EMU is in the early (yes, early) stages of a total rebuild. It is NOT the ideal place for a player who wants to win NOW. Examples might be a 5th year player using his last year of eligibility. EMU has to get to .500 before worrying about winning 20 games. Rome wasn't built in a day and rarely is a MBB team built in a year.

Agree that Heath is smartly rebuilding the team. He has Noah, Golson, Rice, and Randle (RS), and Ballard returning. All are good players, and except for Ballard, all are sophomores.

Heath’s new recruiting class includes good young transfers in Acuff, Legend Billingsley, and a freshman Lovejoy. EMU is on the right track. EMU probably has three more bb scholarship openings to fill.

Although I had high hopes for Njie at the beginning of the season, I’ll never miss a player who commits excessive turnovers and fouls, and has defensively has feet that are grounded in cement. No development can change that. Don’t mean to be cruel, but I look at his leaving as an upgrade.

(05-20-2022 05:33 PM)Miggy Wrote:  [quote='truEMU07' pid='18242292' dateline='1652993273']
Mo chooses SMU.

https://twitter.com/MONJIE_5/status/1527390105966723072

Best of luck to him.

At one point in time, Mo wanted to return to EMU, but his father a big factor in his decision to leave.Will see how that works out.

SMU has three very good bigs, including a new 5-star player. Don’t see him getting much playing time.

So dad was glory hunting? I think some of these kids and their parents are motivated by more by the attention and notoriety than personal development.

[quote='TheWoodenNickle' pid='18244139' dateline='1653143728']
[quote='Miggy' pid='18243679' dateline='1653085983']
[quote='truEMU07' pid='18242292' dateline='1652993273']
Mo chooses SMU.

https://twitter.com/MONJIE_5/status/1527390105966723072

Best of luck to him.

At one point in time, Mo wanted to return to EMU, but his father a big factor in his decision to leave.Will see how that works out.

SMU has three very good bigs, including a new 5-star player. Don’t see him getting much playing time.

So dad was glory hunting? I think some of these kids and their parents are motivated by more by the attention and notoriety than personal development.


Got that right. This is just conjecture but I suspect like most parents, MO’s father see’s has an unrealistic expectation of Mo eventually playing in the NBA.

So he wants his son to play at a more visible program.

He couldn’t have chosen a worse program as SMU has far better big men, and the likelihood of him sitting on the bench seems very real.

Guys... we aren't even in the same stratosphere as SMU, both as a basketball program and university.

Eastern's last recorded endowment was $78.2 million (2019).
SMU's financial records show that, in the same year, their endowment was $1.6 Billion. It has now climbed to $2.1 Billion. Those may just seem like numbers but they ultimately make a huge difference on the academic side. And, quite frankly, SMU is a school that has used its resources for the bells and whistles that benefit students and student-athletes. Plus winters in Dallas are not going to be nearly as harsh as Ypsilanti.

On the basketball side, SMU has made the NCAA Tournament twice in the last seven years, went to the NIT the last two years and was in the NIT Championship game in 2014. And once you get into comparing the MAC vs. the American that's also not close. The AAC has been a multi-bid league every single year since its inception. But hey, our CBI and CIT appearances are great.

We can say what we want on him choosing a "now" program over a rebuild like ours, but at the end of the day SMU is a better situation than EMU.

(05-21-2022 09:49 AM)truEMU07 Wrote:  Guys... we aren't even in the same stratosphere as SMU, both as a basketball program and university.

Eastern's last recorded endowment was $78.2 million (2019).
SMU's financial records show that, in the same year, their endowment was $1.6 Billion. It has now climbed to $2.1 Billion. Those may just seem like numbers but they ultimately make a huge difference on the academic side. And, quite frankly, SMU is a school that has used its resources for the bells and whistles that benefit students and student-athletes. Plus winters in Dallas are not going to be nearly as harsh as Ypsilanti.

On the basketball side, SMU has made the NCAA Tournament twice in the last seven years, went to the NIT the last two years and was in the NIT Championship game in 2014. And once you get into comparing the MAC vs. the American that's also not close. The AAC has been a multi-bid league every single year since its inception. But hey, our CBI and CIT appearances are great.

We can say what we want on him choosing a "now" program over a rebuild like ours, but at the end of the day SMU is a better situation than EMU.

Not if he sits on the bench. SMU is not St. Peter’s. Forgot that St.Peter’s is a smaller program than EMU. My bad!

As for AAC, it’s going downhill as Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF, are all leaving after this season.

(05-21-2022 09:49 AM)truEMU07 Wrote:  Guys... we aren't even in the same stratosphere as SMU, both as a basketball program and university.

