Arthur Article

[RE Tycoon]

Could this help our chances?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 5af73.html

[PK]

The fact that he has trouble adjusting to a different style of play is a little scary. Also sounds like he is not much of an outside shooter. Not sure what position he would be recruited to play, but his transition to college ball may be hard...sort of like Bhop. He is obviously doing great in high school where he has been playing with the same guys for quite a while playing the same style ball. What happens in college when he is asked to change from a running game to a half court game to adjust during a game as you have to do some times? This article also raises a question about his work ethics. Another prima donna?

[jtstang]

Jeez, it'd be nice to land him here.

[Hoop Fan]

these meat market camps are overrated. They throw together random teams and then everybody tries to get their shots and showcase their moves for the scouts. A big man can get particularly frustrated with it. Dont know if thats the case here, but I'd say his camp performance means very little to his value as a player.

Having said that, I think this can hurt SMU's chances. You can tell by the quotes that Arthur is worried about what people think of him and is looking for validation. The biggest validiation these guys get other than getting drafted is through signing with a prestige program like Carolina or Kansas. My thinking has been that we actually have a better shot with Arthur if he is secure in his top ranking and at the top of his game. Any self doubt and I think he runs for Carolina Blue so he doesnt receive any more doubt and criticism.

[Charleston Pony]

this guy is going to have lots of options. Let's just hope he likes Coach Tubbs and decides to stay home so his family and friends can watch him play. A couple of difference makers and CUSA will quickly realize Moody is eerily similar to Duke's Cameron Indoor...those of you who were around in the "good old days" remember how much fun it was to attend games in a packed Moody.

[friarwolf]

My son has played with and against Darrell Arthur since the sixth grade. Having watched Shady for a number of years, I can tell you he is the real deal. These kids practice twice a week or more year round and play over 100 games so they all take games off. They can't get up for each and every game. He has been to those elite camps before so it's not his first rodeo.

He will have his pick of what top 10 basketball program he chooses to attend. Sadly, I cannot think of one scenario where he would land at the Hilltop - and that goes for almost all of those names listed on the recruitment list. Sloan, Brister, Beal, Odufuwa will all have choices of more highly regarded programs than SMU. Tubbs was ahead of the game with Joe Fulce but he makes one trip to A&M and commits to them. Makes me sick but that's the way it is. The high school coaches who wrote that letter for Tubbs can't get these kids to stay local. Their summer coaches and the shoe companies have the power and they all say the same thing - why play for a mid level conference team with little exposure? As far as wanting to play in front of "mom", these kids haven't played in front of mom for years - they're playing all over the country in high level tournaments and in a lot of cases, mom is sitting right there watching because someone has made sure she had a plane ticket.

Tubbs has his work cut out for him. He's going to have to work twice as hard and get in tight with the Jazzy's (Urban DFW elite) and Tony Johnson's (Mustangs) of the world. That and get the kids who leave home and do get homesick to transfer here- like the Willingham kid. If he can do that, keep them in school, and somehow get to the NCAA's every so often, then maybe he can start getting some of the elite players to at least start considering the ponies.

[Billy Joe]

Let's not put the cart before the horse. I would be thrilled to see us outrecruit TCU, N. Texas, Rice, Tulsa, or UTEP just once. Tubb's reputation for being a great recruiter has definitely been put into doubt over the last few seasons. A big step to improving the quality of recruits would be to upgrade Moody Collosium and add practice courts. I believe SMU has been talking of doing that for the last decade. Until SMU fully competes with its rivals, you could have Pat Riley coaching and still get outrecruited by the aforementioned schools, not to mention the Big 12 and ACC schools.

[Stampede]

not to worry...Coach is already "tight" with all coaches in Big D.

Coach has been in the business longer than most Billy Gillespie is alive. Might "Billy G" be buying plane tickets for the Moms? If not... just who is?
Mom do not have to go to an airport to see their sons play if they choose SMU.

Remember, Coach Sampson at OU knows how well Coach Tubbs can recruit and I believe you will see some major success from basketball in recruiting this year.

[jtstang]

He will have his pick of what top 10 basketball program he chooses to attend. Sadly, I cannot think of one scenario where he would land at the Hilltop - and that goes for almost all of those names listed on the recruitment list.

God the truth really sucks. I still hope he can pull something of a miracle off and land one or two of these guys.

[Hoop Fan]

methinks friarwolf knows his stuff, but he is also stating the obvious. Of course it will be hard to keep Arthur away from Kansas, UNC and UT. But let me tell you, Illinois fans gripe about the same thing. Even top 20 programs lose out to the super elites MOST of the time. And yes, we are gonna lose players to A&M because Gillespie is slick. The important thing is we have a legit shot at some top players, and apparently with Arthur the word is its a very legit shot. Its a numbers game like anything else. Tubbs is in the "game". Dement wasnt frankly. Sooner or later Tubbs will get some blue chips. And don't worry, Tubbs knows Jazzy. There is this player named BHop who played for Team Texas and was recruited here a few years back.

