No. 19/23 SMU (22-4, 12-1) hosts Tulane (4-20, 1-11) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT. The Mustangs have won eight straight and 18 of their last 19 games after a 60-51 win versus then No. 11/11 Cincinnati on Sunday. The Mustangs are 15-0 at home this season and have won 19 straight at Moody Coliseum, which is tied for the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
SMU has held the last 19 opponents to 66 points or less and has a season scoring defense of 58.0 (1st AAC, 3rd NCAA). SMU is also among the national leaders with a rebound margin of +10.9 (1st AAC, 2nd NCAA), a field goal defense of .384 (3rd AAC, 7th NCAA) and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5 (2nd AAC, 13th NCAA).
Five Mustangs average at least 9.2 points.
Semi Ojeleye, The American Player of the Week, leads SMU (18.2, 3rd AAC) followed by
Shake Milton (13.6, 12th AAC),
Sterling Brown (12.0, 20th AAC),
Ben Moore (11.2, 22nd AAC) and
Jarrey Foster (9.2). SMU has had at least four score 10+ in 18 of 26 games. Three Mustangs have scored 27 or more points in the past six games (Milton 27 vs. Houston 1/21, Brown 27 at Tulsa 2/4, Ojeleye 30 at Temple 2/9), and six Mustangs have scored in double figures in league play.
The Mustangs have outrebounded 23 of 26 opponents and have been at least +10 in 15 games (including 11 of 13 AAC games). Five average 4.1 or more rebounds with Moore (8.0, 4th AAC), Brown (7.0, T-11th AAC) and Ojeleye (6.7, 15th AAC) leading SMU. As a team, SMU is first in The American in offensive rebound percentage (.391) and second in defensive rebound percentage (.755).
The Mustangs are shooting 46.0 percent from the field (3rd AAC) and 39.7 percent from three (2nd AAC, 20th NCAA). Moore is shooting 56.0% (2nd AAC), with Foster at 48.7% (11th AAC) and Ojeleye at 47.9% (12th AAC). Ojeleye is third in The American in 3-point percentage at 42.3%, Brown is fourth at 42.1% and Milton is fifth also at 42.0% (Foster is at 42.1%, but doesn't have enough 3FG made to qualify for the AAC ranking). Milton also leads SMU in assists (4.4, 5th AAC) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3, 4th AAC, 58th NCAA). Brown also ranks among the AAC leaders in assists (3.3, 12th AAC) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6, 8th AAC). Brown and Milton are also near the top of the league in steals with 1.6 (4th AAC) and 1.3 (12th AAC), respectively.
The Mustangs are playing their second week as a ranked team this season at No. 19 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. SMU had been in the receiving votes list the previous four weeks. This is the fourth straight season SMU has been in the AP Top 25 (2 weeks 2016-17, 17 weeks 2015-16, 9 weeks 2014-15, 4 weeks 2013-14).
The Mustangs have won eight straight and 18 of the last 19 after a 4-3 start to the season. The only loss in the last 19 contests was at then-No. 22/22 Cincinnati on Jan. 12 (L, 66-64). SMU has held its last 19 opponents to 66 points or less (55.3 per game).
W-L 4-3 18-1
Scoring Off. 73.1 72.6
Scoring Def. 65.3 55.3
Scoring Margin 7.9 17.3
FG Pct. .463 .460
FG Pct. Def. .412 .374
3Pt.FG Pct. .358 .409
3Pt.FG Pct. Def. .328 .325
Reb. Off. 40.9 38.9
Reb. Def. 27.7 28.9
Reb. Margin 13.1 10.1
LAST GAME (W, 60-51 vs. [11/11] Cincinnati on Feb. 12): DALLAS (AP) --
Ben Emelogu II acknowledged that SMU players would have been lying if they said Cincinnati wasn't on their minds. The 25th-ranked Mustangs got a bit of a revenge, and in the process took a slight lead in the American Athletic Conference standings. Emelogu hit two 3-pointers and made the tiebreaking free throw in the game-deciding 15-0 run for the Mustangs in a 60-51 win Sunday to snap a 15-game winning streak by No. 11 Cincinnati, which had also been responsible for the only loss by SMU in its previous 18 games. Finishing their first week as a ranked team this season, the Mustangs (22-4, 12-1 American) had their big spurt right after Cincinnati had scored 12 in a row in a 2 1/2-minue span soon after halftime to regain the lead. The Bearcats (22-3, 11-1) made only three of their last 21 shots after that -- and went without a field goal the final 4:11 of the game. After SMU had finished the first half with eight straight points to tie the game, and went ahead on
Shake Milton's 3-pointer, Kevin Johnson had a tying 3 to start the big spurt by Cincinnati. Johnson also had a steal for a breakaway two-handed slam before Kyle Washington's basket to give the Bearcats their biggest lead of the game at 40-31.
But SMU got even on 3s by Emelogu,
Semi Ojeleye and Milton and went ahead to stay on Emeolgu's free throw with 11:47 left before he added another 3. Ojeleye had 18 points to lead SMU while
Sterling Brown had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Milton and Emelogu each had 11 points. Jacob Evans had 15 points for the Bearcats, while Johnson had 13 and Washington 11. Gary Clark had 12 rebounds, but the big man was only 2-of-7 shooting. Cincinnati had 17 field goals overall, 11 being 3-pointers.
UP NEXT: SMU plays at Houston on Saturday, Feb. 18 (5 p.m., ESPN2) and then at Connecticut on Saturday, Feb. 25 (12pm.ET/11am CT, CBS). The Mustangs close the regular season at home against Tulsa on Thursday, March 2 (7pm CBSSN) and senior day versus Memphis on Saturday, March 4 (3pm, ESPN/2).
