Smu Basketball

Smu Barely Uses Its Bench, Ignores Positions And Somehow Makes It All Work

... of his half-court makes were off assists — Ojeleye has flourished in Jankovich’s system. Roster composition. SMU is a unicorn in Division I. The Mustangs rarely turn to their reserves — only Nevada and Arizona State use a lower percentage of bench minutes — but rely heavily on an aggressive, trapping man defense in the half-court. Yet it works because the squad is chock full of positionless players who are adept at defending guards along the perimeter while using their length (per Ken Pom, the team’s average height ranks 10 th nationally) to disrupt an opponent’s offensive flow. Ben Emelogu is the Mustangs’ only player shorter than 6-6 who averages more than 20 minutes per game, which helps SMU keep opponents off the offensive glass and limit their two-point field goal attempts (43 percent). Part of SMU’s defensive brilliance is thanks to a zone press it uses to drain time each possession. Since the Mustangs play at a glacial pace (63 possessions per game), operating with a short shot clock can have a deleterious effect on a team’s efficiency. But because SMU is positionless, Jankovich can have his ...

Bearcats Go West After Smu Loss

... over Cincinnati. Sam Greene, The Enquirer. Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Tim Jankovich watches his offense from the sideline in the second half of the American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs (1) and the Cincinnati Bearcats (2) at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., on Sunday, March 12, 2017. The Mustangs won the AAC Championship with a 71-56 win over Cincinnati. Sam Greene, The Enquirer. Cincinnati Bearcats guard Troy Caupain (10) and guard Jacob Evans (1) leave the court as the Southern Methodist Mustangs begin to celebrate after the second half of the American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs (1) and the Cincinnati Bearcats (2) at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., on Sunday, March 12, 2017. The Mustangs won the AAC Championship with a 71-56 win over Cincinnati. Sam Greene, The Enquirer. Cincinnati Bearcats guard Troy Caupain (10) and guard Jacob Evans (1) leave ...

Smu Is Going To Be Under-seeded, And Very Dangerous

... coach Tim Jankovich extended the Mustangs’ winning streak to 13 games and finished the regular season with a 27-4 record that includes a 17-1 mark in the American Athletic Conference. That’s good enough for SMU’s second outright AAC title in the past three years. Consequently, Jankovich will be the AAC Coach of the Year. He should also be considered for National Coach of the Year. And keep an eye on SMU in the NCAA Tournament. George W. Bush certainly will. The 43 rd President of the United States was, once again, courtside Saturday inside Moody Coliseum and earning his label as the most famous college basketball fan in the world. He watched the Mustangs beat an AAC opponent by double-digits for the 12 th time in 18 opportunities and enhance a resume that’ll be in front of the selection committee next week. The Mustangs only have one top-50 RPI win. That’s a problem. But it’ll end up being more of a problem for the schools placed in SMU’s pod than it will for SMU because SMU wlll likely, as a result of little more than the AAC only having a total of two top-50 RPI schools, be under-seeded relative to its quality and ability. So the Mustangs might end up as, say, a No. 5 seed. ...

Aftermath Of Smu Debacle, Now And Beyond

... Check out this story on __link__: __link__/2 nbax ID. Cancel Send. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the Conversation. Tiger Basketball Podcast: Aftermath of SMU debacle, now and beyond. Mark Giannotto , USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee 2:02 p.m. CT March 7, 2017. Buy Photo. Dejected University of Memphis forward Dedric Lawson (right) walks off the court after losing to Southern Methodist University 103-62 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas on Saturday, March 4, 2017. Lawson scored 13 points off 4-12 shooting while grabbing five rebounds and allowed four turnovers in 31 minutes of play. The Tigers closed the regular season with five losses in their final six games and have a 2-6 record over the past month. (Photo: Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)Buy Photo. 2 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN COMMENTEMAILMORE. On this ...

East Region Has Intrigue, But Upsets Unlikely

... bracket. Three initial thoughts. 1. I hate SMU’s seed. I gave a lot of my vitriol over mis-seeding to Wichita State Shockers , but the Ponies went 30-4, ranked 11 th at Ken Pom, oddly only landed a 6. I think they should have been a 4. It’s evident that SMU Mustangs beating Cincinnati Bearcats in Sunday’s AAC tournament championship game did not matter (Cincinnati, 1-2 vs. SMU this season, is also a 6). If league championship games offer opportunities to beat teams that are locks to make the Dance, they should be reflected in the overall body of work. That wasn’t the case with SMU, which is a shame. Baylor Bears , if it beats New Mexico State Aggies , shouldn’t have to face a team as good as the Mustangs in the second round. 2. I hate South Carolina Gamecocks ’s seed. The Gamecocks went 22-10 and did not win a game away from home against an NCAA Tournament team. ...

The Long, Winding Journey Of Former Top Recruit Semi Ojeleye

... in every single area. Everyone looks at his scoring, but he’s an outstanding rebounder, and nobody’s even mentioned how he defends - he might be as good on defense as he is on offense. Maybe better.”. Still, Ojeleye required a little more time to grasp the circumstances that conspired toward this late arrival with SMU. He was the No. 32 prospect in the Class of 2013, per the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, after setting the Kansas high school career scoring record with 2,763 points at Ottawa High School. He joined a three-person Duke recruiting class headlined by Jabari Parker and also featuring Matt Jones, who would go on to be a four-year cornerstone for the Blue Devils. “I planned for things in college to go differently, to go more smoothly, to be at Duke,” Ojeleye says. “That was my plan. But plans change.”. ...

