SMU MBB Visits Southeast Missouri State On Monday At 7pm

Dec 18 | Men's Basketball

Dec. 18, 2011

SMU Mustangs (5-4)
at
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE Redhawks (4-6)
Mon. Dec. 19 - 7 p.m.
Show Me Center (7,000)
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Radio: KAAM 770 AM (Allen Stone, Herman Hudson)
Audio: SMUMustangs.com
Video: http://bit.ly/c6KOby or gosoutheast.com

SMU Notes - at SEMO

The SMU Mustangs hit the road for a game at Southeast Missouri State on Monday at 7 p.m. SMU has won three of its last four games, including a 69-63 overtime victory at Arkansas - Little Rock in its most recent road game on Dec. 4. Last season, the Mustangs topped Southeast Missouri State 71-59 in Dallas in the first matchup between these teams.

UP NEXT: The Mustangs play three straight games in Dallas. SMU hosts Dallas Christian at Moody Coliseum on Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. before facing Oklahoma State in The Showcase at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Dec. 28 at 5:30 p.m. The Ponies then host Louisiana Tech at Moody Coliseum on Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. before opening 2012 at Ole Miss on Jan. 3 at 8 p.m.

THE SERIES VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (1-0): SMU won the only meeting in the series, 71-59 in Dallas on Dec. 29 of last season.

LAST MEETING VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (W, 71-59 at SMU on Dec. 29, 2010): DALLAS (AP) - Robert Nyakundi's double-double propelled SMU to a 71-59 victory over Southeast Missouri on Wednesday night. Nyakundi had game highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Mustangs (8-4), who have won four straight and seven of their last eight games. Justin Haynes added 17 points. Marland Smith scored 20 points to pace the Redhawks (3-11), whose three-game winning streak was snapped. Anthony Allison contributed 15. Nyakundi's 3-pointer with 9:25 left in the first half broke a 14-14 tie and gave the Mustangs a lead they did not relinquish, and they led 37-26 at the break. SMU held a huge first-half shooting edge of 50 percent (12 of 24 to 33.3 percent (9 of 27). The Mustangs cooled down in the second half and finished at 44.4 percent (20 of 45) to 35.8 percent (19 of 53) for the Redhawks.

LAST GAME (L, 59-58 vs. Jackson State on Dec. 15): DALLAS (AP) -- Kelsey Howard scored 27 points and made five 3-pointers to lead Jackson State to a 59-58 victory against SMU in the Dallas Classic on Thursday night. Howard sank three free throws in the final 20 seconds, giving the Tigers (2-9) the cushion to withstand a 3-pointer by SMU's Robert Nyakundi at the buzzer. Willie Readus added 10 points and eight rebounds for Jackson State. Nyakundi led the Mustangs (5-4) with 15 points and six rebounds, and London Giles added 13 points. Shawn Williams, a Texas transfer, scored 12 points in his SMU debut. The game was played at 7,500-seat Ellis Davis Fieldhouse, which is operated by the Dallas Independent School District.

BIG EAST: Dec. 7, 2011 - SMU accepted an invitation to join the BIG EAST Conference in all sports, President R. Gerald Turner announced, fulfilling the University's goal to join a Bowl Championship Series Automatic Qualifier (BCS-AQ) conference, a standard of excellence in college athletics today. SMU, Houston and the UCF accepted full membership into the BIG EAST while Boise State and San Diego State will compete as members in the sport of football. The BIG EAST Conference Board of Directors, by a unanimous vote of its Presidents, extended the invitations for membership. SMU, Houston and UCF will begin competing in all BIG EAST-sponsored sports in the 2013-14 academic year, while Boise State and San Diego State will start competing in football in the 2013 season.

HEAD COACH Matt Doherty...is in his 11th season as a head coach and his sixth season at SMU. This is his 21st season in collegiate coaching with 11 postseason appearances, eight NCAA Tournaments, seven conference titles, a Final Four appearance and the 2001 AP National Coach of the Year award. He also has 22 players that have gone to the NBA. SMU's 2011 CIT run was Matt Doherty's fourth postseason as a head coach. He has a 10-4 record in two NITs, an NCAA appearance and the 2011 CIT. He has a 162-165 career record including a 72-94 mark on the Hilltop.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Rodney Clinkscales: Team captain...Averaging 4.7 points and is 7-18 (.389) on 3FGs...Missed games 2-4 with a right heel injury...2010-11: played 34 games with 5 starts...averaged 4.8 points, 0.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists...had 7 games with 10+ points and 5 games with 15+points.

