Should SMU pursue a new coach?

[RGV Pony]

Re: Should SMU pursue a new coach?

If you can find a group of rich alums to put up 10 mil for a 5 year contract,
GO FER IT

otherwise

SHAAAADUP

I thought the word was the $ is there...so said someone a few weeks ago.

[ponyinNC]

so similar to the pb era, and the ppl that wanted to keep the moustache around. you guys are living in fantasy land to think we will show improvement next yr after losing dwill.

[mrydel]

Actually it does not compare. When Orsini came in Bennett had been close to getting us to a bowl game and there were about as many that wanted to keep him as there were wantng him gone. In order of fairness, and in a way self defense, Orsini gave PB a goal to reach in order to stay. I think it was a good and fair decision even though I personally was on the clean house side. Once the goal was not reached, Bennett was gone. In basketball, this is Orisini's hire and his to fire. He can base his decision on whatever the deal coming in was.

[PonyDoh]

forget the freshmen coming next year for a minute. Can anybody name ONE single thing that they saw in person at Moody tonight that makes them excited about next year or the future? i'm looking for anything, because I watch closely, the bench, the body language, warm ups and I see nothing.

I saw Papa have a night where he missed probably 6 to 8 points he shouldve gotten, and still go for 18 and 13 against a lottery pick.

and where's that gonna get us? Papa the senior and the 3 freshman to the big dance next year! Truth is Papas career is on the verge of garbage time because we are starting what amounts to a total rebuild. you saw a glimmer of what most of next year very well might look like without a veteran DWill to score the ball.

This line of thinking is funny to me b/c the best part of our team is the depth of the current soph class. Of McCoy, Nyakundi, Haynes, Otis, & Clink, 3 currently start, and McCoy is a starter should he rebound. The '10 class will be a 4 man class, w/ good size and quality. Then you add in guys like Dia as a senior leader. People are really overstating Dwill. He's a good scorer, a tough kid, and I thank him for his years, but he doesn't drop dimes, run sets particularly well etc. The notion that we are relying on Pats, Ricmonds and Leslee to be huge factors early is sorta overblown. We need them to contribute and earn minutes. Any frosh PG will be a factor, as is McCoy returning to form. Lots of questions, but more skill, athleticism, shooting, & passing then this current squad.

[Charleston Pony]

the best thing about next year's team is that it will feature 5 seniors, and only one of them will be a major contributor (Papa)...so that tells me (with improved recruiting) we could be 2 years away from seeing what kind of product Doherty can put on the floor. Not sure how much we will see of Walker, Harp, Luttman and of course, T.K., but as seniors, I expect some of those guys to at least provide some respectable back up minutes. Should be interesting to see what the eventual starting lineup looks like, but I expect to see 9-10 guys getting minutes every night. If nothing else, we are likely to see more situational substituting as we should have plenty of fouls to give if/when needed.

The return of McCoy and continued improvement from this year's Sophs will be critical. Oh...and a true PG would be a nice addition.

Doh needs improvement year over year from now on if he is going to be the guy here. Need better than .500 next year and need to finish in the upper half of CUSA. With so many teams now playing in the post season, we need to be included soon. I'm not sure Doh will have that ultimatum next year, but I do think another season like this one will test the patience of those involved in the decision.

[Hoop Fan]

Clink is part of the strength of this team now? He didn't even get off the pine in the second half last night. Otis barely plays anymore. Mccoy? You've said he is not a point guard so what is he? I'm pretty sure I like his game better than you do. Haynes, I don't know, I don't see him asserting himself like he should be by this point. The soph class may still be the core of the team by default right now because Doh gave up on most of the junior class and we had no freshmen class this year, but I don't see how anybody can be anything but really unsure at best about the Doh program right now.

[PonyDoh]

Clink is part of the strength of this team now? He didn't even get off the pine in the second half last night. Otis barely plays anymore. Mccoy? You've said he is not a point guard so what is he? I'm pretty sure I like his game better than you do. Haynes, I don't know, I don't see him asserting himself like he should be by this point. The soph class may still be the core of the team by default right now because Doh gave up on most of the junior class and we had no freshmen class this year, but I don't see how anybody can be anything but really unsure at best about the Doh program right now.

