Hopkins

[Pony_Fan]

Is it me or is Hopkins nowhere near ready for NBA? ...he is a solid player for SMU but I just don't see NBA caliber like I see in Snyder (Nevada). If he developed where he left off from high school maybe but I still haven't seen that player.


Hopkins, SMU have learned on the run

08:47 PM CST on Friday, March 5, 2004


By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News



UNIVERSITY PARK – Bryan Hopkins, a sophomore point guard at SMU, said that he has had to grow up fast this season.

"I stepped into the situation knowing the team would be on my shoulders," said Hopkins, who leads SMU at 16.7 points a game.

Barring a sudden turnaround in next week's WAC tournament in Fresno, Calif., the Mustangs will miss the NCAA Tournament for the 11th consecutive season. SMU reached the NIT in 2000.

SMU (11-16, 5-12) finishes the regular season today against Rice (20-9, 11-6) at Moody Coliseum.

On Tuesday, the Mustangs play Tulsa in the first round of the WAC tournament. SMU will have to win four games in five days to reach the postseason. The Mustangs have won only five games in 2004.

SMU started the season 6-3, and Hopkins thought a postseason berth was a possibility. Hopkins also said if he played well enough, he would consider leaving SMU to enter the NBA draft.

"If I get invited to the camps at the end of the season, let's see where my stock is," Hopkins said. "If I come back, that's a good thing, too, because it gives me a chance to develop my game more and I can go forward and get my degree."

Things have turned bad of late. SMU has lost eight games by 10 points or more this season. Coach Mike Dement was fired last week.

"It's been a emotional roller coaster that's had highs – and we hit some lows, real lows," Hopkins said. "The whole thing has been a learning experience."

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[HorsePower]

Hopkins, like all players, has areas of his game that can be improved. But his career, whenever it starts, will last longer than Snyder's. That guy behaves like a poor man's Rodman. And if you don't have Rodman's 20 rebounds a night in the NBA, most coaches won't put up with that act. Hop will go when he's ready.

[MustangTu]

My take on Hops comments is a defensive move. In other words the coach that brung him to the dance left early. So now he must posture for his new dance partner.

[CoxSMU]

From what I saw last night against Rice, I think he is a year away from being ready. If he played like he did last night every night, that would be a different story. But he still needs another year, I think, to make it.