Postgame SMU… final of 2024-25

[Red2003]

I get that NIL is relatively new and people are trying to still figure things out. But at the same time this was year 4 of NIL. There was no excuse for not being more prepared before this season, especially having lost a key player the year before. Which makes me wonder was NIL an issue or was it a smoke screen to cover for Red?

I don't expect SU to be ahead of the curve, but we also shouldn't be well behind. So the question is did the changes we made to NIL catch us up with the 2024 environment? Or will it have us caught up to the 2025 market? If it is the former then we are still behind.

Here's the thing. In the ACC it's not just Cuse getting worse and stinking it up. There are 3 tourney teams, I don't think UNC should even sniff the last 4 in but they have the brand so who knows.

That means there are 15 ACC teams that are not even close to the bubble right now. All of them are behind in NIL, talent and coaching. SMU has a huge nil payroll which got them in the CFP but wasn't enough for the tourney this year either.

Outside of the top 3 the only other teams that had top 25 wins in the ACC were UNC with a 2 point win over UCLA and GT beating Louisville.

It's not just us, we are terrible but everyone else is getting worse in the ACC too.

 

[OHIORANGES]

I like Petar as a guy we can rely on in 2030 to come off the bench. Otherwise I agree.

I think he is very uncoordinated

 

[jdubs30]

Everyone will be more prepared for the portal this time around, not just us.

I assume most programs (at least the ones in good health) will have more money than last year.

We will also have to pay a Red tax. If us and StJohns are offering a kid $1M, it’s very unlikely the kid chooses the team that won 14 games last year. We are going to have pay more in most circumstances if we’re going up against good programs for similar players.

Maybe we’ll get lucky and get a few under the radar guys who end up being better than expected. Maybe a Red/Straugn prior relationship with certain players (ex. Fleming) will give us a leg up. But it’s hard to imagine any of the top portal guys giving us a serious look

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Here's the thing. In the ACC it's not just Cuse getting worse and stinking it up. There are 3 tourney teams, I don't think UNC should even sniff the last 4 in but they have the brand so who knows.

That means there are 15 ACC teams that are not even close to the bubble right now. All of them are behind in NIL, talent and coaching. SMU has a huge nil payroll which got them in the CFP but wasn't enough for the tourney this year either.

Outside of the top 3 the only other teams that had top 25 wins in the ACC were UNC with a 2 point win over UCLA and GT beating Louisville.

It's not just us, we are terrible but everyone else is getting worse in the ACC too.

IMO the ACC struggles have a lot to do with the HC turnover. The ACC used to have the best HCs. That isn't the case anymore.

But back to my original point, how were we unprepared for 2024-25 when we already saw Miami buy a Final Four in 2022-23? It isn't like this was year 1 of NIL. There was no excuse. So either it is a fib to save face for this disaster of a season, or our AD and HC were negligent.

 

[Polarnut8]

We won two of our last three games

LOL

 

[JFly10]

Bringing Autry back is basically waving the white flag on this program. I don't know how they can even make the case that they're trying to win with bringing him back.

 

[Scooch]

I got on a 9am train this morning to head into NYC and it was full of UConn and St. John's fans. On my walk to the office from Grand Central I passed groups of Villanova, Marquette and Xavier fans.

Honestly, it made me sad. It's so lousy to be a bad team in a conference that plays its tourney in a half-empty arena in North Carolina.

I know I'd feel differently if we were a top team in the league. And the ACC is great for our football program. But being in the city right now during the Big East tourney is a complete kick in the nads.

 

[elimunelson]

I got on a 9am train this morning to head into NYC and it was full of UConn and St. John's fans. On my walk to the office from Grand Central I passed groups of Villanova, Marquette and Xavier fans.

Honestly, it made me sad. It's so lousy to be a bad team in a conference that plays its tourney in a half-empty arena in North Carolina.

I know I'd feel differently if we were a top team in the league. And the ACC is great for our football program. But being in the city right now during the Big East tourney is a complete kick in the nads.

It compounds the issue for me personally that we are in the ACC and miss out on this amazing tournament.

We sold out and it was right move. However there was consequences to our northeast beast of the east brand. We are now the school who can’t fire a guy who is over his head because of money. The irony

 

[Kidcuse]

Let the transfers begin. Between the graduating seniors and the underclassmen possibly hittin’ the portal, we may have a nearly complete new team this fall. Even more than this past season. Oh goody!

 

[LAorange44]

Are dooney and chomp still attending class even?

 

[Irishsecra1]

Let the transfers begin. Between the graduating seniors and the underclassmen possibly hittin’ the portal, we may have a nearly complete new team this fall. Even more than this past season. Oh goody!

the only player who has definitively said he is coming back is Cuffe.
Ironic as he is seriously the one player who I think needs a fresh start elsewhere.

 

[AcAndAc]

It compounds the issue for me personally that we are in the ACC and miss out on this amazing tournament.

We sold out and it was right move. However there was consequences to our northeast beast of the east brand. We are now the school who can’t fire a guy who is over his head because of money. The irony

Seemed like the right move at the time, at least. No longer so sure about it.

 

[23Zone]

I did not watch the game yesterday for obvious reasons but I do like looking at the stats. Can someone please tell me how is it that lampkin only had two shots from the field? He was arguably our best player.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Seemed like the right move at the time, at least. No longer so sure about it.

It was and still is.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I did not watch the game yesterday for obvious reasons but I do like looking at the stats. Can someone please tell me how is it that lampkin only had two shots from the field? He was arguably our best player.

The 7-2 kid from SMU was all over him, and Eddie was double and triple teamed everytime he got the ball down low.

Eddie recognized the double and passed out of it.

But when your wide open shooters go 6-22 from outside the arc...

 

[HyattsCuse]

I did not watch the game yesterday for obvious reasons but I do like looking at the stats. Can someone please tell me how is it that lampkin only had two shots from the field? He was arguably our best player.

My 2 cents. A bunch of factors.

He isn’t a back to back night player. We saw it in Brooklyn. We saw it last night. He was fatigued.

SMU D has to be commended. They swarmed Eddie when he got the ball. They also have a 7’2” dude that I thought played better last night versus the first matchup.

Our offense just looked dysfunctional all night. Some of that was SMU. Some of that was playing back to back nights. Some of that is our offense is weak in general. Some of that was in an inability for the staff to find things that worked against their D.

 

[23Zone]

The 7-2 kid from SMU was all over him, and Eddie was double and triple teamed everytime he got the ball down low.

Eddie recognized the double and passed out of it.

But when your wide open shooters go 6-22 from outside the arc...

Thanks. I guess their coach knew what they were doing. Miss that feeling

 

[ar inj]

I did not watch the game yesterday for obvious reasons but I do like looking at the stats. Can someone please tell me how is it that lampkin only had two shots from the field? He was arguably our best player.

You should have watched the game