Clink is a capable enough combo that needs to be more consistent, but he played a big roll after McCoy went down. Agreed that Otis has fallen in the rotation, but he's utility. Haynes is our best perimeter defender, one of our best cutters, and rebounders positionally. He gives you 5 or 6 as a soph, no reason to think that doesn't go up some. McCoy may not be a true point, but there's no reason, as long as his rehab takes, that he's not a double digit kid. Not to mention Nuk. It's a seasoned class, full of major contributors, that are just becoming upperclassmen.

[Hoop Fan]

just not as sold as you are. I will say that IF McCoy comes back strong and IF Haynes finds some confidence in a jump shot (otherwise he is Justin Isham), the soph class improves dramatically but those remain big IFs at this point. But whats the goal for this group then? Nit next year? NIT in two years? NCAA bid challenger in two years? Don't see it.

[DickerJames]

Doh needs improvement year over year from now on if he is going to be the guy here. Need better than .500 next year and need to finish in the upper half of CUSA. With so many teams now playing in the post season, we need to be included soon. I'm not sure Doh will have that ultimatum next year, but I do think another season like this one will test the patience of those involved in the decision.

A 5th straight losing season better do more than test Orsini's patience, it better get him fired.

[ibezu2]

[quote="DickerJames"][quote="Charleston Pony"]Doh needs improvement year over year from now on if he is going to be the guy here. Need better than .500 next year and need to finish in the upper half of CUSA. With so many teams now playing in the post season, we need to be included soon. I'm not sure Doh will have that ultimatum next year, [b]but I do think another season like this one will test the patience of those involved in the decision[/b].[/quote]

A 5th straight losing season better do more than test Orsini's patience, it better get him fired.[/quote]

There's nothing that I've seen in the last four years or that is coming in that convinces me of a winning season next year, or even several years down the road. It's time for a "change," a word that has gotten used a lot over the last few years. How is that "hope and change" working out for you!

[PonyDoh]

Next year better have 18 plus wins, IMO

[couch 'em]

I like Doherty. I wanted him to do well. Maybe he HAS found a good system. But unless he goes on some unbelievable run at the conference tourney, it is time to can him.

Recruits coming in
Getting better
Found a system
Different assistant coaches
Best season so far

Those are all the excuses we heard at the end of Bennett. Has Bennett/Jones not taught us anything? If we want to WIN, we need to spend the money for a PROVEN head coach. Doherty was a legit attempt to get someone, but now we can do better.

Doherty has no recruiting momentum. If you are a recruit and Doherty comes calling, you have a 4 losing season coach coming at you. Little progress shown.

Stop making excuses. When Doherty was hired, all we heard was a small private like SMU should have a much easier time winning at bball than football. Well football is on the way up. Time to get the June Jones of basketball in here!

Not an 'up and comer'....a PROVEN head coach!

[angryfan04]

doh should be embarrassed about just now finding a system (if he really has) in his fourth year

[RGV Pony]

again I think we are stuck with Doh, so we need to look at his positives. However, couch em's points are well taken. Remember the hundred points of light that SO & PB came up with before his last season?

[ClassOf81]

A 5th straight losing season better do more than test Orsini's patience, it better get him fired.

You want Orsini fired? Why, because he doesn't care about any sport other than football?

If what Coach D said a few weeks ago was true — that he's in the fourth year of a SEVEN-year contract — then there is absolutely zero chance he is going anywhere. SMU sure won't pay him off and pay another coach, and I doubt the money supporters of the program will write a check, either. Plus, I have come around on Coach D. Yes, there were some crappy performances this season, but fewer than in years past, and this team beat Memphis and Houston, and hung with UTEP in El Paso — none of which I would have thought possible at the beginning of the season. Not sure what will be done at point guard next year — McCoy? Walker? Freshman? — but there seems to be actual progress ... most notably, of course, in the form of the vastly improved Papa Dia.