Tweet from Myles Turner after the game

[SMUstangs22]

It has always seemed silly to me that you can get a degree in music performance or dance in Meadows and it is education, but playing basketball is not. Will SMU take the lead an offer a degree in athletics?

Never quite thought of it that way before. Interesting point.

[hoopmanx]

There's a definite lack of college basketball knowledge in the SMU fan base and it's not limited to the "bandwagoners". I'm as guilty as anyone, particularly when it comes to the recruiting/AAU/branding world.

There's only a few people on this board that help the "situation" and hoopmanx is one of them. I won't begrudge them a few exasperated/frustrated posts if they don't begrudge the rest of us a little ignorance of things that are not central to our lives/professions. I feel like that's a reasonable compromise.

Works for me. It's just hard for me to participate in a thread like this, if most everyone has the wrong idea about how these recruitments work, so I say what I say.

Then why participate? Is it worth it if it frustrates you so much? I have always been fascinated by how quickly a thread can become hostile.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the information as much as the next person.

B/c I live and breathe basketball and went to smu. There's value in this fan base growing up w regards to hoop culture. It pertains to the ceiling of the program

[PonyKai]

Good lord I got a Political Science and Public Policy degree. These kids training for 1-4 years for a career playing basketball at home or abroad gives them better job prospects then I had. Accept it, love it, run with it, and help them get the best professional training they can.

[PonyFan32]

I agree that the NBA type players probably don't need the education as much to fall back on (except maybe a finance class to help understand how to wisely invest all that money), but the education discussion seems well suited to the guys who are probably not NBA guys. It would be great for those guys to get an education so you have something to do after your basketball career ends by 30-35 overseas and you've still got 30+ years to work and provide for yourself.

I always hope the NBA guys will care about education too at least while they are there, but I understand why it isn't the best career move so I understand why it isn't a high priority.

[ponyinNC]

If I could've played like Marcus Smart or Jeremy Lin when I was in HS (i went to same HS as both after moving from TX to CA) - I wouldn't be a lawyer today. I probably wouldn't even be a college graduate.

But I'd likely have way more $. And way less student loans!!

I don't understand why we try to be all high and mighty with regard to education. If something prepares you for a career, whatever that career may be...that's the best education you can get. Period

[Oliver]

Hopman, two comments, in your top 6, you seemingly left off relationships with coaches. Isn't that still pretty important in basketball recruiting? Or is it not at all like football where we saw one guy's relationship and ability to relate with players get them on campus (Klemm) We've heard a lot of recruits say they want to play for Larry to prepare for the next level, but maybe this all falls in under your #3 point

Also, I know the wins don't matter one way or another, but I do think Atmosphere reflects exposure. If the kids wants to be seen, then showing up to watch a game with Mark Cuban, a couple Mavs players and George W on a random Wednesday night certainly must leave some kind of impression...

[SMU 86]

If the kids wants to be seen, then showing up to watch a game with Mark Cuban, a couple Mavs players and George W on a random Wednesday night certainly must leave some kind of impression...

Cuban showing up helps but Bush showing meaning nothing to the recruits. Bush excited the GOP supporters in the audience but not the recruits. Since Cuban owns an NBA franchise and could draft them that is a positive.

[Oliver]

Cuban showing up helps but Bush showing meaning nothing to the recruits. Bush excited the GOP supporters in the audience but not the recruits. Since Cuban owns an NBA franchise and could draft them that is a positive.

Of course these guys care more about seeing Cuban, NBA players, scouts etc..my point was that I'd think famous faces and VIPs in the crowd inevitably create buzz, and buzz=exposure, I mean supposedly the local news stations were all lined up at Moody yesterday.

[SMU Section F]

If the kids wants to be seen, then showing up to watch a game with Mark Cuban, a couple Mavs players and George W on a random Wednesday night certainly must leave some kind of impression...

Cuban showing up helps but Bush showing meaning nothing to the recruits. Bush excited the GOP supporters in the audience but not the recruits. Since Cuban owns an NBA franchise and could draft them that is a positive.

Off topic a little, but I thought Cuban seemed particularly entertained by Cannen. No idea why and I don't think it has anything to do with Cannen as a possible professional player. (Please read the previous sentence again.) I just think Cuban enjoyed his game.

[EconPony'10]

If the kids wants to be seen, then showing up to watch a game with Mark Cuban, a couple Mavs players and George W on a random Wednesday night certainly must leave some kind of impression...

Cuban showing up helps but Bush showing meaning nothing to the recruits. Bush excited the GOP supporters in the audience but not the recruits. Since Cuban owns an NBA franchise and could draft them that is a positive.

Well we can't all sit here and speculate what and who recruits like... It varies from kid to kid obviously. Since none of us know what any recruit likes, Myles could've liked it more if Betty White was there instead of W and Cuban. He might be republican and disagrees with Cuban's political standpoint. All we can do is hope that he likes what SMU has to offer him before the NBA.

[OhioBrownFan]

Hoopman is 100% right. Fans put way more into wins-losses and atmospheres than any recruits. Obviously a recruit wants to be at a winner, but individual wins or losses don't matter in the grand scheme of things. Turner is only considering good programs, they all win, relationships are typically what put one program over the top of another. Take yourself out of your fan spot and put yourself in his shoes, what would be important to you? Playing for a coach and teammates you like or playing for a program that won while you were visiting?

