"Viva Las Vegas"
Las Vegas is the basketball capital of the world this week as there are three national AAU events that are attended by all the NCAA schools in the country as we try to evaluate and discover basketball talent. Along with that, Team USA is practicing here as they prepare for the Olympics.
Why Las Vegas? From the AAU perspective, the hotels are cheaper here in the summer, plus the facilities are terrific. With all the growth in Vegas, they have built a lot of new high schools with huge gyms. So gym space and hotels make it a desired spot for all these AAU events!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 22
"I Love Football"
Today, I watched my son participate in Highland Park High School's football camp. It was fun to see him run around executing routes and hearing all the terminology that was new to him....and me! I love stealing....from other coaches and other sports! Head Coach Randy Allen and his staff are organized and teach the game very well.
In my next life I want to come back as a QB, like Peyton Manning, and then I would become an offensive coordinator. I love that stuff! When I was out of coaching, I travelled to Utah to watch the Jazz practice and the next day I met up with Urban Meyer at the University of Utah (now at Florida) and sat in his offensive staff meeting for five hours! Great stuff!
I can't wait to see Coach June's team air it out in Ford this fall!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 21
"Rough Creek Lodge"
Thursday my family took a trip to a "little slice of heaven" called the Rough Creek Lodge. We went with Paul Rasmussen and his family. Paul is the pastor of the Cornerstone Church at HP United Methodist Church. It was a perfect get-a-way during the busy month of July.
Some of the great features of the RCL:
- only a two-hour drive from Dallas...no planes to deal with!
- great service
- terrific food
- something for every member of the family
We shot guns! A 22 rifle and a 22 pistol. We swam in their beautiful pool. We did the zip line....yes....it can hold a 250lb coach. We fished....big bass in the lake! Paintball was the highlight! My son loved paintball! It was fun to go out on the "battlefield" with him as we had our facemasks on with our paintball guns. What a great bonding experience with my son! He can't stop talking about it!
Perfect break for the family. We will be back!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 17
"Recruting"
Today we met as a staff to cover the first ten days of the recruiting period. We organized our notes in preparation for today so we could share our evaluations with each other. It is a time consuming process, but VERY necessary. Our meeting lasted three hours as we broke down players and discussed our needs.
Roy Williams once said, "Recruiting is like shaving, if you miss a day, everyone notices!"
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 14
"Irregular Blogs"
I have been suffering from "irregular blogs" lately....isn't there a pill for that?
"Hi, I'm Matt Doherty, and I suffer from irregular blogs. Now I take Bliolus! One Bliolus and my thumbs can type all day!"
Ok......sorry.........pretty funny though.....at least, I think so....
It is 4:58am in Minneapolis and I am on my way to Houston. This was my second day in a row where I had a pre-6am flight. When the alarm goes off at 3:30am it hurts!!! Friday through Sunday I was in the gym evaluating talent from 8:30am til 10:30pm. Hot dogs and peanut M&M's can get old! Ok, maybe just the hot dogs get old....peanut M&M's never get old!
July is that crazy month where college coaches travel all over the country to see AAU events trying to watch as many players as possible. Fun, but crazy!
Pony up!
Coach Doh
July 11
"J.D. DuBois"
I have had a very positive conversation with the DuBois family re JD and his future. We have come to a mutual decision that it is best for JD that we find another place for him to further his career as a student-athlete. JD is a terrific young man with a bright future. I offered my assistance in helping him in any way possible. I want to see him happy and successful.
The Mustang Family wishes JD and his family the best of luck.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 10
"Just a Thought"
I saw a store front sign today in Philly that read "Divorce Inc."
Nice!
What in the world.....???
We research stocks, we reseearch homes, we research colleges for our kids.....we need to research potential spouses a little better!
Just a thought.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 9
"A-Rod"
Let me get this straight.....Alex Rodriquez's wife files for divorce because "A-Rod" and Madonna are apparently an "item". Then his wife supposedly seeks "refuge" in Paris with rock star Lenny Kravitz, who was apparently "linked" to Madonna in the past....
You can't make this stuff up!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 7
"July Recruiting: Travel Day #1"
Saturday:
I say good-bye to my family. It's tough saying good-bye, especially to my daughter as she tears up! Those crocodile tears are killing me!
I get to DFW and my flight is delayed one hour....great...day 1 and I have a delay right out of the chute.... however, I should be able to make my connection in Atlanta as I now have 45 minutes before my connecting flight is to take off.
We land in Atlanta at 8pm. My flight leaves at 8:45pm. I am thinking I will be fine. However, all of a sudden we are sitting on the runway.....oh....no....
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Due to the weather issues today in Atlanta things are backed up here and we need to wait 10 minutes before our gate is available."
This is what goes through m mind:
- arrival gate?
- departure gate?
(Key info in Atlanta as the gates are miles apart.)
- fortunately I am in 10-C, bulk head aisle.
- should I be a nice guy and help the lady and her daughter get their heavy bags in the overhead. After all, I helped them put them up there......or do I blow them off and go "New York" on them?
- I realize I have an SMU golf shirt on with the Pony on it. Bad PR move if I blow them off?
- What would Dr. Turner do?
- I help them with their bags!
- Now two older ladies are in 10-D and 10-E. One has a leg problem. Do I box her out and prevent her from entering the aisle? If she gets in front of me I could be slowed down tremendously! Or do I let her out?
- Note - I don't concern myself with Dr. Turner etiquette here!
- Veteran move #1 - I announce to nobody in particular, but hoping the old ladies in 10-D and 10-E hear me that "I have 10 minutes before my connection leaves."
- "10-D Lady" bites on it and says, "Oh, you must go ahead then!"........Bingo!!
Now I run up the ramp to two female Delta agents and I start to ask a question and one agent points to the connection board.....like "don't ask me the info is behind you".... plain (pun) rude!
I said, "I need to ask you a question. Can you hold my connecting flight?"
Rude Delta agent, "No!"
She couldn't work for Mr. Sewell!
Now, I am at gate B-12 and my connecting gate is C-45 and my flight leaves in 20 minutes.
