[25/rv] SMU (20-4, 10-1 American) at Temple (13-11, 4-7 American)
Date / Tip-off	Thu., Feb. 9 - 9 p.m. ET/CT
Location	Liacouras Center -- Philadelphia, Pa. -- Map
Tickets	Tickets
TV	ESPN2 / WatchESPN -- Channel Finder/Broadcast Info
Radio	KAAM 770 AM | TuneIn App
Game Notes	SMU | Temple | American
Live Stats	Sidearm
Facebook	/SMUBasketball | SMU Mustangs
Twitter	@SMUBasketball | @SMUMustangs
Instagram	@SMUBasketball | @SMU.Mustangs

 

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[25/rv] SMU (20-4, 10-1) plays at Temple (13-11, 4-7) on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The Mustangs have won 16 of the last 17 games after an 76-53 win at Tulsa on Saturday. SMU is 5-1 on the road in American Athletic Conference play this season. The Mustangs won the first meeting between the teams, 79-65, in Dallas on Jan. 4.
 
SMU has held the last 17 opponents to 66 points or less and has a season scoring defense of 58.6 (1st AAC, 3rd NCAA). SMU is also among the national leaders with a rebound margin of +11.0 (2nd AAC, 3rd NCAA), a field goal defense of .388 (4th AAC, 12th NCAA) and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.49 (2nd AAC, 11th NCAA).
 
Five Mustangs average at least 9.4 points with Semi Ojeleye leading SMU (17.7, 3rd AAC) followed by Shake Milton (13.9, 10th AAC), Sterling Brown (12.0, 20th AAC), Ben Moore (11.7, 23rd AAC) and Jarrey Foster (9.4). SMU has had at least four score 10+ in 17 of 24 games. The Mustangs have outrebounded 21 of 24 opponents and have been at least +10 in 14 games (including 7 of 11 AAC games). Five average 4.3 or more rebounds with Moore (8.0, 4th AAC), Brown (6.8, 13th AAC) and Ojeleye (6.7, 15th AAC) leading SMU.
 
The Mustangs are shooting 46.5 percent from the field (2nd AAC) and 40.0 percent from three (1st AAC, 17th NCAA). Moore is shooting 56.6% (3rd AAC), with Foster at 50.9% (6th AAC) and Ojeleye at 47.9% (13th AAC).  Brown is second in The American in 3-point percentage at 45.3%, Milton is third at 42.5% and Ojeleye is fifth at 41.0% (Foster is at 43.4%, but doesn't qualify for AAC ranking). Milton also leads SMU in assists (4.3, 6th AAC) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6, 3rd AAC, 41st NCAA). Brown also ranks among the AAC leaders in assists (3.4, 12th AAC) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8, 7th AAC). Brown and Milton are also near the top of the league in steals with 1.6 (4th AAC) and 1.3 (T-9th AAC), respectively.
 
The Mustangs are playing their first game as a ranked team this season at No. 25 in the Associated Press 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 (1 week 2016-17, 17 weeks 2015-16, 9 weeks 2014-15, 4 weeks 2013-14).
 
The Mustangs have won 16 of their last 17, including six straight. SMU had a 10-game winning streak snapped at then No. 22/22 Cincinnati on Jan. 12 (L, 66-64). The winning streak was on the heels of a 4-3 start. SMU has held its last 17 opponents to 66 points or less (55.9 per game).
W-L                            4-3          16-1
Scoring Off.            73.1        73.7
Scoring Def.            65.3        55.9
Scoring Margin      7.9          17.8
FG Pct.                      .463        .466
FG Pct. Def.            .412        .379
3Pt.FG Pct.              .358        .414
3Pt.FG Pct. Def.      .328        .328
Reb. Off.                  40.9        38.8
Reb. Def.                 27.7        28.6
Reb. Margin           13.1        10.2
 
LAST GAME (W, 76-53 at Box at Tulsa on Feb. 4): TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Sterling Brown scored 24 of his 27 points in the second half and SMU rolled past Tulsa for a 76-53 win Saturday night. Shake Milton added 19 points, Semi Ojeleye had 16 and Ben Moore collected 10 rebounds for SMU (20-4, 10-1 American), which shot 49 percent from the field to pick up its sixth straight win. Brown was 9 of 15 from the field and his 24 second-half points were the most by a Mustang since 2011. Jarrey Foster's dunk with 6:31 left before intermission made it 20-19 and put SMU on top for good as the Mustangs continued to pull away while holding Tulsa scoreless over the final seven minutes of the first half. Earlier in the opening half, Tulsa (12-10, 6-4) took its only lead of the game during a 12-2 run that made it 19-16. Junior Etou led Tulsa with 18 points and Sterling Taplin had 12.
 