Eastern's last recorded endowment was $78.2 million (2019).
SMU's financial records show that, in the same year, their endowment was $1.6 Billion. It has now climbed to $2.1 Billion. Those may just seem like numbers but they ultimately make a huge difference on the academic side. And, quite frankly, SMU is a school that has used its resources for the bells and whistles that benefit students and student-athletes. Plus winters in Dallas are not going to be nearly as harsh as Ypsilanti.

On the basketball side, SMU has made the NCAA Tournament twice in the last seven years, went to the NIT the last two years and was in the NIT Championship game in 2014. And once you get into comparing the MAC vs. the American that's also not close. The AAC has been a multi-bid league every single year since its inception. But hey, our CBI and CIT appearances are great.

We can say what we want on him choosing a "now" program over a rebuild like ours, but at the end of the day SMU is a better situation than EMU.

As a very, very, very proud EMU alumni who has done well for himself with that education, I say this:
100% spot on with this post, Tru!

I don’t think Mo will be more successful going to SMU- in basketball or otherwise in life. Regardless, SMU is an understandably appealing destination for Mo and his parents, so happy for him in that sense.

That said, EMU likely “traded up” as well bringing in Legend and Billingsley in my opinion.

(05-21-2022 11:33 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 09:49 AM)truEMU07 Wrote:  Guys... we aren't even in the same stratosphere as SMU, both as a basketball program and university.

Eastern's last recorded endowment was $78.2 million (2019).
SMU's financial records show that, in the same year, their endowment was $1.6 Billion. It has now climbed to $2.1 Billion. Those may just seem like numbers but they ultimately make a huge difference on the academic side. And, quite frankly, SMU is a school that has used its resources for the bells and whistles that benefit students and student-athletes. Plus winters in Dallas are not going to be nearly as harsh as Ypsilanti.

On the basketball side, SMU has made the NCAA Tournament twice in the last seven years, went to the NIT the last two years and was in the NIT Championship game in 2014. And once you get into comparing the MAC vs. the American that's also not close. The AAC has been a multi-bid league every single year since its inception. But hey, our CBI and CIT appearances are great.

We can say what we want on him choosing a "now" program over a rebuild like ours, but at the end of the day SMU is a better situation than EMU.

As a very, very, very proud EMU alumni who has done well for himself with that education, I say this:
100% spot on with this post, Tru!

I don’t think Mo will be more successful going to SMU- in basketball or otherwise in life. Regardless, SMU is an understandably appealing destination for Mo and his parents, so happy for him in that sense.

That said, EMU likely “traded up” as well bringing in Legend and Billingsley in my opinion.

We live in a world where the grass is always greener somewhere else...

(05-21-2022 03:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 09:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(05-19-2022 08:54 PM)holybovine Wrote:  SMU? What a loser. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Holy,

I think that might be a little harsh.

If he wanted a “bigger stage”, he went to the wrong place.

I guess we are into semantics, but SMU played two NIT games in March.

AAC is a good conference. SMU was 24 - 9 and ranked #53 by the Sagarins. Beat a lot of big name teams like Houston, Memphis, Cincy, etc.

Nobody cares about SMU basketball, particularly those in Dallas. You would have to live there to understand.

Maybe a comparison for you would be George Washington?

(05-21-2022 02:30 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 03:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 09:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(05-19-2022 08:54 PM)holybovine Wrote:  SMU? What a loser. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Holy,

I think that might be a little harsh.

If he wanted a “bigger stage”, he went to the wrong place.

I guess we are into semantics, but SMU played two NIT games in March.

AAC is a good conference. SMU was 24 - 9 and ranked #53 by the Sagarins. Beat a lot of big name teams like Houston, Memphis, Cincy, etc.

Nobody cares about SMU basketball, particularly those in Dallas. You would have to live there to understand.

Maybe a comparison for you would be George Washington?

I’ve been to both places and will say on a basketball level you are absolutely correct. SMU’s campus was better, but visiting both places in January obviously gives an advantage to the school based in Texas.

The AAC will be a shell of itself by the time Mo is done with school there, but it’s a well-known fact they’ve been lobbying for the Big12 for years.

Maybe he just likes Red and Blue more than Green and White?

(05-21-2022 02:30 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 03:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 09:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(05-19-2022 08:54 PM)holybovine Wrote:  SMU? What a loser. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Holy,

I think that might be a little harsh.

If he wanted a “bigger stage”, he went to the wrong place.

I guess we are into semantics, but SMU played two NIT games in March.