Ok, I lied to the old lady in 10-D....it wasn't 10 minutes!
Now I go "OJ Simpson" through the airport....remember the Hertz commercials back in the day.....with OJ running through the airport?????
I think I just lost the 35 and under crowd! My bad!
I run to the trains (remember Atlanta) to get to C concourse. When I get off the crowded train I run to the escalator. I get a dirty look as I ask a girl to move to her right as I run up the escalator. I did say, "Excuse me."
I run to C-45....great...the door is open.....I made it....as sweat is rolling down my back.....I am trying not to breath too hard as my calves start to quiver.....
Need to work harder in my pre-July recruiting period conditioning program......
Bad news....the male agent informs me that the flight is "closed"....as I see the door "open"...."Sorry, flight closes 10 minutes before departure and this flight is full!"
I really impressed myself as I stayed calm....maybe it was because I was exhausted going "OJ" for 20 minutes.
"Male Agent C-45" directs me to customer service and I visit with a very nice lady...a Ms. R. Lawrence..."Sewell material".....who gets me on a flight....an hour from my original destination .... Now my bags won't make the trip with me.... I will have to get them tomorrow......
Veteran move #2....when packing this afternoon I had to plan for six days of recruiting....knowing I had an Atlanta connection so I packed a small bag to take on the plane...a Starpower bag no less....got to plug 'em....we need sponsorship dollars....in the bag I put a shirt, underwear and my toiletry bag in case my checked bag didn't make it....what a veteran move!!!
And it is only Day 1!!!
Stay strong!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
July 2
"New Crew"
All of our players are here with two exceptions: Cort Hoge and Ryan Maag. Both of these young men are walk-ons, but I like to just consider them "players". Cort is a 6-10 post player from Oklahoma that can shoot and handle the ball. He has a big frame and will add depth at the post position. Cort was here for Summer One. Ryan is a point guard from Houston that is strong and can really shoot the ball. Ryan was here for orientation this week. I am excited that they decided to join our program because they will valuable assets in the development of our team.
Rounding out our new players:
I am very excited about this "New Crew". I feel we backed up last year's recruiting class with another good one. We will see the benefits of this very soon!!
I would suggest buying your tickets now, because Moody will be rocking in the near future!!!
Pony Up!
June 30
"First Meeting"
"First Meeting"
This past weekend most our new team arrived on campus to attend "Summer 2", our second summer school session. Tonight we had our first formal team meeting to discuss our core values of Respect, Trust and Commitment (RTC)......or rules and regulations, academics, proper behavior, schedules, etc. It is an exciting time as we are going into year three as a new program. With each year the foundation is getting stronger and stronger. I can sense the maturity and energy that this group seems to have. I believe we are putting the pieces together for our program to take off. Being in our new locker room and talking to a new group gave me a feeling that really excites me. New faces, new leaders, new season!
Our goals are to "Flip it!' As in our record! Our goal it to win 20 games, go the Sweet 16 and win the C-USA Championship. Our depth should be better, our defense will improve and our assist: turnover ratio MUST be positive next year!
This is the "Summer of Extra". I want our players to work extra hard and become "Tough as Nails" so that we have a successful season this winter!
I hope to see you in Moody for some exciting basketball.....Mustang Basketball!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 27
"Mister Doherty"
This week I feel like I have aged a little!
You know you are getting older when:
1. your back goes out from riding a bike
2. when the doctor starts cuttting skin off your back
3. when one of your favorite things to do is go to your son's little league game and sit in the outfield and talk with the other dads.
4. When a 25-year-old comes up to you and extends his hand and says, "It's nice to meet you Mr. Doherty."
Getting older isn't a bad thing. I guess it beats the alternative!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 24
"Jon is Killen"
Yesterday my staff and I went to the AAC to watch Jon Killen workout with some potential Dallas Mavericks' draft choices. Jon was brought in to challenge these players so the Mavericks' staff could get a good evaluation. It was an exciting moment for Jon.....and me. I felt like a proud dad as I saw Jon compete against several "name" college players. Jon more than held his own. As he would make a play I would feel my stomach twist as I wanted him to play well and with confidence, which he did.
After Jon's workout I went back to our camp and talked to the youngsters about dreams and goals and working hard to achieve those dreams. Find your passion and chase it and don't let anyone discourage you. Jon Killen is a living example of this. He had a dream, a goal and he worked his tail off for it. Look at him now! Jon went from a little used player who couldn't shoot to an all-league performer that was one of the best three point shooters in C-USA! Now he is working out with the Mavericks with an offer to play in Europe on the table!
And I didn't even mention the best thing.....he has already been accepted into the Cox School of Business!!!
Young men like Jon are a blessing to coach.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 23
"Lunch with Coach"
Today I was invited to join former players David Miller, Donnie Berg, Larry Delzell and Bobby Rollings for lunch at Coach Prewitt's house. Dave and Donnie picked me up and took me to see "Coach". Larry and Bobby were there already with Mrs. Prewitt and their daughter, Cathy. We were welcomed into Coach's home and we all sat around Coach Prewitt as he is recovering from hip replacement surgery. He was in great spirits, especially with his former players around him.
The feeling that stuck with me as I sat there listening to the old stories was the respect that these successful men, who graduated thirty-plus years ago, had for their coach. Imagine how good "Coach" felt to have these grown men come to visit him in his home? Wow! That is a sign of a successful coach....a winner!
When we were leaving the house Donnie "Horse" Berg said he learned so many lessons from "Coach" that he still reflects on today!
I only hope that some former players of mine come by my house thirty years from now to have lunch! That would be really cool!
Guys, thanks for letting me witness lunch with "Coach".
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 20
"Summer Time"
Saturday is the first official day of summer, but it has started to feel like summer already.
Signs of summer:
- swimming - the pools are open and kids are playing
- basketball camp - we just completed our first week of camp with two
more weeks to go.
- little league baseball - my son's season is winding down with the
playoffs starting on Monday.
- American Flags - July 4th is just around the corner
- cookouts - the smell of meat on the grill as I walk through the
neighborhood
With my kids entering 4th and 5th grades this fall, they are at a great age to enjoy the summer.......camps, swimming and the sound of baseball bats hitting the ball.....
