DMN: "Doherty in search of first winning season at SMU"
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:36 amhttp://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... e45e3.html
Doherty in search of first winning season at SMU
10:49 PM CST on Monday, November 9, 2009
By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
UNIVERSITY PARK – Matt Doherty doesn't like to be the bad guy, he says.
But during a recent practice, the SMU men's basketball coach saw his chance to test his Mustangs, who open the season Friday against South Florida at home and host Texas A&M on Monday.
The second-teamers crushed the first team, so Doherty ordered them to switch jerseys. He got on the players for every little thing – missing a box out, making the wrong pass. Several times, sprints were run as punishments – and even those were judged closely. Better not miss the line.
"If I see it creeping into practice, I'll pick at it," Doherty said. "These guys really have been very good in practice. We want to see how they handle a tough environment. They're going to face it."
Doherty liked what he saw. Newcomer Rodney Clinkscales figured Doherty out, looked at him and smiled. The rest of the players seemed to welcome the challenge.
"It was almost like, 'We'll show you, Coach,' " Doherty said. "That's when they came together. ... This is the first time I've seen this group in the last year respond like that."
The hope on the Hilltop is that attitude and maturity – led by a group of returning core players that includes a backcourt of Paul McCoy and Derek Williams and forward Mouhammad Faye – lead to the first winning season in Doherty's tenure.
SMU, playing with six newcomers in its top eight, wasn't close last season. It finished 9-21 and 3-13 in Conference USA, good for last place. In his fourth season, Doherty, who is 33-58 at SMU, said a winning record should be the goal.
"I think we're in a position to do that," Doherty said. "I feel as good about this team as I have obviously since I've been here."
A near defection came close to making the turnaround that much harder.
McCoy, who last season became the first freshman to lead SMU in scoring (13.4 points per game), said he seriously considered transferring. The Portland, Ore. native wasn't used to losing.
"Everybody knew I was thinking about leaving," McCoy said. "But at the end of the day, with me and Derek and the team coming back, I think we can turn this program around."
Doherty in search of first winning season at SMU
10:49 PM CST on Monday, November 9, 2009
By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
UNIVERSITY PARK – Matt Doherty doesn't like to be the bad guy, he says.
But during a recent practice, the SMU men's basketball coach saw his chance to test his Mustangs, who open the season Friday against South Florida at home and host Texas A&M on Monday.
The second-teamers crushed the first team, so Doherty ordered them to switch jerseys. He got on the players for every little thing – missing a box out, making the wrong pass. Several times, sprints were run as punishments – and even those were judged closely. Better not miss the line.
"If I see it creeping into practice, I'll pick at it," Doherty said. "These guys really have been very good in practice. We want to see how they handle a tough environment. They're going to face it."
Doherty liked what he saw. Newcomer Rodney Clinkscales figured Doherty out, looked at him and smiled. The rest of the players seemed to welcome the challenge.
"It was almost like, 'We'll show you, Coach,' " Doherty said. "That's when they came together. ... This is the first time I've seen this group in the last year respond like that."
The hope on the Hilltop is that attitude and maturity – led by a group of returning core players that includes a backcourt of Paul McCoy and Derek Williams and forward Mouhammad Faye – lead to the first winning season in Doherty's tenure.
SMU, playing with six newcomers in its top eight, wasn't close last season. It finished 9-21 and 3-13 in Conference USA, good for last place. In his fourth season, Doherty, who is 33-58 at SMU, said a winning record should be the goal.
"I think we're in a position to do that," Doherty said. "I feel as good about this team as I have obviously since I've been here."
A near defection came close to making the turnaround that much harder.
McCoy, who last season became the first freshman to lead SMU in scoring (13.4 points per game), said he seriously considered transferring. The Portland, Ore. native wasn't used to losing.
"Everybody knew I was thinking about leaving," McCoy said. "But at the end of the day, with me and Derek and the team coming back, I think we can turn this program around."