THE SERIES VS. TULANE (19-13): SMU and Tulane meet for the 33rd time, with SMU holding a 19-13 series lead. The Mustangs opened the season with an 80-64 win at Tulane on Jan. 15. Last season, SMU swept the series, winning 60-45 at Tulane on Jan. 17, before a 74-53 victory at Moody on Feb. 28. SMU is 13-2 at home, and has not lost in Moody Coliseum to Tulane since Dec. 7, 1991. The first meeting between the programs came on Dec. 18, 1959, an 86-61 victory for SMU.
PREVIOUS MEETING VS. TULANE (W, 80-64 at Devlin Fieldhouse on Jan. 15, 2017): NEW ORLEANS (AP) --
Semi Ojeleye scored 21 points and
Jarrey Foster added 19 more to lead SMU to an 80-64 win over Tulane.
Ben Moore contributed 15 points and
Shake Milton got 11 to go with nine rebounds for SMU, which hit 31 of 61 from the field. Ojeleye and Foster each had three 3-pointers. SMU broke away in the second half, first with a 12-0 run right to go up 49-35 and later with a 16-2 run that stretched the advantage to 76-54 with 2:21 to play. In the first half, Tulane clawed back from a 13-point deficit to close the gap to 37-35 but went cold in the second half. Kain Harris finished with 16 points, leading three Tulane players in double figures.
HEAD COACH TIM JANKOVICH... is in his first season at the helm at SMU after four seasons as the associate head coach. He is in his 34th season as a collegiate coach, and his 12th as a head coach. In 2015-16, the Mustangs finished 25-5, finishing the season ranked No. 24 after reaching a high of No. 8. SMU was the last unbeaten team in the country, starting 18-0, winning the Las Vegas Classic title during the season-opening streak. In 2014-15, the Mustangs claimed the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships en route to the NCAA Tournament. SMU was the top seed in the 2014 NIT, reaching the title game. This is his 10th season as the leader of a Division I program, including five as head coach at Illinois State (2007-12) and four at North Texas (1993-97). As a head coach, he is 188-125 (.601) [31-4 at SMU, including 22-0 at Moody Coliseum]. That includes a 104-64 mark at ISU where his teams recorded four top-three finishes in the Missouri Valley, reached the conference tournament final three times and earned four NIT bids. As an assistant or head coach, his teams are 628-375 (.626) with six regular season conference championships, four league tournament titles, nine NCAA Tournament appearances and eight NIT bids.
- 6 Conference Titles (Colorado State - WAC '89, '90; Kansas - Big 12 '05, '06, '07; SMU - AAC '15)
- 4 Conference Tournament Titles (Illinois - Big Ten '03; Kansas - Big 12 '05, '06; SMU - AAC '15)
- 9 NCAAs (CSU '89, '90; Oklahoma State '93; Illinois '03; Kansas '04 RF, '05, '06, '07 RF; SMU '15)
- 8 NITs (CSU '88, Vanderbilt '00, '02; Illinois State '08, '09, '10, '12; SMU '14 Final)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WINS: SMU leads The American in league wins (40-9) since the start of the 2014-15 season. SMU went 15-3 to win the 2014-15 regular season (also won the tournament) then 13-5 in 2015-16 to finish in second, one game behind Temple.
Through Feb. 12 W L PCT
SMU 40 9 .816
Cincinnati 36 12 .750
Tulsa 32 16 .667
Temple 32 17 .653
Connecticut 28 20 .583
Memphis 26 23 .531
Houston 25 24 .510
UCF 17 32 .347
East Carolina 13 35 .271
Tulane 10 38 .208
USF 8 41 .163
ATTENDANCE: SMU has surpassed 100,000 in attendance four straight seasons. In 2014-15, SMU set a season attendance record of 124,986 total and 6,944 average. The New Moody single-game attendance record of 7,518 was set in the 60-51 win against then No. 11/11 Cincinnati (Feb. 12, 2017). The previous. SMU has sold out 47 of 63 games in Moody Coliseum since the renovated facility opened Jan. 4, 2014.
SMU Season Home Attendance Total
Total Season
124,986 2014-15 AAC Champions (15 sellouts in 18 games)
117,420 2015-16 (13 sellouts in 17 games)
107,412 2013-14 (9 sellouts in 19 games - 13 games in Moody Coliseum)
102,925 2016-17 (10 sellouts in 15 games)
101,296 1984-85
SMU - Single-Game Attendance Records In Moody Coliseum (since renovation before 2013-14 season)
7,518 [11/11] Cincinnati, 2-9-2017 (W, 60-51)
7,395 Connecticut, 2-14-2015 (W, 73-55)
7,314 Tulsa, 3-8-2015 (W, 67-62) Win AAC
7,305 [11/9] Louisville, 3-5-2014 (L, 84-71)
7,303 Connecticut, 3-3-2016 (W, 80-54)
7,278 [7/7] Cincinnati, 2-8-2014 (W^, 76-55)
7,249 Gonzaga, 2-13-2016 (W, 69-60)
7,245 Michigan, 12-8-2015 (W, 82-58)
7,205 Memphis, 1-30-2016 (W, 80-68)
2016-17 SEASON-TICKET RECORD: On the heels of a three straight record-breaking seasons for SMU Men's Basketball attendance, another record has been set on the Hilltop with more than 5,100 season tickets sold for the games at Moody Coliseum.
AWARDS - THE AMERICAN WEEKLY AWARDS: Semi Ojeleye was named the American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 14 and Feb. 13, and has been named to the Weekly Honor Roll five times (Nov. 21, Dec. 12, Dec. 26, Jan. 2, Jan. 9).
Sterling Brown was selected as The American Player of the Week on Feb. 6 and to the Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 2.