Enjoy your summer!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 19
"Basketball"
Why is basketball such a great sport:
- you can practice it by yourself
- it is a fluid game
- you can be close enough to see the faces of the players and coaches
- the athletes are big, fast and coordinated
- it is a team game where individual talents are displayed
- the fans can make a big impact
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 18
"Sons and Sports"
How about Tiger Woods! One of the greatest feats I have ever seen in sports became even more unbelievable when I learned of the severity of Tiger's injured leg. After winning the US Open on the fifth day in a play-off/sudden death round against the charismatic Rocco Mediate, the world of golf learned that "El Tigre" had a stress fracture in his left leg and a torn ACL. Tiger knew of this before the Open started!!! That is incredible, especially considering the amount of walking a golfer has to endure along with the twisting that goes on in the left leg as you finish your swing! He adjusted his golf swing and managed the pain to gut out the US Open Championship! His dad would have been proud........
.......it's the same pride as when I witnessed my son, Tucker, hitting two line-drives to centerfield in his baseball game last night! He has been frustrated with baseball, but he worked on his game this week and saw direct results with his two at-bats. My late father who passed away last year was a minor league baseball player and after Tucker's games we used to call my dad so Tucker could give him a run down from his games. After last night's game I said to my son, "Papa would have loved to see you play tonight! He would have been so proud!" Tucker's response was, "I am sure he was watching. He is all around us!"
Wow! "Sons and Sports" are a pretty powerful combination!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 17
"Team"
As I watched the Celtics win the World Championship last night, one word came to mind team!
The Celtics are a team. They play unselfishly as they share the ball, hitting the open man. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, two of the biggest stars in the NBA, are willing passers. They dive on the floor, they talk on defense, they pick teammates up off the floor, and they cheer on the sidelines......
It was fun to watch.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 16
"Mustang Club Golf"
Today we had 185 golfers at the Dallas Athletic Club for the Mustang Club Golf Outing. What a great turnout. It was good to pull up to a full parking lot with Red and Blue everywhere!
I appreciate everyone coming out to participate and thanks to the Mustang Club staff for putting on a first class event!
I have said this before, there is terrific energy building every day around SMU Athletics!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 13
"Weekend Notes"
Celtic Pride:
How good was that comeback last night by the Celtics? Paul Pierce (Jayhawk) was unbelievable down the stretch. His offensive drives and finishes were terrific .he is so strong ..but his defense was even more impressive as he guarded Kobe one-on-one!
US Open:
It will be fun to see "Phil" and "Tiger" go head-to-head this weekend in San Diego.
Father's Day:
Here is my breakdown:
- US Open
- Tucker's baseball game
- Cookout
- NBA Finals
Now that will be a good Father's Day!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 12
"The Big D"
Is there a better place to live in the United States?
I have lived in a lot of places....a lot of nice places like NY City, Chapel Hill (NC), Lawrence (KS), Charlotte, Boca Raton, but Dallas may be the best place. The quality of life here is terrific, the people here are great, the economy here is as strong as any city in the country....good restaurants, good churches, nice parks.....great place to raise a family....good public and private schools....
I was downtown today and saw first hand what is happening there! Tremendous growth.....nice office buildings and condos.....green space being developed in unique ways.....
What a vibrant city! We are lucky to be in the middle of it here at SMU.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 11
"Notes from Wednesday"
Liliana:
My assistant is expecting a baby next week! She will have another man in her world! Lucky her! Lil came with me from FAU and has been a loyal assistant providing great energy to our office. We will miss her "funny" accent around the new office this summer while she is on maternity leave! Best of luck to Lil and Terry.
The Crum:
We officially moved in to our new offices this week. They are "sweet"....no pun intended! It has been a good week to show "The Crum" off as the NACDA (National Assoc of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) meetings have been going of in Dallas. Because of that we have had a lot of visitors. They all have been impressed with our new digs.
Steve Lutz:
Say a prayer for his mother as she is having surgery on her foot Thursday in an attempt to remove cancer. We wish her all the best.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 10
"NBA Finals"
Tonight is game 3 in LA. I am surprised that LA is down 0-2 at this point. Kobe's cheap second foul really hurt LA's chance to win game 2.
Who am I pulling for????? Tough call because I coached Paul Pierce and Scot Pollard (injured Celtic) at Kansas, yet LA's GM Mitch Kupchak is a good friend of mine from UNC and Long Island. Dean Smith always rooted for coaches and GM's because he said, "They get fired if their teams lose. Players don't get fired."
Good point Coach Smith!
Should be a good game and a great finish to a fun NBA season.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 7
"D-Day Thoughts"
Today is the day General Eisenhower's troops stormed Normandy in WWII. Imagine that? Talk about real heroes! The soldiers blindly stepped off their boats into the water at Normandy to the live ammunition coming from the Germans. Commitment.....trust....faith......courage.... Wow! Thank you to all those men and women in WWII.
People look up to athletes, but the real heroes, the real tough minded people are the ones we see in the airports in their fatigues with duffle bags over their shoulders. When you see a soldier in the airport say, "Thanks!". Whether you agree with the war or not, our soldiers are doing their duty for our country.
--------------
NBA
Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce both wanted to be traded from the Lakers and the Celtics, respectively. Look at them now! They are competing against each other in the NBA Finals! Sometimes players don't always know what is best. They say and do things out of frustration or because the people around them are in their ears pushing them to react to a "bump in the road". Sometimes "staying the course" is the best path to take. Michael Jordan's Bulls stunk for a long time, but he stayed the course and eventually won six titles!
This has the makings of a great series. It evokes awesome memories of the mid-eighties when the Lakers battled the Celtics for the NBA Title each year. I grew up loving Larry Bird and the the Celtics, but when my former teammate from UNC, James Worthy, joined the Lakers, I started pulling for LA. "Big Game James" was a bear for Bird and Kevin McHale to try to guard. His speed and quickness was too much for the Celtic front line.
Game 2 is Sunday night.