Cannen Cunningham: Averaging 6.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks (13th C-USA) while hitting 50.0% FGs...Had 18 points and 7 rebounds vs. Georgia Southern 11/27...Had 17 points and 9 rebounds vs. Fresno State in his first career start 11/15.

KEVIN DUNLEAVY: Played 2 minutes in the opener vs. McMurry 11/11.

London Giles: Has scored 10+ points in each game...averaging 12.7 points (18th C-USA), 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals...78.9% FTs (7th C-USA), 41.9% 3FGs (3rd C-USA), 2.0 3FGs per game (7th C-USA)...2010-11: Sat out due to transfer after playing two seasons at Nevada.

Jalen Jones: Averaging 8.1 points and 3.8 rebounds...REBOUNDS: his 10 rebounds vs. Georgia Southern 11/27 was the first 10+rebound game by an SMU freshman since Papa Dia had 13 vs. Southern 11/10/07.

Ryan Manuel: Averaging 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists...GAME-WINNER: Stole the ball and then had the game-winning fastbreak layup in the 65-64 win vs. Florida Gulf Coast on 11/19.

Eric Norman: Played in 6 games, averaging 3.8 minutes.

Robert Nyakundi - C-USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE: Team captain...Averaging 15.2 points (9th C-USA), 5.3 rebounds (T-20th C-USA), and 1.4 assists...shooting 52.3% FGs (5th C-USA, 78th NCAA), 46.2% 3FGs (1st C-USA, 18th NCAA) and 79.3% FTs (6th C-USA)...2.7 3FGs per game (3rd C-USA, 65th NCAA)...Season-high 27 points (8-9 FG, 4-5 3FG, 7-9 FT) in win vs. UAPB 11/22...HEATING UP: Started the season 4-15 on 3FGs in the first 4 games, 20-37 (54.1%) since...SMU CAREER RANKINGS: 4th in 3FG (207), 2nd in 3FG percentage (44.6, 207-464), 2nd in FT percentage (86.5, 141-163), 33rd in points (1030)...SMU MILESTONES: He became the 36th member of the 1000-point club, hitting the mark on the second of two free throws with 15 seconds remaining in the 55-49 win vs. Georgia Southern 11/27...He became the 41st Mustang to play in 100 games, reaching the mark in the 69-63 OT win at UALR 12/4...PRESEASON HONORS: Selected Preseason All-C-USA second team by the league's coaches...Also tabbed the Best Shooter in C-USA by The Sporting News and was selected Preseason All-C-USA second team by Lindy's Sports Annuals...2010-11: Selected Third-Team All-C-USA with 14.3 points (11th C-USA) while setting C-USA and SMU records from 3-point range...led C-USA and was second in the NCAA at 49.7% (97-195) on 3FGs...set the C-USA record by hitting 54.3% on 3FGs (44-81) in league play...His 97 threes set the SMU record while his average of 2.8 made per game was second in C-USA and 34th in the NCAA...also tied the SMU record by hitting 90.0% (72-80) on FTs.

Aliaksei Patsevich: Averaging 2.2 points and 1.7 rebounds...2010-11: Played the last 16 games...totaled 24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals, 5 assists and 2 blocks...hit 33.3% on 3FGs (5-15)

Nick Russell: Sitting out following transfer from Kansas State.

Jeremiah Samarrippas: Team captain...Averaging 6.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists (9th C-USA), 1.4 ast/to ratio (13th C-USA), 87.5% FTs (14-16)...2010-11: played in all 35 games with 30 starts...averaged 7.4 points and 3.4 assists with a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio (120 ast / 82 to)...shot 42.1% on FGs and 38.5% on 3FGs...had 10+ points 10 times, 5+ assists 8 times and 3+ steals 8 times...led the team in assists 15 times and in steals 16 times.