Shake Milton has been named to the Weekly Honor Roll twice (Jan. 23, Jan. 30) and
Ben Moore once (Dec. 5).
AWARDS - CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Semi Ojeleye was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Men's Basketball Team. The award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. The junior holds a 3.65 GPA in psychology, while ranking among the top in the American Athletic Conference in points, rebounds, field goal percentage and three point percentage.
AWARDS - JERRY WEST SHOOTING GUARD OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST: Sophomore
Shake Milton was one of 20 candidates named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Oct. 18. The annual honor recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball. As a freshman, Milton was a unanimous AAC All-Rookie selection after ranking third in the league for 3-point percentage (42.6, 52-122), 13th in field goal percentage (47.7) and 28th in scoring (10.5). He also averaged 2.7 assists (13th AAC) and 3.0 rebounds with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio as he helped the Mustangs to a 25-5 season. This summer, he was a shooting guard at the 2016 Nike Hoops Summit in Los Angeles and went to Croatia with a Global Sports Academy U.S. Team.
AWARDS - PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Senior
Ben Moore was named to the preseason All-AAC first team, while sophomore
Shake Milton was named to the second team. The Mustangs, who finished second last season after winning the conference in 2014-15, were picked behind Cincinnati and Connecticut, respectively.
AWARDS - ALLSTATE NABC GOOD WORKS TEAM NOMINEE: Jonathan Wilfong is a nominee for the 2017 Allstate National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Good Works Team, a distinguished award that highlights student-athletes who have shown dedication to community service and altruism in their communities. The senior is a co-founder of Coaching for Literacy (coachingforliteracy.org), an organization that helps fund literacy programs focused on helping elementary and middle school students. The mission of Coaching for Literacy is to increase awareness about the number of people in America who are functionally or totally illiterate and the social problems associated with illiteracy. By partnering with sports teams from across the country for a unique game-day experience, Coaching for Literacy raises money to supports effective local literacy programs and schools focused on educating elementary and middle school students. This is the second straight season SMU has a nominee after
Semi Ojeleye was on the 2015-16 award list.
1000 AND A LOT MOORE: Senior
Ben Moore has 1106 career points (30th at SMU), and became the 39th person in program history to 1,000 points (on a dunk vs. Temple 1/4/17). He also has 716 rebounds (11th at SMU), 117 blocked shots (8th at SMU), 220 assists and 93 steals. He is just the fifth Mustang to have at least 1000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocked shots. He is the first to also record at least 200 assists and ranks second in that group for steals.
Points Rebs Blocks Assists Steals
Jon Koncak, 1981-85 1784 1169 278 173 74
Ira Terrell, 1972-76 1715 1077 169 141 N/A
Papa Dia, 2007-11 1437 911 143 133 91
Patrick Simpson, 2001-05 1271 759 151 122 69
Ben Moore, 2013- 1106 716 117 220 93
2017-18 BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS: SMU will play in the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas. The event is Nov. 22-24 with Villanova, Tennessee, Arizona, Purdue, Western Kentucky, N.C. State & Northern Iowa.
2ND TO NONE: Seniors
Sterling Brown and
Ben Moore, both Chicago area natives (Brown is from Maywood and Moore is from Bolingbrook), are the all-time leaders in wins for SMU basketball. They are also among the leaders in several other career categories.
SMU CAREER WINS (in games played)
1. ^ 101 Sterling Brown, 2013-17
2. ^" 100 Ben Moore, 2013-17
3. 85 Butch Moore, 1982-86
4. ^ 81 Cannen Cunningham, 2011-15
5. ^ 81 Ryan Manuel, 2011-15
6. 80 Scott Johnson, 1983-87
7. 79 Terry Williams, 1983-87
8. ^ 78
Nic Moore, 2013-16
9. 73 Jon Koncak, 1981-85
10. 72 Larry Davis, 1981-85
^ wins from 2013-14 later vacated
"
Ben Moore missed the win vs. Brown 11/29/15
SMU CAREER STATS & RANKS
Brown Moore
Games 127 3rd 126 4th
Starts 97 10th 84
Points 952 1106 30th
Rebounds 608 22nd 716 11th
Assists 274 18th 220
Blocks 47 117 8th
Steals 130 T-11th 93
FG% .501 15th .537 7th
3FG% .440 2nd 0-2
3FGs 107 T-13th N/A
SMU CAREER GAMES PLAYED
1 134 Cannen Cunnningham, 2011-15
134 Ryan Manuel, 2011-15
3 127 Sterling Brown, 2013-17 (37th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
4 126 Ben Moore, 2013-17 (49th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
5 125 Butch Moore, 1982-86
3 TIMES THE CHARM: SMU has two of the program's best career 3-point shooters by percentage in Sterling Brown, Shake Milton and Semi Ojeleye. Milton and Brown are both in the top 15 for threes made.