This is where I don't understand how SMU isn't in this more than we are. You've got the nation's best PG alongside you next year and LARRY BROWN coaching you- one of the greatest coaches of all time. I can't think of a better NBA training setup than that. And it's right in your backyard. Compare that the Rick Barnes who is a mediocre Xs and Os coach and Travis Ford at Okla State who is good but nothing special IMO. Also you'll be playing in front of a couple thousand empty seats every night at Texas- not sure about OSU. Also, football will always be the alpha dog at those schools- unlike SMU where the community is excited about the program.

The Big 12 is having a great bball year this year, but the AAC compares pretty favorably with UConn, Memphis, and Cincy- plus all of your games are on one of the ESPN networks- I had to look far and wide to find the Texas/TCU game on TV the other night.

Well LB is old, so perhaps Turner doesn't hit it off with the SMU staff in the ways he does with others (pure speculation btw). Also, is he friends with Mudiay? If not, who cares. He'll have a great PG at any one of the schools he's looking at.

As for Rick Barnes, I'd give that dude his credit when it's due and I don't like him as a coach. He's coached a number of NBA players, been to the Final 4, and his team is doing well this year with not much talent. I love Larry Brown, one of the nicest guys I've ever been around and great person but he's not for everyone. Just like Nick Saban isn't for everyone or Les Miles or Pete Carroll. Larry Brown is old man, he's not a coach you're going to joke around with a lot and kick it, you're just not. Pete Carroll on the other hand, you can tell players have fun interacting with on a personal level, and I know this is going way off-topic, just trying to show the differences. Each of those coaches have put players in the NBA so it's not some ultimate trump card that Brown has and nobody else does.

I agree the points you made are great pulls for SMU but they really got behind the 8-ball early in the game. Mudiay wasn't committed and SMU still sucked when his recruitment really started and relationships usually win out in the end. The relationship was non-existent for the first half of this recruitment, the two OSUs had a year head start basically.

[SMU 86]

If the kids wants to be seen, then showing up to watch a game with Mark Cuban, a couple Mavs players and George W on a random Wednesday night certainly must leave some kind of impression...

Cuban showing up helps but Bush showing meaning nothing to the recruits. Bush excited the GOP supporters in the audience but not the recruits. Since Cuban owns an NBA franchise and could draft them that is a positive.

Off topic a little, but I thought Cuban seemed particularly entertained by Cannen. No idea why and I don't think it has anything to do with Cannen as a possible professional player. (Please read the previous sentence again.) I just think Cuban enjoyed his game.

Good point. And you never know when Cuban might want a free agent to come to camp that he is familiar with seeing, Who knows, it could happen.

[OhioBrownFan]

If the kids wants to be seen, then showing up to watch a game with Mark Cuban, a couple Mavs players and George W on a random Wednesday night certainly must leave some kind of impression...

Cuban showing up helps but Bush showing meaning nothing to the recruits. Bush excited the GOP supporters in the audience but not the recruits. Since Cuban owns an NBA franchise and could draft them that is a positive.

You wouldn't want to meet a president or ex-prez? I think that's pretty damn sweet, I'd be excited if I was a recruit. Maybe not as much as Cuban but you don't meet presidents every day either. I don't like him or BO but I would have definitely been pumped to meet either if I had the chance.

[PonyTime]

If the kids wants to be seen, then showing up to watch a game with Mark Cuban, a couple Mavs players and George W on a random Wednesday night certainly must leave some kind of impression...

Cuban showing up helps but Bush showing meaning nothing to the recruits. Bush excited the GOP supporters in the audience but not the recruits. Since Cuban owns an NBA franchise and could draft them that is a positive.

Bush showing up at the game just gave SMU more exposure than they would have had if he was not there. Perhaps the recruits were not impressed, but the media was. And the more the media is impressed with the atmosphere at Moody, the more they cover it. More exposure = More brand visibility (which I believe was on the list of 6 things...)

[mustangxc]

Yeah tell us what the hell you are talking about Hoopmanx. "If you guys only knew how dirty guys like me in AAU are...." That what you mean? Look if you aren't going to ever say what you mean I'd appreciate you stop making veiled insinuations of the gangsta underworld of AAU basketball on an SMU board. BTW with regard to your attack on bandwagon SMU fans-how many SMU games have you been to this year-How many SMU games have you ever been to in your life?

First, it's not an attack on bandwagon fans, we need them. It's the lack of knowledge in the fan base w/regards to big time hoops. It can make for annoying uninformed discussion, see you thinking a few wins matters in trajectory/momentum, or the thread about whether nic Moore returns. Hell, someone wanted Manuel cut after a great performance last night. As for games attended, I've been to tons in my life, not many the past few years since I'm basically never in Dallas except for grassroots events

If your team is winning then that means you probably have a good system and talented players so I think that wins and losses do play a role. Whether a kid is going to change his commitment based on 1 or 2 losses, that is highly doubtful, but winning matters.