SMU (3-0) at Butler (2-1)
Hinkle Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, Indiana
Friday, November 15, 2024 – 7pm ET / 6pm CT
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Mustangs Move To 3-0 With 81-68 Win Over UNC Greensboro
Mustangs At Full Strength And Tested Heading To Butler
 

SMU plays its first road game of the season, visiting Butler on Friday. The Mustangs enter the matchup 3-0 after an 81-68 victory over UNC Greensboro on Monday.

The Mustangs used a 9-0 run early in the second half to pull away for the 81-68 triumph over UNC Greensboro. B.J. Edwards had a career-high 17 points, a team-high seven rebounds and a career-high tying five steals to lead the Mustangs. Boopie Miller had team highs of 21 points and seven assists, and has scored at least 20 in each game this season. Samet Yiğitoğlu made his SMU debut with 13 points and four rebounds. 

First-year head coach Andy Enfield took the helm of the SMU program following 11 seasons at USC, where he led the Trojans to five of the last eight NCAA Tournaments, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2021. He took over an SMU program that finished last season 20-13 after earning an NIT bid. That was the Mustangs' sixth postseason berth in the past 10 possible postseasons, including two NCAA bids and four NITs.

3-0: In the first three wins, the Mustangs are averaging 93.0 points and shooting 50.0% from the floor. SMU has 58 assists on 96 field goals and has 32 total steals. Boopie Miller is averaging 20.7 points (1st ACC, 68th NCAA), 7.7 assists (1st ACC, 23rd NCAA), 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 steals (5th ACC). Miller is one of six averaging at least 9.0 points, followed by B.J. Edwards (14.3), Chuck Harris (13.3), Samet Yiğitoğlu (13.0), Yohan Traore (11.3) and Kario Oquendo (9.3). In addition to his scoring, Edwards is grabbing 4.0 steals per game (1st ACC, 5th NCAA) and 6.7 boards (25th ACC) to go with 3.3 assists. Traore is averaging an SMU-best 7.0 rebounds (22nd ACC) with 1.0 blocks per game (19th ACC). Keon Ambrose-Hylton has a team-best 1.3 blocked shots (16th ACC). Oquendo is also averaging 2.7 steals (5th ACC). 

THE NEW-LOOK MUSTANGS: The Mustangs return starters Chuck Harris (13.4 points, 40.7% 3FGs), Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, SMU-record 64.1% FGs) and B.J. Edwards (3.7 points, 2.9 assists, 2.43 assist-to-turnover ratio). 

The transfer class includes six others that averaged double-digits in scoring before transferring to SMU. Boopie Miller (6-0, 175, G) from Wake Forest, averaged 15.6 points (13th ACC), 3.5 assists (12th ACC) and 1.4 steals (10th ACC) while hitting 84.5% on free throws (6th ACC) and 46.4% on field goals (11th ACC). He is joined by Matt Cross (6-7, 230, F) following an All-Atlantic 10 season at UMass where he averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals as he hit 54.0% on field goals, 32.9% on threes and 79.8% on free throws. The Mustangs also added AJ George (6-6, 190, G), who averaged 10.6 points and 4.1 rebounds as Long Beach State won the Big West Tournament and made the NCAA Tournament. Yohan Traore (6-11, 235, F) was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection at UC Santa Barbara after averaging 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 58.3% from the field. Traore was top-15 prospect overall in the class of 2022. Kario Oquendo (6-4, 220, G) came to the Hilltop after he averaged 7.2 points at Oregon last season and 12.7 per outing for Georgia in 2022-23. Jerrell Colbert (6-10, 235, F) played in 31 games for Kansas State last season as they went 19-15. Tibet Görener (6-9, 205) started all 32 games at San Jose State in 2023-24, averaging 11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Samet Yiğitoğlu (7-2, 265, C) played forBesiktas S.K. of Turkey's first division the past two seasons, including in the Turkish Cup and EuroCup. The Mustangs also added prep signees Chance Puryear (6-7, 190, F) after earning TABC 4A All-State and 2024 McDonald's All-American Game Southwest Nominee at Dallas Carter High School. Mitchell Holmes (6-11, 215, F) was a power forward at Link Year Prep in Branson, Missouri. The McDonald's All-American nominee scored more than 1,500 points at The Oakridge School in Arlington where he was a two-time team MVP, a team captain and SPC Co-State Champ.