SMU Career 3FG Pct. - (min. 50 made)
1 47.3 Eric Longino (62-131), 1987-89
2 44.0 Sterling Brown (107-243), 2013- (9th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
3 43.4 Robert Nyakundi (267-615), 2008-12
4 42.3 Semi Ojeleye (Jr.), 2016-17 (55-130)
42.3 Shake Milton (112-265), 2015- (30th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
6 42.2 Todd Alexander (92-218), 1987-89
7 42.1
Nic Moore (225-534), 2013-16
8 41.1 Troy Dorner (51-124), 1991-94
9 40.0 Carlton McKinney (64-160), 1986-88
SMU Best Season 3FG Pct (Since 1986-87) Minimum 20 Made
1 53.6
Sterling Brown (Jr.), 2015-16 (30-56)
2 53.2 Eric Longino (Sr.), 1988-89 (50-94)
3 49.7 Robert Nyakundi (Jr.), 2010-11 (97-195)
4 47.6 Troy Dorner (Sr.), 1993-94 (39-82)
5 47.5 Scott Johnson (Sr.), 1986-87 (44-99)
6 45.7 Lavardicus Atkins (Fr.), 2000-01 (21-46)
7 45.3 Todd Alexander (Jr.), 1987-88 (82-181)
45.3 Ike Ofoegbu (Sr.), 2006-07 (29-64)
9 44.4
Sterling Brown (So.), 2014-15 (20-45)
10 43.6
Nic Moore (So.), 2013-14 (72-165)
11 42.6
Shake Milton (Fr.), 2015-16 (52-122)
12 42.3 Semi Ojeleye (Jr.), 2016-17 (55-130)
13 42.1 Sterling Brown (Sr.), 2016-17 (40-95)
42.1 Jarrey Foster (So.), 2016-17 (24-57)
15 42.0 Shake Milton (So.), 2016-17 (60-143)
SMU Career 3FG Made
1 273 Stephen Woods, 1996-00
2 267 Robert Nyakundi, 2008-12
3 256 Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06
4 225
Nic Moore, 2013-16
5 220 Troy Matthews, 1993-97
6 170 Quinton Ross, 1999-03
7 161 Chad Allen, 1990-94
8 133 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01
9 131
Mike Walker, 2007-11
10 121 Jemeil Rich, 1994-97
11 119 Jon Killen, 2004-08
12 112 Shake Milton, 2015-
13 107 Damon Hancock, 1998-02
107 Sterling Brown, 2013-
18 - RPI: The Mustangs are No. 18 in the RPI (through Feb. 9) with a 8-4 mark against the top 100 (Kenpom 12, ESPN BPI 19, AP Poll 19, Sagarin 21, USA Today Coaches Poll 23).
RPI Opponent Result
15 at [22/22] Cincinnati L, 66-64 on Jan. 12
15 [11/11] Cincinnati W, 60-51 on Feb. 12
32 at USC L, 78-73 on Nov. 25
37 TCU W, 74-59 on Dec. 7
55 vs. Pittsburgh W, 76-67 on Nov. 17 (2K Classic semifinal at Madison Square Garden)
58 vs. Michigan L, 76-54 on Nov. 18 (2K Classic championship at Madison Square Garden)
59 Houston W, 85-64 on Jan. 21
61 at Boise State L, 71-62 on Nov. 30
75 Stanford W, 72-49 on Dec. 19
82 Temple W, 79-65 on Jan. 4
82 at Temple W, 66-50 on Feb. 9
97 CSU Bakersfield W, 49-43 on Dec. 2
60-50-85: As a junior in 2015-16,
Sterling Brown shot 60.2% from the field (109-181, 2nd AAC), 53.6% from 3-point range (30-56, 1st AAC, SMU Record) and 85.7% on free throws (54-63). He is believed to be the first in NCAA Division I to accomplish the 60-50-80 marks for a season. (The 3-point line was instituted in 1986-87.)
BALANCED SCORING: SMU has had four score in double figures in 18 of 26 games this season with five in double figures four times (Eastern Michigan, McNeese, at East Carolina, Houston). The Mustangs almost have five averaging double figures.
Semi Ojeleye leads SMU at 18.2 (3rd AAC) followed by
Shake Milton at 13.6 (12th AAC),
Sterling Brown at 12.0 (20th AAC),
Ben Moore 11.2 (22nd AAC) and
Jarrey Foster at 9.2. In 2015-16, SMU had 4 players with 10+ points in 23 of 30 games, including 6 in double figures in the win against Hampton and 5 in double figures six times.
YEARS WITH FIVE AVERAGING DOUBLE-FIGURE POINTS (2015-16 was the first time since 1975-76)
2016-17 Semi Ojeleye 18.2, Shake Milton 13.6, Sterling Brown 12.0, Ben Moore 11.2 (Jarrey Foster 9.2)
2015-16
Nic Moore 16.1,
Ben Moore 11.9,
Jordan Tolbert 11.6,
Shake Milton 10.5,
Sterling Brown 10.1
Moore (All-America HM, AAC Player of the Year, All-AAC 1st Team); Milton (AAC All-Rookie Team)
1975-76 Ira Terrell 22.6, Michael Jaccar 11.9, Joe Swedlund 11.1, Peter Lodwick 10.5, Bob Arnold 10.5
Terrell (All-America HM), SWC Player of the Year, All-SWC 1st Team); Jaccar (All-SWC 2nd Team)
1974-75 Russell Bourquein 13.3, Jeff Swanson 11.2, John Sagehorn 11.0, Joe Swedlund 10.7, Bob Arnold 10.1
1971-72 Ruben Triplett 18.2, Larry Delzell 12.3, Bobby Rollings 11.3, David Miller 10.7, Zachary Theil 10.0
Triplett (All-SWC 1st Team); SWC Champs
1966-67 Denny Holman 16.5, Charles Beasley 15.0, Lynn Phillips 14.1, Bob Begert 13.2, Bill Voight 11.3
Holman (SWC Player of the Year), Holman & Beasley (All-SWC 1st Team)
SWC Champs, NCAA 2nd Rnd
1955-56 Jim Krebs 19.1, Bobby Mills 13.0, Joel Krog 12.0, Larry Showalter 11.0, Ron Morris 10.2
Krebs (All-America 2nd Team); Krebs, Mills & Showalter (All-SWC 1st Team)
SWC Champs, NCAA Final Four
BEST WIN STREAKS/START(S) IN PROGRAM HISTORY: SMU's 10-game winning streak tied for third in program history. In 2015-16, SMU started 18-0, which was the best in program history, surpassing the 10-0 start by the 1997-98 team (
Tim Jankovich directed the first nine games of the 18-game streak). The 18-game winning streak was the second-longest in program history (20 during 1955-56). The 7-0 start in American Athletic Conference play was the best league start since going 12-0 en route to the 1955-56 SWC title.