Leslee Smith: Averaging 4.0 and 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 9.0 minutes...had 4 points and 2 steals in 12 minutes during debut on Dec. 4 at UALR...INJURY: Missed the first 7 games while rehabilitating from torn right ACL (suffered in March 2011)...2010-11: Sat out last season

Ricmonds Vilde: Averaging 2.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists...2010-11: Sat out last season as a redshirt

Jordan Walker: Had a steal and a rebound in the opener vs. McMurry 11/11.

Shawn Williams: Team captain...Had 12 points (5-8 FG), 4 rebounds and 2 steals in SMU debut at the Dallas Classic vs. Jackson State 12/15...2010-11: Enrolled at SMU on Jan. 11, 2011, after transferring from Texas...2009-10 (Freshman at Texas): played in 7 of UT's first 8 games, averaging 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per contest ... suffered a left ankle injury against Texas State (Dec. 12) and missed the remainder of the season.

MILESTONES:

SMU Career Games: Robert Nyakundi 101 (41st)

SMU Career Starts: Robert Nyakundi 69 (20 have 80 starts)

SMU Career Points: Robert Nyakundi 33rd 1030

SMU Career 3FGM: Robert Nyakundi is 4th 207 (3rd Troy Matthews 220, 2nd Bryan Hopkins 256, 1st Stephen Wood 273)

SMU Career 3FG%: Robert Nyakundi 2nd 44.6 (1st Eric Longino 47.3) & Rodney Clinkscales 5th 40.1

SMU Career FT%: Robert Nyakundi is 2nd 86.5 (141-163) (1st Eric Longino 88.4 (99-112), 3rd Charles Beasley 83.9 (270-322))

STREAKS:

10+points: London Giles 9 (12, 10, 11, 11, 12, 12, 14, 19, 13), Robert Nyakundi 7 (14, 18, 16, 27, 11, 16, 15), Shawn Williams (12)

8+ rebounds:

Dbl-Dbl:

5+ assists: Jeremiah Samarrippas 3 (7, 6, 7)

3+ steals:

2+ blocks:

HONORS: 2011-12

Preseason All-Conference USA - C-USA Coaches: Robert Nyakundi (Second Team)

Preseason All-Conference USA - Lindy's: Robert Nyakundi (Second Team)

Best Shooter in C-USA - The Sporting News: Robert Nyakundi

HONORS: 2010-11 (Returnees Only)

C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll: Aliaksei Patsevich, Leslee Smith

All C-USA: Robert Nyakundi (3rd Team)

SMU Invitational All-Tournament Team: Robert Nyakundi

TEAM NOTES

7 FROM DALLAS: The Mustangs have 7 players from the Dallas area: Cannen Cunningham (Arlington), London Giles (Dallas), Jalen Jones (Dallas), Robert Nyakundi (Arlington), Nick Russell (Duncanville), Jordan Walker (Arlington) and Shawn Williams (Duncanville).

10 NEW UNIFORMS: The Mustangs have 10 newcomers on gameday. SMU had four players that sat out last season; transfers London Giles (Nevada) and Shawn Williams (Texas) as well as redshirt seasons for Leslee Smith and Ricmonds Vilde. SMU also adds 6 freshmen in Cannen Cunningham, Kevin Dunleavy, Jalen Jones, Ryan Manuel, Eric Norman and Jordan Walker. Nick Russell transferred from Kansas State is sitting out.

DEFENSE-DEFENSE: SMU is allowing 58.9 (2nd C-USA, 39th NCAA) points per game...Last season, SMU led C-USA and was 23rd in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing 61.3 points per game.

FG PERCENTAGE: The Mustangs are 62-26 (.705) when shooting when shooting a higher percentage than their opponent under Matt Doherty...SMU is 3-1 this season and went 18-6 when shooting better last season.

FREE THROWS: SMU is hitting 68.3% on FTs this season...Robert Nyakundi is 6th in C-USA (79.3%) and London Giles is 7th in C-USA (78.9%)...Last season, SMU led C-USA and was 38th in the NCAA in FT percentage (.742)...Robert Nyakundi was 3rd in C-USA and tied the SMU record (.900).

