Chemistry Quickly Building For Men’s Hoops
Oct 17 | Men's Basketball
DALLAS -- The settings are familiar for Kendric Davis. Yet, the faces are now vastly different.
Heading into his third year with the SMU men's basketball program, the preseason All-American Athletic Conference selection finds himself as the assumed veteran leader of a Mustangs squad in the middle of what could best be described as "the name game." That's what happens when nine new players, including five transfers, fill the roster.
"I think we're gelling great. I think we've got nine new guys, so we're just learning each other's spots, hanging with each other off the floor and just learning what each other does well," Davis said during AAC Media Day. "I know for me, I had the same teammates two years in a row, so just learning this group of guys has been fun and learning what each player likes on the floor, and off the floor, has been exciting."
Davis' chemistry with his teammates last season led to him being the AAC assist leader and fourth nationally in that same category. Now, he finds himself looking to establish similar chemistry with new people.
The Mustangs brought in nine new guys, including five transfers, all of whom will take the court this fall.
That includes Zach Nutall (Sam Houston State) and Tristan Clark (Baylor). Nutall was the Southland Conference Player of the Year after leading the league in points (19.3) and finishing 13th in rebounds (5.7.) Prior to an injury, Clark was a preseason All-Big 12 pick and on the Karl Malone Award watch list selection. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots in 14 games before being sidelined and started 50 games with 69 appearances in three seasons for the Bears.
There's also four freshmen coach Tim Jankovich raved about during AAC Media Day, noting their well-established maturity throughout the summer and preseason.
"I guess what I would say is the most surprising things are how unlike freshmen our freshmen have been. They're so mature and so ahead of the game of what you would expect," Jankovich said. "It's been just a pleasant surprise to see how fast these guys have bonded and want to be in a team environment and want to be a part of a team and want to give of themselves. They've become very close, closer than most teams I've been around in recent years."
Even with so many new faces, SMU enters the season with fairly high expectations. Coming off a COVID-altered season that ended with an 11-6 record and a trip to the NIT, the Mustangs have a schedule with some high level non-conference talent. The second game of the season takes SMU on the road to face Oregon (Sweet 16 last year). There's also a neutral site game with Missouri (NCAA First Round) and home games with UNLV, Vanderbilt and Dayton. There's also the potential to face Florida State (Sweet 16), depending on the results from that neutral site event.
Ultimately, Jankovich just wants to get his team on the floor and see what happens when the whistle blows.
"I think preseason polls are fantastic for coffee shops and locker room talk and all that, but honestly, I didn't really look at it. I think it's a great way to get people talking about basketball in the fall, but beyond that, I don't think anybody remembers when the conference season starts who was ranked and where," Jankovich said. "(Our schedule) times up very well. I think we have the team that needs to play this schedule."