WINNING STREAKS - LONGEST IN SMU HISTORY:
Wins Start Date End Date
20 at Wichita State; W, 85-67 (Dec. 22, 1955) vs #1 San Francisco (Final Four), L 86-68 (March 2, 1956)
18 Sam Houston State; W, 85-50 (Nov. 14, 2015) at Temple; L, 89-80 (Jan. 24, 2016)
10 Texas Tech; W, 89-82 (Nov. 22, 1997) at UTEP; L, 66-64 (Jan. 3, 1998)
10 at Arkansas; W, 75-74 (Feb. 2, 1966) #2 Kansas (NCAA Regional); L, 96-90 (March 11, 1966)
10 CSU Bakersfield; W, 49-43 (Dec. 2, 2016) at 22/22 Cincinnati; L, 66-64 (Jan. 12, 2017)
9 Texas Southern; W, 91-72 (Nov. 23, 1984) at Chaminade; L, 71-70 (Dec. 25, 1984)
9 Eastern Kentucky; W, 66-45 (Dec. 6, 1947) Baylor; L, 43-42 (Jan. 10, 1948)
CLASSROOM RECORDS: SMU's football, men's basketball and women's basketball programs had a record-setting fall semester in the classroom. The football and women's basketball teams set program-best cumulative grade-point-averages while men's basketball reached its highest cumulative GPA since 2004. It was the second-straight outstanding semester for all three programs. Football had a new program high in the spring of 2016. Spring of 2016 also saw women's basketball record its best spring since 2005 and men's basketball post its best mark since 2011. The programs combined for 35 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Honors in 2016. Football had 29 representatives while men's and women's basketball had three apiece.
CRASHING THE GLASS: SMU has a +10.9 rebound margin this season (1st AAC, 2nd NCAA), outrebounding 23 of 26 opponents. SMU has led The American in rebound margin for three straight seasons. In 2015-16, SMU outrebounded 24 of 30 opponents and had a +10.2 margin (1st AAC, 4th NCAA). The Mustangs were at least +10 in 16 games. In the 4-game stretch from 12/5 to 12/17, SMU was at least +25 in each game (+113 total, +28.3 average). SMU was +25 vs. New Hampshire, +25 vs. Michigan, +37 vs. Nicholls, +26 vs. Hampton. SMU has outrebounded 121 of 159 since the start of 2012-13.
Season Reb. Margin Conf.-NCAA Outrebound Opp.
2012-13 +2.6 5th - 102nd 21 of 32 (+10 in 4 games)
2013-14 +4.8 1st - 36th 25 of 37 (+10 in 11 games)
2014-15 +6.7 1st - 17th 28 of 34 (+10 in 10 games)
2015-16 +10.2 1st - 4th 24 of 30 (+10 in 16 games)
2016-17 +10.9 1st - 2nd 23 of 26 (+10 in 15 games)
SMU Season Rebound Margin (The previous 3 seasons are all in the top 6 in program history.)
--- 10.9 2016-17
1. 10.2 (39.4-29.3) 2015-16
2. 8.4 (37.2-28.8) 1988-89
3. 6.7 (36.6-29.9) 2014-15
4. 5.7 (48.5-42.8) 1959-60
5. 5.0 (46.5-41.5) 1958-59
6. 4.8 (36.0-31.3) 2013-14
7. 4.6 (38.1-33.5) 1984-85
8. 4.3 (43.3-39.0) 1999-00
SMU Career Rebounds
1 1169 Jon Koncak, 1981-85
2 1077 Ira Terrell, 1972-76
3 976 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01
4 911 Papa Dia, 2007-11
5 889 Larry Davis, 1981-85
6 840 Jim Krebs, 1954-57
7 790 Willie Davis, 1997-01
8 785 Jeff Swanson, 1974-78
9 759 Patrick Simpson, 2001-05
10 745 Joel Krog, 1953-56
11 716 Ben Moore, 2013- (35th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
12 690 Tim Mason, 1989-93
13 687 Carroll Hooser, 1963-66
14 669 Lynn Phillips, 1966-69
15 650 Quinton Ross, 1999-03
16 645 Devon Pearson, 2003-07
17 634 Eric Castro, 2001-05
18 621 Terry Williams, 1983-87
19 619 Steve Strange, 1958-61
20 615 Jan Loudermilk, 1959-62
21 609 Greg Kinzer, 1989-93
22 608 Sterling Brown, 2013- (80th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
CRASHING THE GLASS - BALANCED REBOUNDING: SMU has 5 different players averaging 4.2 rebounds per game or better.
Ben Moore leads SMU at 8.0 (4th AAC) followed by
Sterling Brown at 7.0 (T-11th AAC),
Semi Ojeleye at 6.7 (15th AAC),
Jarrey Foster at 5.4 and
Shake Milton at 4.1.
FG%: SMU is shooting 46.0% this season (3rd AAC). SMU has led The American in field goal percentage for three straight seasons. In 2015-16, SMU led The American at 49.7% from the field (4th NCAA), shooting better than 25 of 30 opponents. The Mustangs have outshot 121 of 159 opponents since the start of 2012-13.
Season FG% Conf.-NCAA Higher % Than Opp.
