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Knight Knock-Out Punch?
SMU stuffed at home by UCF; Mustangs’ season nears collapse
By Rick Atkinson for cusa-fans.com
http://cusa-fans.com/



DALLAS – It wasn’t for lack of effort, but SMU managed to drop a fifth straight league game on Saturday. This time to Central Florida, 59-52. It was the Mustangs’ seventh setback in eight games since topping Tulsa to open Conference USA play on January 7.

The losses have been by an average of 11 points in this, head coach Matt Doherty’s sixth season on The Hilltop.

“It’s been tough [to watch] because, as you know, I bleed red and blue,” said SMU basketball great Ira Terrell (1972-76) after the game. “It’s difficult to watch that because you know this team is better. This is a talented team. But it’s just not clicking. Something is missing. I don’t know what it is.”

“But I don’t think it’s anything that one win can’t change”.

SMU (10-13, 2-7) led by as many as eight in the first half and led at the break, 29-28. UCF (17-6, 6-3) took the lead for good two minutes into the second half. The Knights’ lead built to 11 before SMU rallied to within one on a Jalen Jones dunk-plus-one with 4:28 left.

But the Mustangs couldn’t sustain it.

“The team played hard,” Terrell said. “They continue to play hard. It’s just a matter of executing at the right time. You dig such a hole and then you find yourself having to fight so hard to get back [in it.] I don’t know if it’s running out of gas.”

“It seems to me sometimes they’re thinking too much rather than reacting. … Certain things come straight from the coach. You know, ‘This is what I want you to do.’ And I have no idea if that’s what Matt and the coaching staff are asking them to do, but it seems like sometimes rather than just reacting, they’re sitting there, waiting on this to happen, before they can go to the next step.”

SMU was led by 6-6 freshman guard Jalen Jones of Dallas Kimball, who finished with a career-high-tying 16 points in 24 minutes of play. (Jones’ father, home on military leave from Afghanistan, received a standing ovation when introduced to the crowd in the first half.)

The Mustangs’ All-Conference forward Robert Nyakundi had 15 points, with 13 coming in the first half.

UCF’s Marcus Jordan, son of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, led all scorers with 17 points. Tristan Spurlock and Isaiah Sykes added 15 points each for the Knights.

UCF tallied 12 points off second-chance shots, with another 12 coming off SMU’s near season-low 9 turnovers.

The Mustangs were again man-handled on the boards, losing this match-up, 34-24. Big Keith Clanton (6-9, 245) raked in a game-high 10 for The Knights. UCF had 14 offensive rebounds to SMU’s 7.

“You’re playing a good team,” Terrell said. “You can’t give up easy baskets, second shots. That’s kind of what SMU’s doing right now.”

Doherty is under pressure to show a turnaround in conference play this year. His best C-USA mark to date was last year’s 8-8. SMU’s premiere fan message board, ponyfans.com, is percolating with calls for new leadership before the Mustangs move to the Big East in 2013.

The pressure may be boiling over.

Doherty appeared to lose his composure with Texas-transfer Shawn Williams in the first half. On a knee in front of Williams on the bench, Doherty screamed directly into his face from point-blank range for several seconds.

(Without knowing Williams’ transgression, Doherty’s tirade was tense and it was over the top, in this scribe’s humble view -- this scribe with ten years’ Marine Corps experience.)

Williams finished with 5 boards and 5 points.

Down the stretch, with the game on the line, the Mustangs committed two costly turnovers.

First, trailing 50-48 with 3:43 left to play, forward Leslee Smith tossed it away. Then, down 56-50 with one minute remaining, point guard Jeremiah Samarrippas (5 points/32 minutes) turned it over in conspicuous fashion - a cross-court heave that sailed four feet over SMU’s bench and out of bounds.

UCF soon led, 59-50. Ball game.

Positives for SMU?

“Obviously, it’s Jalen Jones right now,” Terrell said. “He’s growing. You’re seeing improvement in maturity each and every day. Occasionally, he takes a shot that probably he shouldn’t take, but that’s – you know, I did the same thing when I was 18.”

“But you see him on both ends of the court. He’s taking the ball to the basket. He’s making his free throws. … Jalen, to me, is becoming a better player, each and every week.”

Terrell noted that next week’s rivalry game at home could provide a spark for SMU.

“We’ve got TCU coming in Wednesday,” he said. “There should be a few more people here and a little more enthusiasm. Maybe if they can just take it out on the Horned Frogs, then that could jump-start them for the balance of the Conference USA season.”

“It’s been a tough stretch and they need to get a win, some kind of way.”

The picture of the kid says it all.

An Ira Terrell Fan Club newsletter without talking to Doherty or any players?

Dark Horse wrote:An Ira Terrell Fan Club newsletter without talking to Doherty or any players?

You can read what they say on smumustangs.com. Knock yerself out. Hell, watch 'em say it too.

Already watched it here.

frankly, haven't we heard all of Doh's spin at this point?

The kid's dad

Washburn fam

Could Coach Doh be posting under Travis Bickle's screename?

[quote="Travis Bickle"]
Would rather hear from an assistant coach or someone within the program. Who is the spokesperson next week? David Miller?[quote="Travis Bickle"]

David Miller? Hey, that's a great idea. Comment from the guy bank-rolling Moody's renovation would be interesting indeed right about now. Thanks!

Ira Terrell has forgotten more basketball, then the knowledge T.B. has about the game.

CoxMustangFan wrote:

RGV Pony wrote::)

Washburn fam

I just see them at every event. Seem like good Pony fans...

Ray Washburn is a SMU booster...he is an investor ( mostly real estate, but also owns the Mi Cacina restaurant chain) and recently bought Highland Park Village and is completing the renovation of it to make it even more valuable. He has gone as far to put SMU flags up on the whole center on game days.

Washburn is a great SMU fan from what I can see. Brings his kids to the games.

On a related note, felt really bad for him the other week when he got tossed out by the ticket lady, she was only doing her job and I guess he did not have his actual tickets with him, but for pity's sake, there are so few of us sitting down there, is it not possible to remember a few faces? Despite Gerald Ford and others intervening to vouch for him she still made him and his kids leave. SMU finds new and interesting ways to make a pig's breakfast of things.

Travis Bickle wrote:David Miller who was an All-Conference player at SMU would have way to much class to speak to the newspapers and if he did it would be all positive.

I've interviewed him. Gimme a break.
And what do you mean "what Ira Terrell did?" He was honest, upbeat, positive -- as always. No attack on Doherty whatsoever. I asked Ira, one of SMU's most loyal backers and greatest players, for a comment after the UCF game. He didn't seek me out.

Ira is great, and you know it hurts him to see the program experience the lows that it has. His number should be retired, that it has taken this long is a big disappointment. I know it's been discussed and is probably on the table, they wanted to retire Koncack's first. Hopefully they're just waiting to make it more meaningful in front of more people.

I'd like to see SMU v. Georgetown with Reggie Theus at the helm, opening at Moody Coliseum for the 2013 season with 40 million in improvements. I'd like to see 9,000 fans there, and at that moment, we can hang Ira's jersey up there.

Bite me if you feel otherwise.