What is going on at SMU?

NT03 · August 26, 2013

This may very well be the most obvious sentence ever uttered on this website in the history of posting...

Larry Brown got SMU Tim Jankovich for their future coach, an increased interest in SMU hoops from both a media and fanbase standpoint, and now they have some great talent coming in.

We got Tony Benford for AT LEAST 3 more years, lost any interest that we had slowly built up over a decade, lost our most talented player in the school's history, and have seen a lot of players leave the team.

Its not a tough question to answer.

Didn't realize I needed to mark sarcasm on that

Cooley · August 26, 2013

Larry Brown was initially an afterthought at SMU. All the leading candidates told SMU no. He has certainly helped recruiting but SMU finally decided to go back to what they do best; spend money, lots of it. Their plan appears to be working. First, without bitching from its fans, ran off every kid that didn't have the talent to play against Big East competition. (4-5 kids were told, upon arrival, to find another school. Dallas was put on notice that SMU was serious about winning. Their 42m renovation of Moody should be complete in January. They paid top head coach money to attract top assistants/recruiters. They immediately sold local kids and AAU coaches on their planned affiliation with the Big East. (Now American whatever)

At the current time, every top underclassman recruit in Dallas & across the state have already taken unofficials to the hilltop. Brown & staff are regulars at every AAU tournament in the area and many HS game, featuring the top recruits. SMU is hitting Dallas hard. SMU is also recruiting nationally where a number of top prospects hold SMU offers. Brown even landed the #1 Juco big man this spring to go along with the D1 transfers who are scheduled to play this fall. Another 5 star transfer elected to play overseas instead of enrolling at SMU. Didn't matter to SMU or Brown that this kid had numerous brushes with the law.

Correct, Benford is no Larry Brown but we are really comparing apple to oranges with these metroplex schools/programs.

oldschoollefty · August 27, 2013

Haven't checked the site in a while, but looks like it's the same old thing, SMU bashing. You make yourself look petty, everytime the excuse of "SMU is paying", anytime they have success.

Given SMUt's lengthy and impressive record in recent decades of checkbook recruiting, (*cough* *cough* death penalty) I'd say bringing up the subject of said practices is relevant and warranted.

Harry · August 27, 2013

They have a very big media blitz going on at Belo... They basically own the Dallas Morning News or what's left of it. I give them credit, with their money they have been able to create a path back to respectability. Will they someday rejoin the big 12? Not too sure about that but at least they are trying to get there. I think they have a shot to beat Texas Tech --- an outside shot but it would be a huge win.

untjim1995 · August 27, 2013

They have a very big media blitz going on at Belo... They basically own the Dallas Morning News or what's left of it. I give them credit, with their money they have been able to create a path back to respectability. Will they someday rejoin the big 12? Not too sure about that but at least they are trying to get there. I think they have a shot to beat Texas Tech --- an outside shot but it would be a huge win.

I've been saying this for years. That rag has more SMU and Texas money behind it than anyone else--Baylor has some influence, there, too. Then, the FWST loves their hometown team, since TCUs money is there, as well.

That leaves us the DRC--owned by Belo, managed by Dentonites that like music, arts, and education. They like high school sports, too, but generally have loathed UNT athletics for decades. When the DRC is your only media outlet, and its owned by a company that gives SMU extremely favorable press, its not a surprise that we cannot manage to get equal footing in the Metroplex. You can poo-poo the newspapers as dying, but the local TV and radio sports stations in the DFW area still use their stories as "research" for their own programs.

MeanGreenTexan · August 27, 2013

I've been saying this for years. That rag has more SMU and Texas money behind it than anyone else--Baylor has some influence, there, too. Then, the FWST loves their hometown team, since TCUs money is there, as well.

That leaves us the DRC--owned by Belo, managed by Dentonites that like music, arts, and education. They like high school sports, too, but generally have loathed UNT athletics for decades. When the DRC is your only media outlet, and its owned by a company that gives SMU extremely favorable press, its not a surprise that we cannot manage to get equal footing in the Metroplex. You can poo-poo the newspapers as dying, but the local TV and radio sports stations in the DFW area still use their stories as "research" for their own programs.

That's why we're going to need to start winning so we get Fox Sports and ESPN attention rather than waiting for DMN to recognize us.

TheWestie · August 27, 2013

I've been saying this for years. That rag has more SMU and Texas money behind it than anyone else--Baylor has some influence, there, too. Then, the FWST loves their hometown team, since TCUs money is there, as well.

That leaves us the DRC--owned by Belo, managed by Dentonites that like music, arts, and education. They like high school sports, too, but generally have loathed UNT athletics for decades. When the DRC is your only media outlet, and its owned by a company that gives SMU extremely favorable press, its not a surprise that we cannot manage to get equal footing in the Metroplex. You can poo-poo the newspapers as dying, but the local TV and radio sports stations in the DFW area still use their stories as "research" for their own programs.

What is a shame is how many worker bees at the Morning News and the Star-Telegram are UNT alums. The kink is that the check-writers are SMU and TCU alums.

As of a few months ago, of the little more than a dozen newsroom people at the DRC, 8 were Alums.

OH and by the way, the DRC 2013 Football preview magazine comes out Thursday. With another awesome UNT center section. Over 120 pages of football goodness including some pretty badass photos I must say.

Edited August 27, 2013 by TheWestie