UP NEXT: SMU plays two straight home games, hosting No. 11/11 Cincinnati on Sunday at 3 p.m. (ESPN) and Tulane on Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. (ASN/ESPN3).
 
THE SERIES VS. TEMPLE (5-4+): SMU and Temple will meet for the 10th time. The Mustangs won the first meeting this season, 79-65 at Moody Coliseum on Jan. 4, 2016. The Mustangs are 1-3 at Temple, and 1-2 in Philadelphia since being paired up in The American. During the 2014-15 season, SMU swept the Owls, including a 69-56 win on March 14, 2015 at The American Tournament. Prior to the AAC, they last met when Temple defeated SMU 90-81 in the third place game of the NCAA tournament on March 23, 1956. The first game in the series came Jan. 7, 1938 when Temple won 53-41 at home. (+4-4 officially, win in 2013-14 later vacated)
 
LAST MEETING VS. TEMPLE (W, 79-65 at Moody Coliseum on Jan. 4, 2017): DALLAS (AP) -- Semi Ojeleye scored 19 points, Shake Milton and Ben Moore added 18 each and SMU beat Temple 79-65. Ojeleye added nine rebounds and Moore and Milton seven each as the Mustangs played only seven players. Jarrey Foster added 13 points and grabbed seven boards with SMU outrebounding Temple 42-25. Moore went over 1,000 career points. The Owls got within nine with 1:53 left on a bucket by Quinton Rose, but missed their final five shots while the Mustangs made five free throws. Obi Enechionyia's 3-pointer gave Temple an 11-6 lead but the Owls made only three of their next 17 shots with SMU -- hitting six straight shots in one stretch -- outscoring them 34-11 to lead 40-22 at halftime. Enechionyia and Shizz Alston Jr. each scored 16 points for Temple with Rose adding 14.
 
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 186-125 (.598) [29-4 at SMU, including 21-0 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 (38-9) 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.
 
AWARDS - JERRY WEST SHOOTING GUARD OF THE YEAR NOMINEE: Sophomore Shake Milton is 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 - THE AMERICAN WEEKLY AWARDS: Semi Ojeleye was named the American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 14, 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 - PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE (Moore & Milton): 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 1095 career points (31st 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 699 rebounds (11th at SMU), 114 blocked shots (8th at SMU), 217 assists and 90 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-                            1095       699         114         217         90
 
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.            ^ 99        Sterling Brown, 2013-17
                2.            ^" 98      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  125         T-3rd                 124         T-5th
Starts    95           10th                       82
Points   929                                     1095       31st
Res         589         22nd                  699         11th
Assists  270         18th                       217
Blocks   46                                           114         8th
Steals    127         T-13th                   90
FG%       .504        14th                       .538        7th
3FG%    .453        2nd                        0-2
3FGs      106         14th                       N/A
 
SMU CAREER GAMES PLAYED
                1              134         Cannen Cunnningham, 2011-15
                                134         Ryan Manuel, 2011-15
                3              125         Butch Moore, 1982-86
                                125         Sterling Brown, 2013-17 (37th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                5              124         Papa Dia, 2007-11
                                124         Ben Moore, 2013-17 (50th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                7              123         Jon Koncak, 1981-85
                                123         Robert Nyakundi, 2008-12
                9              122         Larry Davis, 1981-85
                                122         Scott Johnson, 1983-87
 
