Time to Call It......

[Pony_Fan]

You have to wonder what is going through Doh's mind right now. Didn't follow the game at all.sounds like ANOTHER slow start..what is the deal?

Circle of Champs, please come through again. Bums me out that we can't have a 1/2 way decent bball program. why is it so hard to win here, ugh.

[PoconoPony]

The right coach will put all the
graveyard for mens bb, hated in AAU circles,
overblown comments to bed.
It's not that complicated

You are absolutely right. All of the real or perceived problems go quickly away with the right coach and some work. Unfortunately, nothing is in sync or right with the SMU program as it stands. The coach cannot inspire the team, he is not creating an environment for them to improve or excel, they have tuned him out, no one is having fun, the team is very weak on fundamentals, proper utilization of talent is in question, game plans are vague or not discernible, team leadership is not evident, player chemistry is not evident, key players ( McCoy) are in a funk.....etc. Major changes are necessary to rectify the situation. I believed at the start of the season that Doh was a lock to finish out his contract based on the philosophy that he needed at least 5 years to recruit and turn the program around plus the athletic department remains cash strapped and cannot afford to buy him out and then pay a new coach. At this time, I am starting to believe that decisions cannot wait and that Orsini must address this issue immediately after the season as there is no evidence of progress.

[Pony_Fan]

everyone talks about the deficit in the AD dept. This would have to be another C of C situation - can't even think about the AD paying for this. They are probably still paying Tubb's family now?
How bad is the AD deficit anyway - does anyone know?
Surely with the Bowl win, the Mustang Club will get a lot of donations?

[PonyDoh]

The right coach will put all the
graveyard for mens bb, hated in AAU circles,
overblown comments to bed.
It's not that complicated

Seriously, I heard that we killed Jimmy Tubbs, less then 10 days ago, from the parent of a touted local recruit, at a national tourney. In theory I agree w/you, but it's very complicated when it comes to SMU. We get killed in the barber shops and have forever

[ponyscott]

You can't tell me though with a National well respected coach that knows the rounds in AAU circles and has a rep and comes here and handles himself well within the DFW area and turns this program around can't get past the 'barber shop' talk and put this all behind us. I am sure that even the football team and what they have done this year to bury the 'death penalty' image has helped in the barber shop circles...it just takes the right BBall coach with credibility as Doh hasn't earned it, unfortunatly.

[George S. Patton]

The right coach will put all the
graveyard for mens bb, hated in AAU circles,
overblown comments to bed.
It's not that complicated

Seriously, I heard that we killed Jimmy Tubbs, less then 10 days ago, from the parent of a touted local recruit, at a national tourney. In theory I agree w/you, but it's very complicated when it comes to SMU. We get killed in the barber shops and have forever

Perception is reality and I'm so sick of the South Dallas community wanting to hold that grassy knoll over SMU's head.

Those folks may want to remember it's a two-way street and that the DISD coaches also killed Tubbs by not having as much influence as they alleged and somehow the pipeline to Lincoln, Madison and SOC never was built. And Goree Johnson can flat out go suck it. He is a Class A [deleted].

[RGV Pony]

I'm with the General on this one. Another question...when Dement was getting Sasser, Q, etc, was the word on the street that the barbershop talk was pro-SMU?

[abezontar]

I wonder what Dement could do with the current SMU climate.

[PonyDoh]

You can't tell me though with a National well respected coach that knows the rounds in AAU circles and has a rep and comes here and handles himself well within the DFW area and turns this program around can't get past the 'barber shop' talk and put this all behind us. I am sure that even the football team and what they have done this year to bury the 'death penalty' image has helped in the barber shop circles...it just takes the right BBall coach with credibility as Doh hasn't earned it, unfortunatly.

I'm not saying it can't happen, cause it can, it'll just be tough. It's just a lot easier to say let's go get 'a national respected coach, that knows the rounds in AAU circles, and has a rep and comes here and handles himself well within the DFW area', then the reality of finding that guy, and luring him in. It's either a retread or an up'n'comer in CUSA, neither of which spell automatic success. The only renegade style hires out there in hoops are guys like Reggie Theus, who is a disciple of Tark, and ran a very sketchy program at NMSU.

I think a Springman could be a fine hire w/regards to DFW, but nobody knows if he can X and O his way out of a paper bag. Nothing we can grab is a slam dunk, that I can see.

[PonyDoh]

I wonder what Dement could do with the current SMU climate.

I watched Dement's UNC-G team lose to a very average Maryland team by like 40 today. Surprisingly, they were undisciplined, didn't defend the arc, and didn't seem to have a scouting report on an ACC team they were playing at home. Doh is awful, but reminiscing over the glory years of Dement, really just cements how bad this program has been for a really long time.

[mustangbill67]

I wonder what Dement could do with the current SMU climate.

Make it worse!

[PonyDoh]

I'm with the General on this one. Another question...when Dement was getting Sasser, Q, etc, was the word on the street that the barbershop talk was pro-SMU?

Grassroots hoops in it's current form was only a few years old when Sas committed. Very different climate now. That said, the Sasser everyone talks about isn't the one who committed, it's the one who wanted to come, but we didn't grab, Jason. Q was injured, so we made a good evaluation before he had a great senior year. Back then, high schools mattered, they don't anymore, unless they are preps or an academy. It's all about traveling teams. We are killed in those circles. As has been stated here time and again, the Dallas Heroes are run almost exclusively by SMU folks. Funded by an SMU alum, whose Director of Ops are ex-SMU players. Until things drastically change, you won't find them recommending the Hilltop to their elite players.

[PonyDoh]

The right coach will put all the
graveyard for mens bb, hated in AAU circles,
overblown comments to bed.
It's not that complicated

Seriously, I heard that we killed Jimmy Tubbs, less then 10 days ago, from the parent of a touted local recruit, at a national tourney. In theory I agree w/you, but it's very complicated when it comes to SMU. We get killed in the barber shops and have forever

Perception is reality and I'm so sick of the South Dallas community wanting to hold that grassy knoll over SMU's head.

Those folks may want to remember it's a two-way street and that the DISD coaches also killed Tubbs by not having as much influence as they alleged and somehow the pipeline to Lincoln, Madison and SOC never was built. And Goree Johnson can flat out go suck it. He is a Class A [deleted].

I agree w/you, but the mistake here is that DISD coaches actually have the power to push kids to certain schools. They've long since been replaced by club coaches in the sphere of influence. Grabbing an aging DISD legend was a nice move in theory, but didn't amount to much b/c his people aren't the ones driving the kids decisions.

As you said, perception is reality. Maryland won't take Jon Graham this year, mostly b/c his Dad,a Terp legend, bad-mouthed the program close to 30 years ago, and it helped cost the Terps baltimore for some period of time. Meanwhile, their star recruit, Terence Ross decommitted under Nike pressure, mostly b/c the Terps were a Nike Elite program that went UA. Nike took it as a snub and are taking their kid back. The petty politics of the shoe game and barbershop talk is the reality of this sport. To flourish, you need a keen grasp of the landscape.

[RGV Pony]

so tell me what does Butler do? Do they 'play ball' with the Marion county schools? Surely they don't have any influence in the shoe game there either...

[Pony_Fan]

that's too bad...sounds like an dirty recruiting game and b.s. nowadays.
Yes, RGV ...I too would like to know how Butler, West. Kentucky, Gonzag, and all the other smaller obscure schools get around the AAU/shoe stuff...aside from hiring a AAU coach.