Just my 2 cents

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

I dont really post on this board anymore, but a friend asked me to put up my thoughts from the opening game, so here they are. I'm sure people have said some of this on other threads, but I dont feel like going through them and responding individually, so I'm putting it all here.

1: SMU just lost to the cellar dweller from the Sun Belt by double digits, on their home court. New Orleans finished behind UALR last year, but they're dropping out of Division 1 (UALR and NO split the 2 game series last year).

2: UALR was a bad defensive team last year, giving up more than 73 points per game, near the bottom of their conference, but they held SMU under 50.

3: UALR's starting lineup was 5'10”, 6'0”, 6'3”, 6'6” and 6'6”. Thats pretty much the shortest starting 5 in D1 basketball. Most good AAU teams are taller than that. But that ridiculously undersized lineup beat SMU on the backboards.

4: SMU's 2 tallest players, Kwiatkowski and Luttman, never got on the court. If they cant play against UALR, they dont belong in D1.

5: UALR's 2 6'6” posts each scored 11 points. Papa Dia (6'9) and Robert Nyakundi (6'7”) had 6 and 0 points, respectively, and were a combined 2/17 from the floor. If Dia really wants to play professionally, he needs to dominate this kind of team.

6: Samarrippas shouldnt be starting, the kid isnt ready for primetime. 0 assists, 4 turnovers and 2/8 from the floor is not acceptable from your starting point guard. By comparison, UALR also started a freshman at point (Daylon Guy, from Fort Worth Eastern Hills) who had 4 assists, no turnovers, and 1 of 2 from the floor. Thats nothing spectacular, but he also didnt do anything that hurt his team. When any point guatd has no assists its a major red flag.

7: Clinkscale shouldnt handle the ball. Let him shoot whenever he wants to, run plays for him, run him off a couple screens to get him open, then catch and shoot. But he shouldnt touch the ball until he's in position to shoot.

8: The current state of SMU's roster didnt happen by accident, and it wasnt a piece of “incredibly bad luck”. It's the result of conscious decisions made by the individual who controls all roster decisions. All 3 of the November signees had issues that could potentially compromise their eligibility, and those issues werent exactly a secret during their recruitment. Each of them individually had about a 50/50 chance to get admitted to SMU, and pass the NCAA clearinghouse. Having all 3 ineligible was the worst case scenario, but it wasnt something out of the realistic realm of possibilities. Someone should have counted on losing at least 1 or 2, and made contingency plans. By spring, it had become fairly obvious that Vildes wasnt going to make it, and the other 2 were still in limbo. So, perhaps at that point it wasnt a good decision to pursue a 4th player with major problems (Fabyon Harris). Maybe, with the real possibility of having at least 1 or 2 recruits ineligible, it wasnt a good idea to use our remaining scholarships on transfers who would have to sit out this season. I know some people on this board begin to drool as soon as they read the word “transfer”, but you have to take into consideration the real time needs of the team, unless you are just conceding the current season as a throw-away year. Lastly, maybe it wasnt a good idea to run off Frank Otis over the summer, with Vilde and Smith still not through the clearinghouse. Otis was a contributor, and now Robert Nyakundi is a starter at forward, and the backup center, because SMU literally has no on else to play in the frontcourt.

9: Even without any depth, the head coach still yanks players in and out like they were yo-yos, with no discernible purpose. If someone can explain to me why you would substitute Justin Haynes for Rodney Clinkscale when you are on offense in the final 45 seconds of a game you're trailing, I'd love to hear that rationale. Clinkscale was 5/5 from 3-point range that night, Haynes hit 6 three's all of last season. So I struggle to understand why you would replace Clink with Haynes when you have the ball with 40 seconds left, trailing by 8. Someone else will have to explain that to me.

10: I've seen several people post on the board that the next years recruiting class should guarantee Doherty at least 2 more years on the job. My initial response is: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

After giving the matter a bit more thought and careful consideration, I can only assume that hallucinogenic drugs are somehow involved in this. Because, there is no way a sober, unmedicated person who was that mentally challenged could survive to adulthood. Darwinian forces would have culled you from the herd years ago, so you couldnt pollute the gene pool. That's just off the top of my head. I'll give it some more thought and get back to you later.