INAUGURAL ACC SEASON: SMU begins its first season in the ACC. SMU's inaugural ACC home slate includes Virginia (Dec. 7), Duke (Jan. 4), Georgia Tech (Jan. 11), Louisville (Jan. 21), Cal (Jan. 29), Stanford (Feb. 1), Pitt (Feb. 11), Wake Forest (Feb. 15), Clemson (Feb. 22) and Syracuse (Mar. 4). The Mustangs' road ACC contests are Boston College (Dec. 21), North Carolina (Jan. 7), Virginia (Jan. 15), Miami (Jan. 18), N.C. State (Jan. 25), Virginia Tech (Feb. 5), Notre Dame (Feb. 19), Cal (Feb. 26), Stanford (Mar. 1) and Florida State (Mar. 8). The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament is March 11-15 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: The Mustangs play an 11-game non-conference schedule that includes six teams that made the postseason last year. A home matchup with Mississippi State (Nov. 22), a neutral-site game in versus LSU (Dec. 14 at Comerica Center in Frisco), a road game at Butler (Nov. 15) and two games in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational highlight the non-conference slate. The Butler game starts a home-and-home that includes a game at Moody Coliseum in 2025-26, and the LSU game begins a two-game neutral-site series that includes a game in New Orleans in 2025-26. The Acrisure Holiday Invitational is Nov. 26-27 in Palm Springs, California, with Washington State, Fresno State and Cal Baptist. Mississippi State, Washington State and Longwood made NCAA tournament appearances last season while Butler and LSU were in the NIT. Tarleton State (W, 96-62 11/4) earned a CIT bid while UNC Greensboro was a 21-win team last season.

LAST GAME (W, 81-68 vs UNC Greensboro on Nov. 11): DALLAS (AP) -- Boopie Miller scored 21 points with seven assists, B. J. Edwards had 17 points, and SMU defeated UNC-Greensboro 81-68 on Monday night. Miller scored 13 points in the second half and the Mustangs (3-0) pushed a six-point halftime lead to 14 points halfway through the period. After an unusual stretch of nearly five minutes in which all 14 points were scored at the free-throw line, Malik Henry threw down a dunk that got Greensboro within 65-54. Ronald Polite III added a layup for the Spartans before Samet Yigitoglu's dunk and free throw started an 11-3 run capped by an Edwards 3-pointer to put the Mustangs up 78-59 near the three-minute mark. Kenyon Giles scored 21 points, Henry 14 and Polite 12 for Greensboro (1-1). Miles Jones did not score or even attempt a shot but grabbed 10 rebounds in 22 minutes of play. A 3-pointer by Akrum Ahemed gave the Spartans a 24-23 lead with about 7 minutes left in the first half. B. J. Edwards then hit a 3 to put SMU up 26-24 and the Mustangs went on to lead 41-35 at halftime.
POSTGAME NOTES: 
- B.J. Edwards had 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals (tied career high in steals, has 12 in 3 games)
- Boopie Miller had 21 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal (scored 20+ in all 3 games)
- SMU had 5 score 8+ points
- SMU won 81-68 (has 279 points in 3 games
- SMU had 9 steals (have 31 in first 3 games)

UP NEXT: The Mustangs host a pair of home games against Prairie View A&M (Monday) and Mississippi State (Friday, Nov. 22). SMU then plays in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational Nov. 26-27 in Palm Springs, California, with Washington State, Fresno State and Cal Baptist. 

THE SERIES VS BUTLER (0-1): The only previous meeting was a 42-37 loss in Indianapolis during the 1939-40 season.

ACC EXPERIENCE: Boopie Miller was at Wake Forest last season where he averaged 15.6 points (13th ACC), 3.5 assists (12th ACC), 1.4 steals (10th ACC). Matt Cross was at UMass the past two season after playing his freshman season at Miami (2020-21) and his sophomore year at Louisville (2021-22).

BALANCING ACT: The Mustangs had at least five players in double figures in each the first two games. In the third contest, SMU had 5 players with 8+ points.
11/4 Tarleton St (6) - Boopie Miller 21, Chuck Harris 16, Kario Oquendo 16, B.J. Edwards 13, Keon Ambrose-Hylton, Yohan Traore 10 (First time SMU had six score 10+ since 12/17/15 vs Hampton - W, 105-72)
11/7 FAMU (5) - Boopie Miller 20, Yohan Traore 19, Chuck Harris 15, B.J. Edwards 13, Keon Ambrose-Hylton 10

EXPERIENCE: Five Mustangs have played in 97 or more NCAA D-I games: Chuck Harris (119), Tibet Görener (107), Kario Oquendo (99), Keon Ambrose Hylton (97), and Matt Cross (97).

GRAND ACHIEVEMENT: Three Mustangs have reached the 1,000-point milestone: Chuck Harris (1,433), Kario Oquendo (1,128) and Boopie Miller (1,075). Two others are closing in on the career mark: Matt Cross (998) and Tibet Görener (826).