AAC is a good conference. SMU was 24 - 9 and ranked #53 by the Sagarins. Beat a lot of big name teams like Houston, Memphis, Cincy, etc.

Nobody cares about SMU basketball, particularly those in Dallas. You would have to live there to understand.

Maybe a comparison for you would be George Washington?

Holy, the undergrad has 6500 students I believe and they average over 5000 fans. So they do care about SMU basketball.

Now with that said onward and upward Coach Heath and EMU basketball!!

(05-21-2022 05:25 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 02:30 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 03:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 09:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Holy,

I think that might be a little harsh.

If he wanted a “bigger stage”, he went to the wrong place.

I guess we are into semantics, but SMU played two NIT games in March.

AAC is a good conference. SMU was 24 - 9 and ranked #53 by the Sagarins. Beat a lot of big name teams like Houston, Memphis, Cincy, etc.

Nobody cares about SMU basketball, particularly those in Dallas. You would have to live there to understand.

Maybe a comparison for you would be George Washington?

Holy, the undergrad has 6500 students I believe and they average over 5000 fans. So they do care about SMU basketball.

Now with that said onward and upward Coach Heath and EMU basketball!!

In comparison to us? Sure.

In comparison to BYU or Pitt? No.

He wanted the “bigger stage”, but he made a poor choice.

I think we would lose most comparisons in terms of fan interest, BTW.

(05-21-2022 03:06 PM)truEMU07 Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 02:30 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 03:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 09:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Holy,

I think that might be a little harsh.

If he wanted a “bigger stage”, he went to the wrong place.

I guess we are into semantics, but SMU played two NIT games in March.

AAC is a good conference. SMU was 24 - 9 and ranked #53 by the Sagarins. Beat a lot of big name teams like Houston, Memphis, Cincy, etc.

Nobody cares about SMU basketball, particularly those in Dallas. You would have to live there to understand.

Maybe a comparison for you would be George Washington?

I’ve been to both places and will say on a basketball level you are absolutely correct. SMU’s campus was better, but visiting both places in January obviously gives an advantage to the school based in Texas.

The AAC will be a shell of itself by the time Mo is done with school there, but it’s a well-known fact they’ve been lobbying for the Big12 for years.

Maybe he just likes Red and Blue more than Green and White?

They will never get in. Never. Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, and Houston would do anything to keep them out, and they have no support in the state legislature, which is the only way Houston got in.

(05-21-2022 05:36 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 03:06 PM)truEMU07 Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 02:30 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 03:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  If he wanted a “bigger stage”, he went to the wrong place.

I guess we are into semantics, but SMU played two NIT games in March.

AAC is a good conference. SMU was 24 - 9 and ranked #53 by the Sagarins. Beat a lot of big name teams like Houston, Memphis, Cincy, etc.

Nobody cares about SMU basketball, particularly those in Dallas. You would have to live there to understand.

Maybe a comparison for you would be George Washington?

I’ve been to both places and will say on a basketball level you are absolutely correct. SMU’s campus was better, but visiting both places in January obviously gives an advantage to the school based in Texas.

The AAC will be a shell of itself by the time Mo is done with school there, but it’s a well-known fact they’ve been lobbying for the Big12 for years.

Maybe he just likes Red and Blue more than Green and White?

They will never get in. Never. Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, and Houston would do anything to keep them out, and they have no support in the state legislature, which is the only way Houston got in.

Okay so they never get into the Big 12. The American is still a better basketball conference than the MAC.

Once the AAC loses UCF, Houston and Cincinnati it won't be a strong basketball conference. Memphis, Temple and Wichita State will have to carry the league.

But that doesn't happen until 2024-25 (unless the lawyers figure out how to make it happen sooner). Maybe by then the MAC has figured things out, is able to keep some of the successful coaches around and the potential we've all seen and talked about the league having will have come to fruition.

I look at the AAC as a defensive conference, compared to the MAC that is more of an offensive conference with more good three-point shooters.

(05-21-2022 02:30 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-21-2022 03:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-20-2022 09:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(05-19-2022 08:54 PM)holybovine Wrote:  SMU? What a loser. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Holy,

I think that might be a little harsh.

If he wanted a “bigger stage”, he went to the wrong place.

I guess we are into semantics, but SMU played two NIT games in March.

AAC is a good conference. SMU was 24 - 9 and ranked #53 by the Sagarins. Beat a lot of big name teams like Houston, Memphis, Cincy, etc.

Nobody cares about SMU basketball, particularly those in Dallas. You would have to live there to understand.

Maybe a comparison for you would be George Washington?

He will be joining a winning program in a still decent conference.

I'm not sure I like the term 'bigger stage' but SMU definitely is a good program.