HOME SWEET HOME: SMU is 3-0 at home this season and 17-5 in the last 22 home games...The Mustangs went 15-7 at home last season, tying for the most home wins in program history. SMU went 15-1 at Moody Coliseum in 1984-85.

LONG RANGE: SMU has made 72 3FGs and leads C-USA at 8.0 3FG made per game (1st C-USA, 50th NCAA)...Last season, SMU led C-USA (33rd NCAA) in 3-point field goals per game (7.9)...The squad set an SMU record with 277 3-pointers.

SHARP-SHOOTERS: Last season, SMU was 1st in C-USA (38th NCAA) in FT percentage (.742), 1st in C-USA (7th NCAA) in FG percentage (.482), and 1st in C-USA (13th NCAA) in 3FG percentage (.394)...so far this season SMU is shooting 42.3% on FGs, 35.5% on 3FGs and 68.3% on FTs.

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: SMU is 3-2 this year when having less turnovers...SMU went 13-2 last season with the same or fewer turnovers than its opponent and 7-12 when committing more miscues (one game was even).

CAPTAINS: Coach Matt Doherty named seniors Robert Nyakundi, Jeremiah Samarrippas and Shawn Williams as team captains on Nov. 7. Senior Rodney Clinkscales was also named a team captain on Dec. 3.

NEXT LEVEL: In the last three years, five SMU players have gone on to play professionally. Papa Dia signed a 2-year contract in Croatia beginning with the 2011-12 season. Four were drafted into the NBA D-League: Bamba Fall (Reno Bighorns in 2010), Mouhammad Faye (Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2010), Derek Williams (Texas Legends in 2011) and Collin Mangrum (Texas Legends in 2011). Fall is playing in Estonia this season while Faye is in France. Williams previously spent the 2010-11 season playing in Latvia.

WORLD-CLASS FACILITY: The new Crum Basketball Center at SMU is a world-class training center. The 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks used the Crum Center for their 2008, 2009 and 2010 training camps. Several other NBA teams have used the facility when they are in town to play the Mavericks.

