(The Daily Campus)
There was an enormous amount of hype surrounding the arrival of Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown on campus in the spring of 2012. But the high was short-lived for some, as he quickly cut four members of the men’s basketball team.
Jeremiah Samarrippas, RicmondsVilde, Leslee Smith, and Eric Norman were let go from the team after having individual meetings with Brown, while Jordan Walker chose to leave soon after.
Six months later, all five players have moved on to different chapters in their lives with many transferring to other schools to continue their basketball careers.
One of the most shocking cuts Brown made was starting point guard Samarrippas.
Samarrippas, a junior from Bartow, Fla., started both his freshman and sophomore seasons at SMU.
In the 2011-12 season, in which he served as captain, Samarrippas averaged 6.9 points, 2.2 rebounds,and ranked fifth in Conference USA in assists with 4.2 a game. He shot 32.4 percent from behind the arc and was solid from the line missing only six free throws the entire season.
Samarrippas was a leader on the team, and being cut by Brown came as a shock to the starter.
“He just said the program was going in a different direction-they would bring in Kansas and Kentucky type players. I was shocked and it was tough on me because I had a lot of friends at SMU,” Samarripas said.
Samarrippas was soon faced with the decision on whether to stay at SMU, or go elsewhere to continue playing basketball.
“I did consider staying at SMU because education is a big part, and obviously SMU’s education is good. But at the end of the day, the reason why I was at SMU was because of basketball,” he said.
Soon after announcing his intent to transfer, the recruiting process began. The potential suitors included Tulane, Mississippi State, University of Central Florida and American Universtiy, but in the end, Tennessee Tech won.
“The coaches made me feel like they wanted me more than anyone else they were recruiting at the time. They explained that I would be a big impact to their program and I would get to play the way I wanted to play,” Samarrippas said.
Norman and Smith followed in Samarrippas’ footsteps transferring out of SMU. Norman is at Montana State while Smith is playing at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan.
Unlike his other teammates, Vilde decided to remain at SMU to earn his undergraduate degree after losing his spot on the team.
“A lot of coaches are talking to me and they wanted me to transfer this year, but I didn’t want to go because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to graduate a year early and I want a degree from SMU,” Vilde said.
Walker, a freshman from Arlington, Texas, realized his fate before even meeting with Brown.
“He seemed like a pretty good guy, but he was cutting all of our players, including the starting point guard, so I figured I wouldn’t get much, if any, playing time. That’s why I left,” Walker said.
He too, briefly considered staying at SMU, but his love of basketball won out in the end and he transferred to Dallas Baptist University in Plano, Texas.
Walker said what he liked most about the coaches at Dallas Baptist was “how hard they push us to be the best team we can be on the court, but then off the court, we can still joke with them and talk to them about anything.”
The players echoed each other’s sentiments on the lessons they’ve learned throughout the entire process.
“The game of basketball is a business,” Vilde said. “People get cut without seeing you play live.”
“At the end of the day, college basketball is a business and nothing is guaranteed,” Walker said.
“The game of basketball, even at the college level, is a business,” Samarrippas said. “I’ve matured a lot, not only in basketball, but in life. I’ll learn from this. I have learned from this.”
Despite big changes in their lives, Samarrippas, Vilde and Walker have their sights set on the future.
“I’m majoring in psychology and I hope to go to graduate school and get into forensic psychology. If I have a chance to play after college I’ll definitely take it,” Walker said.
“This year I’m going to work out with other coaches to keep myself in shape. I’m trying to graduate next summer and after that probably transfer somewhere else and play two more years,” Vilde said. “If you really want to do something you’ll find a way, if not, you’ll find an excuse.”
“I’m trying to be as successful as I can [at Tennesse Tech],” Samarrippas said. “I don’t want to say I want to prove Larry Brown wrong, but I do, because I know I can play.”
