Another recruit lost to KU

[CalallenStang]

Education/class size-SMU is a private univeristy. KU is public. SMU has small classes. KU is public. Advantage: SMU

Opportunities/Networking-I don't know what the average paycheck is coming out of either school, but I would venture to say that at least in the business world, SMU alums tend to be more successful than KU alums. However, there being more KU alums than SMU alums, I would say...Advantage: None

Those SMU alums are in Dallas, or at least in Texas. Advantage SMU

"Scenery"-Never been to KU or met anyone from there, but I'll go out on a limb and say Advantage: SMU

Ya' think?

Entertainment/Music/Pro Sports: Lawrence is near KC, but the drive is enough to give SMU's proximity to Dallas the edge. Advantage: SMU

KU could be in downtown Kansas City (and yes, I've been there many times) and SMU wins this one, hands down.

You're right about where the SMU alums are, but perhaps this kid doesn't want to spend his entire life in Texas. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I like Kansas City as much as I like Dallas...again it all comes down to personal preference

[Silk]

How does he make the list of Texans?
He's from Oklahoma.

Good call, Rosebud.

[SWC2010]

Don't understand how a kid picks Jabba & KU.

BUT... KU is pitching: "we went to a bowl & we stomped one of the better teams in Cusa & Big XII FB, baby, blah, blah, blah..."

We gotta get this team to a bowl!

[dandyfan]

Perhaps KU did a better recruiting job. Perhaps they made the kid feel like he was really wanted at KU. KU possibly even followed through on those things they told the kid they would do. All things being equal, I agree, it is a no brainer to come to SMU. Things are not always...equal.

[crazy horse]

SMU Full Ride = Private institution $40K per year tuition, fees, room & board; mild winter/hot summers

Kansas Full Ride = Public school $20K max out of state tuition, fees, room & board; cold winter/mild summers

Like I said earlier, maybe Lawrence i$ an upgrade from living in Oklahoma. Or maybe Mangy know$ how be$t to recruit athlete$ to Kan$a$?

I just don't get the appeal. I could name 50 universities I would attend before Kansas.

We've got to start winning some bowl games really soon. Its a very sad day indeed when Kansas is perceived a better destination than SMU.

Feel free to post obligatory "we've stunk for the last 20 years" comment here now.

[OC Mustang]

It is a no-brainer to have attended SMU to most if not all of us on the board. Obviously, it isn't to the kids who visited (@ camps, informally, or formally). Otherwise, the cupboard would be full of 3-star+ players who can adjust to the affluence at SMU and the city of Dallas and whose parents didn't torpedo their choice.

[Danny Noonan]

Although I loved SMU, there are many times that I wished that I went to school in a college town, as opposed to a big city. Us being in Dallas isn't always an advantage.

And KU is a Big 12 school that went to a bowl this year. Not saying kids should choose their program over SMU's, but goodness, losing someone to Kansas isn't as absurd as people think it is.

And if the cost of tuition was a factor, SMU and Rice would have the best classes year in and year out. But we don't, so it obviously isn't a factor.

[MustangIcon]

I too think it would be a no brainer to choose SMU over Kansas but you have to imagine all aspects of the kid's decision. Say he went on to a KU hoops game on his visit and saw the place rocking and the excitement in the air of being in Lawrence. Then he came to a visit at SMU and saw a b-ball game with maybe 2,000 fans. School spirit and the collegiate atmosphere certainly count in recruiting. I am not saying this actually happened in this instance, but I think it is something that would give Kansas a big edge over SMU in recruiting.

With that said, lets hope Burley does not make the same mistake this kid did by choosing Kansas over us. Lets get him to SMU!

[OC Mustang]

KU doesn't have snob appeal. SMU (gosh! ) does.
Sometimes that is appeal...sometimes it is a turn off.

I liked it. Therefore, it didn't bother me much. Having a clueless blonde student cut in line at NY Sub would not have bothered me much as a student. I would have considered her a clueless blonde who potentially could be a nice one-nighter. But having a clueless blonde student cut in line in front of my wife and kids as if they were not there...well, let's just say the only thing that infuriated me more was that she was arrogantly indignant that I said something to her about it.

If a recruit catches any of that attitude, even from non-SMU students, I guarantee it will color his experience on the visit.

Not saying that happened in this case...I just dunno. But I have watched it happen while a student. I didn't understand the problem until my dutiful stepmother reminded me that not everybody digs "snob appeal". Hence, my first comment.

[crazy horse]

Maybe I was more pragmatic about my choice. Most of my extended family had gone here, so there was some pressure to attend SMU. But my dad had graduated from UT and I had the opportunity to go anywhere I was accepted. We weren't rich, so if I chose SMU I would be working my butt off to pay for it.

I looked at a lot of schools, but SMU was clearly the leader in so many categories.

I am not an 18 year old athlete hoping to play in the NFL some day. I know the attitudes and desires of this generation are far different than were mine. I guess where I am struggling with this is that there are so many OTHER universities I would put ahead of Kansas. But maybe he didn't have those opportunities.

Oh well. I hope he made the right decision.

[Danny Noonan]

I think you need to realize that most of the players we recruit have no connection to SMU at all.

And this kid may have had 50 schools ahead of KU on his list, but none of them offered. All we know is that KU was evidently higher on his list than SMU. It could've been:

1. KU
2. SMU

or

50. KU
51. SMU

or
1. KU
100. SMU

At this point it doesn't matter.

[dandyfan]

Sometimes even the connection with SMU is not enough. Sometimes SMU just simply waits too long...after a KU offer even. Even for those kids that have had dreams and desires to go to SMU the lure of the Big 12 has it's benefits when SMU seemingly is not interested in you. Then they make the call after your committment thinking that possibly they may have missed something after all. That comes under the heading of "too little, too late". Opportunity lost...