--------------
World News
It is interesting how I read the paper after our trip to Africa. I read about politics and world news more and more..........Obama, McCain, Hillary......oil prices, stock market......Zimbabwe and their political mess.
June 6
"Home Sweet Home"
After 20 hours flying from South Africa to DFW we are finally back in The Big D. It is good to be home!
What day is it? When do you go to sleep? When I landed I turned on my PDA for the first time in about 10 days and the emails starting to roll! I emailed Tomasz....he got back to Poland safely. I emailed the Senegalese 3 - Bamba, Papa and Mouhammad to check on them as they where dropped off in Dakar to spend time with their families. Reality is setting in. We are indeed home.....and that is a good thing.
What a trip! We accomplished all we set out to do and more:
- educate
- bond
- improve
- exposure
- create memories
Our players learned so much about Africa through the class they took with Professor Joci Edwards and Dr. Vicki Hill, both whom travelled with us to the beautiful continent across the Atlantic. In addition to the class work, when you actually see first hand what you are studying it means more...it sticks!
We bonded through our travels as we couldn't use our cell phones so we had to talk with each other more, we had every meal together, we were on buses together, we visited the families of the Senegalese 3......we had fun together.
We got better! We won our last game on Wednesday 107 -87 against the same team we lost to in our second game, the South African National Team. Bamba was great inside. His confidence is high as he is really scoring the ball well with jump hooks and turn around jumpers. We moved the ball unselfishly. We shot it well, close to 60%. We handled the ball well. Our defense got better. Everyone played great! It was a terrific way to finish the trip.
Being the first men's college team to travel to Africa should help us in the future as we got a chance to market our program in a continent full of talented prospects. Hopefully we will have some more Bamba's and Papa's in the future sporting the Mustang logo! It also made me proud of the way our travel party handled themselves in Africa. The players acted with the class every SMU alum and administrator would be proud of. It made me feel good when I would hear someone say something nice about how our guys carried themselves.
We certainly created memories....memories that will last us for the rest of our lives!
I would like to thank Malcolm Farmer and Steve Orsini again for making this trip a reality. Malcolm put this trip together, working on it for almost a year. Everything went better than expected! Malcolm is awesome. Steve Orsini allowed us to take this trip. There is not a better AD in the country. Thank you guys!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 3
"Safari and our last practice"
Today is my wife's birthday! We had a good day as we traveled about 2 ½ hours to Sun City and the Pilanesburg National Park for a Safari ride. We all (23 people) loaded up on an open air truck and cruised through the land seeing zebras, a giraffe, a lion, hippos, impalas, wart hogs and a few other species. It was a park that was left to the wild. Animals are on their own with no help from the staff. They wanted to keep it as natural as possible.
After a late lunch we drove 2 hours back towards "Joburg" to the American International School for practice. Brian Kelly and his wife, Beth, greeted us. Brian is from California and Beth is from Colorado, but they have been in Africa for about 20 years. They have a child at UCLA and one at UC-Santa Barbara. They were kind to let us use their fine gym for practice.
I asked the guys to really focus their energy on having a good practice as we have had a long day. This would be the last team practice until mid-October, so I wanted it to be a good one. Overall, I was very pleased. We needed to work on our half court defense and I think we got better in that area. After almost two hours, we loaded up for our hotel and dinner. This would be our last night in Africa.
Tomorrow we have a game at noon vs. a South African club team then we are off to the airport for our long journey home. We leave Joburg at 6:40pm on Wednesday and arrive Dallas on Thursday at 11:30am with stops in Dakar and Atlanta. I am on my third book this trip and hope to finish it before we land. Here are my books:
- "Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob" by Bob Delaney (NBA Referee)
- "Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell
- "The GM: The Inside Story of a Dream Job..." by Tom Callahan
They are all very good, in case you are looking for a good read.
The trip has been great. We achieved more than I had hoped education, competition, bonding, exposure and fun! Yet, I know that once tomorrow hits, we will all be looking forward to getting home. Our family already picked out Thursday's meal Extreme Pizza! Tucker and I are looking forward to seeing the Celtics and the Lakers go head to head in the NBA Finals.
Special thanks go out to Malcolm Farmer for organizing this whole trip! It was an amazing undertaking and he did it all. Great job Coach Farmer! Secondly, I would like to thank Steve Orsini for allowing us to take this trip, a trip that we will remember for the rest of our lives. It was terrific.
My next blog will be posted Thursday evening or Friday morning.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 2
"Soweto and Lesedi"
Soweto stands for South West Township of Johannesburg. It is basically the ghetto where all the black people were pushed years ago. It is sad to see some of the living conditions of the people here - tin homes placed right next to each other and outhouses..... Soweto has the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize Winners lived Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived on the same block! That is amazing. What those two men did for the black people of South Africa, and black people all over, is truly magnificent.
We toured a museum that housed the story of the civil rights fight in 1976. It reminded me a lot of the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis with tremendous black and white pictures that tell dynamic stories of the struggles of the black people. The most telling picture was of Hector Pieterson, a 13 year old boy who was shot dead, being carried by another boy with Hector's sister running by his side. You could see the anguish on their faces as Hector laid limp in the boy's arms as blood was running out of his mouth. Hector symbolized the fight of the young children against white supremacy. The march by the young students was started because they were being forced to learn Afrikaans, a new language that was developed by the Europeans that moved into South Africa. Since SA had many different Europeans living there they developed this new language called Afrikaans and they wanted to force the black people to learn it and utilize it. This is when the young people decided to organize a demonstration and march. It was meant to be peaceful. You can see pictures of the march with kids smiling and laughing. When the young people approached the area where the police were located the police started throwing rocks and ended up opening fire on the youths. That is when Hector was shot and killed. Powerful stuff, just like in Memphis.
After the museum we had a terrific lunch with a lot of laughs. The food has been terrific here and the service pleasant. Since everyone speaks English it is easy to communicate with the waiters and waitresses.