And Billy Joe, in basketball we have beaten the TCUs and Rices out for recruits over the past few years. In fact, I dont think North Texas ever gets a kid we want in hoops. Lets not overstate things.

[Stallion]

BTW that Fulce kid you mentioned claims to have grown 2 inches in the last year or so and is now 6-7-apparently doctors thinks he may still be growing. And Dement was in on just as many top DFW players-in most years with the help of Tubbs admitedly as Tubbs has been this year. That's not accurate-the problem is getting these local kids to commit. Close only counts in hand-grenades. In fact in these days of the BCS SMU maybe lucky to sign the the Sassers, Davis, Ross, Hancocks, Hopkins et al that signed under Dement. Once again schools like SMU may have to figure out ways to get these top kids into school via Divsion 1A transfers and JUCO transfer as the learned gentleman posted abouve.

[friarwolf]

Joe Fulce is the one that makes me sick. He is still growing and has a wing span of someone taller - a lot like Sam Perkins. I thought SMU might have had a shot at him but you can't keep quality kids like that a secret. One of his teammates is Eric Zastopil whose dad played at SMU. Eric is 6'8" and still growing. Pretty skinny but has a nice shot and doesn't back down.

By the way, momma's like to travel, too so unfortunately, the stay local stuff just doesn't work as well as we would all like. All these kids and their mommas have been catered to since they were in junior high so they know very well the "what do you have to offer" routines. I'm not talking money as much as I am glamour, exposure on TV, SI, etc. It's just not here - yet. A new gym and practice facility would help but that stuff is the icing. Cameron is no great place but it sure looks great with 6,000 kids hopping up and down the entire game when the opponent has the ball.

Tubbs has got to come up with a system (I know - stating the obvious)that can take kids that aren't freaks of nature and be successful. Kind of like Knight - I don't think anyone would say he gets the cream of the crop. His class this year is nothing to get excited about but I bet they wind up making his sytem work in a tough conference. Same for Tubb's old boss, Sampson.

As far as B Hop goes, he is a very good player and I'm glad we got him but look at all the talent that graduated the same year he did and left to go other places. He was considered the stud point guard that year - instead of Deron Williams - and rated right up there with Bosh, Bracey, Diogu and yet he picked SMU. Think all the "glamour" programs who flirted with him but didn't come through with scholarships knew something????????????????????? And don't say we got him because he wanted his brother to play with him. If Ga Tech or UNC had offered, he would have kissed his brother goodbye and booked it.

[Hoop Fan]

It was more than assistance that Tubbs provided in getting the players we got. Give Dement credit for letting Tubbs have some responsibility on the trail, unlike Shumate. And the two years Tubbs was at OU, the dropoff in local recruiting interest was huge. And i never said "close" counted for squat, I said its a numbers game. You have to be in the race and at the finish line if you wanna ever win a race.

As for BHop, recall that he briefly changed his commitment to Texas the week before signing date before changing back and signing with SMU. At the time Rick Barnes was applying alot of pressure and this board freaked out. BHop also could have waited until the spring period to sign if he really wanted to chase the more glamour programs with a good senior year. We were lucky to get him, but i wouldnt say he didnt have any good offers.

Regarding facilities, thats the biggest obstacle Tubbs has to recruiting right now. SMU needs to get off its arse and do something with Moody asap.

[due]

Friarwolf,

You are wrong about Bhop - he could have gone anywhere in the country including Duke - many coaches (highschool, AAU, College) can confirm this. Also, BHOP did go to SMU because they would take his brother too - yes this hurts as an SMU fan but all that really matters is we got him. Barnes and UT were not on board with a package deal - Barnes wanted BHOP immediately after seeing him play very early in his high school career. You are right about the list of players that were at the most highly touted the hear he came out - Wright is another example of an exceptional player that hasnt received the credit he deserves because of the situation at the school he chose to attend. Team wright or Bhop up with illinois' wings (L. head & D. Brown) and they are lottery picks.

[due]

also, I am amazed how the board blows up every time someone raises a concern about Tubbs that is skeptical in nature. I think Tubbs will pan out and wish him the best but it is stupid to treat him like he is the second coming when he has yet to produce. From what I can tell, the players he has received commitments from look pretty promising, and Dez is close to a sure thing in terms of being someone who will make positive contributions to the program. Bottom line, skepticism regarding tubbs is 100% justifiable at the current time in his career- IMHO