KE-ON TARGET: Keon Ambrose-Hylton shot an SMU-record 64.1% from the field in 2023-24.
SMU Best Season FG% (Since 1953-54) (Min. 75 Field Goals Made)
1.    64.1 Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Sr.), 2023-24 (98-153)
2.    63.7 Terry Williams (Sr.), 1986-87 (142-233)
3.    62.1 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (211-340)
4.    62.0 Terry Williams (Jr.), 1985-86 (150-242)
5.    61.3 Ben Moore (Fr.), 2013-14 (84-137)
6.    60.7 Larry Davis (Jr.), 1983-84 (219-361)
7.    60.2 Sterling Brown (Jr.), 2015-16 (109-181)

MEN OF STEALS: SMU has had at least nine steals in each game this season. B.J. Edwards has 12 steals through three games. Boopie Miller and Kario Oquendo each have eight steals in the first two games. All three recorded four steals in the opener versus Tarleton State 11/4 and three apiece in the win over FAMU 11/7.

MOODY MAGIC: SMU has successfully defended home court in 71 of 82 (.866) regular-season non-conference games at Moody Coliseum since the renovation and expansion for the 2013-14 season. In 11 seasons in the American Athletic Conference, SMU went 77-22 (.766) at Moody Coliseum, including 8-1 last season.

RUN, RUN: The Mustangs have a run of at least 11-0 in each of the first three games.
11/4 vs Tarleton St - 32-3 run, including 22-0, to go up 32-8
11/7 vs FAMU - 28-4 run, including 16-0, to go up 40-19
11-0 vs UNC Greensboro - 11-0 to go up 14-7

MEET THE MUSTANGS:

Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6-9, 220, F, Sr.) | 2024-25: Played 3 games...7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks (16th ACC)... 2023-24: Played all 33 games (20 starts)... Averaged 6.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks... Shot an SMU season-record 64.1%... SMU SEASON RECORD: FG% (64.1%, 1st).

Jerrell Colbert (6-10, 235, F, Jr.) | 2024-25: Played 3 games... 2023-24 (Kansas State): Averaged 2.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks as the Wildcats went 19-15 overall, earning a trip to the NIT.

Matt Cross (6-7, 230, F, Sr.) | 2024-25: Played 2 games... 2023-24 (UMass): NABC All-District Selection… Atlantic 10 First-Team Selection… Averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals… Hit 54.0% field goals, 32.9% threes, and 79.8% free throws.

B.J. Edwards (6-3, 185, G, Jr.) | 2024-25: Started all 3 games... averaging 14.3 points, 6.7 rebounds (25th ACC), 3.3 assists (17th ACC) with a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio (19th ACC)... 2023-24:  Played all 33 games (30 starts)... Averaged 3.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists with a 2.43 assist-to-turnover ratio.

AJ George (6-6, 190, G, Jr.) | 2024-25: Played in 2 games... 2023-24 (Long Beach State): Played in all 36 games, averaging 10.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game as LBSU won the Big West Tournament and made the NCAA Tournament… Shot 53.3% on field goals, 34.4% on threes and 72.1% on free throws.

Tibet Görener (6-9, 205, F, Sr.) | 2024-25: Played all 3 games... 2023-24 (San Jose State): Started all 32 games… Averaged 11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds…Hit 33.9% on threes…totaled 25 assists, 15 steals and 11 blocks

Chuck Harris (6-4, 190, G, Sr.): 2024-25: Played all 3 games... 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists (17th ACC), 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio (14th ACC)... 2023-24:  Played and started 32 of 33 games... Averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 assists (9th AAC) and 3.2 rebounds while hitting 40.7% on threes (5th AAC) and 81.8% on free throws... Had a 1.77 assist-to-turnover ratio (8th AAC)… Team-high 18 points and reached 1,000 for his career vs Lamar 11/9... HONORS: AAC Weekly Honor Roll (D18).

Mitchell Holmes (6-11, 215, F, Fr.) | 2023-24 ( Link Year Prep in Branson, Missouri): The three-star signee was ranked in the top 10 overall in Missouri and top 70 at his position nationally... Before attending Link Academy, the McDonald's All-American nominee scored more than 1,500 points at The Oakridge School in Arlington.

Niccolo Kalischer-Stork (6-3, 190, G, Fr.) | 2023-24 (Harvard-Westlake School): Played as a guard for the Wolverines as the team went 91-9 from 2021-24… As a senior in 2023-24, averaged 3.2 points per game.

