Like it or not, this season died with the UAPB loss

[smupony]

How can anyone "pronounce a season dead" when we have played 8 of 29 games? Oh great prognosticator, please tell me more...

Not saying we are going to win the conference, just saying nothing is over with such a young team. I hope that the Pine Bluff wake up call and the hussle showed at A&M will change our fortunes for the better.

Did SMU win at College Station? The way some of spinmeisters are talking about the effort and stuff, they have decided to count the moral W as an actual W.

OK. Then I guess they're 4-4 and not 3-5.

My mistake. Sorry.

You have obviously never played any type of organized sport beyond middle school. Your posts show it. No real scale or knowledge to judge from.

Before you ask, I was a three year basketball starter in the WCAC in Washington, DC. I played against Gonzaga and Dematha talent every night. I know the game and I know what I'm watching.

Our team lacks toughness and fire (no new news here). We all witnessed that Monday night. Sprinkle in a little youthful uncertainty and you have an inexperienced team. Our team doesn't quite understand the level of intensity they need to bring every night. The A&M game showed what a little hustle will do. Put that together every night and we have something worth watching.

We don't lack talent, but we don't have world beaters either. Above average teams can out execute any given team on any given night.

I don't have a problem with what Coach D runs on offense, we just don't have experienced players that can fill a gap or make a cut to the open part of the floor. That type on imagination needs to be coming from the coaches too.

We looked more active against A&M.

[George S. Patton]

How can anyone "pronounce a season dead" when we have played 8 of 29 games? Oh great prognosticator, please tell me more...

Not saying we are going to win the conference, just saying nothing is over with such a young team. I hope that the Pine Bluff wake up call and the hussle showed at A&M will change our fortunes for the better.

Did SMU win at College Station? The way some of spinmeisters are talking about the effort and stuff, they have decided to count the moral W as an actual W.

OK. Then I guess they're 4-4 and not 3-5.

My mistake. Sorry.

You have obviously never played any type of organized sport beyond middle school. Your posts show it. No real scale or knowledge to judge from.

Before you ask, I was a three year basketball starter in the WCAC in Washington, DC. I played against Gonzaga and Dematha talent every night. I know the game and I know what I'm watching.

Our team lacks toughness and fire (no new news here). We all witnessed that Monday night. Sprinkle in a little youthful uncertainty and you have an inexperienced team. Our team doesn't quite understand the level of intensity they need to bring every night. The A&M game showed what a little hustle will do. Put that together every night and we have something worth watching.

We don't lack talent, but we don't have world beaters either. Above average teams can out execute any given team on any given night.

I don't have a problem with what Coach D runs on offense, we just don't have experienced players that can fill a gap or make a cut to the open part of the floor. That type on imagination needs to be coming from the coaches too.

We looked more active against A&M.

I played baseball in high school. Wasn't very good with the bat but I could pick it defensively. So don't bring this "You never played and you don't know what you're talking about" baloney into the conversation. It's so cliche.

You have you're interpretation of it. I have mine. This team is not tough enough, and they better get something from the post if they really want to salvage something this season.

I would argue that if Faye does his thing -- both in the block and on the wing -- it could help Dia do something.

But the key to the season may be exactly what Dia brings. If he continues to bring 1-6 every night, this team isn't going anywhere.

And more often than not, the tone of your season is set through the first month. There are times when it can flip. But generally speaking when a team gets off to a start, the pattern holds true.

What is true is the typical SMU performance in tight games. They get close and then they don't make plays down the stretch and lose.

What happened at A&M? Got to within 4, missed a couple of chances, A&M scores on its end, game over. I've seen this act so many times since the TCU/Tulsa week meltdown in 2000 that I could throw up.

When we make plays to win basketball games -- important games -- let me know. Otherwise, it's the same old song.

[smupony]

How can anyone "pronounce a season dead" when we have played 8 of 29 games? Oh great prognosticator, please tell me more...

Not saying we are going to win the conference, just saying nothing is over with such a young team. I hope that the Pine Bluff wake up call and the hussle showed at A&M will change our fortunes for the better.

Did SMU win at College Station? The way some of spinmeisters are talking about the effort and stuff, they have decided to count the moral W as an actual W.

OK. Then I guess they're 4-4 and not 3-5.

My mistake. Sorry.

You have obviously never played any type of organized sport beyond middle school. Your posts show it. No real scale or knowledge to judge from.

Before you ask, I was a three year basketball starter in the WCAC in Washington, DC. I played against Gonzaga and Dematha talent every night. I know the game and I know what I'm watching.

Our team lacks toughness and fire (no new news here). We all witnessed that Monday night. Sprinkle in a little youthful uncertainty and you have an inexperienced team. Our team doesn't quite understand the level of intensity they need to bring every night. The A&M game showed what a little hustle will do. Put that together every night and we have something worth watching.