We took and hour bus ride to some beautiful hills that reminded me of Colorado. This is where the Lesedi Village is located. We got to see the history of several different tribes and their villages. We saw their huts and dress, their weapons, the way they prepared food and many of their traditions, including how they danced. Our players and my family got on the dance floor and danced, too. I owe my son $20 because I had to bride him to get out there. One of the main lessons our team picked up from Lesedi was the man with the most cattle had the most wives!!! Cattle represented wealth and that attracted the women!
We then enjoyed a traditional meal including crocodile and ostrich! I passed on the croc and ate some ostrich!
I am back at the hotel and getting ready for another action packed day tomorrow. We head out for a Safari in the morning then we practice in the late afternoon. Plus, tomorrow is Kelly's birthday.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
June 1
"Mall and Ball"
Today we decided to take the group to the mall in Jo-burg. There were two adjacent malls that were very nice. We bought some books and I found a cigar shop where I purchased a few Cubans! There was also a local merchant market where Kelly bought gifts for some people at home. I also got her a birthday gift, a beautiful carving of "The Last Supper" that was made from Ebony. The fun part was the negotiation process. The offering price was 1,500 Rand and I ended up buying it for 900 Rand (Approximately 117.00 US $'s). The back and forth dealing is fun! Kelly's birthday is Tuesday. She will be .......29.....again!
After the mall we drove to the sight of our game. We played the South African National Team. The game will be televised across all of Africa on tape delay! I really wanted to show off SMU to the continent. We started off great, building an early lead, but the SA's were an experienced bunch and they game back strongly. Early leads can be "fool's gold" as there may be a sense the game was going to be easy. Well, it wasn't. SA took a lead of 20 points behind some very aggressive play. They shot the ball well and got us in foul trouble. We game back strong by closing the gap to 9 points at the half. The second half we came out sloppy and SA built a 15 point lead to end the 3rd period. Our defense picked up in the 4th and Bamba was terrific in the post as he had 24 points, scoring on an array of jump hooks and turnaround jump shots. Mike Walker finished with 20 points.
We ended up losing by 7 points. Our defense wasn't very good, we turned the ball over 14 times and we shot it poorly, from the field and the foul line. I was very disappointed. We need to play smarter.
Tomorrow we have a big day planned:
- Breakfast
- Class at 9:30am
- Tour of Soweto the heart of the struggle against apartheid:
- See the homes of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu
- See the memorials of the struggle
- Lunch
- Lesidi Cultural Village experience the tribal lifestyles.
- Dinner in Lesidi
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 31
"Jo-Burg"
Today we woke up in the Holiday Inn Soweto, just outside Johannesburg. This full service hotel is brand new and is located on the grounds of Freedom Square. Freedom Square is an area seeking an economic rebirth and this hotel is the "anchor tenant". This area is an historic site as the Freedom Charter was declared here at the Congress of the People in June of 1955. African National Congress (ANC) leaders Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu were restricted from this meeting, but observed from the rooftop of a local hardware store. The Freedom Charter was the blueprint for the democracy of South Africa, which finally developed their constitution in 1996.
Pretty powerful stuff!!!
After breakfast we went to the Vodacom Mandeville Indoor Centre to give a clinic to about 30 young men. We basically went through a two hour practice with four young men participating. It was good for our guys to practice and it was fun to see them teach the youngsters from involved in the clinic. I think it is great to see our players teaching young men our drills and skills. Our guys were great and it reinforces good habits in their own games as they teach. It hits me, "They actually do listen sometimes!!!!"
Back to the hotel for lunch and then a tour of Pretoria. Pretoria is the capitol city of South Africa. Joe, our tour guide, did a terrific job of explaining the sights. We saw the President's residence, courthouses and beautiful government buildings. This area reminded me of Northern California with the trees, hills and the climate. As we enter winter here the sun went down about 5:45pm and there was a chill in the air.....a beautiful evening.
We ended up at a nice restaurant for dinner. The players gathered at one table and laughed heartedly for most of the meal. It was great to see our team bonding like that. Jon Killen is usually the center of the jokes as I think he is "decompressing" after his four years of hard work on the court and in the classroom. By the way, Jon has been accepted into the MBA School at SMU's Cox School of Business!!! He may defer admission so he can play ball overseas for a year or two. He continues to make us proud.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 30
"Travel Day"
The bus departed the hotel at 4am for the airport. After a few hassles at the airport we were off for our long flight (about 6 1/2 hours) to "Jo-burg". The flight was relatively easy as it wasn't as full as our flight over to Dakar. I caught up on some sleep!
Arriving in Jo-burg several things stuck out:
- I saw pools in the yards as we were landing.
- English was the language of choice here as all the billboards and signs were in English
- It was a modern airport.
- It was dark outside at 5:30pm!
- It was cold.
- We flew across the equator, so now we were in a place where it was winter.
- The bus was the most modern bus I have seen.
- We drove on the left side of the road.
- The roads were modern.
After checking into our new Holiday Inn we had a team meal that was really good and went to our rooms. It is 11:30pm now as I am about to complete this entry. Tomorrow is a busy day as we have a clinic to conduct in the morning then we tour Pretoria in the afternoon.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 29
"Planting SEEDS"
Today we travelled to SEEDS Academy outside Dakar about an hour and a half away in the town of Thies (pronounced "chess"). S.E.E.D. stands for Sports for Education and Economic Development. This school was started by Amadou Fall who works as the head of international scouting for the Dallas Mavericks. Amadou is from Senegal and like many people from this country; he is passionate about "giving back". Three of our players are products of SEEDS Bamba Fall, Papa Dia and Mo Faye. We gave a development clinic for kids and coaches. It was a powerful experience to see our three SEEDS alum's and their SMU teammates interacting with the young men and women of SEEDS. The young people were eager to learn as they had great attitudes and work ethic. Afterwards we were fed a nice lunch in the cafeteria and we looked around the campus.
