By Andy Lohman



Senior guard Jarrey Foster is the elder statesman of SMU men's basketball. Foster, who has been with the team since 2015, is the only scholarship player on the Mustangs' roster that has more than one year of playing experience in an SMU uniform.

The Houston, Texas native embraces the natural leadership position he finds himself in.

"I just feel like I have so much experience under my belt. I've learned different things, the ins and outs of college basketball and playing here at SMU and the culture we have," Foster said. "That's my job to instill that in the younger guys, make sure they know what it takes to be a winner and to have the Mustangs and SMU across your chest."

Foster likes the early returns of what he's seen from this young group during offseason workouts.

"What I like about these young guys…I see how mature they are," Foster said. "They're aggressive. They're smart. Their IQ for the game is very high."

This has been a tough summer for Foster, who tore his ACL at Wichita State on Jan. 17, but he knows that overcoming the adversity of an injury will ultimately make him a better person.

"Once it's over, you know you're going to be mentally stronger. You're going to be a stronger person," Foster said. "It becomes less about the injury and becomes more about yourself as a person, as a basketball player, and you really figure out what things really matter."

Because his recovery limited what he could do physically, Foster has been able to focus on expanding different parts of his game.

"I've been really focused on my ball handling and play-making abilities," Foster said. "This injury is not going to stop me. All this injury did was give me time to get better at things I was weak at."

Of course that won't stop him from being the high-flying wing that threw down alley-oops and transition dunks and led SMU with 23 blocks last year. He knows that his high-octane brand of basketball is what the fans love.

"I like to excite the crowd…Playing above the rim stands people up." Foster said. "I love playing above the rim, that's always going to be me."

Focusing on guard skills this summer will help expand his game, but Foster also credits the teammates that he's had on the Hilltop for shaping him into the player he is today. During his freshman season, Foster played with Sterling Brown, Semi Ojeleye and Ben Moore, who are all currently playing in the NBA, and Shake Milton, who was taken in the second round of this year's NBA Draft.

"I had great teammates around me that made me better," Foster said. "We've had pros come out of here, so practicing against them every day throughout my years made me a better player."

Already an accomplished player, with an American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championship plus a trip to the NCAA Tournament under his belt, Foster could soon join his former teammates in the professional ranks. He declared for the NBA Draft this past spring, but announced that he would be returning for his senior season in May.

But for now, Foster is all about leading the young Mustangs in preparation for the 2018-19 season.

"I'm just trying to make sure I work as hard as I can so the young guys can see the type of work ethic I have and keep that moving so this train can keep on going," Foster said. "I'm proud of the way we've been working."