Am I thinking this through correctly?

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

This is getting hard to follow.

At the beginning of the season, our roster looked like this. . .with Ojeleye not immediately eligible and Ben E out with injury.

2 Sedrick Barefield
3 Sterling Brown
21 Ben Emelogu II
10 Jarrey Foster
4 Keith Frazier
5 Markus Kennedy
1 Shake Milton
00 Ben Moore
11 Nic Moore
33 Semi Ojeleye
23 Jordan Tolbert
22 Jonathan Wilfong


Since that time, we have lost Barefield (will transfer), KF (for whatever reason), and Ojeleye (redshirt).

Accordingly, we now have a total of 7 active scholarship players (Brown, Foster, Kennedy, Milton, Moore, Moore, and Tolbert) and 1 walk-on (Wilfong).

We lose Moore, Kennedy, and Tolbert after this season. Assuming that Barefield and KF are gone for good, that means we have the following players returning as of today:

Sterling Brown (schollie)
Ben Emelogu (schollie)
Jarrey Foster (schollie)
Shake Milton (schollie)
Ben Moore (schollie)
Semi Ojeleye (schollie)
Jonathan Wilfong (walk-on)

Normally, we would therefore have 7 scholarships to give. But due to NCAA sanctions, that will be reduced by however many we decide (perhaps 3?). To be honest, I'm not clear how many of those scholarship reductions apply to this year (in addition to the 2 we self-imposed). And we also don't know if the NCAA will give us any relief on the scholarship reductions. So I don't know what we are looking at for reductions next year and the year after.

Am I thinking that through correctly? If so, does that mean we likely take 4 guys in recruiting this year (2 bigs, 2 guards)? And if Ben E can't come back, do we then take 5?

[Stallion]

sounds like you got the right idea

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

I have a sneaking suspicion we won't see Ben E again. No inside info. . .just a gut feeling.

[Pony64]

I have a sneaking suspicion we won't see Ben E again. No inside info. . .just a gut feeling.

We have similar guts

[ojaipony]

I have a sneaking suspicion we won't see Ben E again. No inside info. . .just a gut feeling.

We have similar guts

BYOG!

[PonyFan32]

I get the impression that we can spread the scholarships out how we like over the next 3 years. So assuming no reduction in penalties, we stand to lose 7 more over the next 3 cycles. Similar to what I think hoopmanx implied in a recent tweet, I could see us taking 2 bigs and a wing/guard in the Spring, which would mean we used 5 of the 7 available this cycle (assuming either Ben E or Keith isn't back). So we'd end up giving up scholarships in something like a 2-3-2 or 2-2-3 sequence.

Again, I think they'll get reduced on appeal (to something like 3 over 3 years), but I'm assuming worst case. But I figure the coaches have to be thinking of using more scholarships immediately vs allowing them to count toward the penalty because (among other reasons) we are vulnerable/young immediately with Semi, Sterling and Ben as our only upperclassmen next year. Bet we'd prefer to get the young guys in for a year while Sterling and Ben are here so they're ready to go as sophs when we have virtually no seniors.

Of course if we don't get penalty relief, we better hope for same or better ability to hit on recruits... So far, I think the LB track record on recruits looks like this (counting only those he brought in, not any who were here already):

Hit (8):

Nic Moore
Markus Kennedy
Jordan Tolbert
Ben Moore
Sterling Brown
Shake Milton
Jarrey Foster
Yanick Moriera

Miss (4):

Keith Frazier
Justin Martin
Ben Emelogu
Sed Barefield

To Be Determined (1):

Semi Ojeleye

[sadderbudweiser]

Don't forget the transfer, juco, fifth year senior market.

WE don't always have to take them young.

[gostangs]

I don't think Gu is coming back as a player.

[PonyFan32]

This is like Survivor: Mustangs. Who gets voted off the island next?

[CalallenStang]

to be honest, I'm not clear how many of those scholarship reductions apply to this year

Ok, so follow along...

NCAA imposed a loss of a total of 9 scholarships starting in the 2016-17 season to be completed in the 2018-19 season. (3 seasons starting next season)

SMU's self-imposed penalty announced prior to the Committee on Infractions' final report included a loss of 2 scholarships in the 2015-16 season (this season).

The NCAA accepted our self-imposed sanctions and credited the 2 against the 9, so we lose 7 over the next three seasons starting with next season.

The net effect is that the 9 scholarship loss is over 4 seasons and we are taking two this season.

1983, this isn't for you but for others - SMU does not get credited any more than two scholarships against the 9 despite players leaving the program at mid-season (and we wouldn't have been credited more than 2 if they left before the season, because what is relevant to the credit is the self-imposed penalty, not actual scholarship use). I've seen so many wonder this so I'm just throwing it out there.

[sadderbudweiser]

Man, it's no wonder that Sed couldn't make grades. Someone just forwarded me a copy of his math final.

Question 1). Larry has 13 scholarships. He gives 2 to Gerald. Gerald gives those two to Mark. Mark then steals 9 from Larry but gives Gerald credit for two. How many scholarships does Larry still have?