USD Hires Craig Smith

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

It's the nature of Division 1 basketball. It sucks, but it's how it is. Craig Smith's livelihood depends on how USD does on the basketball court. He needs to be able to make those tough decisions.

[jacks1]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Per Mick Garry, Decker is likely to join Joey James at Concordia-St. Paul.

[bigticket1]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Correctomundo, USD told Decker they no longer wanted him and would only honor the first year of his scholarship because they would have to do to NCAA rules. It will be interesting to see how this incident will affect Smith's relationship with SD coaches, it's sounding like this move has rubbed a few coaches(Coach Buddenhagen has a pretty big network) the wrong way.

I may be in the minority here,but I think it is rather childish if Decker's coach and his buddies hold a grudge because a new coach decides that a recruit brought in by the prior staff does not fit in with the direction he wants the program to go. The coaches should consider if it would be better for him to sit a year at USD and probably get limited playing time even in practice, and lose a year of his five-year window,or move on to a school that wants him and can develop his game from the get-go.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Am I wrong for thinking Coach Smith may have burned a bridge to Huron and perhaps a few other schools (by way of colleagues of the Huron coach) with this decision?

Or is the general consensus that Decker was a strong D1 reach to begin with and should thank his lucky stars USD even offered?

I don't follow basketball in SD close enough to know.

I agree.

Was Decker on the Dakota Schoolers roster last summer? High school coaches are important, no doubt, but a good relationship with the Schoolers seems absolutely critical for landing DI recruits from SD. I assume Craig Smith knows a little more about what it takes to land top recruits than I do though. A winning team is probably most critical.

SDSU has had at least half a dozen former schoolers as practice players, especially since the DI transition. I believe Coach Nagy has worked extremely hard to cultivate a good relationship there. But I have no inside knowledge, obviously.

[slosho]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

And Bittle and Dykstra and Heemstra and Broman and Devine and the Callahans and oh wait your point is terrible.

Tell me the last international basketball recruit that graduated from SDSU?

Kai Williams!

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[UWMandSDSU]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

So you think that Bixby Oklahoma is in the same general area as Portugal, Canada/Jamaica and Australia? Or perhaps Rock Valley, Iowa is closer to those countries? When the only 3 international recruits leave the same basketball program in the same 12 month period you don't see a pattern? Tell me the last international basketball recruit that graduated from SDSU?

Donlan has lived in the US since Oct. 2002. Was Silva on scholarship, I thought he was a walk-on?

[SkippyJack]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

And Bittle and Dykstra and Heemstra and Broman and Devine and the Callahans and oh wait your point is terrible.

So you think that Bixby Oklahoma is in the same general area as Portugal, Canada/Jamaica and Australia? Or perhaps Rock Valley, Iowa is closer to those countries? When the only 3 international recruits leave the same basketball program in the same 12 month period you don't see a pattern? Tell me the last international basketball recruit that graduated from SDSU?

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Whereas SDSU chases away their non- South Dakota recruits- Prince, Silva and Donlan in just 1 year. Pot meet kettle.


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And Bittle and Dykstra and Heemstra and Broman and Devine and the Callahans and oh wait your point is terrible.

[SkippyJack]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Interesting. USD, which promotes itself as South Dakota's team, has only one South Dakotan on its roster and chases away its only in-state recruit. I'd like to see Decker walk on at SDSU and develop into a stud like, say, Carlson. However, he'll probably get some scholly offers from other schools.

Whereas SDSU chases away their non- South Dakota recruits- Prince, Silva and Donlan in just 1 year. Pot meet kettle.


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[Jacked_Up]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Interesting. USD, which promotes itself as South Dakota's team, has only one South Dakotan on its roster and chases away its only in-state recruit. I'd like to see Decker walk on at SDSU and develop into a stud like, say, Carlson. However, he'll probably get some scholly offers from other schools.

[Nidaros]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Am I wrong for thinking Coach Smith may have burned a bridge to Huron and perhaps a few other schools (by way of colleagues of the Huron coach) with this decision?

Or is the general consensus that Decker was a strong D1 reach to begin with and should thank his lucky stars USD even offered?

I don't follow basketball in SD close enough to know.

Back in the days of Nick Brod, Denny Busch, Rex Swett, and Johny Erhart this would be true, but that was a long time ago, like 1958-59. Huron seems to have a few Nick Nagy's but not that much talent. I know some one with ties to Huron will jump down my throat.

[BigGoosie13]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Perhaps I misunderstand, but I don't think Decker changed his mind. The new coach at USD told him there wasn't a place for him on the "new" Yotes roster.

It happens, but one more illustration why kids would want to unionize. Decker would have had to beg USD for a release if he changed his mind. USD can drop him without notice.

USD will need to make inroads in recruiting South Dakota kids. At this point, SDSU gets their pick of South Dakota high school recruits.

Correctomundo, USD told Decker they no longer wanted him and would only honor the first year of his scholarship because they would have to do to NCAA rules. It will be interesting to see how this incident will affect Smith's relationship with SD coaches, it's sounding like this move has rubbed a few coaches(Coach Buddenhagen has a pretty big network) the wrong way.

With that said, I disagree with those in this thread bashing Decker, he has some D1 talent but unfortunately he is only 6'5/6'6ish which doesn't translate the post for a D1 post position. Decker was physically the strongest player in the state(he was the only player that could match up with Hansen from Pierre) and also one of the best shooters in the state, he had some of the best in-game dunks that I have ever seen from a SD high schooler(better than Moss, maybe as good as Larson), his one big flaw besides his height would be his foot speed which isn't quite good enough to play the 3. He worked out really hard in the offseason with former Yote and current HHS coach Eric Hall, who gave his stamp of approval to Boots and James. If he goes the NSIC route (which it sounds like he might), he will really excel.

[Nidaros]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

Perhaps I misunderstand, but I don't think Decker changed his mind. The new coach at USD told him there wasn't a place for him on the "new" Yotes roster.

It happens, but one more illustration why kids would want to unionize. Decker would have had to beg USD for a release if he changed his mind. USD can drop him without notice.

USD will need to make inroads in recruiting South Dakota kids. At this point, SDSU gets their pick of South Dakota high school recruits.

I am guilty of not reading every post on this board, and I missed one where there was mention of Coach Smith contacting Decker and telling him he was a misfit for the new and true USD BASKETBALL PROGRAM.

[TK22867]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

USD will need to make inroads in recruiting South Dakota kids. At this point, SDSU gets their pick of South Dakota high school recruits.

Am I wrong for thinking Coach Smith may have burned a bridge to Huron and perhaps a few other schools (by way of colleagues of the Huron coach) with this decision?

Or is the general consensus that Decker was a strong D1 reach to begin with and should thank his lucky stars USD even offered?

I don't follow basketball in SD close enough to know.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: USD Hires Craig Smith

You are no doubt right about that. I have never seen him play. His size was of interest though. Its interesting that he is changing his mind. I guess he has that right to do so.

Perhaps I misunderstand, but I don't think Decker changed his mind. The new coach at USD told him there wasn't a place for him on the "new" Yotes roster.

It happens, but one more illustration why kids would want to unionize. Decker would have had to beg USD for a release if he changed his mind. USD can drop him without notice.

USD will need to make inroads in recruiting South Dakota kids. At this point, SDSU gets their pick of South Dakota high school recruits.