Boopie Miller (6-0, 175, G, Jr.) | 2024-25: Started all 3 games... 20.7 points (1st ACC), 7.7 assists (1st ACC, 11th NCAA), 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals (5th ACC), 2.88 assist-to-turnover ratio (13th ACC)... 2023-24 (Wake Forest): One of three players to start all 35 games... Averaged 15.6 points (2nd WF, 13th ACC), 3.5 assists (12th ACC), 1.4 steals (10th ACC)... Shot 84.5% on free throws (131-155, 6th ACC) and 46.4% on field goals (11th ACC)

Kario Oquendo (6-4, 220, G, Sr.) | 2024-25: Started all 3 games... 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals (5th ACC), 2.0 assists... 2023-24 (Oregon):  Averaged 7.2 points (.459 FG%), 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.7 minutes per game … Played in 36 games making three starts | 2022-23 (Georgia): Averaged 12.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists playing 25.4 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.

Chance Puryear (6-7, 190, F, Fr.) | 2023-24: He was named TABC 4A All-State at Carter High School in Dallas...District 13-4A Player of the Year and a 2024 McDonald's All-American Game Southwest Nominee.

Yohan Traore (6-11, 235, F, Jr.) | 2024-25: Started all 3 games... 11.3 points, 7.0 rebounds (22nd ACC), 1.0 blocks (19th ACC), 1 double-double... 2023-24 (UC Santa Barbara): Played and started in 30 of 31 games… Averaged 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 58.3% from the field and 68.6% at the free-throw line.

Trey Utter (6-0, 160, G, Jr.) | 2024-25... Played 2 games... 2023-24: Played in 7 games.

Samet Yiğitoğlu (7-2, 265, C, Fr.) | 2024-25: Started his debut... 13 points, 4 rebounds vs UNCG... 2023-24: Averaged 13.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and shot 82.6% on FGs in four games with Sigortam Istanbul in the Turkey in 2023-24… Sigortam finished tied for first at 28-6 in the Turkish second division…Played for Turkey in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece, averaging 12.7 points and 8.6 rebounds while hitting 66.0% on FGs (33-50).

Jackson Young (6-2, 185, G, Sr.) | 2024-25: Played 2 games... 2023-24: Played in 8 games.

THIS IS SMU:
• SMU Athletics has invested over $250 million in facilities since 2013.The Garry Weber End Zone Complex at Ford Stadium, opening in fall 2024, features premium fan spaces and dynamic student-athlete facilities.
• SMU is the only NCAA FBS program in Dallas, with arecord of 10 national championships,over 200 team conference championships,100 individual national championships, 150 NCAA top-10 finishes, nearly 2,000 All-American honors and more than150 Olympic appearances.
• SMU won a school-record eight championships in 2023-24 and is riding a surge of momentum heading into 2024-25,with all 17 programs reaching the postseason and 16 programs winning conference championships since 2013.
• SMU football has more wins than any Division I team in the state of Texas since 2019 and appeared in the APTop 25 in four of the last five years. In the fall of 2023, the Mustangs won their first conference championship since1984.
• In 2023-24,SMU finished as the No.1American Athletic Conference program and ranked 54th nationally in the final LEARFIELDDirectors·Cup Division I Standings, ahead of six programs from the Big12,five schools from the ACC.four teams from the Big Ten and three programs from the SEC.
• In the week after the ACC offered membership to SMU, the University raised $100 million to support its move to the conference, and a total of $159 million over the 2023-24 fiscal year.

HEAD COACH ANDY ENFIELD... was named SMU's Head Men's Basketball on April 1, 2024. A proven winner, Enfield burst onto the coaching scene in 2013 when, in his second year as a head coach, he guided Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Following that success, he was hired by the University of Southern California (USC), where he led the Trojans to five of the last eight NCAA Tournaments, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2021. 

He came to SMU after 11 seasons at USC, where he compiled a 220-147 record. Enfield quickly brought success to the basketball program upon his arrival, as the Trojans set a school single-season win record and posted the most wins in program history over two-year, three-year, four-year, five-year, six-year, seven-year and eight-year periods. Enfield's 220 wins ranks third on USC's all-time wins list, trailing only Sam Barry (260) and Forrest Twogood (251). In 13 seasons as a head coach Enfield has a 261-175 mark. 
 
His teams also excelled in the classroom by setting the program's top team GPAs. Enfield brought in eight consecutive Top-30 recruiting classes, with the 2022 class ranking No. 7 and the 2023 class ranking No. 4.
 
Over his final seven seasons at USC, the Trojans had eight players selected in the NBA Draft, tied for the fifth-most by any program in the country, with Evan Mobley going No. 3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and Onyeka Okongwu being selected No. 6 in the 2020 Draft. USC was one of three teams to have had at least one player selected in six of the last seven NBA Drafts. In total, 11 players during Enfield's time at USC have made the NBA.