1. Chicago Bulls2. Cleveland Cavaliers3. Dallas Mavericks4. Denver Nuggets5. Detroit Pistons6. Indiana Pacers7. Golden State Warriors8. New Orleans Hornets9. Philadelphia 76ers10. San Antonio Spurs11. Utah Jazz
FAMILIAR FOE: The Mustangs have met seven opponents more than 100 times.Rice    193 118-75  J11 at SMU, F11 at RiceTCU 185 101-85  F8 at SMUTexas A&M   177 90-87Baylor  175 100-75Texas   174 71-103Arkansas    153 59-94Texas Tech  104 47-57
YOU CAN CALL IT A COMEBACK: The Mustangs have overcome an 10-plus-point deficit 11 times under Doherty.17 pts  49-32 at 15:28 2nd half W, 65-64    Florida Gulf Coast 11/19/11 (3rd at SMU)14 pts  28-14 at 8:00 1st half  W, 64-58    Memphis 1/12/11 (T-8th at SMU)14 pts  24-10 at 8:00 1st half  W (ot), 69-63   at Arkansas-Little Rock 12/4/11 (T-8th SMU)13 pts  40-27 at 14:30 2nd half W, 55-53    Tulane 1/24/0713 pts  41-28 at 19:18 2nd half W (ot), 69-67   UCF 1/26/0813 pts  40-27 at 17:34 2nd half W, 68-53    Rice 2/9/0813 pts  63-50 at 9:47 2nd half  W (2ot), 99-96  UTEP 3/1/0813 pts  15-2 at 12:51 1st half  W, 70-67    at McMurry 12/18/1013 pts  36-23 at 1:15 1st half  W, 59-58    at Tulsa 1/26/1113 pts  32-19 at 15:18 2nd half W, 46-41    East Carolina 2/2/1111 pts  28-17 at 3:06 1st half  W, 70-60    Memphis 1/30/10
LEVELS:                             LED        GP  10+Pts  8+Reb   Dbl-Dbl 5+Ast   3+Stl   2+Blk   Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk0   Rodney Clinkscales 6   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -1   Ryan Manuel   9   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   2   -   12   Shawn Williams 1   1   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   1   -3   Leslee Smith 2   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   1   -4   Kevin Dunleavy, Jr.  1   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -5   Ricmonds Vilde 9   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   2   -   -10  Nick Russell -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -11  London Giles 9   9   -   -   -   2   -   1   -   4   3   -12  Jeremiah Samarrippas 9   4   -   -   7   -   -   -   -   5   1   -13  Aliaksei Patsevich 9   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   1   -   115  Cannen Cunningham   9   3   1   -   -   -   4   2   4   1   -   521  Jalen Jones   9   3   1   -   -   1   -   1   1   1   2   -24  Robert Nyakundi    9   8   2   -   -   -   1   5   4   2   -   134  Jordan Walker   1   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -35  Eric Norman   6   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
CAREER   GP  10+Pts  8+Reb   Dbl-Dbl 5+Ast   3+Stl   2+Blk   Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk0   Rodney Clinkscales 67  9   -   -   -   1   -   4   -   1   8   12   Shawn Williams 8   1   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   1   -10  Nick Russell 46  3   -   -   1   -   1   -   -   -   -   -11  London Giles 55  9   -   -   1   3   -   1   -   4   3   -12  Jeremiah Samarrippas 44  14  -   -   15  8   -   -   -   20  17  -13  Aliaksei Patsevich 25  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   1   2   224  Robert Nyakundi    101 51  6   3   4   7   1   19  14  12  17  5
WORKING OVERTIME: The Mustangs are 6-2 in overtime under Matt Doherty (he is now 7-6 all-time in OT as a head coach)Date    Opponent    Result  Start OT    Start 2OT1/6/07  Brown   W, 60-56 ot 50-501/26/08 UCF W, 69-67 ot 62-623/1/08  UTEP    W, 99-96 2ot    79-79   86-862/25/09 at UTEP L, 61-58 ot 55-5511/21/10    UC Riverside    L, 73-69 ot 57-572/23/11 Rice    W, 76-66 ot 57-573/16/11 Oral Roberts    W, 64-57 ot 52-5212/4/11 at Ark-Little Rock  W, 69-63 ot 54-54
DOUBLE-DOUBLES:2010-11 (returnees)     Opponent    Season  CareerRobert Nyakundi    19 pts, 10 rebs Portland State  1st 1stRobert Nyakundi    23 pts, 10 rebs SE Missouri State   2nd 2ndRobert Nyakundi    14 pts, 10 rebs Santa Clara 3rd 3rd

SMU RECORDS: Additions to the SMU record book this season

TEAM 3FGM: 13 vs. McMurry 11/11 (T-5th) Comeback: 17 points vs. Florida Gulf Coast 11/19 (3rd)

OPPONENT - FT% 93.3 (14-15) vs. Colorado State 11/14 (T-16th)

CLINKSCALES NAMED CAPTAIN (Dec. 4): SMU men's basketball coach Matt Doherty named Rodney Clinkscales as a team captain on Saturday. Clinkscales joins Robert Nyakundi, Jeremiah Samarrippas and Shawn Williams as team captains for the 2011-12 season.

THREE FUTURE MUSTANGS SIGN FOR 2012-13: SMU Head Coach Matt Doherty announced that three student-athletes have signed a National Letter-of-Intent to play for the Mustangs beginning with the 2012-13 season. The class includes Brian Bernardi, a three-star 6-3 guard from Xaverian High School in New York, N.Y.; Blaise Mbargorba, a 7-0 center that is an ESPNU Top-100 signee from The Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey; and Uche Ofoegbu, a three-star 6-6 forward from John Paul Stevens in San Antonio. "This is a fantastic recruiting class," says Doherty. "I am excited about the quality of these young men. This class will excel in our system and add to the foundation that we have built. This will translate into success for years to come." Brian Bernardi - G, 6-3, 180 (New York, N.Y. - Xaverian HS) Blaise Mbargorba - C, 7-0, 230 (Hightstown, N.J. - The Peddie School) Uche Ofoegbu - F, 6-6, 200 (San Antonio, Texas - John Paul Stevens)

2010-11: The Mustangs entered the season following their most successful campaign in more than a decade. SMU recorded its first 20-win season and first postseason bid since 1999-2000; finishing 20-15 and advancing to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) semifinal. SMU also had its most wins in Conference USA (8) while leading the league in field goal percentage (.482, 7th NCAA), 3-point percentage (.394, 13th NCAA) and free throw percentage (.742, 38th NCAA). The Mustangs tied the SMU record with 15 home wins at Moody Coliseum (15-1 in 1984-85). SMU also made a team-record 277 3-pointers last year.