2012-13 .449 7th - 89th 18 of 32
2013-14 .483 1st - 18th 28 of 37
2014-15 .475 1st - 26th 29 of 34
2015-16 .497 1st - 4th 25 of 30
2016-17 .460 3rd - 97th 21 of 26
FG% - SMU CAREER - (min. 250 made)
1 62.6 Terry Williams (383-612), 1983-87
2 55.9 Jon Koncak (713-1276), 1981-85
3 55.8 Larry Davis (731-1311), 1981-85
4 55.5 Ira Terrell (757-1364), 1972-76
55.5 Bamba Fall (324-584), 2005-09
6 55.3 Eric Castro (432-781), 2001-05
7 53.7 Ben Moore, 2013-
8 53.6 John Colborne (382-713), 1985-90
9 53.5 Glenn Puddy (289-540), 1984-86,87-89
10 53.1
Markus Kennedy (400-754), 2013-16
11 52.1 Cannen Cunningham (314-603), 2011-15
12 51.9 Eric Longino (391-754), 1987-89
13 51.8 Papa Dia (549-1059), 2007-11
14 50.3 Tim Mason (549-1091), 1989-93
15 50.1 Sterling Brown, 2013-
FG% DEFENSE: SMU has held opponents to 38.4% this season (3rd AAC, 7th NCAA). In 2015-16, SMU held opponents to 40.0% from the floor (3rd AAC, 28th NCAA). In the past four seasons, SMU has held 88 of 159 opponents at or below 40%.
Season FG% Def. Conf.-NCAA Opponents Under 40%
2012-13 .395 1st - 39th 16 of 32
2013-14 .385 1st - 7th 24 of 37
2014-15 .381 1st - 5th 20 of 34
2015-16 .400 3rd - 28th 13 of 30
2016-17 .384 3rd - 7th 15 of 26
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR THE MUSTANGS (Current Roster): In the past few seasons, several Mustangs have played in international events or gone on international tours. Additionally, 2-time All-American
Nic Moore helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2015 World University Games in South Korea.
2016: Global Sports Academy Goodwill Tour U.S. Team (Croatia):
Jarrey Foster,
Shake Milton,
Semi Ojeleye;
East Coast USA (Italy):
Dashawn McDowell
2015: Global Sports Academy Goodwill Tour U.S. Team (Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands):
Ben Moore,
Sterling Brown,
Semi Ojeleye and
Ben Emelogu II
2014: Global Sports Academy Goodwill Tour U.S. Team (Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands):
Ben Moore,
Sterling Brown
MOODY/HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: SMU has lost just four games (69 contests) at home since the start of the 2013-14 season. SMU has played 63 of those games in the renovated Moody Coliseum. In those 69 home games, SMU is averaging 76.0 points per game with a scoring margin of +17.2. SMU is shooting 50.2% at home while holding opponents to 37.4%.
Season Home Losses (Games) Pts. FG% Opp. Pts. Opp. FG%
2013-14 1 (19 games) 75.7 .515 59.4 .366
2014-15 2 (18 games) 72.7 .495 58.7 .380
2015-16 1 (17 games) 79.6 .508 61.5 .390
2016-17 0 (15 games) 76.1 .487 55.0 .359
HOME WINNING STREAKS:
Wins Start Date End Date
34 Texas A&M; W, 92-48 (Feb. 6, 1954) Kansas; L, 73-65 (Sweet 16) (March 15, 1957)
19 Baylor; W, 74-57 (Feb. 15, 1984) Texas Tech; L, 59-54 (Feb. 27, 1985)
19+ [rv/rv] Gonzaga; W, 69-60 (Feb. 13, 2016)
15 ^ Loyola Marymount; W, 73-58 (Nov. 11, 2013) #11/9 Louisville; L, 84-71 (March 5, 2014)
15 Connecticut; 73-55 (Feb. 14, 2015) Tulsa; L, 82-77 (Feb. 10, 2016)
^Wins in 2013-14 later vacated
SMU LONGEST HOME CONFERENCE WINNING STREAKS
Start Date End Date
27 Texas A&M (W, 92-48; 1953-54) Texas A&M (L, 43-42; March 1, 1958)
15 Texas Tech (W, 93-91; Feb. 9, 1971) Texas Tech (L, 64-59; Feb. 10, 1973)
13 Baylor (W, 26-15; 1936-37) Texas (L, 33-27; Feb. 6, 1939)
10 Baylor (W, 28-16; 1924-25) Arkansas (L, 32-30; 1926-27)
9 Rice (W, 112-89; Feb. 5, 1966) Texas Tech (L, 82-74; Feb. 14, 1967)
9 Baylor (W, 74-57; Feb. 15, 1984) Texas Tech (L, 59-54; Feb. 27, 1985)
9+ East Carolina (W, 74-63; Feb. 21, 2016)
NCAA DIVISION I LONGEST ACTIVE HOME WINNING STREAKS (Through Feb. 13)
1 Oregon 40
2 Akron 29
3 New Mexico St. 23
Cincinnati 23
5 Arizona 20
6 SMU 19
Florida St. 19
Illinois St. 19
9 Texas Southern 18
Villanova 18
BEST HOME STARTS BY A HEAD COACH: SMU is 22-0 at Moody Coliseum under
Tim Jankovich.
49 - Jerry Tarkanian - Long Beach St. 1969-72
28 - Lewis Andreas - Syracuse 1924-26
28 - Everett Case - North Carolina St. 1947-49
NLI - JANKOVICH ANNOUNCES FOUR SIGNEES: Ethan Chargois, William Douglas, Elijah Landrum and Everett Ray have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Mustangs beginning with the 2017-18 season. Chargois (F, 6-7, 235) and Landrum (G, 6-0, 180) are from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Landrum is ranked as high as No. 2 in Oklahoma after averaging 27.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.9 steals, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals as a junior at Central High School. Chargois is ranked as high as No. 4 in Oklahoma after averaging 15 points and eight rebounds in 2015-16 for Union High School. Douglas (G, 6-4, 175) is from Memphis where he is ranked as high as No. 2 in Tennessee after averaging 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals last season at Christian Brothers High School. Ray (F, 6-7, 220) is from Addison, Texas, where he paced CHANT Home School with averages of 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in 2015-16.