Some things that stood out:
- dirt roads
- "sport court" floor in the gym
- No air conditioning
- Great attitudes
- Passion for learning
- Terrific hospitality
About 3:30pm we departed for Pink Lake. It was an hour ride and we arrived to three four wheel open air trucks. We jumped on and were off to tour the biggest beach I have ever seen! We first circled Pink Lake which produces salt. There is a pink tint to the lake, hence the name. We then toured a small local village. The leader of the village welcomed us into his home. He had two wives....and 12 children!! They lived in straw huts. He had one hut for wife #1 and one for wife #2. I was told that he must divide his time between the two huts evenly or their will be trouble, so he spends equal nights in each one!!! Imagine that! He had his private hut, a hut for the kids and a kitchen hut. It was very primitive. He was proud of a makeshift light he had in one hut that was rigged from a flashlight! The kitchen was an open hut with burnt firewood and one pot! There was a well in the middle of the village where everyone went for water. It was an unforgettable experience.
After that we raced each other up and down sand dunes. It was a blast. At one point we stopped and lined the three trucks up side-by-side for a photo opportunity. Then the funniest thing happened, two street merchants came running up to our trucks and quickly lined up their goods to sell us. Where the heck did they come from in the middle of this huge beach? Those guys are unbelievable! The Senegalese street merchants are the most persistent people I have ever met! They would be great recruiters!!!!
Then we took to the most spectacular beach I have ever seen. Driving through the water as it reached the beach and seeing the sun starting to set was a wonderful time. We continued to race along the shore until we came upon a big tent, the kind you would picture in a movie that takes place in a desert. As we pulled up I noticed that our dinner was set up inside the tent, low tables set with white plates and clothe napkins, foot stool type cushions to sit on and a buffet set up with a "great spread". However, before we ate we had to continue with some fun. Wrestling is a huge sport in Senegal and the biggest kid on the team, Papa, starting prancing around looking for a challenger. Who jumps out to challenge him, but his old coach! What was I thinking? I don't know, but I was having a blast. I jumped out in the imaginary circle and squared up to Pap. We circled and circled, slapping at each other like they do on TV here. Pap straightened up to take something off and as he turned to place it on the ground I jumped him! I got him by the leg and took him to the sand for the win!!!!! We all laughed and the next match was on!!!! Pap took on Mo and lost again! There were merchants hovering around our tent and one was a pro wrestler....a real wrestler, not the fake kind. We got him out to challenge Pap and Pap lost again!!! 0-3! Malcolm's brother, Douglas, challenged Malcolm to a match. I think the younger brother may have had some pent up frustration going on???? Several other guys wrestled, but the best match was between Jon Killen and Mike Walker. Mike was reluctant to wrestle, but the peer pressure was too strong! He and JK went at it. Mike dropped Jon, but Jon quickly spun him around sending Mike face first into the sand. When Mike got up his face was full of sand, like it was painted on everywhere, but his eyes. After we cleaned him off, the potential nicknames started to fly, "Sandman" and "Sandy" were the best.....I think they will stick!!!!
Dinner was very good....relaxing and delicious. I had a great feeling about these guys as we really enjoyed the day. After dinner we walked down to the water for a team picture with the sun setting in the background.
We then drove back towards Dakar for a visit to Mo's house. His family was there to greet us. They even had a birthday cake for Bamba, since his birthday was a few days earlier. We sat around and got to know his parents and two sisters. (He has a brother in Arizona.) Both of Mo's parents are doctors and his three older siblings all graduated from college! It was another great experience as we got to spend time with the family of another player from Senegal.
We got back to the hotel about 11:00pm. We needed to pack and get ready for the bus to roll at 4am as we fly to Johannesburg in the morning.
Special thanks go out to the following people for our visit to Senegal:
- Kine she set up our trip from the Senegal side, working closely with Malcolm in making sure all the many details were covered. She is a beautiful lady that brings a wonderful personality to every day.
- Mactar Ndiaye he is the Director of Marketing at SEEDS. He was with us every step of the way. I highly educated man who loves the young people of Senegal. Mactar is a special man.
- Barra our trusty bus driver. He honks his horn with the best NY cabbies I ever saw as he navigated us through the busy traffic of Dakar!
- Laye he was our tour guide. Laye was awesome as his English was terrific. He was good at taking care of little things that made the trip special like the ferry ride to Goree Island and the four wheel rides at Pink Lake. Ironically, his wife is from Rocky Mount, NC. I couldn't believe it!
- Dongo he should be an Ambassador for Senegal. He played at the University of Delaware and is still playing professionally in Japan. He had a special touch with everyone he meets.
Closing thoughts of Senegal:
- Great weather
- Beautiful coastline
- Wonderful people
- Willing workforce
- Good location with a good airport
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 28
"Great Day!"
As a coach you have many ups and downs on the court and off the court. I have been coaching since 1989 and Wednesday was one of the best days in my coaching career.....and we didn't play a game!
Our day started with a long bus ride from Dakar to St. Louis. We were told the ride could take 2 1/2 hours......3 hours.....5 hours.....the final number of hours ended up being 5 1/2 hours with a couple of stops. Here are some highlights of the ride:
- At one of our stops we came across a young man who worked for the Peace Corp who once attended SMU! Talking small world, or what???
- Mangos were sold road side all over the place
- Driving north toward the Sahara Desert you could feel the heat with each mile.....my bad....with each kilometer we drove!
- Yesterday I bought an international cell phone for Kelly to use to check on her ill mother. Today she used that phone on the ride and talked to her brother! A piece of plastic the size of a bar of soap can be used from Africa to call home in Dallas! That blows my mind!
- Tomasz bought a little drum on one of the stops and later Papa was playing the drum in back of the bus while some of the guys starting singing. Some serious team building was going on there.
- We ate a late lunch on the Isle of St. Louis, over looking the water and the first bridge built in West Africa. Mactar N'Diaye , one of our hosts, gave us a talk on the history of Senegal and how it relates to France. Senegal was a French colony before gaining independence and now the relationship between France and Senegal is strained, even as some of the people of Senegal are considered French. Interesting politics and it was a great learning experience for our players as they are taking a class on Africa. Mactar was a great "guest lecturer".
- We visited Bamba's mother at the school where she works. She gave the team a tour and we met many of the ladies she works with. She teaches home economics and math.
