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- This team sorely needs MK back. Thanks to the history prof trying to teach a life lesson.
- we need the sophomore version of Nic Moore.
- the chemistry is just not there right now. No one seems to be sure of their roll.
- KF is very close to becoming the player we all hoped. At times it feels like he's our only offensive threat.
- I was expecting A LOT more from our transfers.
- LB's substitution pattern is puzzling.
- our FT shooting is worse than last year, and I didn't think that was possible.

I think we can still have a good season if we get MK back. At this point I'll be thrilled with an 8-4 record when we start conference play.

Agreed on all points. KF close to carrying this team? Never would have thought it possible.

Any one notice LB subbing keith out after he drove the lane and got a layup early in the clock? Starting to thin LB is getting stubborn in his age.

The free pitches were a huge part of the game tonight.

Fighting back from 10-11 is a LOT different than fighting back from 5-6.

Here are my thoughts in this team through 5 games:

1. The biggest impact of not having MK is on nic moore. Nic is a good shooter and good passer but he can't really creat his own shot because he is too small to finish at the rim. Thus, players can play his shot and take away a lot of his effectiveness. Last year when he ran the pick and roll with MK players had to respect markus which created space for nic to shoot. Also what we really mis is MK's passing in the interior, we don't get very many in the post back out open looks and MK often drew doubles that lead to lay ups or offensive put backs.

2. Keith is on his way. He still has occasional defensive lapses but is not even close to the worst defender on this team (which is currently Ben E. Followed closely by Nic moore). Offensively he is the only person shooting even close to well right now. For some reason however Larry is still chewing him out a lot even when he makes good plays. Honestly at this point I think LB is starting to contribute/cause some of Keith's head issues.

3. Cunningham at best is contributing nothing to this team and at worse is a huge negative impact. He is doing nothing offensively, he is not boxing out on the defensive glass, and is making really stupid mental errors all over the court. Here is a prime example from tonight. Cunningham didn't get a call and on the next offensive possession makes a really obvious illegal screen. Complete lack of poise and leadership. Completely unforgivable for a senior to behave that way. I don't even recognize him from the player he was last year.

4. The transfers have contributed nothing. Generally speaking I would take nick russle and Kevin wiliams over Martin and Ben E. I like everyone else thought that both of these players would be an improvement (with no knock on Kevin and nick russle). Ben e has been bad defensive and absolutely horrible offensively. Martin is still a bit incomplete but hasn't defended well, hasn't shot well, and is now injured.

5. This team lacks a go to offensive playmaker and it is killing them. Basketball is a game of runs and you need that player who you can count on to break the other teams runs. We don't have that player. When the other team is putting together some shots who do we have to make sure we don't have an empty possession . How many empty possessions does this team string together every night?

6. There is talent on this team. This team constantly palaces well for stretches of the game and you can see potential. Really stupid mental errors, really poor shooting, and a lack of leadership (which I define as I will step up and take the big shots when things are difficult) is what is costing this team. All of the above problems in theory are correctable. Hopefully they get corrected before we have eliminated ourselves from the NCAA tournament.

My thoughts:

You don't win games when you turn the ball over, don't make free throws, don't rebound, and get out hustled.

It is simple. We are no where near the defensive team we were last year and it is killing us. It doesn't seem like we are playing with heart. We were much better than this team tonight and should have beaten them convincingly.

Moreira with 16 pts and 10 rebounds. I was not impressed with him in the first half but I thought he was more aggressive in the second. He needs to throw the ball down when he has the chance. I have never seen a 6'11 guy attempt so many lay ups.

lwjr wrote:Moreira with 16 pts and 10 rebounds. I was not impressed with him in the first half but I thought he was more aggressive in the second. He needs to throw the ball down when he has the chance. I have never seen a 6'11 guy attempt so many lay ups.

This, so much this. Been saying this all season it is so tru, he would get more 3 point plays if he did.

LA_Mustang wrote:- This team sorely needs MK back. Thanks to the history prof trying to teach a life lesson.

For all the arrogant SMU snobs that wanted SMU to teach MK a life lesson by punishing him for being .025 off in his GPA, I think this whole episode might have taught SMU a like lesson. I think we could have won at least one of the 3 games we have lost with MK. Now this is putting us in a more difficult position to make the NCAA tournament which would mean the school would lose out on NCAA tournament money and the recruiting publicity of make it to the big dance.

Moreria excels in open court but has more difficulty in half court offense. I wished we would have pushed the ball more tonite

Maybe the history professor wants sports gone so he can be a bigger star.

rebel who are you talking about - i know of nobody who wants to teach MK a life lesson You are making that up to fit your pre conceived idea.

gostangs wrote:rebel who are you talking about - i know of nobody who wants to teach MK a life lesson You are making that up to fit your pre conceived idea.

Read back to some of the posts when he was suspended. Life lessens, standards that need to be upheld, make a statement etc. Pony Law and others were dropping the hammer on the kid.

well if so they are clueless. He is here to ball. There is no other reason. Whether we like it or not he will not learn a career here at SMU. Neither will anyone other player at any other top 20 basketball program.

gostangs wrote:well if so they are clueless. He is here to ball. There is no other reason. Whether we like it or not he will not learn a career here at SMU. Neither will anyone other player at any other top 20 basketball program.

I would disagree with that for the most part. He is here to ball but he should also get as much education as he can.