I have to head out the door now and get over to Fort Worth. Dont want to miss the trainwreck. I mean tipoff, dont want to miss tip off.

[Stallion]

Great points. Here's another-we are back to a 7 man freshman class next year in Year 6. You watch-they can't all play at one time early in their career nor would you want 7 inexperienced players to all learn together. Some will fall off before ever seeing the floor just like our last 7 man class. Doherty's Plan to rebuild the program from the very start has been a mess. If you are giving him another year based on the freshman Class-you are really saying he should have 8 years to rebuilt the program. He has a Senior/Junior teams with more experienced players than the vast majority of teams SMU has fielded. We need to see some improvement and coaching of the talent he has already recruited and has had on his team for years. Otherwise, why should SMU be patient. BTW I have never been one to say that a SMU Head Coach should be fired because I don't think they have had a fair chance to turn the program around. I don't understand why Doherty should slide through in Year 5 with less than a handful of wins against teams we have even heard of before. Again, I've seen good coaches work with relatively untalented but experienced players who can still pull out victories over recognized teams. Experience matters in Basketball if players are well coached.

[NickSMU17]

I dont really post on this board anymore, but a friend asked me to put up my thoughts from the opening game, so here they are. I'm sure people have said some of this on other threads, but I dont feel like going through them and responding individually, so I'm putting it all here.

1: SMU just lost to the cellar dweller from the Sun Belt by double digits, on their home court. New Orleans finished behind UALR last year, but they're dropping out of Division 1 (UALR and NO split the 2 game series last year).

2: UALR was a bad defensive team last year, giving up more than 73 points per game, near the bottom of their conference, but they held SMU under 50.

3: UALR's starting lineup was 5'10”, 6'0”, 6'3”, 6'6” and 6'6”. Thats pretty much the shortest starting 5 in D1 basketball. Most good AAU teams are taller than that. But that ridiculously undersized lineup beat SMU on the backboards.

4: SMU's 2 tallest players, Kwiatkowski and Luttman, never got on the court. If they cant play against UALR, they dont belong in D1.

5: UALR's 2 6'6” posts each scored 11 points. Papa Dia (6'9) and Robert Nyakundi (6'7”) had 6 and 0 points, respectively, and were a combined 2/17 from the floor. If Dia really wants to play professionally, he needs to dominate this kind of team.

6: Samarrippas shouldnt be starting, the kid isnt ready for primetime. 0 assists, 4 turnovers and 2/8 from the floor is not acceptable from your starting point guard. By comparison, UALR also started a freshman at point (Daylon Guy, from Fort Worth Eastern Hills) who had 4 assists, no turnovers, and 1 of 2 from the floor. Thats nothing spectacular, but he also didnt do anything that hurt his team. When any point guatd has no assists its a major red flag.

7: Clinkscale shouldnt handle the ball. Let him shoot whenever he wants to, run plays for him, run him off a couple screens to get him open, then catch and shoot. But he shouldnt touch the ball until he's in position to shoot.

8: The current state of SMU's roster didnt happen by accident, and it wasnt a piece of “incredibly bad luck”. It's the result of conscious decisions made by the individual who controls all roster decisions. All 3 of the November signees had issues that could potentially compromise their eligibility, and those issues werent exactly a secret during their recruitment. Each of them individually had about a 50/50 chance to get admitted to SMU, and pass the NCAA clearinghouse. Having all 3 ineligible was the worst case scenario, but it wasnt something out of the realistic realm of possibilities. Someone should have counted on losing at least 1 or 2, and made contingency plans. By spring, it had become fairly obvious that Vildes wasnt going to make it, and the other 2 were still in limbo. So, perhaps at that point it wasnt a good decision to pursue a 4th player with major problems (Fabyon Harris). Maybe, with the real possibility of having at least 1 or 2 recruits ineligible, it wasnt a good idea to use our remaining scholarships on transfers who would have to sit out this season. I know some people on this board begin to drool as soon as they read the word “transfer”, but you have to take into consideration the real time needs of the team, unless you are just conceding the current season as a throw-away year. Lastly, maybe it wasnt a good idea to run off Frank Otis over the summer, with Vilde and Smith still not through the clearinghouse. Otis was a contributor, and now Robert Nyakundi is a starter at forward, and the backup center, because SMU literally has no on else to play in the frontcourt.