3 TIMES THE CHARM: SMU has two of the program's best 3-point shooters by percentage in Sterling Brown and Shake Milton. They are both in the top 15 for threes made.
SMU Career 3FG Pct. - 36.0%+ (min. 50 made) 
                1              47.3        Eric Longino (62-131), 1987-89
                2              45.3        Sterling Brown (106-234), 2013- (5th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                3              43.4        Robert Nyakundi (267-615), 2008-12
                4              42.6        Shake Milton (109-256), 2015- (24th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
                5              42.2        Todd Alexander (92-218), 1987-89
                6              42.1        Nic Moore (225-534), 2013-16
                7              41.1        Troy Dorner (51-124), 1991-94
                8              40.0        Carlton McKinney (64-160), 1986-88
                9              39.2        Rodney Clinkscales (87-222), 2009-12
                10           38.9        Jon Killen (119-306), 2004-08
 
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)
                                45.3        Sterling Brown (Sr.), 2016-17 (39-86)
                10           44.4        Sterling Brown (So.), 2014-15 (20-45)
                12           43.6        Nic Moore (So.), 2013-14 (72-165)
                12           43.4        Jarrey Foster (So.), 2016-17 (23-53)
                13           42.6        Shake Milton (Fr.), 2015-16 (52-122)
                14           42.5        Shake Milton (So.), 2016-17 (57-134)
                15           41.8        Stephen Woods (So.), 1997-98 (74-177)
                                41.8        Brian Bernardi (Fr.), 2012-13 (23-55)
                17           41.7        Carlton McKinney (Sr.), 1987-88 (35-84)
                18           41.6        Nic Moore (Jr.), 2014-15 (77-185)
                19           41.4        Robert Nyakundi (Sr.), 2011-12 (84-203)
                20           41.3        Nic Moore (Sr.), 2015-16 (76-184)
                21           41.0        Semi Ojeleye (Jr.), 2016-17 (48-117)
 
SMU Career 3FG Made - 70+ (Games Played)
                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           109         Shake Milton, 2015-
                13           107         Damon Hancock, 1998-02
                14           106         Sterling Brown, 2013-
 
25 - RPI: The Mustangs are No. 25 in the RPI (through Feb. 6) with a 6-4 mark against the top 100 (Kenpom 16, ESPN BPI 19, Sagarin 25, AP Poll 25, USA Today Coaches Poll 26). 
RPI         Opponent                                   Result
15           at [22/22] Cincinnati                L, 66-64 on Jan. 12 
26           at USC                                       L, 78-73 on Nov. 25 
39           TCU                                            W, 74-59 on Dec. 7 
58           at Boise State                            L, 71-62 on Nov. 30 
59           vs. Pittsburgh                            W, 76-67 on Nov. 17 (2K Classic semifinal at Madison Square Garden)
62           Houston                                       W, 85-64 on Jan. 21 
70           Stanford                                      W, 72-49 on Dec. 19
81           vs. Michigan                               L, 76-54 on Nov. 18 (2K Classic championship at Madison Square Garden) 
87           at Memphis                                W, 58-54 on Dec. 27
88           Temple                                         W, 79-65 on Jan. 4
 
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 17 of 24 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 17.7 (3rd AAC) followed by Shake Milton at 13.9 (10th AAC), Sterling Brown at 12.0 (20th AAC), Ben Moore 11.7 (23rd AAC) and Jarrey Foster at 9.4. 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 17.7, Shake Milton 13.9, Sterling Brown 12.0, Ben Moore 11.7 (Jarrey Foster 9.4)
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
 
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 +11.0 rebound margin this season (2nd AAC, 3rd NCAA), outrebounding 21 of 24 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 118 of 156 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         +11.0                 2nd - 3rd              21 of 24 (+10 in 14 games)
 
SMU Season Rebound Margin (The previous 3 seasons are all in the top 6 in program history.)
---           11.0        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
 
CRASHING THE GLASS - BALANCED REBOUNDING: SMU has 5 different players averaging 4.3 rebounds per game or better. Ben Moore leads SMU at 8.0 (4th AAC) followed by Sterling Brown at 6.8 (13th AAC), Semi Ojeleye at 6.7 (15th AAC), Jarrey Foster at 5.2 and Shake Milton at 4.3.
 
