hoopmanx: Given our apr situation, seems logical to move sed's ship to Wilfong. Is that being discussed? How does or doesn't it help?
Not hearing anything about this at this point. I can understand the logic of this because the APR situation is certainly a concern but with Sed gone, Nic Moore, Markus Kennedy and Jordan Tolbert running out of eligibility, Keith Frazier's situation up in the air (more on that in a second) and uncertainty surrounding Ben Emelogu's return from injury, SMU needs new blood in the program and giving an extra scholarship to a Wilfong with the NCAA limits even for one season is an extra hurdle to building SMU's roster.
PonyLawExpress: Any update on Barefield taking J-Term to help our APR?
He is in Dallas taking his January term starting today. He has a lot of love left for Larry Brown and did not want to hurt him on his way out because Larry is doing everything he can to help Barefield find a good landing spot.
PonySnob: What's your take on the whole Keith Frazier issue? Has he played his last game for SMU?
I don't know much more than what's already been reported but I was surprised that Larry Brown did not say "I don't know when Keith will return" but instead said "I don't know if Keith will return." That revealed a lot without saying much. Whatever Frazier is going through it must be something serious. Something unrelated I've heard is that Frazier thinks he will be able to go pro after his performance against Michigan in front of the 45 NBA scouts in attendance so if he can't come back the rest of this season then he could very well be on his way out.
BenMeyer06: I get that our APR isn't looking good, but can you explain the full situation in detail? I'm curious about how it's calculated, where we stand, what needs to happen, and the possible repercussions. Also, where does a school like Kentucky, that just had several players leave early and not graduate, stand in the APR?
Well, Kentucky is Kentucky so I'm sure it has an immaculate APR thanks to the NCAA looking the other way. As for how it is calculated, you can get a full explanation here but the important factors are this: Each scholarship player gets one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible. Then a team's total points are divided by all possible points. This number is multiplied by 1,000 and a team must earn a 930 average over four years or a 940 average over the most recent two years to participate in NCAA championships. Also, if a player transfers with below a 2.6 GPA then a school loses a point. Now I don't know SMU's exact score but what I've heard is SMU barely has a point to spare at this point, especially since there are concerns that Markus Kennedy will not graduate in May.
PonyLawExpress: Thoughts on Ben Emelogu's future after this season (looking like done or make a return)?
Ben is going to try to return and SMU is optimistic he will be able to finish out the two years of eligibility he has remaining but there is a chance he will not be able to do so.
stl.pony: Any ballpark timeline for the NCAA scholarship appeal?
Likely could drag out until March or April.
Stlhockeyguy02: Adam, do you have any knowledge if a Rivals app is in the works?
I have not heard anything about an app but I do know that there is a new website redesign that is close on the horizon to match the message board redesign. I've seen some of the beta content and front pages, it looks really nice and will make for a much better viewing experience both on desktop and mobile.
Not hearing anything about this at this point. I can understand the logic of this because the APR situation is certainly a concern but with Sed gone, Nic Moore, Markus Kennedy and Jordan Tolbert running out of eligibility, Keith Frazier's situation up in the air (more on that in a second) and uncertainty surrounding Ben Emelogu's return from injury, SMU needs new blood in the program and giving an extra scholarship to a Wilfong with the NCAA limits even for one season is an extra hurdle to building SMU's roster.
PonyLawExpress: Any update on Barefield taking J-Term to help our APR?
He is in Dallas taking his January term starting today. He has a lot of love left for Larry Brown and did not want to hurt him on his way out because Larry is doing everything he can to help Barefield find a good landing spot.
PonySnob: What's your take on the whole Keith Frazier issue? Has he played his last game for SMU?
I don't know much more than what's already been reported but I was surprised that Larry Brown did not say "I don't know when Keith will return" but instead said "I don't know if Keith will return." That revealed a lot without saying much. Whatever Frazier is going through it must be something serious. Something unrelated I've heard is that Frazier thinks he will be able to go pro after his performance against Michigan in front of the 45 NBA scouts in attendance so if he can't come back the rest of this season then he could very well be on his way out.
BenMeyer06: I get that our APR isn't looking good, but can you explain the full situation in detail? I'm curious about how it's calculated, where we stand, what needs to happen, and the possible repercussions. Also, where does a school like Kentucky, that just had several players leave early and not graduate, stand in the APR?
Well, Kentucky is Kentucky so I'm sure it has an immaculate APR thanks to the NCAA looking the other way. As for how it is calculated, you can get a full explanation here but the important factors are this: Each scholarship player gets one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible. Then a team's total points are divided by all possible points. This number is multiplied by 1,000 and a team must earn a 930 average over four years or a 940 average over the most recent two years to participate in NCAA championships. Also, if a player transfers with below a 2.6 GPA then a school loses a point. Now I don't know SMU's exact score but what I've heard is SMU barely has a point to spare at this point, especially since there are concerns that Markus Kennedy will not graduate in May.
PonyLawExpress: Thoughts on Ben Emelogu's future after this season (looking like done or make a return)?
Ben is going to try to return and SMU is optimistic he will be able to finish out the two years of eligibility he has remaining but there is a chance he will not be able to do so.
stl.pony: Any ballpark timeline for the NCAA scholarship appeal?
Likely could drag out until March or April.
Stlhockeyguy02: Adam, do you have any knowledge if a Rivals app is in the works?
I have not heard anything about an app but I do know that there is a new website redesign that is close on the horizon to match the message board redesign. I've seen some of the beta content and front pages, it looks really nice and will make for a much better viewing experience both on desktop and mobile.