9: Even without any depth, the head coach still yanks players in and out like they were yo-yos, with no discernible purpose. If someone can explain to me why you would substitute Justin Haynes for Rodney Clinkscale when you are on offense in the final 45 seconds of a game you're trailing, I'd love to hear that rationale. Clinkscale was 5/5 from 3-point range that night, Haynes hit 6 three's all of last season. So I struggle to understand why you would replace Clink with Haynes when you have the ball with 40 seconds left, trailing by 8. Someone else will have to explain that to me.

10: I've seen several people post on the board that the next years recruiting class should guarantee Doherty at least 2 more years on the job. My initial response is: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

After giving the matter a bit more thought and careful consideration, I can only assume that hallucinogenic drugs are somehow involved in this. Because, there is no way a sober, unmedicated person who was that mentally challenged could survive to adulthood. Darwinian forces would have culled you from the herd years ago, so you couldnt pollute the gene pool. That's just off the top of my head. I'll give it some more thought and get back to you later.

I have to head out the door now and get over to Fort Worth. Dont want to miss the trainwreck. I mean tipoff, dont want to miss tip off.

Maybe the best post on any board in the history of ponyfans....

Thank you for educating us

[FriscoPMG]

X - I certainly don't blame you for staying off of these boards since there's so very little positive to talk about...at this point it is a broken record when it comes to talking about SMU basketball under Doh...but your thoughts on the program are always appreciated.

[Junior]

so, you like our chances this year is what you're saying...

[ponyscott]

so, you like our chances this year is what you're saying...

A+++++...lol

[friarwolf]

It is my understanding that this is his make or break year. A poor season means he is out. Doh has a couple of big name supporters but they won't be able to save him if we continue to perform as we have the first two games...........

[Harry0569]

It is my understanding that this is his make or break year. A poor season means he is out. Doh has a couple of big name supporters but they won't be able to save him if we continue to perform as we have the first two games...........

Based on the higher ups I/people I know have spoken with, that sir is correct.

[ponydawg]

So if he is out......do you wait till towards the end of the season? If the recruits coming in next year are truly an upgrade, do you wait to find your new coach at the end of the season when these commits don't have a ton of other options? Or do you make your hire asap so they have a chance to evaluate and bond with the new commits?

[CalallenStang]

So if he is out......do you wait till towards the end of the season? If the recruits coming in next year are truly an upgrade, do you wait to find your new coach at the end of the season when these commits don't have a ton of other options? Or do you make your hire asap so they have a chance to evaluate and bond with the new commits?

#2
Mainly because those recruits are going to be looking at their other options when we finish this season 5-25 anyway

[ponydawg]

I believe they have already signed, so they can't leave unless Doh is fired. And if Doh is fired at the end of the year, other "good" schools will prolly have their ships full. Not saying it is right, or what should happen.....just pointing it out.

[CalallenStang]

I believe they have already signed, so they can't leave unless Doh is fired. And if Doh is fired at the end of the year, other "good" schools will prolly have their ships full. Not saying it is right, or what should happen.....just pointing it out.

They sign a LOI to play for the school, not the coach

[RGV Pony]

It is my understanding that this is his make or break year. A poor season means he is out. Doh has a couple of big name supporters but they won't be able to save him if we continue to perform as we have the first two games...........

Based on the higher ups I/people I know have spoken with, that sir is correct.

one such supporter intimated as much this summer

[PonyDoh]

Someone wake me when buy out money is raised. We've heard the same song & dance for several years, and nothing happens. Everything I've heard is that several of Doh's best friend boosters have to turn on him for his job to truly be in jeopardy.

All they can lose is a few players should he get fired. BFD. We lose kids to attrition every damn year anyway

[CalallenStang]

All they can lose is a few players should he get fired. BFD. We lose kids to attrition every damn year anyway

My feelings exactly. If the kids don't want to come to SMU with a new coach, then we don't need them anyway