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           699         Ben Moore, 2013-  (37th 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           589         Sterling Brown, 2013-  (79th in NCAA D-I among active student-athletes)
 
FG%: SMU is shooting 46.5% this season (2nd 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 119 of 157 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             .465        2nd - 80th            19 of 24
 
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              53.8        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           50.4        Sterling Brown, 2013-
                15           50.3        Tim Mason (549-1091), 1989-93
 
FG% DEFENSE: SMU has held opponents to 38.8% this season (4th AAC, 12th 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 86 of 157 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                             .388        4th - 12th             13 of 24
 
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
 
MEN OF STEEL(S): In the 65-60 win at UCF on Jan. 25, SMU's starters each played 36 or more minutes including all 20 minutes of the second half (Semi Ojeleye 39, Shake MIlton 39, Ben Moore 38, Ben Emelogu 37, Sterling Brown 36). Jarrey Foster, a normal starter, missed the game due to injury. In the win, SMU had a season-high 13 steals on 15 UCF turnovers. The 13 steals tied the program record for a road game. All five starters had multiple steals (Shake Milton 3, Sterling Brown 3, Ben Moore 2, Semi Ojeleye 2, Ben Emelogu 2).
 
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 24 games (28.8 to 20.7). 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 128 of 157 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             19 of 24 (28.8 to 20.7)
 
ROAD WARRIORS: The Mustangs are 21-11 on the road since the start of the 2014-15 season with a 26-13 mark away from Moody Coliseum (5-2 neutral site). SMU is 17-7 in AAC road games in that stretch (7-2 in 2014-15; 5-4 in 2015-16; 5-1 in 2016-17). SMU was 7-4 on the road in 2015-16 after going 9-4 on the road in 2014-15. The nine road wins rank second in school history (10 in 1955-56). The Mustangs won seven straight road games, which was the longest streak since a program-record eight in 1955-56. The 2014-15 streak was all in AAC play, the most consecutive league road victories since seven straight from 1983-84 to 1984-85 (record 10 from 1954-55 to 1956-57). At 7-2 in The American, SMU finished with its most conference road wins in a season (previous record was 6 in 1955-56, 1966-67, 1983-84.)
SMU - Best Road Start:
5-0 in 1934-35 & 2015-16
4-0 in 1927-28
SMU - Most Road Wins In A Season
10 in 1955-56
9 in 2014-15
8 in 1961-62, 1983-84
7 in 1966-67, 1987-88, 1992-93, 1999-00, 2015-16
SMU - Most Consecutive Road Wins:
8 in 1955-56 
7 in 2014-15
6 in 1966-67 & 2014-15 (last 1) to 2015-16 (first 5)
SMU - Most Conference Road Wins In A Season:
7 in 2014-15 (7-2)
6 in 1955-56 (6-0), 1966-67 (6-1), 1983-84 (6-2)
SMU - Most Consecutive Conference Road Wins:
10 in a span from 1954-55 to 1956-57 (1954-55: won last 2; 1955-56: won all 6; 1956-57: won first 2)
7 in a span from 1983-84 to 1984-85 (1983-84: won last 4; 1984-85: won first 3), 2014-15
 
TOP 25: SMU is No. 25 in the AP Poll (RV in USA Today Coaches Poll) after receiving votes in both polls for the four straight weeks. 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)
- 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)
- Allstate NABC Good Works Team Nominee
                Jonathan Wilfong - Nov. 30
 
STERLING BROWN (6-6, 230, G, Sr.): 2016-17: Averaging 12.0 points (20tj AAC), 6.8 rebounds (13th AAC), 3.4 assists (12th AAC), 1.8 Assist/Turnover Ratio (7th AAC) and 1.6 steals (4th AAC)… FG% 43.4, 3FG% 45.2 (2nd AAC), FT% 76.5 (13th AAC)... 4 double-doubles…929 career points… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Double-digit scoring performances in 17-of-24 games (10 of last 14)… 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 2.6 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)… 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 9.4 points and 5.2 rebounds… FG% 50.9 (6th AAC), 3FG% 43.4… 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 13.9 points (10th AAC), 4.3 assists (6th AAC) and 1.3 steals (T-9th AAC)…FG% 43.9, 3FG% 42.5 (3rd AAC), FT 84.6 (3rd AAC)… 2.6 Assist/Turnover ratio (3rd AAC)… GAME HIGHLIGTS: 20 double-digit scoring performances this season (14 of last 15 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 21-of-24 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 11.7 points (23rd AAC), 8.0 rebounds (4th AAC) and 1.1 blocked shots (12th AAC)… FG% 56.6 (3rd AAC), FT% 66.7… 6 double-doubles…Has 1,095 career points… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Has double-digit points in 18-of-24 games (8 of last 12)… 5+ rebounds in 21-of-24 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 17.7 (3rd AAC) and 6.7 rebounds (15th AAC)… FG% 47.9 (13th AAC), 3FG% 41.0 (5th AAC), FT% 75.6 (15th AAC)… Three double-doubles… GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Has scored 10+ points in 23-of-24 games (16 straight games), with 20+ in 8… Set a career-high 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… 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
 
