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When was the last time there was speculation about SMU going to the dance? opening against Marquette. http://www.draftexpress.com/bracketexpress.php

granted CUSA is down due to Utep falling off, but does that make SMU a team with Ncaa prospects? Looks like CUSA is a two bid league...at the most. Memphis is a lock. Somebody is going to have to outplay Houston for the second "spot". Dayton was a decent win but we got a long way to go, real long. Need to prove we can win on road for one thing. This is very likely still another rebuilding year. lets not set another coach up with high early expectations. This team is still exhibiting most all of the same weaknesses it had last year in my opinion: sporadic at best shooting, unreliable rebounding and turnovers by the guards against lesser opponents.

This is silly. Before the season started we were talking about a .500 season as a success. Let's not get worked up until we are at least playing conference teams!

Hoop Fan wrote:granted CUSA is down due to Utep falling off, but does that make SMU a team with Ncaa prospects? Looks like CUSA is a two bid league...at the most.

Overall I think the conference has been stronger than last year. It's conceivable that we could get 3 this year, if the topteams can stay in the RPI top 50 and the middle teams can stay in the top 100. I'm not saying we will get in, but I don't think 3 bids is out of the question.

Actually, that one year we went to the NIT with Sasser, Davis, Elsy and Simpson we were projected as a NCAA tournament lock for most of the season until we had that meltdown at the end of the year so it hasn't been as long as many might think.

Lets see how we look after road games at TCU and Oklahoma, both good tests. TCU is a team we should beat on the road and Oklahoma is a team we can stay close to. If we beat TCU and hang with OU till the end then I think this team will do some good things this year.

I actually like our team and think it will be one of the best we have had in years despite what some people said before the season started....so I am not suprised we are getting some notice.

bagice wrote:Actually, that one year we went to the NIT with Sasser, Davis, Elsy and Simpson we were projected as a NCAA tournament lock for most of the season until we had that meltdown at the end of the year so it hasn't been as long as many might think.

didn't we start 11-1 or something ridiculous like that that season?

bagice wrote:Actually, that one year we went to the NIT with Sasser, Davis, Elsy and Simpson we were projected as a NCAA tournament lock for most of the season until we had that meltdown at the end of the year so it hasn't been as long as many might think.

Ummm, I'm guessing you mean '99-'00 since that was the last time we went to the NIT. The players you listed were not all on that team though. Here was our roster that year. We had 2 future NBA players and 2 semi-pros (if I remember correctly) on that squad.

05 Sasser, Jeryl
34 Davis, Willie
43 Floyd, DeWayne
04 Hancock, Damon
23 Woods, Stephen
03 Bratton, Renaldo
12 Anderson, Anthony
13 Ross, Quinton
20 Nabity, Tom
33 Kelley, Jibran
45 Broer, Copley
54 Forinash, Jon


And yes, we started 11-1, then pushed it to 21-5 before losing our last 2 in the regular season, our first round WAC tourney game, and the first round NIT to finish 21-9.

I think the slide started when Sasser broke out the cornrows.

MustangStealth wrote:

bagice wrote:Actually, that one year we went to the NIT with Sasser, Davis, Elsy and Simpson we were projected as a NCAA tournament lock for most of the season until we had that meltdown at the end of the year so it hasn't been as long as many might think.

Ummm, I'm guessing you mean '99-'00 since that was the last time we went to the NIT. The players you listed were not all on that team though. Here was our roster that year. We had 2 future NBA players and 2 semi-pros (if I remember correctly) on that squad.

05 Sasser, Jeryl
34 Davis, Willie
43 Floyd, DeWayne
04 [deleted], Damon
23 Woods, Stephen
03 Bratton, Renaldo
12 Anderson, Anthony
13 Ross, Quinton
20 Nabity, Tom
33 Kelley, Jibran
45 Broer, Copley
54 Forinash, Jon


And yes, we started 11-1, then pushed it to 21-5 before losing our last 2 in the regular season, our first round WAC tourney game, and the first round NIT to finish 21-9.

My Bad on the players, but yep that is the year I mean, we were looking so good and were projected in most Bracketology sites as being in the NCAA till we lost our last 3.

That Tulsa game still gives me the horrors. Moody was sold out and rocking and SMU had the game won. Tulsa was down three with less than a minute to go and Davis stole the ball but instead of holding the ball to get fouled he tried to take it to the hoop and promptly dribbled it off his foot giving Tulsa another shot. And of course, they hit a miracle 3 at the buzzer and then won in overtime......A really depressing end to a game that had had a big time atmosphere with the sellout.

SMU was No. 38 in RPI going into that week. Davis dribbled the ball off his feet with less than 12 seconds on the clock. All he had to do was control the ball. Of course, Davis would have missed the Free Throws even if he were fouled but otherwise that should have been a tournament team even though that team was often manhandled by more mature JUCO oriented inside players at TCU and Tulsa in particular.

Don't give Davis too much blame. All you say is true but he did steal the ball in the first place to get in that position.

No he was just playing dumb [deleted] selfish basketball. He deserves ALL the blame.

I remember that game vividly, as well. I remember the crowd being energetic. It seems like it was a packed house - mostly Tulsa fans I'm sure.

Whenever I think of Willie Davis, I think of the foot dribble.

Didn't Sasser jack several ill advised 3's with a bunch of time on the shot clock the last several minutes of the game to allow Tulsa to climb back in it???

Probably. That happened in too many games to narrow it down to one.