Robert Nyakundi Named Preseason All-Conference USA: Senior Robert Nyakundi was selected Preseason All-C-USA second team by the league's coaches. The forward was also tabbed the Best Shooter in C-USA by The Sporting News and was selected Preseason All-C-USA second team by Lindy's Sports Annuals. In 2010, Nyakundi was selected Third-Team All-C-USA as he averaged 14.3 points (11th C-USA) while setting C-USA and SMU records from 3-point range. Nyakundi led C-USA and was second in the NCAA at 49.7 percent (97-195) from beyond the arc. He set the C-USA record by hitting 54.3 percent on 3-pointers (44-81) during league play. His 97 threes set the SMU record while his average of 2.8 made per game was second in C-USA and 34th in the NCAA. Nyakundi also tied the SMU record by hitting 90.0 percent (72-80) at the line.

SMU Hosts Dallas Classic At Ellis Davis Fieldhouse On Dec. 15: As part of SMU's ongoing effort to strengthen its relationship with the city, Dallas' hometown team, the Mustangs will host a game at the Dallas Independent School District's Ellis Davis Fieldhouse on Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. SMU faces Jackson State in the non-conference matchup. The Mustangs will play at three venues in Dallas this season. The Showcase vs. Oklahoma State is at American Airlines Center on Dec. 28, the inaugural Dallas Classic at Ellis Davis Fieldhouse on Dec. 15, and a full slate of home games at historic Moody Coliseum. Ten of the top 22 scorers in SMU history are from the Dallas area; including Jeryl Sasser (Kimball HS), Quinton Ross (Kimball HS) and Ira Terrell (Roosevelt HS). Sasser is SMU's all-time leading scorer with 1,992 points. --- "SMU is Dallas' team, and this is a great way to embrace that relationship," said SMU A.D. Steve Orsini. "We appreciate the city's support in all our efforts and are very happy to be taking this game off campus for our south Dallas fans." --- "The Mustangs and the city of Dallas have rich basketball histories and this event will help bring those two traditions together," says SMU head coach Matt Doherty." We have seven student-athletes on our roster from the Dallas area and this is a way to show our commitment to the community."

Moody Coliseum Renovation And Expansion Project Receives $20 Million from Moody Foundation plus $10 Million from David & Carolyn Miller: Two lead gifts - a $20 million gift from the Moody Foundation and a $10 million commitment from SMU trustee David B. Miller '72, '73 and his wife Carolyn Lacy Miller - will help provide an extensive expansion and renovation of Moody Coliseum. Moody Coliseum is a campus and Dallas landmark that is home to the pageantry of SMU Commencement as well as numerous speaking, athletics and community events such as concerts and high school graduations. The project will feature new premium seating as well as courtside retractable seating designated for students and renovation of the entry lobby and concourses. Technology improvements will include new video boards, scoreboards, sound system, broadcast capabilities and heating and cooling systems. In addition, office suites, restrooms and locker rooms will be upgraded. Additional donors will be sought for the $40 million project.

NCAA SELECTION: SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini is a member of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee, receiving a five-year appointment that began Sept. 1, 2010. The 10-member committee consists of athletics directors and commissioners of Division I member institutions and conferences, and oversees administration of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, including the selection, seeding and bracketing of teams for the tournament. The committee is the primary NCAA contact with CBS Sports, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and other key basketball organizations. Committee members oversee selected preliminary round sites, as well as the Final Four, and assign officiating crews for each game of the championship. The committee also serves as stewards for the good of the game, monitoring and taking action as appropriate regarding issues affecting college basketball.

