1.Larry Brown
The
first reason is obvious. There are only a handful of coaches in the world that
know the game of basketball at the college and pro level like Larry Brown does. The only basketball coach ever with an NCAA
championship and NBA championship under his belt, Larry Brown knows how to take
a players game to the next level. For example, if Emmanuel Mudiay, the five star recruit, had gone to SMU, he could have learned the game from a whole new level coaching. We can now only speculate on how much of an influence Coach Brown could have been to the young superstar.
2.
Student Body
If you watched even a second of any SMU home basketball
game last year, you quickly realized how intense and enthused the student
section was. The excitement will only
increase this year. Season tickets are
already sold out, and students are trying to reserve their spots in “The
MOB.” The MOB is the heart of SMU basketball, comprised of crazy students that cheer for SMU and jeer for the opposing team. This combination creates an electric
home team advantage.
3.
Moody Coliseum
Due
to the architecture and organization there is not a bad seat in the house. The
collaborative team decided to eliminate several seats to increase demand as
well as create an intimate viewing experience for all the fans. The addition of
luxury suites attracts people in the Dallas community as well as alumni. All of
this means donor support as well as more people cheering at games. It also
creates a legacy when children grow up going to SMU games; they become lifelong
fans and supporters.
4.
Dallas
Dallas
is a booming town and offers not only job opportunities but also an endless
stream of things to do. If playing basketball professionally does not work out
there are numerous other sport related jobs available in Dallas.
5.
Championship Contender
SMU
was snubbed from the NCAA tournament last year despite being 27-10 for the
season; they were a tournament worthy team. This year the returning players
have matured under the leadership of Larry Brown and we also have new transfers
who will add depth to the team. Ben Emelogu, a guard, who transferred from
Virginia Tech; and Jordan Tolbert, a forward who transferred from Texas tech. We
can also look forward to watching Nic Moore, who has an American Conference Player of the Year prediction from CBS
Sports. Moore has been able to perfect his talent under the guidance of Larry Brown,
which will greatly benefit the Mustangs in the upcoming season.