PAINT IS KEY: SMU has a +8.1 advantage in the paint through 26 games (28.0 to 19.9). In 2015-16, SMU outscored 24 of 30 opponents (22-2) in the paint last season, averaging 37.2 to 23.7. The Ponies have outscored 130 of 159 opponents in the paint since the start of 2012-13.
Season Outscored Opponents In The Paint (SMU to Opp.)
2012-13 23 of 32 (28.6 to 19.6)
2013-14 31 of 37 (33.4 to 21.8)
2014-15 31 of 34 (31.5 to 19.2)
2015-16 24 of 30 (37.2 to 23.7)
2016-17 21 of 26 (28.0 to 19.9)
TOP 25: SMU is No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. SMU is in the AP top 25 for the second straight week (after 4 weeks of receiving votes) and its first week in the coaches poll (after five straight weeks receiving votes). The Mustangs also received votes in the first two weeks of the season. In 2015-16, SMU finished 24th in the AP Poll, its 17th straight poll in the top 25. That is the third-longest streak at SMU and the second-highest total in a season for the Mustangs. It was the third straight season SMU has been ranked in the top 25. In 2014-15, SMU was in the top 25 for nine weeks including the final seven regular season polls. SMU finished No. 18 in the AP and receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Mustangs spent four weeks in the Top 25 in 2013-14. That was the first time SMU had been ranked since the 1984-85 season, when the Mustangs were as high as No. 2.
TROPHY CASE: Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Mustangs have added four items to the trophy case, most recently the 2015-16 Las Vegas Classic (12/16-12/23). In 2014-15, SMU won American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. In 2013-14, SMU was the runner-up in the NIT.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
- Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year
Shake Milton (1 of 20 on Watch List - Oct. 18)
- Preseason All-American Athletic Conference
Ben Moore (First Team - Oct. 24)
Shake Milton (Second Team - Oct. 24)
- American Athletic Conference Player of the Week
Semi Ojeleye - Nov. 14 (22.0 pts, 11.0 rebs, 13-23 FG, 4-8 3FG, 14-17 FT in 2-0 week)
Sterling Brown - Feb. 6 (21.0 pts, 7.0 rebs, 3.0 asts, 2.0 stls, 14-24 FG, 5-11 3FG, 9-9 FT in 2-0 week)
Semi Ojeleye - Feb. 13 (24.0 pts, 7.0 rebs, 2.5 asts, 1.0 blk, wins at Temple & vs. 11/11 Cincinnati)
- American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll
Semi Ojeleye - Nov. 21 (18.5 pts, 7.0 rebs, 1.0 ast, 1.0 blk, 14-33 FG, 4-10 3FG, 1-1 week)
Ben Moore - Dec. 5 (13.3 pts, 12.3 rebs, 2.3 blks, 1.7 asts, 15-27 FG, 2 dbl-dbls, 2-1 week)
Semi Ojeleye - Dec. 12 (23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks in win vs. TCU)
Semi Ojeleye - Dec. 26 (20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists in wins vs. Stanford & Albany)
Semi Ojeleye - Jan. 2 (14.0 points, 10.0 rebounds in wins at Memphis & ECU)
Sterling Brown - Jan. 2 (13.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists in wins at Memphis & ECU)
Semi Ojeleye - Jan. 9 (20.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists in wins vs. Temple & USF)
Shake Milton - Jan. 23 (25.0 pts, 5.0 rebs, 5.5 asts, FG 18-31, 3FG 11-17 vs. UConn & Houston)
Shake Milton - Jan. 30 (19 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts, 3 stls, 0 TOs in win at UCF)
- 2K Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project All-Tournament Team
Semi Ojeleye - Nov. 18 (20.3 pts, 9.0 rebs, 48.2% FG, 44.4% 8-18 3FG, 19-25 FT, SMU 3-1)
- CoSIDA Academic All-District
Semi Ojeleye - Feb. 9 (3.65 GPA in Psychology)
- Allstate NABC Good Works Team Nominee
Jonathan Wilfong - Nov. 30
STERLING BROWN (6-6, 230, G, Sr.): 2016-17: Averaging 12.0 points (20th AAC), 7.0 rebounds (T-11th AAC), 3.3 assists (12th AAC), 1.6 Assist/Turnover Ratio (8th AAC) and 1.6 steals (4th AAC)… FG% 43.3, 3FG% 42.1 (4th AAC), FT% 77.1 (11th AAC)... 5 double-doubles…952 career points… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Double-digit scoring performances in 19-of-26 games (12 of last 16)… Scored a career high 27 points (9-15 FG, 4-7 3FG, 5-5 FT), with 5 rebounds and an assist, block and steal at Tulsa (Feb. 4)… Posted 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 3FG), with 3 steals at Cincinnati (Jan. 12)… Scored19 points (7-12 FG), including a career-high 5 3FG made (5-9) against USF (Jan. 7)… Career high 8 assists against Connecticut (Jan. 19)… Tallied a career-high 13 rebounds against Delaware State on Dec. 4… AWARDS: Named the AAC Player of the Week (Feb. 6)…Named to AAC Honor Roll (Jan. 2).
BEN EMELOGU II (6-6, 215, G, Jr.): 2016-17: Averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds… Has three starts, including at UCF (Jan. 25)… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Recorded a season high 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3FG), with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal against Houston (Jan. 21)… Scored 11 points - 9 in the second half - against Cincinnati (Feb. 12)… Posted 11 points against USF (Jan. 7)… Scored 7 points with 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists at Tulane (Jan. 17)… Had a season-high 6 assists against McNeese (Dec. 14)… Recorded a season high 7 rebounds against Pittsburgh (Nov. 17)… 2015-16: Missed season due to injury.
