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Waz wrote:This is a project boys and I know we are all tired of waiting, but it will take a little time.

Where have I heard THAT one before????

This is a project boys and I know we are all tired of waiting, but it will take a little time...Tom Rossley

This is a project boys and I know we are all tired of waiting, but it will take a little time...Mike Dement

This is a project boys and I know we are all tired of waiting, but it will take a little time...Mike Cavan

This is a project boys and I know we are all tired of waiting, but it will take a little time...Phil Bennett

This is a project boys and I know we are all tired of waiting, but it will take a little time...Jimmy Tubbs

From what I hear, Bamba Fall better start getting his butt out of bed and attending class or it will be another waste of a scholarship................

actually I thought Phil Bennett vowed to come in and compete for championships right away.

Bamba: go to class, fella.

Realistically - is SMU going to be successful in 2008, 2009, 2010? When are we actually going to compete for conference titles? I was hoping we could start a foundation now and get 1 decent local DFW recruit.

Realistically, did you think ANY coach could come in here and compete with Memphis for the C-USA title this year. No, so why are you worked up about 4-6 seasons from now? Any season ticket holder that has suffered through the Dement years saw real progress last year. We played defense and actually had an inside game. It didn't turn into significant wins, but like it or not, this is going to be a process.

Not to beat a dead horse, but recruiting top basketball players to SMU is damn hard. We are going to be looking for the diamond in the rough until we show meaningful progess in the winning dept. Hopkins came here because we gave a two-fer, and Sasser came because he had a huge ego and wanted to be THE MAN.

Friarwolf, what is your source for this information?

Who is worked up? Not expecting miracles but...progress needs to continue through recruiting regardless who is on the floor. I have suffered through enough...we all have. Just wondering if we will get there...5 years goes by quickly my friend.

SMU is hard....Too bad we aren't in the Big 12 - A&M and Baylor seemed to be doing quite well on the recruiting front. Granted he had the Big 12 but Gillespie turned things around in 1/2 a year to a program that has been dead forever.

Certainly didn't expect to compete with Memphis but we will once again be in the mid pack (5-7) without Juco help that other teams get and that is not Tubbs fault I know.

I guess I'll have to take up Women's?

SMU football tends to beat us all down and make us critical about everything, but SMU basketball isn't the black hole that our football is. We were picked by the coaches to finish 7th this year in C-USA behind the 6 teams that played in the post season last year. That is actually a very complimentary spot considering that last years WAC champion UTEP is picked 4th, and we havn't even snifed post season play since the famous Sasser & Co. NIT debacle. I think we have a realistic shot at finishing above the number 5 & 6 pics Rice and UCF. If we can do that and show real improvement then the recruiting process will get easier.

Billy Gillespie made a big splash at A&M last year and I think he is going to be one of the top coaches in college, but he inherited alot more than the prestige of the Big 12. He had senior Antoine Wright the #15 pick in the NBA draft and Acie Law for starters.

Have faith, I thnk we have a reason to be optimistic.

Right now there are four premier basketball conferences - ACC, BE and to a lesser extent the Big XII and PAC 10. If we are up against any school in those conferences, we are going to have a tough time getting those players here. Why? Big time games in front of packed arenas vs. empty gym. That said, CUSA has some schools with legitimite basketball pedigrees. UTEP, UH, Memphis, UAB and Tulsa. If some of them can rise then all will rise, and CUSA could very well become an elite basketball conference. I do think in basketball the move to CUSA will be a long term benefit to SMU. A few years ago Marquette and Louisville got back on track in basketball and CUSA got some attention. UH and UTEP have been in the NCAA finals, UTEP having a championship. Memphis in the final four. Tulsa and UAB with multiple tournament appearances. UCF has had tournament appearances. This is a definite step-up from the WAC.

Someone familiar with the situation.