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SMU basketball coach Larry Brown holding walk-on tryouts
Sep 10th, 2012 @ 05:17 pm › Bill Nichols

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... outs.html/

This plus the coaching clinic plus the high work rate recruiting efforts.

The contrast with the Football staff could not be more stark.

Is that the same football staff that singlehandedly saved SMU athletics? Without June Sheldon Jones there is no Big East invite and there is no Larry Brown.

Ridiculous. June did well to get us to decent, but the real credit goes to the money men who forced the school to try. June is a result, not a cause.

ponyboy wrote:Is that the same football staff that singlehandedly saved SMU athletics? Without June Sheldon Jones there is no Big East invite and there is no Larry Brown.

Heard this argument thousands of times, and personally I agree with its premise, but it sure looks more and more each day that June has taken this program as far as he can. And I don't mean that as any sort of slight; he literally took a team out of the basement and put it in the Big East, which is a remarkable feat without question. Problem is, I remain unconvinced that he can compete at the Big East level with the type of recruiting and game prep we have seen recently. LB is trying to do for BBall what JJ did for football, so I suppose the initial energy level is to be expected. If it continues at this level while JJ seems to have peaked, we have legitimate cause for concern that JJ is not the man to take the next leap forward. Given the instability that exists in FB conferences, you need a high energy guy to keep up; maybe June will prove to be that guy and a bunch of people will eat their words, but right now it looks like he may have tapped out given what he had to go through just to get us where we are, and that's not a knock on the man but perhaps speaks to how difficult the journey was to begin with.

Furthermore that doesn't shield him from all criticism. The best players he has used to get us to bowls and are now in the NFL were mostly Bennett recruits.

You're missing the point entirely. He MADE them into NFL players, often taken two star overlooked guys and molding them to succeed at the next level. And he's just about to manufacture an NFL first rounder from whole cloth in the person of Margus Hunt.

Agreed he's not immune to criticism. But cute, snide, cutting remarks are out of line. This guy really did save SMU football. Without him, we'd be waiting in what remains of CUSA for our friends from Denton to join us.

Where was the snide remark here? You were set off by a simple comparison between Brown and Jones. The statement was accurate. The philosophies are 180 degrees from each other. To discuss these differences is neither snide nor inappropriate nor unfair.

If Brown can't win with these recruits than it will be fair to ask if his all-recruiter staff is wrong and should bring in some non recruiting coach 'em up types.

Do you disagree?

RyanSMU98 wrote:

ponyboy wrote:Is that the same football staff that singlehandedly saved SMU athletics? Without June Sheldon Jones there is no Big East invite and there is no Larry Brown.

Heard this argument thousands of times, and personally I agree with its premise, but it sure looks more and more each day that June has taken this program as far as he can. And I don't mean that as any sort of slight; he literally took a team out of the basement and put it in the Big East, which is a remarkable feat without question. Problem is, I remain unconvinced that he can compete at the Big East level with the type of recruiting and game prep we have seen recently. LB is trying to do for BBall what JJ did for football, so I suppose the initial energy level is to be expected. If it continues at this level while JJ seems to have peaked, we have legitimate cause for concern that JJ is not the man to take the next leap forward. Given the instability that exists in FB conferences, you need a high energy guy to keep up; maybe June will prove to be that guy and a bunch of people will eat their words, but right now it looks like he may have tapped out given what he had to go through just to get us where we are, and that's not a knock on the man but perhaps speaks to how difficult the journey was to begin with.

this is well worded and I would find it hard for anyone to dispute. I believe JJ contract expires 2014. Perhaps, for once, SMU could let this contract run it course and begin looking for a football coach in waiting to take us to the next level our second season in the Big East in 2015.

ponyboy wrote:Is that the same football staff that singlehandedly saved SMU athletics? Without June Sheldon Jones there is no Big East invite and there is no Larry Brown.

Not a shot at June except that Larry Brown is being super aggressive, and I think that makes the contrast more pronounced. June has made the program and changed the mindset, but he has also created expectations - where the SMU fans want more. You cannot deny that Brown is pushing the envelope on all fronts.

They hold walk on tryouts every year, nothing different here, just that Kate didnt report/blog every single thing going on - Nichols is good so far.

Treadway21 wrote: You cannot deny that Brown is pushing the envelope on all fronts.

That I cannot deny. So thankful he's here.

GiddyUp wrote:They hold walk on tryouts every year, nothing different here, just that Kate didnt report/blog every single thing going on - Nichols is good so far.

It's not just the tryout camp - it is the attitude of selling and optimism that sets Brown apart. Since arriving on campus, I have not heard one excuse or complaint from Brown.

Under Brown – tryouts are a cool thing and something to be excited about.

Ponyboy, I get you are coming from and don't want to pile on as far as JJ goes. I wasn't on board with LB hire at first, but cannot be more on board now. Hopefully the on floor product matches the enthusiasm LB has generated from the press reports.

How many football players do we expect to try out?


Long live the great Oscar Roan.

Digetydog wrote:

GiddyUp wrote:They hold walk on tryouts every year, nothing different here, just that Kate didnt report/blog every single thing going on - Nichols is good so far.

It's not just the tryout camp - it is the attitude of selling and optimism that sets Brown apart. Since arriving on campus, I have not heard one excuse or complaint from Brown.

Under Brown – tryouts are a cool thing and something to be excited about.

I totally understand, I am just saying walk ons are not new. The momentum in bball is VERY exciting! We are on the same recruiting pages for some top guys and I have been waiting for this for 20 yrs.