SMU Ranked in Top 25 by Web Site
Nov 2 | Men's Basketball
The SMU men's basketball team is ranked 23rd in the nation by College Hoops Insider, an Internet web site devoted to college basketball. The Mustangs are the only team from the Western Athletic Conference to appear in the site's preseason top 25.
The last time SMU found itself ranked in the top 25 was on March 5, 1985. That week, the Associated Press poll had SMU ranked 20th in the nation. However, the Mustangs have received top 25 votes in each of the last two seasons under head coach Mike Dement.
In addition, SMU junior guard Jeryl Sasser was named to the College Hoops Insider second team All-American squad. Sasser, who became the first SMU player to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals last season, was also named the preseason WAC Player of the Year. The 6-6 Dallas native joined Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State), Khalid El-Amin (Connecticut), Courtney Alexander (Fresno State), Morris Peterson (Michigan State), Kevin Freeman (Connecticut), Mark Madsen (Stanford), Lamont Barnes (Temple), Brandan Haywood (North Carolina) and Dan Gadzuric (UCLA) as second team All-American honorees.
Senior Stephen Woods joined Sasser on the site's All-Western Athletic Conference team. Last season, Woods became just one of six juniors in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau in his junior year. He enters the 1999-2000 season well within reach of setting school records for three-point field goals made and attempted.
SMU returns 11 lettermen and four starters from its 15-15 team that advanced to the WAC Tournament semifinals in 1998-99. The Mustangs open their exhibition season Friday, November 5, against MBK Odessa Ukraine in Moody Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 7:35 PM Central time. The regular season starts on Saturday, November 20, at Moody Coliseum against Hardin-Simmons (7:35 PM).
