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I think it's great!! I love Doh's blow-up last night. SMU basketball has never had someone hold the team's feet to the fire. That's what they've been missing. Do you remember the days of street-ball with Sasser and Hopkins running a chaotic offense.. and no defense? Those days are gone..

Doh has the respect of each of those players and it's his way or the highway. Last night was a perfect example of what can happen if any starter tries to take over a team by not executing his plan.. ala Sasser, Hopkins.

I have no problem with that move. But keep in mind that Roberts could also choose to leave which would leave our already thin bench even thinner.

If this team executes like it did last night, they are not going anywhere this year. This is a year for Coach Doherty to establish himself, instill his work ethic and let the players know what he expects while at the same time recruiting kids that will work within his system. If we are going to lose players to discipline, let it happen this year. In the future there will be no excuses for them not knowing what he expects. I was not an original Coach Doherty backer, having preferrd the other coach in the running whose name I do not even recall anymore. I have liked every move that Coach Doherty has made including last night and I feel confident that he is going to turn this program into a successful one.

mrydel wrote:If this team executes like it did last night, they are not going anywhere this year. This is a year for Coach Doherty to establish himself, instill his work ethic and let the players know what he expects while at the same time recruiting kids that will work within his system. If we are going to lose players to discipline, let it happen this year. In the future there will be no excuses for them not knowing what he expects. I was not an original Coach Doherty backer, having preferrd the other coach in the running whose name I do not even recall anymore. I have liked every move that Coach Doherty has made including last night and I feel confident that he is going to turn this program into a successful one.

Ditto

Who was it that got kicked out of practice during a saturday open practice earlier this year?

couch 'em wrote:Who was it that got kicked out of practice during a saturday open practice earlier this year?

I believe that was Rack.

[quote="Corso"]Anyone else notice how much better the entire team concentrated after Roberts got sent off?[/quote]

They only took two more threes, and extended the lead to a game-high 19 points.

mrydel wrote:

smupony94 wrote:

mrydel wrote:

EmeraldCityPony wrote:Couldn't he have just kept him on the bench the rest of the game?

Yes, and we could remove Christmas Trees from your airport so nobody gets their feelings hurt, but sometimes it is best just to do the right thing that represents the proper method of either celebration or discipline.

Seattle was able to put the Christmas trees back

Thus the right thing was done in both cases.

I'd rather have a flight that leaves on time than a Christmas tree in the airport. People from both sides made a bigger deal of this than it was worth.

Back on topic, Doh admitted himself that he would have handled it differently. If doing what he did motivated the team to play better and Roberts to get his rear in gear that's fine with me. But it seems a bit of a gamble embarrasing him in front of hometown fans instead of benching him for the rest of the game, which IMO would have taught the same lesson without so much the risk of fostering a grudge.

"Yes, they caused problems at UNC, but these are not the same prima donna recruits/players that think they run the show."

I can assure you that no players under Dean Smith, Bill Guthridge, or Roy Williams ever thought they ran the show. When Cliff Rozier threatened to transfer to Louisville, Coach Smith only said "You'll have to play defense there, too, Clifford."

But, let's face it, Doherty has had some problems in this area. I was one of his biggest defenders at Carolina, and thought he got a raw deal, but even he has acknowledged needing to improve his "management style" several times since coming to SMU, and even in the post-game PC.

Difference is, at UNC, some of the players might of thought they could run the show, since Matt was an untested quantity. Matt tried to hard-ass them out of it, and ended up losing most of the team.

It's telling, however, that his most vocal defenders on the team, Ray Felton and David Noel, had both played football in high school. Maybe he'll get more of a pass at a football school. And for that matter at a school in the same state as Bob Knight.

Anyway, since Coach D is coming to SMU as a big name, I doubt he will have the same problems with players. Even if he, by his own estimation, goes a little too far, he'll be given the benefit of the doubt that he didn't have at UNC.

More importantly, he doesn't seem to want to be a Bob Knight-style coach. I think he is sincere with all the talk about management style, and will only use the hard-ass stuff very sparingly, and not as all as he gets more experience and gravitas.

Ya'll got a great coach. I'm happy to occasionally catch up on what he has already accomplished. Go Ponies. May we never meet in the tourney.

By all means lets not risk embarassing an athlete who is getting a free education for playing a game and is unwilling to do what the coach says. Lets pamper him so we can feel good about ourselves and tell the teams that beat us we are better people even though we lose more games.

SMU is a "Football School"? Hmmm. When did this occur? Alert the authorities!!!

Stallion wrote:SMU is a "Football School"? Hmmm. When did this occur? Alert the authorities!!!

Every time a story about violations in football is written or broadcast, SMU is always mentioned as the 'only school to ever have the death penalty' imposed on it.

Only now is SMU's basketball program really getting any publicity. Thank god it's POSITIVE!

couch 'em wrote:Who was it that got kicked out of practice during a saturday open practice earlier this year?

It was Devon.

Doherty needs to start a fund drive for an "Asthma Court"

mrydel wrote:By all means lets not risk embarassing an athlete who is getting a free education for playing a game and is unwilling to do what the coach says. Lets pamper him so we can feel good about ourselves and tell the teams that beat us we are better people even though we lose more games.

'Pampering' would have meant to let him keep playing. 'Discipline' can take many forms. I assume you are a parent so I don't need to explain this to you. Am I pampering my child because I send him to his room instead of spanking him? No. Different form of discipline. I have no more to add to this conversation.