounds.

Get me a 6'6" athletic SG / SF who can penetrate and SMU will be a pretty decent CUSA team. That is the missing piece.

I agree with most of what you stated. I really believe it's been the turnovers that have killed us all year long tho'. A factor that didn't get better all season. We could easily be 3 - 5 games better off if we just took care of the ball. Cut those in half and our season looks much better.
I like Otis, he's tough and he's a hoss for his size, but stat wise he just warms the floor as opposed to the bench. I think his ride ends after next season - this year if more than two JUCO's or your 6'6' athletic scorer signs. Nyakundi showed up on the boards several times and is a threat to score when he's on the floor. I see him starting most of Otis's games next yr. As for Harp, if he can't stroke it when we begin next year we may have another boat to offer. If he put's up half the #'s he did in HS we may have a decent roster to start the season. Either way I look forward to seeing the team play when the are hitting on all cylinders from all players.

So you are going to run kids off for not performing, to open up ships for kids that may be no better (random JUCO)? What if they like SMU, have grades and try hard in practice? Still going to run them off?

Unless a kid like Otis fails out, there is no reason for him to go anywhere. He's completely serviceable, just not a stat-stuffer.

[EastStang]

That's the price you pay when you have two consecutive bad losing seasons. Either the coach goes, players go, or the players show marked improvement by the end of the season.

[PonyDoh]

That's the price you pay when you have two consecutive bad losing seasons. Either the coach goes, players go, or the players show marked improvement by the end of the season.

Don't you folks think running kids off is pretty low rent? We have an additional ship w/Hoges next year, and we may see attrition. Forced attrition is not how you build a program, it's how you build a piss-poor reputation on the trail.

[PonySnob]

That's the price you pay when you have two consecutive bad losing seasons. Either the coach goes, players go, or the players show marked improvement by the end of the season.

Don't you folks think running kids off is pretty low rent? We have an additional ship w/Hoges next year, and we may see attrition. Forced attrition is not how you build a program, it's how you build a piss-poor reputation on the trail.

There have been many scholarship players in the last 15 years who did not deserve a D1 basketball scholarshp at SMU. Keeping them around when it was clear that they did not have what it takes to play D1 basketball did not help the program either.

[angryfan04]

Right - lets get rid of those players so we can finish in 7th or 8th place next season