SMU RISES IN US NEWS RANKINGS: SMU rose to its highest ranking among the nation's universities in the 2017 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges. Among 220 institutions classified as national universities, SMU ranks 56, up from 61 a year ago. The new ranking again places SMU in the first tier of institutions in the guide's "best national universities" category. In Texas, only Rice University ranks higher. SMU and the University of Texas-Austin were tied.  Among private national universities, SMU ranks 39. SMU's increase was one of the five largest among the top 100 universities. Since 2008, SMU's 11-point increase is one of the four largest among schools in the top 60. For the rankings, U.S. News considers measures of academic quality, such as peer assessment scores and ratings by high school counselors, faculty resources, student selectivity, graduation rate performance, financial resources and alumni giving. SMU ranks 24 among all national universities in alumni giving at 25 percent. In other ranking categories, SMU ranks 32 as one of the best national universities for veterans.
 
SMU HITS $1B CAMPAIGN GOAL: The Second Century Campaign, the largest and most successful fundraising initiative in SMU's history, raised $1.15 billion for the enhancement of the University's student quality, faculty and academic excellence and the campus experience. The campaign's official completion date was Dec. 31, 2015. The Second Century Campaign was publicly launched in 2008 with a goal of $750 million. Rapid progress toward that goal and opportunities for further advancements led SMU leaders in 2013 to increase the goal to $1 billion and extend its timeline to 2015. Ending in 2002, SMU's previous major gifts campaign, "A Time to Lead: The Campaign for SMU", raised $542 million. Combining both campaigns, in the last two decades SMU has raised a total of $1.5 billion for 753 new scholarships, 111 new academic positions, 146 academic programs and 32 capital projects. SMU joins 35 private universities that have raised $1 billion or more through major gifts campaigns.
 
COACHING FOR LITERACY (CoachingForLiteracy.org): Jonathan Wilfong and Andrew Renshaw, two then-high school seniors from Memphis, Tennessee, founded Coaching for Literacy in 2012. The premise is that a participant offers a monetary donation and, in exchange, gets to be the "Assistant Coach" during a sporting event. Proceeds raised from the event go towards funding effective literacy programs focused on helping elementary and middle school students. Coaching for Literacy partners with collegiate and professional sports teams for a unique game-day experience. --- 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 leveraging the unique power of collegiate and professional sports, Coaching for Literacy raises money to supports effective local literacy programs and schools focused on educating elementary and middle school students. SMU hosted two CFL events in each of the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, and hosted the 2016-17 awareness night on Dec. 19 vs. Stanford.
 
SEMI OJELEYE NOMINATED FOR 2015-16 ALLSTATE NABC GOOD WORKS TEAM: Semi Ojeleye (shem-ee o-juh-lay) was a nominee for the Allstate NABC Good Works Team, an award that highlights student-athletes who have shown dedication to community service and altruism in their communities. The junior is an advocate for the "I Have a Dream Foundation", which is a local group that focuses on creating an environment to help children develop a healthy self-confidence, a passion for learning and a sense of community for lifelong service to others by providing mentors, educational opportunities, after school programming and recreational programming. The program offers tutoring, life skills and lifelong mentoring by providing children with home and school visits to monitor academic and social progress as well as daily nutrition assistance. The junior is a psychology major. A former Parade Magazine National Player of the Year, Ojeleye played in 23 games at Duke before transferring to SMU in January of 2015.