Just remember, the CIT doesn't count!

by **Mitch McConnell** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:32 am

You've got a couple of people here who are still STUCK in 1973 and still fawn over the late Jim Krebs, Larry Davis and Reginald Muhammad and David Miller (who many speculate may have kicked in for these games).

The Yesteryear Syndomers believe that the CIT and CBI are beneath them. That's fine. They feel comfortable with that opinion. Actually, I can appreciate where they are coming from.

Unfortunately, SMU's bb relevance has been so [deleted] poor that I'm actually OK with the university doing this.

While the YSs can tell you everything you need to know about those 1950s and 60s teams, they should also be able to rattle off all of those great Dement teams of the late 1990s, how John Shumate took that Dave Bliss team in 1988-89 and created a dynasty and how Jimmy Tubbs' pipeline to the DISD is littered with kids who came to play for SMU.

I think what these gentlemen are experiencing is revisionist history. I'm not a fan of the world of "everybody gets a trophy" either. You should earn it.

But this is the system that everybody is playing in. Why not give this a shot?

That said, I would really hope that this is a one-time thing. If we're in a position where the program actually experiences some consistent success and may fall back to CBI or CIT status, then I probably would advocate passing on this tournament. And I betcha many who are following the team believe the same thing.

Tulsa, which won the first CBI tournament 3-4 years ago, turned down a CBI invitation this year.

SMU just needed something to give it a reason to build on the momentum.

by **hoopmanx** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:47 am

I don't think a mid should ever turn the CBI down. Tulsa had other reasons for choosing to do so, but unlike the CIT, it's high major & mid tourney. IF anything, I'd like to see the CBI & CIT combine. That would be a good postseason show

by **2ndandlong** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:55 am

for a tournament that doesn't count, no one told that to Graham, Warren, or the chick in the purple shirt. they played hard, coached with fire, and barked loud.