Reasonable improvement expectations for basketball PROGRAM

[Charleston Pony]

All the other coaches inherited bad to terrible situations prior to the existence of the transfer portal and NIL. Lanier inherited a decent to pretty good program, with the ability to reload immediately thanks to the transfer portal, and NIL which is a huge competitive advantage for us thanks to our generous alumni. So far, this has been a disaster of epic proportions. I have zero faith in Lanier and this staff.

That's a little bit of revisionist history. Bliss inherited a team that had gone 16-12 in Sonny Allen's final year and went 7-20 and 6-21 his 1st 2 seasons before turning things around and that's when SMU was doing it's own "NIL thing". Larry Brown inherited Doherty's team that had gone 13-19 following a 20-15 season that included the 1st post season play since Shumate and had a losing season in his 1st year going 15-17. I wouldn't exactly say they inherited "bad to terrible" situations. Jank was forced out/retired after arguably his best season at the helm but was looking at having to replace the Weathers brothers and finding some big men (assuming Davis, Bandoumel, Nutall, Phelps, Smith & Todorovic were all going to return). I will grant you that if Lanier had been able to retain Davis and Bandoumel and added Odigie, Amrose-Hylton and Williamson, this team would be a lot more competitive than it has been. This season has been a big disappointment but I'm not ready to say the Lanier hiring was a mistake. If there is no improvement next year and no significant improvement by year 3 (by that I mean post season play), I'm right with you.

[mustangxc]

It all hinges on recruiting and we have nothing to show for on that front so far. The results this season will do little to build momentum. Jankovich was not great, and was exasperating at times with some late game meltdowns but this team has no identity, no results, and gives us nothing to look forward to. The SMU administration is simply pathetic. Our fans deserve so much more.

[tristatecoog]

It had to be Miller’s call to let Jank (and likely KD) go and then to hire Lanier. The first year is a reset year with about ten new players. It would be nice to balance HS guys with transfers. ECU is going with HS guys in their coach’s first year. Tough strategy with the portal. We’ll see how the new coaches go.

At least it was interesting that SMU beat Pitino’s Iona team on a neutral court. Big comeback win.

[Charleston Pony]

It had to be Miller’s call to let Jank (and likely KD) go and then to hire Lanier. The first year is a reset year with about ten new players. It would be nice to balance HS guys with transfers. ECU is going with HS guys in their coach’s first year. Tough strategy with the portal. We’ll see how the new coaches go.

At least it was interesting that SMU beat Pitino’s Iona team on a neutral court. Big comeback win.

I would still loved to have hired Pitino when he was available and his visits to Moody with his Louisville team still fresh in his memory to know the potential this place has.

[SoCal_Pony]

It had to be Miller’s call to let Jank (and likely KD) go and then to hire Lanier. The first year is a reset year with about ten new players. It would be nice to balance HS guys with transfers. ECU is going with HS guys in their coach’s first year. Tough strategy with the portal. We’ll see how the new coaches go.

At least it was interesting that SMU beat Pitino’s Iona team on a neutral court. Big comeback win.

Agreed this is a reset year, probably would have been under jank as well as i suspect KD leaves regardless as he followed the $$$ and apparently the Memphis offer was lucrative

Having said that, by any measure, Lanier failed miserably in constructing this roster which leads some reasonable people (me included) to question his abilities

We are #244 in scoring
We are #316 in FG%
We are #317 in 3PT%
We are #192 in Assist to Turnover Ratio

So far crickets on the HS recruiting front, much like jank

Conclusion - this is a huge offseason for this coaching staff

[laxdawg97]

It had to be Miller’s call to let Jank (and likely KD) go and then to hire Lanier. The first year is a reset year with about ten new players. It would be nice to balance HS guys with transfers. ECU is going with HS guys in their coach’s first year. Tough strategy with the portal. We’ll see how the new coaches go.

At least it was interesting that SMU beat Pitino’s Iona team on a neutral court. Big comeback win.

Agreed this is a reset year, probably would have been under jank as well as i suspect KD leaves regardless as he followed the $$$ and apparently the Memphis offer was lucrative

Having said that, by any measure, Lanier failed miserably in constructing this roster which leads some reasonable people (me included) to question his abilities

We are #244 in scoring
We are #316 in FG%
We are #317 in 3PT%
We are #192 in Assist to Turnover Ratio

So far crickets on the HS recruiting front, much like jank

Conclusion - this is a huge offseason for this coaching staff

KD was never going to be Keyontae Johnson, who single-handedly elevated Jerome Tang's year 1 Kansas State team.

I was told by an impeccable source that SMU stakeholders declined to match the Memphis offer because of the belief that a reset year was needed before NIL fully kicks in. His approach to the process also rubbed folks the wrong way, to put it mildly.

Also, there were serious doubts that KD would be happy putting up huge numbers on a bubble team, and not mess with Lanier's long-term culture building efforts. It was not a close call in the end.

[used to be 2]

Based on the other comments, I will rephrase my earlier comment to "wait until another 3 year season"

[Charleston Pony]

This team better improve significantly by next year or we are going to get curb stomped in the Ft Meyers Thanksgiving event next year with Virginia, Wisconsin & West Virginia. We haven't faced that kind of competition in tournament play since I can't remember when