Page 1 of 1
Another disappointing men's basketball season

Posted:
Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:59 am
by Billy Joe
New coach, new players, same disappointing season. I know, wait until next year....SMU is getting some really good recruits. I have heard this year after year after year. Now I hear...the new basketball center will make the team more competetive with recruits....here is your reality folks....SMU basketball is a lot farther from being competitive than people on this board want to admit. SMU better mend the bridges to the local players (DISD, etc.) and really hit the Juco ranks hard if it wants to be a competitive basketball team.

Posted:
Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:41 am
by LakeHighlandsPony
JUCO's all the way!!

Posted:
Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:44 am
by Stallion
I suggest listening to different people. Like maybe those that said Bamba was a nice recruit not an future NBA superstar, or cautioned against overhyping a decent not great SMU recruiting class, or told you that Dontas Rauchauskus was not a Top 10 Center as one magazine widely cited on ponyfans rated him. This is exactly the type of season I thought SMU would have playing such a young team and am confused by why so many are confused. The program is generally headed in the right direction. Again Recruit well for 3 years and COUNT 1, 2, 3 after the first good recruiting class. Then expect to see real improvement. The formula can only be adjusted with JUCOs and D1A Transfers.

Posted:
Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:28 am
by PonyDoh
Stallion wrote:I suggest listening to different people. Like maybe those that said Bamba was a nice recruit not an future NBA superstar, or cautioned against overhyping a decent not great SMU recruiting class, or told you that Dontas Rauchauskus was not a Top 10 Center as one magazine widely cited on ponyfans rated him. This is exactly the type of season I thought SMU would have playing such a young team and am confused by why so many are confused. The program is generally headed in the right direction. Again Recruit well for 3 years and COUNT 1, 2, 3 after the first good recruiting class. Then expect to see real improvement. The formula can only be adjusted with JUCOs and D1A Transfers.
This is spot on, Stallion. Look at next years roster and tell me its not a massive improvement over the last two seasons roster. A few kids need to get run, but we're making progress in the way the team is put together. We'll see some better results before too long. I have no idea what you guys were expecting. Who here, who knows anything about hoops recruiting and actually watches AAU, said we had an impact class? Its justa quality building block

Posted:
Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:54 pm
by couch 'em
PonyDoh wrote:I have no idea what you guys were expecting. Who here, who knows anything about hoops recruiting and actually watches AAU, said we had an impact class? Its justa quality building block
These same people will be throwing a fit if JJ doesn't get us in a bowl game immediately. They don't want to think negatively of our players in any form.

Posted:
Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:03 pm
by EastStang
Fact: We are in a mid-major conference, not the ACC, BE, Big 12 or Pac 10. Fact, we have been at best a minor player in the college basketball scene for 20 years. Therefore, we are not going to be very likely to recruit players who want to be on National TV week in and week out. We can pretty much expect a crop of Tier 2 players and some big men projects for years to come. We'll need to continue to recruit not only in Texas (where HS basketball is not as deep), but also in the northeast, upper midwest urban areas (Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland), and SoCal. We need multiple classes in order to fill the holes. George Mason got strong when Follerin Campbell came on the scene. But the pieces were there before he got there. And he wasn't a top tier recruit out of high school. So, we need to keep getting the best talent available, fill holes and build a team. Its not going to be pretty, but that's the hand we have dealt to us and we need to play it.