DICK'S SPORTING GOODS NIT SEASON TIP-OFF: The SMU men's basketball team will participate in the 2011 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, NIT selection committee chair C.M. Newton announced on Wednesday. The Mustangs are assigned to the West Regional and will play their first two games Nov. 14-16 in Stanford, Calif. SMU matches up with Colorado State in the first round. Fresno State faces Stanford in the other opening round contest. ESPN will provide coverage throughout the event, televising games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com. Games on ESPN and ESPN2 will be simulcast on ESPN3.com. This is SMU's this appearance in the Preseason NIT. The last was at the start of the 1998-99 season.

MUSTANGS SELECTED IN NBA D-LEAGUE DRAFT: Former SMU men's basketball standouts Collin Mangrum and Derek Williams were selected in the 2011 NBA Development League Draft on Thursday. Both were selected by the Texas Legends with Williams going in the seventh round and Mangrum being called in the eighth round. It is the second straight year two Mustangs have been selected as Mouhammad Faye and Bamba Fall were picked in the 2010 draft.

Kenny Smith Speaks At SMU Basketball Tip-Off Dinner: The SMU men's basketball team hosted its sixth annual Tip-Off Dinner at the Park Cities Hilton Ballroom on Oct. 13. TNT analyst and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith served as the keynote speaker. Smith is the sixth member of an elite list of speakers for the event following SMU great Jon Koncak (2006), television commentating legend Bill Raftery (2007), prominent coach and analyst Fran Fraschilla (2008), ESPN college basketball analyst Hubert Davis (2009) and NFL Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin (2010).

SMU's Matt Doherty Joins Coaches vs. Cancer to Call for Increased Cancer Research Funding: Coach Matt Doherty teamed with cancer advocates to urge Congress to protect federal funding for cancer research and prevention programs. The coaches led a Capitol Hill rally on Sept. 27, to emphasize that the federal investment in cancer research, prevention and early detection programs is vitally important to helping people prevent and fight the disease. Coaches vs. Cancer is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The more than 2,000 college basketball coaches have raised nearly $50 million since its inception. --- Participants were: Coach Matt Brown (Missouri-Kansas City); Coach Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh); Coach Matt Doherty (SMU); Coach Paul Hewitt (George Mason); John Seffrin, PhD, CEO, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Christopher W. Hansen, president, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

SMU's Gerald Lewis Inducted Into St. Martin's Episcopal School Hall Of Fame: Men's basketball Director of Operations and SMU alum, Gerald Lewis, was inducted into the St. Martin's Episcopal School (New Orleans) Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 30. Lewis is a 1989 graduate of St. Martin's and a 1993 graduate of SMU. Lewis scored 1,243 points. As a senior, he averaged 23.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 5.0 steals. As a junior and senior, he was all-state, all-district, and all-metro. At SMU, he was first team All-SWC in 1993, leading SMU to the SWC regular season title and an NCAA berth. His senior season, he became one of only eight players in NCAA history to record three triple-doubles and set the SMU single-season mark for steals (79). He played professionally for six years in Croatia where he was a five-time All-Star including MVP in the 1996 All-Star game.

SMU IN THE POSTSEASON: Last season, SMU played in its 14th postseason tournament, advancing to the semifinal of the CIT. SMU has made 10 NCAA championships (1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993), two NIT appearances (1986, 2000) and a Collegiate Commissioners Association Invitational (1974). The three wins in the 2011 postseason tied the program record (3 wins in 1956 NCAA Final Four season). The 64-57 overtime win against Oral Roberts on March 16 in the opening round of the CIT marked the Mustangs' first postseason win since defeating Notre Dame 83-75 in the first round of the 1988 NCAA Championship in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Mustangs were a No. 7 seed and Notre Dame was a No. 10 seed in the East Region. SMU is 12-16 all-time in postseason play.

DOHERTY IN THE POSTSEASON: SMU's 2011 CIT run was Matt Doherty's fourth postseason as a head coach. He has a 10-4 record in two NITs, an NCAA appearance and the 2011 CIT. He led Notre Dame to the NIT championship game in 2000, took North Carolina to the NCAA second round in 2001, and then led UNC to the NIT quarterfinal round in 2003. SMU made the 2011 CIT semifinal. He made seven NCAA trips as an assistant coach at Kansas, including the 1993 Final Four.