JARREY FOSTER (6-6, 220, G, So.): 2016-17: Averaging 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds… FG% 48.7 (11th AAC), 3FG% 42.1… 1 double-double… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: 10 double-digit scoring performances this season, with 4 in conference play… Scored a career-high 19 (7-12 FG, 3-4 3FG, 2-3 FT) with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal at Tulane (Jan. 17)…Recorded 17 points and a season-high 12 rebounds for his first career double-double against USF (Jan. 7)… Had a career high 3 blocks against East Carolina (Dec. 31)… Career high 7 assists against UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 22).
LEO KONTOPOULOS (6-9, 210, F, Fr.): Played in 15 games… Has 8 points on the season in 21 minutes of play… 2015-16: Spent the season with the Iraklis Thessaloniki B.C. in Thessaloniki, Greece… Saw action in eight games.
DASHAWN MCDOWELL (6-5, 185, G, Fr.): 2016-17: GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Played in 24 games… Scored a career-high 7 points (2-5 FG, 3-4 FT) against McNeese (Dec. 14)… Scored 5 points, with a rebound and assist against East Carolina (Feb. 1)… Recorded 3 rebounds in 6 minutes against East Carolina… Scored 4 points, with a block against Stanford (Dec. 19)… Tallied 4 rebounds twice (Eastern Michigan, Nov. 13; UCSB, Nov. 22)… 2016 SUMMER: Played for USA East Coast on a basketball tour in Italy…The team went 3-1 on the trip.
SHAKE MILTON (6-6, 205, G, So.): 2016-17: Averaging 13.6 points (12th AAC), 4.4 assists (5th AAC) and 1.3 steals (12th AAC)…FG% 43.3, 3FG% 42.0 (5th AAC), FT 81.9 (5th AAC)… 2.3 Assist/Turnover ratio (4th AAC)… GAME HIGHLIGTS: 21 double-digit scoring performances this season (15 of last 17 games)… First time in career with back-to-back 20+ point performances, with a career-high 27 points (10-15 FG, 6-8 3FG, 1-1 FT) against Houston (Jan. 21) and 23 points against Connecticut (Jan. 19)… Career-high 9 rebounds at Tulane (Jan. 17)… Recorded a career-high 9 assists against Stanford (Dec. 19)… Has tallied 5+ assists in 11 games, with at least 3 in 24-of-26 games this season… AWARDS: Named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list… AAC preseason all-conference second team… AAC Weekly Honor Roll twice (Jan. 23, Jan. 30)
BEN MOORE (6-8, 220, F, Sr.): 2016-17: Averaging 11.2 points (22nd AAC), 8.0 rebounds (4th AAC) and 1.2 blocked shots (12th AAC)… FG% 56.0 (2nd AAC), FT% 64.8… 6 double-doubles…Has 1,106 career points… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Has double-digit points in 18-of-26 games… 5+ rebounds in 23-of-26 games…Scored 18 points (including his 1,000th career point), with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists and 1 steal against Temple (Jan. 4)… Scored a season-high 19 points at Boise State (Nov. 30)... Scored 14 at UCF, with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals… Posted 14 points with 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 2 assists against Connecticut (Jan. 19)… AWARDS: AAC preseason all-conference first team… Named to AAC Honor Roll (Dec. 5).
SEMI OJELEYE (6-7, 235, F, Jr.): 2016-17: Averaging 18.2 (3rd AAC) and 6.7 rebounds (15th AAC)… FG% 48.7 (12th AAC), 3FG% 42.3 (3rd AAC), FT% 76.5 (13th AAC)… Four double-doubles… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Has scored 10+ points in 25-of-26 games (18 straight games), with 20+ in 9… Set a career-high 30 points (8-16 FG, 4-8 3FG, 10-11 FT), with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal at Temple (Feb. 9)… Scored 28 points (9-15 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6-9 FT) against Albany (Dec. 20)… Scored 21 points twice (at Tulane (Jan. 17), USF (Jan. 7)… Posted 20 points, 6 rebounds and career highs in assists (4) and steals (3) against Houston (Jan. 21)… Recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against Gardner-Webb (Nov. 11)… AWARDS: Named the AAC Player of the Week on Nov. 14 and Feb. 13… Named to CoSIDA All-District 7 Team (Feb. 9)… Was named to the 2K Classic All-Tournament Team… Named to AAC Honor Roll five times (Nov. 21, Dec. 12, Dec. 26, Jan. 2, Jan. 7).
JAMES PYLE (6-3, 175, G, Fr.-RS): Played in 10 games… Scored his first career FG at Tulsa… Added to the active roster on Dec. 2, 2016… Recorded 1 rebound in 2 minutes against McNeese (Dec. 14)… Made first appearance against Delaware State (Dec. 4)…Played against TCU (Dec. 7), Stanford (Dec. 19) and Albany (Dec. 20).
JIMMY WHITT (6-3, 175, G, So.): 2016-17: Will sit out due to NCAA transfer rules…2015-16 AT ARKANSAS: Averaged 6.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals…FG% 38.7, 3FG% 37.5…Free Throw % 79.2.
JONATHAN WILFONG (6-2, 185, G, Jr.): 2016-17: Played in 18 games… Scored 2 points with 1 rebound against East Carolina (Feb. 1)… Recorded a rebound at East Carolina (Dec. 31)… 1 rebounded against Memphis (Dec. 27)… Made 1 FG and had a steal against UCSB (Nov. 22)… 2015-16: Totaled 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 assists… AWARDS: 2017 Allstate NABC Good Works Team Nominee