We don't lack talent, but we don't have world beaters either. Above average teams can out execute any given team on any given night.

I don't have a problem with what Coach D runs on offense, we just don't have experienced players that can fill a gap or make a cut to the open part of the floor. That type on imagination needs to be coming from the coaches too.

We looked more active against A&M.

I played baseball in high school. Wasn't very good with the bat but I could pick it defensively. So don't bring this "You never played and you don't know what you're talking about" baloney into the conversation. It's so cliche.

You have you're interpretation of it. I have mine. This team is not tough enough, and they better get something from the post if they really want to salvage something this season.

I would argue that if Faye does his thing -- both in the block and on the wing -- it could help Dia do something.

But the key to the season may be exactly what Dia brings. If he continues to bring 1-6 every night, this team isn't going anywhere.

And more often than not, the tone of your season is set through the first month. There are times when it can flip. But generally speaking when a team gets off to a start, the pattern holds true.

What is true is the typical SMU performance in tight games. They get close and then they don't make plays down the stretch and lose.

What happened at A&M? Got to within 4, missed a couple of chances, A&M scores on its end, game over. I've seen this act so many times since the TCU/Tulsa week meltdown in 2000 that I could throw up.

When we make plays to win basketball games -- important games -- let me know. Otherwise, it's the same old song.

Baseball please...

I don't give sweeping opinions on football because I don't understand the nuances of the game. Don't make the final judgment on something you don't know.

[George S. Patton]

How do you I don't know it? How do I know you do know it? You're assuming a lot of things here.

And I'll be damned if someone is going to instruct me on what I should and should not talk about.

As Jim Mora said, "You think you know. But you just don't know, and you never will."

That, sir, applies to all of us.

You do what you do. And I'll do what I do.

[Peruna88]

Oh yeah?. Well the Mustangs kicked the [deleted] outta the Irish in the '88 tourney on St. Patty's day. Kato Armstrong dunked all over David Rivers' punkin' head. The Irish went home. With no moral victory there.

Yeah, baby! A great victory with some celebrating in Chapel Hill that night.

[Pony_Fan]

I'm officially done reading the General's posts. Who is with me?

Please don't respond to his gibberish anymore. Thanks.

[George S. Patton]

I'm officially done reading the General's posts. Who is with me?

Please don't respond to his gibberish anymore. Thanks.

I'm with you. What a class-A jerk that guy is. Guy is an embarrassment to all of us alums. Loser.

[Jumpshooter]

I'm officially done reading the General's posts. Who is with me?

Please don't respond to his gibberish anymore. Thanks.

I'm with you. What a class-A jerk that guy is. Guy is an embarrassment to all of us alums. Loser.

Patton, you mentioned a contribution to the Crum Center somewhere on this board earlier in the week. You must be a big-time player. What are all the bigs guys saying about Doh?

[George S. Patton]

Honestly, I gave because I wanted to see the program succeed and I still do. And it was my desire to distance myself in some respect because I contributed.

It was a modest amount and I was fortunate enough to give what I could.
Now, I can come on here and express my displeasure or outrage and catch hell from the masses from it. That's fine. I can take it.

I'm sorry but I can't answer your question, but all of us can see for ourselves that things are not going well there. Dia is going to be key for this team to save its season because there are no other options.

People have seen one game from Faye and are pronouncing him a difference maker. And people accused me of being knee-jerk? Whatever.

I'll borrow SMUpony's philosophy of letting him play a few games before we really know what we have. Let's see how it goes at Northwestern through Colorado.

Still, this program shouldn't be losing to UAPB, it shouldn't be hanging on for dear life to beat Alabama St. and it has been kicked by So. Florida, TCU and Illinois St.

Is that what we were expecting in year 3? We can argue about the academic restrictions all we want. Even with them in previous seasons, we were still beating the hell out of the UAPBs of the world.

Like the best coach of all-time Bob Knight said, I don't believe in moral victories. They prove nothing.

What will be realized is how this team responds at Northwestern. If they get blown out, then whatever was taken at A&M will have meant nothing.

[OC Mustang]

Captain Abandon the Ship is always the first to suck up and one of the first to jump ship when the first signs of leaks appear. Now is not the time to write Doherty off. We are playing 11 or is it 12 first or second year players with basically one experienced upperclassman(Senior or Junior). Go see how Baylor did in a similiar time period. Even if every single recruit in the 2007 doesn't live up to expectations-now is not the time to jump ship. The key to this season is to show improvement and most of us expected that improvement to come later in the year.