- We visited Papa's house and met his parents, a sister and a brother, aunts, cousins and some of his childhood friends. They gave us a nice tour of his home along with a terrific meal. It was a festive event. His mother gave me a gift of a historic picture of a market in St. Louis that I plan on hanging in my new office.
- We visited Bamba's house. His home is centuries old and has been in his family a long time. We met his brother, who looks just like Bamba, and many family friends. It was another festive event as Bamba hasn't been home in three years.
We are on the bus back to Dakar after a long day. It is 9:30pm here and we may not get back to the hotel until after midnight, but it was well worth it. If nothing else happens, today was worth the time and money put into this trip. Our players gained so much knowledge of Senegal, they bonded as a team, they got to meet the families of teammates and we all got to see the love and sense of family that surrounds Bamba and Papa and the people of Senegal. It was a VERY powerful experience!
Tomorrow we put on a clinic at SEEDS Academy where Bamba, Papa and Mouhammed attended. We want to give back and we hope this is a great way of doing that.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 27
"Goree Island"
Today we took a ferry to Goree Island. It was a sight to see. It reminded Kelly and me a little of Charleston, SC with the old architecture and the light colored buildings. Goree is best known for the housing of slaves before they were shipped off to the Americas. We toured the holding cells where they would split up families, putting the men in one cell, the mothers in another, the children in yet another split up by sex. Imagine that horror when you had your family ripped apart, knowing you would never see them again.
History came to life as we got to see, first hand, the cold, harsh reality of an ugly past. To walk into cells that housed men, women and children before they were dealt for guns, wine or sugar....families split up and having their names stripped from them only to be given a number.....then they are given the name of their "masters" on the other side of the ocean. Africans were the slave of choice because they were big and strong, plus the average life of an African slave lasted about seven years, longer than other types of slaves.
The most dramatic sight was the "Door of No Return". This is where the slaves left the building, left Africa, to board the ships. You could see forever on the ocean's horizon. Imagine what went through the minds of the men and women who walked out that door preparing to board a ship that would take them to the far away places of South America, North America and Cuba?
This is a history no one is proud of, not America, nor Africa.
Game Day
Tonight we played the Senegal National Team and lost by 5 points. Senegal was a very talented team that was well coached. They played an aggressive defense and ran a nice offense that utilized good screens. I was impressed with them. We didn't handle the ball very well and we took too many ill advised shots. We were down by double figures in the fourth quarter, yet we cut it to three points, but couldn't get any closer. In preparation for this trip I was thinking that I would be OK with our games, win or lose, but I found that not to be the case. I sit in my bed disappointed in our play while my mind is racing with thoughts of how to improve our team. That is good, I guess, as I feel the fire.....even in an exhibition game in Africa.
Tomorrow is another day....off to St. Louis for the day to see the home town of Bamba and Papa.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 26
"That's just the way it is......"
Sounds like Bruce Hornsby's famous song......
We got into our rooms and settled in at approximately 7am today.......slept for about 5 hours and had lunch at approximately 1pm. Practice followed at approximately 3pm. Dinner was supposed to be at approximately 7:30, which turned into 8:30pm.
Notice the word "approximately" is used a lot in the above paragraph.
The culture in Senegal is laid back and on top of that the streets are crowded with pedestrians. Therefore, getting anywhere and doing anything on time is not likely to happen. This can be tough for us Type A's who want to control the world. However, we have adjusted accordingly. It is probably good for the soul from time to time to give up control.
First impressions of Senegal:
Tomorrow we tour Goree Island and the "Door of No Return". This is where the slaves were housed before they were shipped off to North and South America. This will be a tremendous education for all to see. Then we play the Senegal National Team in the evening.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 24
"Twas the Night Before......"
Africa????
We are leaving Sunday at 8am from the Moody Coliseum parking lot. I can't believe it. This trip has been a year in the making and all the credit goes to Steve Orsini for allowing us to go on the trip and to Malcolm Farmer for the hard work he has put in planning this adventure!
Malcolm has had to plan this trip to Senegal and South Africa - visas, hotels, buses, games, per diem, laundry, tours, practices..... Try doing this with the language barrier and the time zone issues!
A lot goes into our trip. Thanks to Steve and Malcolm for making it come true.
Pony up!
Coach Doh
May 23
"Practice"
"Did you say practice? We're talking about practice.......practice.......we're talking about practice!"
Those were the infamous words of Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers when he was playing for Larry Brown.
I happen to love practice and that is what we are getting to do this week before we leave Sunday for Senegal. Our young men have worked extremely hard on the court and have grown as players in a few short months since the conclusion of the season. Here is the breakdown:
Seniors:
Bamba Fall - has improved his strength. He is more comfortable using his right hand in the post! This is exciting. I am encouraging him to catch and shoot the face up jumper quicker. He is becoming more physical with his post defense, too.
Juniors:
Mo Faye - he is extremely long and skilled. Mo has a very good feel of the game as he can "see and deliver" a good pass. At 6-9 he is a long wing player who can score and defend.
Sophomores:
Papa Dia - his shot is much improved as his "release point" is higher and more over his left eye. His balance is better and Pap is running the floor really well.
Alex Malone - his strength has improved and his "sense of urgency" is much better. He is competing in practice, esp on the defensive end. When he gets more consistent with his jump shot he will be really good.
Ryan Harp - he is still in great condition and plays extremely hard! Defensively, he is one of our best players! The arc on his shot has improved, too. This will help his shooting percentages a great deal.
Mike Walker - he is doing a very good job of handling the ball and making good decisions. He seems much more confident. His leadership skills are surfacing, too.
Robert Nyakundi - he is one of the best shooters I have ever coached. His key is on the defensive end. Once he grasps that, he will play an important role. Robert's conditioning has improved greatly.
Tomasz Kwiatkowski - he is improving before our eyes. TK can run the floor and catch very well. He has a big body and he likes to bang. His ability to pick-and-roll is very good.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 21
"Countdown to Africa"
We are four days away from leaving for Africa! The excitement is building, especially for "The Senegalese Three" - Bamba, Papa and Mouhammad! I could see it in their faces as we discussed the trip in our pre-practice huddle. We will arrive in Senegal Monday morning and practice that afternoon then we play Senegal's National Team on Tuesday!! Can't believe it!
