This time last year, the excitement surrounding SMU basketball stemmed from Doherty’s recruiting class, highlighted by guard Paul McCoy. Now the excitement on the Hilltop has returned with the hiring of two experienced assistant coaches. Reggie Brown and Reggie Geary were hired in June to fulfill vacancies on the coaching staff and more importantly, to bring a new level of energy to the program.
“Reggie Brown and Reggie Geary bring a high level of energy that will impact our program immediately,” head coach Matt Doherty said. “Anytime you have an organization, the first key to success is energy, and that is what these new coaches bring to SMU basketball.”
In addition to energy, Brown and Geary bring an impressive amount of basketball experience to the Hilltop. Brown, the former associate head coach at the University of Texas at Arlington, comes to SMU with NCAA tournament experience. In 2008, Brown led the UTA Mavericks to their first NCAA tournament in school history. Brown’s main responsibilities at SMU will include recruiting in Dallas and the Midwest, in addition to working exclusively with the point and shooting guards.
Geary comes to SMU from the University of Arizona, where he was an assistant coach for the 2009 Wildcat team that advanced to the Sweet 16. He also has a plethora of playing experience starting at Arizona and then continuing in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs. Geary’s main duties will be West Coast recruiting and working with the forwards.
With a solid coaching staff in place, Doherty is excited about the possibilities of the developing program. “In my mind, this is one of the best coaching staffs I’ve ever worked with. The passion for the game and the message the players will be receiving will be that of a winner’s mentality,” Doherty said.
Doherty likes that Brown and Geary can draw from their playing experiences and that they have connections with some of the most prominent coaches in basketball. “I like a staff that stimulates me and one that I can learn from. This is a staff that does that for me,” he said
In addition to the new coaching hires, the team welcomes two transfers for the 2009-2010 campaign. Myles Luttman, a 6-11, 230 pound center and Rodney Clinkscales, a 6-1 guard, should provide depth for the Mustangs.
Myles, along with junior Papa Dia, will have big shoes to fill in replacing former center Bamba Fall.
“Myles provides us with an inside toughness that we need with the loss of Bamba. We hope Myles can be like a Joakim Noah, in that he will bring energy and toughness to every play,” Doherty said.
Clinkscales will bring some much-needed perimeter shooting to the team, Doherty explained. A 40 percent three-point shooter at Dodge City Community College, Clinkscales will combine with Mike Walker and Rob Nyakundi to provide a solid three-point threat.
“Rodney brings an outside presence that we lacked last season,” says Doherty. “He will have three years of eligibility and we are excited about the impact that he will have on the future of the program.”
The best aspect of this young SMU team is the chemistry. With six of the eight top players being freshmen last season, and two transfer standouts, the Mustangs took awhile to get accustomed to playing with each other. However, with a solid year under their belt, the Mustangs look to use their team chemistry as a positive this season.
“The game slows down a little bit once you’ve been here for a year. We are still a very young team, but we are moving in the right direction,” Doherty said.