I am characteristically late posting, and I almost never post on basketball thread, but did I just witness the Stallion as an optimist?

WTF??!!!

[OC Mustang]

How can anyone "pronounce a season dead" when we have played 8 of 29 games? Oh great prognosticator, please tell me more...

Not saying we are going to win the conference, just saying nothing is over with such a young team. I hope that the Pine Bluff wake up call and the hussle showed at A&M will change our fortunes for the better.

Did SMU win at College Station? The way some of spinmeisters are talking about the effort and stuff, they have decided to count the moral W as an actual W.

OK. Then I guess they're 4-4 and not 3-5.

My mistake. Sorry.

You have obviously never played any type of organized sport beyond middle school. Your posts show it. No real scale or knowledge to judge from.

Before you ask, I was a three year basketball starter in the WCAC in Washington, DC. I played against Gonzaga and Dematha talent every night. I know the game and I know what I'm watching.

Our team lacks toughness and fire (no new news here). We all witnessed that Monday night. Sprinkle in a little youthful uncertainty and you have an inexperienced team. Our team doesn't quite understand the level of intensity they need to bring every night. The A&M game showed what a little hustle will do. Put that together every night and we have something worth watching.

We don't lack talent, but we don't have world beaters either. Above average teams can out execute any given team on any given night.

I don't have a problem with what Coach D runs on offense, we just don't have experienced players that can fill a gap or make a cut to the open part of the floor. That type on imagination needs to be coming from the coaches too.

We looked more active against A&M.

I played baseball in high school. Wasn't very good with the bat but I could pick it defensively. So don't bring this "You never played and you don't know what you're talking about" baloney into the conversation. It's so cliche.

You have you're interpretation of it. I have mine. This team is not tough enough, and they better get something from the post if they really want to salvage something this season.

I would argue that if Faye does his thing -- both in the block and on the wing -- it could help Dia do something.

But the key to the season may be exactly what Dia brings. If he continues to bring 1-6 every night, this team isn't going anywhere.

And more often than not, the tone of your season is set through the first month. There are times when it can flip. But generally speaking when a team gets off to a start, the pattern holds true.

What is true is the typical SMU performance in tight games. They get close and then they don't make plays down the stretch and lose.

What happened at A&M? Got to within 4, missed a couple of chances, A&M scores on its end, game over. I've seen this act so many times since the TCU/Tulsa week meltdown in 2000 that I could throw up.

When we make plays to win basketball games -- important games -- let me know. Otherwise, it's the same old song.

Baseball please...

I don't give sweeping opinions on football because I don't understand the nuances of the game. Don't make the final judgment on something you don't know.

The General is a wise-ass and tends to start out loud and get louder, but he does know his stuff vis-a-vis the game, be it hoops, baseball, or football. I dunno if that makes him correct in this situation (I haven't seen the guys play this year), and I dunno if the General is indeed lucid 100% of the time (doubtful), but he tends to know what he's talking about.

I will say this, however...I have seen the General (and others from time to time) not have jtstang's Zen about all of this. That's a direct result of the same frustration everybody else probably feels about all of this. So take it in context; I still wouldn't mind having a beer with most of you all. This whole forum identity thing just doesn't get me frothed up. It isn't real life.

[Charleston Pony]

I'm not one to defend people for an "I give up" attitude and basically that's what I read into the General's statement...that this season died with the A-PB loss. I would assume the General now officially falls into JT's "no expectations" group for the remainder of this season...but as long as he continues following the season with enough interest and actually attends a game or two, he's way ahead of the majority of SMU fans that quit on the program long ago.

Let's face it...none of us who are still following this program marked that game against A-PB on our calendars and proclaimed it a "must win" for our tournament chances. Nobody in their right mind expects this team to reach the post season. I think the popular "lofty" pre-season goal (or should I say hope?) was this bunch could maybe go .500 ?

Doh's substitution pattern has everyone frustrated, but the fact that he is shuffling 11 guys in and out tells me he is just trying to figure out what he's got. I would expect things to settle down as we get into conference play...but I've been wrong before. This season is about tying to figure out how many of these 1st and 2nd year players might be able to help this team become truly competitive in the next couple of years. I'm just hoping for year over year improvement from this year forward...because the program has just about been torn to the ground in this latest rebuilding project.

[Bergermeister]

it's the same old song.

Speaking of the "same old song".............

[gregkinzer]

Doesn't this team have 6 or 7 freshman? Coach has to sub 11 players just to see what he has......

Every year I played at SMU we had a bad loss.....bad losses are wake-up calls which gives a coach a new platform to kick [deleted] and it appeared they woke up a bit against the Aggies....moral victory or not, its that type of effort we will need to get through the conference intact.

[gregkinzer]

deleted = a-s-s