SMU Basketball Leads the Nation ... in Tweets?

Matt Doherty hasn't done much to put SMU back on the college basketball map. He is, however, powering the Ponies to the top of the Twitterverse. SMU urges its coaches to connect to its community. Events. Fund-raisers. Handshakes. Blogs. But you get the feeling Doherty Tweets not because he has...

By Richie Whitt

June 17, 2009

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Matt Doherty hasn't done much to put SMU back on the college basketball map. He is, however, powering the Ponies to the top of the Twitterverse.

SMU urges its coaches to connect to its community. Events. Fund-raisers. Handshakes. Blogs. But you get the feeling Doherty Tweets not because he has to, but because he likes it.

In the last week, in fact, Coach Do has posted updates about his affection for honey glazed wings, playing golf with mega-booster Vic Salvino, texting former North Carolina Tar Heel Sam Perkins on his birthday, weighing less than 250 pounds, hanging out with Phil Romano, hiring new assistants Reggie Brown (from UTA) and Reggie Geary (from Arizona) and hosting his 12-year-old son's birthday party in the Crum Center while dining on pizza, Sprite and chocolate chip cookie cake.

*Son's 12th birthday party today! We are having a party in Crum! Half court shots, guitar hero and pizza! Good times! 6:28 PM Jun 13th from txt

Wait, what?

SMU's $13 million, 43,000-square-foot Crum Center has been turned into the city's most elaborate sleepover lock-in? I know the facility - which rivals those at UNC and Notre Dame - is a recruiting tool, but for 12-year-olds?

In Doherty's first season in 2006 the Mustangs started 9-1. Since the teasing debut, SMU is 24-57. Over the last two seasons SMU has lost - at home, mind you - to the likes of Southern, Alabama State, Centenary, USC-Upstate, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and UT-San Antonio.

I like Doherty and, at this point, could any coach win at anything at SMU? But for five years and $400,000 a season, I think Mustangs fans deserve more than Tweets about the wild successes of children's birthday parites on campus.

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