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to the poster who bemoaned the fact that Dement can't accomplish what the Gonzagas, Butlers and Southern Illinois of the world can---as usual when you investigate the facts you find that those programs are run on a different model than SMU. Gonzaga has 4 JCs including the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th leading scorers who combined for 33.2 points and 15.3 rebounds. Butler has three JC/Transfers including their leading scorer who combine for 23.6 points and 9.0 rebounds. As for Southern Illinois they take the path that's much more difficult to track by taking NON-QUALIFIERS and PARTIAL QUALIFIERS as well as JC player. Their leading scorer last year was a non-qualifier and a search on Yahoo revealed stories about numerous other FB players who were non-qualifiers. I can't document it because schools usually don't want to publize the fact they enroll morons but when you got a state school that can allow low in-state tuition to the fertile Chicago BB recruiting area and you got evidence that they routinely admit non-qualifiers to their school then I smell a much different model than the one that Dement is forced to work under. Again if you are going to get on here and blame Dement for all of SMU's BB troubles then I think you at least ought to familarize yourself of the facts concerning the limitations that are placed on him and please no easy answers by citing totally different programs than SMU.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 03-16-2003).]

Stallion, there is no doubt that most of us recognize that Dement faces a who different situation at SMU. You, me, many others would like to see a few more institutionalized changes in how SMU faces the student/athlete. I will not accept what has brought us so much pain in the past, nor should we allow ourselves to stoop low.

No doubt the administration needs to see that some changes need to occur to allow JUCOs entrance, whitout so much trouble. We can get the JUCOs, but most often, the classes will not transfer. I even think back to my days as a student at SMU, and I took summer classes at a Cal State school. I had to absolutely sure there would be no problem with transfering those classes, and many classes were unavailable to me to transfer, even as your average student, taking classes in the Cal State system.

We also don't need to trade Dement out for a Harrick like character. We've seen enough of that at SMU and other schools. (Although, nobody has been punished for their transgressions like we have.)

Still, with what Dement has to work with, he can still chase some pretty damn good kids. What happens after that still lays at his feet.

Go Ponies!