Practice has gone well as the guys have worked hard and have improved a great deal since the end of the season. Former players Willie Davis and Jemeil Rich have practiced with us since we are low on bodies. Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts are practicing as well and will make the trip, even though they will not play. Unfortunately, our incoming players can't participate.
We have had a lot of visitors this week at practice, from local high school coaches, former players, to supporters of SMU Basketball. It is good to give people a glimpse of life from the inside of the program. People are impressed with our organization and work ethic. Good to hear!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 20
"Field Trip"
Today I joined my son's fourth grade class on a trip to Fossil Rim! With lunch, sun screen and Tylenol packed, we traveled 1 1/2 hours to the beautiful land of Glenrose, TX. Memories poured back to St. Raphael's circa 1974 with bus trips to Great Adventure amusement park in NJ or our trip to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell. Trips were different back then......yellow buses and bagged lunches. Today we had the bagged lunch, but we traveled on a luxury bus with A/C and a DVD player!!!
Tylenol came in handy after our "safari" through Fossil Rim....giraffes, zebras...the jungle kind, not the ones with two legs....and 16 kids that get loud and don't always listen! Surprising? Not! They are kids and good kids at that. Ms. Miller does a great job teaching these kids at Hyer Elementary.
I was glad to be a part of today's trip! It was fun to spend time with my son and his classmates!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 19
"Golf"
This morning I had the pleasure of playing golf at Dallas National with two friends from Charlotte, NC. John Black and Don Williams flew in for dinner on Sunday then we teed it up Monday morning with our host Tod Fobare. Tod and John met through their daughter's boarding school. Don and I were classmates at UNC and John is UNC class of '79. Our friendships grew when I coached at Carolina and even more so after I left UNC. Friends are important and these two guys are special.
Tod was a gracious host at one of America's Top 100 golf courses. We had a good round of golf. Unfortunately, my partner (Don) and I lost to Tod and John! I played OK for a change, shooting an 89! I need to beg for more strokes next time!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 18
"Dick Vitale Gala"
I am on my way to the Third Annual Dick Vitale Gala for Cancer Research. This event takes place in Sarasota, FL and it will honor legendary coaches Bob Knight and Pat Summitt. Tonight there is a big cocktail party and dinner at The Ritz-Carlton. Tomorrow night Dick and Lorraine Vitale are hosting a party at their home.
It should be a fun weekend and for a good cause. Dick has done so much for cancer research through The V Foundation.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 15
"Carlisle"
Rick Carlisle was hired this week by the Dallas Mavericks to replace Avery Johnson as the head coach. Rick did a terrific job at Detroit where he set the table for the Pistons to win the title under Larry Brown. Then Rick took over the Pacers and managed to win a lot of games in light of many distractions that included "The Brawl" in Auburn Hills!
My history with Rick dates back to 1983 when we would compete against each other in the ACC. Rick was at Virginia while I played at UNC. We had some GREAT battles....memorable games that included tremendous plays by UVA's Ralph Sampson and UNC's Michael Jordan!
Rick was a competitor who made the most of his talents. He ended up having a nice career playing for the Celtics where he would be a part of a World Championship team.
Rick, welcome to Big D! Good luck!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 14
"C-USA"
We just concluded the C-USA meetings in Destin, FL. (Tough spot to meet, I know! Someone has to do it!)
The "take away" from the meeting is the excitement for the future. We were SO close to getting three teams into the NCAA's! UAB and Houston were right there with 10 days to go, but stubbed their toes down the stretch. Memphis had a great run, obviously, by making it all the way to the Championship Game! They dominated Michigan State, Texas and UCLA along the way. Many conference teams played Memphis better than those three teams did. This should give our league a lot of credibility and tremendous hope for the future!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 12
"OJ Mayo"
Yesterday, ESPN broke a story alleging that USC's OJ Mayo took money and gifts from a "runner" that represented an agent. OJ was one of the biggest recruits that entered college basketball last year and after one season he announced he will be entering the NBA Draft.
This is a potential "black eye" for USC, OJ Mayo, the agent industry and college basketball.
What are the answers?
Any time you have potential for large rewards there is potential for corruption. It is evident on Wall Street, in big business, in pro sports and in government.
If this case turns out to be true, what might be some potential remedies:
- eliminate the required one year waiting period after high school before a player is eligible for the NBA. I was in favor of a one or two year stay in college before a player is eligible for the NBA, but I am starting to change my mind. If a player's only goal is to make money in the NBA, then let him go right out of high school! College isn't for everyone and if a player doesn't intend to work towards a degree and be a part of the student body then he shouldn't be in college. And that is ok. I am not condemning anyone. Let these players go to the NBA Developmental League or straight to the NBA.
- can the NBA or the government regulate the agent industry? Their world is competitive and they need to develop relationships at an early age with potential pro players. Can the NBA ban or penalize an agent for being involved with an activity they deem illegal? Can the government impose stricter laws for certain acts by a sports agent or "runner"?
A lot to think about!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 9
"Pizza and Ball"
Friday night. Threw the football in the front yard with my son. He announced to me, "I want to play in the NFL badly!" Then he went and put his helmet on as we watched NFL Live on ESPN. Cool stuff!
June, I may have a big receiver for you in the high school class of '16!!!
Extreme Pizza is on the way as we get ready to watch the Lakers vs Jazz! (Extreme is SMU owned, by the way!)
Boys night!
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
May 8
"C-Paul"
Sitting home, watching Chris Paul play the Spurs. He controls the game. He is a tough kid - physically and mentally. Several years ago I went to recruit him in the spring of his junior year in high school. I was coaching at UNC. He was small! I watched him in an "open gym". Not an ideal place to evaluate. We had Raymond Felton coming in and wanted to try to recruit Chris, too. He ended up at Wake Forest.
What a backcourt that would have been!!
Now he may be the best guard in the NBA? He has great vision and he can really dribble the ball.
Pony Up!
Coach Doh
