Mustangs Picked to Win WAC by Athlon Sports
Sep 12 | Men's Basketball
Senior G Jeryl Sasser has been named a pre-season first team All-American by Athlon Sports - the same magazine that picks the Mustangs to become 2000-01 Western Athletic Conference Champions in its recent college basketball preview edition.
The Mustangs are also projected to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament by the magazine, and are the only WAC team projected to earn a spot in the NCAA's field of 64. Sasser and junior G/F Willie Davis are also pre-season first-team All-WAC selections for the 2000-01 season after each earned NABC All-District 9 honors in 1999-2000.
Sasser, who tested his NBA Draft status this summer before deciding to return to SMU, led the Mustangs in scoring last season with 17.3 points per game. He also averaged 8.3 rebounds while shooting .378 from the field on 181-of-479 shooting.
Davis, who led SMU with 9.3 rebounds per game while averaging 16.5 points per game, was a first-team All-WAC Defensive team selection in 1999-2000 and led the team in steals (67) while shooting .450 from the field (180-of-400).
SMU returns four starters and loses just three scholarship players from its 21-9 team a year ago. Joining Sasser and Davis as returning starters are junior G Damon Hancock and P Jon Forinash. Projected to compete for the vacated starting point-guard position are Hancock, sophomore G Quinton Ross, senior G Renaldo Bratton and incoming freshman G Voc Atkins.
The Mustangs, who also signed freshman Kris Lowe from Roswell, Ga., get a boost from the return of redshirt sophomore P Nigel Smith, who sat out last season following complications from sinus surgery after leading the team in shot blocks as a true freshman.
SMU will open the 2000-01 season November 25 at Lamar and will then play at New Mexico State Nov. 29 before its home opener against Tulane on December 2 at 7:35 p.m.