Kentucky, Michigan And Smu Win Conference Tournament Titles

... for the first time since 1999 with the win in Pittsburgh. Third-seeded Rhode Island (24-9) never trailed and withstood a serious late push by second-seeded VCU (26-8) to capture their first conference tournament title since Lamar Odom led them to the A-10 crown 18 years ago. Je Quan Lewis led VCU with 15 points while Justin Tillman contributed 10 points and 17 rebounds. Princeton 71, Yale 59: Myles Stephens had a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds as the Tigers won the inaugural league tournament in Philadelphia to clinch its first berth in the NCAA tournament since 2011. Princeton (23-6) won its 19 th straight game overall and didn't lose in Ivy play this season. Steven Cook scored 15 points, Devin Cannady added 13 and Ivy League player of the year Spencer Weisz finished with eight assists for the Tigers. Alex Copeland had 14 points and Sam Downey had 12 for third-seeded Yale (18-11), the Ivy champs last season. SUN BELT. Troy 59, Texas State 53: Jordon Varnado had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Trojans (22-14) to the ...

Ncaa No. 6 Seed Smu Finishes Ahead Of No. 3 Seed Baylor

... ranked in the preseason poll. Fifteen teams were ranked the entire season, with Villanova and Kansas the only two who spent the entire season in the top 10. March Madness central: Printable bracket, matchups for Baylor and SMU, TV times, tickets and more. Kansas ends the season with the longest current streak, 161 polls dating to February 2009. Arizona is next at 97, then Villanova at 73. UCLA holds the record of 221 consecutive polls from 1966-80. There were seven one-week wonders. Connecticut, California, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Kansas State, Northwestern and Miami were all in the Top 25 for one week. Forty-two teams were ranked this season and the Atlantic Coast Conference led the way with nine schools in the Top 25. The Big Ten had eight ranked schools, while the Big 12 had six, Pac-12 five and Big East four. The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' final 2016-17 college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 12, ...

Smu Closing In On Baylor For Highest Ranking Among Texas Teams

... Wisconsin, Virginia and newcomers Iowa State and Miami. Iowa State (19-9), which was ranked for the first six polls of the season, moved back into the Top 25 after beating Baylor on Saturday. The Hurricanes (20-8), who were ranked for most of last season, reaching as high as seventh, moved into the poll after Saturday's victory over Duke. Creighton (22-7), which was 23 rd, dropped out for the first time this season after losses to Providence and Villanova. Maryland (22-7) fell out from 24 th after losses to Minnesota and Iowa. Kansas, which has the longest current streak in the Top 25, dating to February 2009, is No. 1 for the 63 rd time. That is the fifth-best total behind UCLA (134), Duke (129), Kentucky (117) and North Carolina (113). The Jayhawks' conference title run matches UCLA's streak in the Pac-8 in the 1960 s-70 s. The other teams to be No. 1 this season were Duke, Kentucky, Villanova, Baylor and Gonzaga. Miami gives ...

Ncaa Tournament Predictions

... three-point shooter and attacks the rim well. Sterling Brown (13.2 ppg) is a terrific mid-range shooter, and Ben Moore (11.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg) can finish around the rim and is an excellent defender and rebounder. This is a very well-rounded team, maybe the best in SMU history. Providence’s Rodney Bullock (5) slam dunks the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Rhode Island Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, in Providence, R. I. Providence defeated Rhode Island, 63-60.(AP Photo/Stew Milne). 11. Providence (20-12, 10-8/Big East)– The Friars find themselves in the First Four after closing the season with six wins in seven games. This might be Ed Cooley’s best coaching job at PC, as he had to replace first-round pick Kris Dunn last year, and has lost several recruits he had counted on to keep things rolling once Dunn left. They’re dancing for the fourth straight year, despite being predicted to finish ninth in the Big East in the preseason. This team is led by a quartet of double-figure scorers, including 6-8 junior forward Rodney Bullock (15.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg). ...

Seeding At Stake For Memphis Vs. Smu

... | 0:40. Longtime official scorer Jimmy Hayslip on being honored at Tigers-UConn game. Phil Stukenborg/The Commercial Appeal. 80 of 80. Tigers obliterated in conference tournament. Tubby Smith talks after AAC tournament loss. Memphis players discuss AAC tournament loss. Tigers K. J. Lawson wins AAC Rookie of the Year. Tigers head coach Tubby Smith discuss changes in AAC torunament. Tubby Smith on expectations, distractions and more. Dedric Lawson talks about his decision process. Tubby Smith talks after loss at SMU. Tigers fall to SMU 103-62. Memphis PG Jeremiah Martin breaks down loss at SMU. Tigers defeat Tulane 92-70. Memphis players talk after Tulane win. Tubby Smith on the Tigers' second half surge vs. Tulane. Jake Mc Dowell looks back on his Memphis career. Tubby Smith previews senior night vs. Tulane. Tigers lose to Houston 72-71. Tubby Smith reacts to Houston loss. Memphis players discuss the end of Houston game. Jeremiah Martin on ...