NIT – First Round
No. 1 seed SMU (23-10) vs Northern Iowa (20-12)
David B. Miller Court at Moody Coliseum – Dallas, Texas
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 – 8 p.m. CT
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March 18 - Men's Basketball Press Conference

Mustangs Accept NIT Invite, Keep Season Going
Mustangs Earn No. 1 Seed In NIT, Host Northern Iowa In First Round


No. 1 seeded SMU hosts Northern Iowa in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday. This is the seventh postseason berth for the Mustangs in the past 11 possible postseasons, including two NCAA bids and five NITs. The Mustangs have earned a spot in the NIT in four of the past five seasons. 

The Mustangs enter the tournament with a 23-10 record in their first year under head coach Andy Enfield. SMU finished tied for fourth in its inaugural ACC season with a 13-7 league record. Northern Iowa is 20-12 overall after finishing third in the Missouri Valley at 14-6. The winner of SMU and Northern Iowa (20-12) will face the winner of Oklahoma State and Wichita State in the second round of the NIT.

SMU is averaging 80.0 points (3rd ACC, 38th NCAA) while shooting 48.1% (2nd ACC, 29th NCAA) overall and 37.6% on threes (2nd ACC, 24th NCAA). The Mustangs are also leading the ACC in steals (8.0, 58th NCAA). SMU is second in total rebounds (38.4, 39th NCAA), third in fastbreak points (12.8, 48th NCAA), second in the ACC in rebound margin (+5.5, 30th NCAA), second in offensive rebounds (12.5, 47th NCAA), second in assists (15.6, 57th NCAA), second in bench points (24.8, 58th NCAA), fourth in scoring margin (+8.9, 40th NCAA) and third in field-goal defense (41.1%, 45th NCAA). SMU is one of 12 teams in the top 50 nationally in field-goal percentage and field-goal defense (Auburn, Bradley, Central Conn. St., Creighton, Duke, Florida, Liberty, McNeese, Michigan, Norfolk St., Yale).

Boopie Miller is averaging 13.2 points (27th ACC), 5.5 assists (5th ACC, 61st NCAA) and 1.6 steals (9th ACC) with a 2.50 assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd ACC, 44thNCAA). Chuck Harris is next in scoring at 12.8 (30th ACC) while hitting 42.1% from three. B.J. Edwards is averaging 9.8 points (53rd ACC), 3.5 assists (11th ACC) and 2.4 steals (2nd ACC, 12th NCAA). Matt Cross has six double-doubles (8th ACC) and is leading the Mustangs in rebounding (7.8, 6th ACC) while adding 11.9 points (38th ACC). The Mustangs are one of two teams with six averaging at least 9.5 points (Ole Miss) with Kario Oquendo (10.5, 48th ACC) and Samet Yiğitoğlu (10.0, 51st ACC). Yiğitoğlu is second for SMU in rebounds (6.1, 18th ACC), double-doubles (3, 21st ACC) and leading the Mustangs in blocked shots (1.0, 15th ACC). 

Junior guard Boopie Miller was named All-ACC Third Team and junior guard B.J. Edwards was selected to the ACC All-Defensive Team. Edwards also received votes for Most Improved Player and senior guard Kario Oquendo received votes for Sixth Man of the Year.

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 previous eight NCAA Tournaments, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2021. He has led the Mustangs to a No. 1 seed in the NIT in his first year on the Hilltop. Coach Enfield has led teams to eight of the potential 13 postseasons during his 14 seasons as a head coach, including seven of the past nine, and has an 8-7 postseason record.

THE SERIES VS. NORTHERN IOWA (2-1): This is the fourth meeting all-time between SMU and Northern
Iowa. SMU won the first meeting 90-73 in Dallas on Dec. 30, 1988, before topping the Panthers 57-50 in the
CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) on March 21, 2011. The Mustangs fell 61-58 in the most recent matchup at the Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 22, 2017.

LAST MEETING VS NORTHERN IOWA (L, 61-58 on Nov. 22, 2017): PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (SMU) – In the first game of the Battle 4 Atlantis, SMU (4-1) struggled to find rhythm offensively and fell to Northern Iowa (4-1), 61-58. The Mustangs found some footing in the second, primarily by cutting out turnovers. SMU turned it over 10 times in the first half, compared to just two in the second. That helped SMU erase UNI's lead on more than one occasion, but SMU could never do more than cut the deficit to one in the second half. Junior Jarrey Foster led the way offensively for SMU, dropping in a career-high 19 points on efficient 8-for-14 shooting, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range. Junior Shake Milton (14 points) and sophomore Jimmy Whitt (11 points) also broke into double-figures for the Mustangs. Whitt led the team in rebounds with six while Milton led the team in assists with six. Despite the offensive struggles throughout the game, SMU still had a shot to tie with less than 30 seconds remaining, but it would not fall. SMU's defense held UNI to its lowest point total of the season and forced the Panthers into a season-high 18 turnovers.

ACC AWARDS: Junior guard Boopie Miller was named All-ACC Third Team and junior guard B.J. Edwards was selected to the ACC All-Defensive Team. Edwards also received votes for Most Improved Player and senior guard Kario Oquendo received votes for Sixth Man of the Year.

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).

ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Matt Cross was named ACC Player of the Week on Dec. 16. Cross had a team-high 16 points and a career-high tying 16 rebounds in SMU's 74-64 win over LSU in the Compete 4 Cause Classic at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas on Dec. 14. He also had a pair of assists, a steal and a block in 35 minutes.  

ACRISURE HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS (Nov. 26-27): SMU dominated the second half in a 77-60 victory over Washington State to win the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs, California the night before Thanksgiving. Boopie Miller was named the tournament MVP, averaging 16.0 points and 5.0 assists, which included the game-winning shot with 2.1 seconds left in the 79-77 semifinal win over Cal Baptist. In the victory over Washington State, SMU outscored the Cougars 50-29 in the second half to claim the title. Five Mustangs scored in double figures, led by Boopie Miller with 16 points and five assists. The Mustangs had a 51-25 rebound advantage with Samet Yiğitoğlu recording his first double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Matt Cross finished with seven points and 10 rebounds. 

ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS: Matt Cross, Chuck Harris and Boopie Miller are among the NCAA's active career leaders. Cross is 61st in rebounds (793); Harris is 4th in points (1,814), 41st in threes made (271); while Miller is 69th in scoring (14.2), 64th in assists (439) and 38th in assists average (4.53)..

ASSISTS: SMU is second in the ACC in assists at 15.6 (57th NCAA). Boopie Miller is averaging 5.5 (4th ACC, 33rd NCAA). B.J. Edwards is next for the Mustangs at 3.5 (12th ACC). 

ASSISTS 2.0: B.J. Edwards has a 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio in his career at SMU. That ranks eighth among those averaging at least 3.0 assists per game. Boopie Miller at 2.50 (3rd ACC, 44th NCAA) and B.J. Edwards at 1.84 (13th ACC).

BALANCING ACT: The Mustangs have had at least five players in double figures in 13 games (12-1), at least six with 10+ three times (4-0) and seven at 10+ twice (2-0):

BEST IN PROGRAM HISTORY: Four-star prospects Jermaine O'Neal, Jr., Jaden Toombs and Nigel Walls have signed to play at SMU beginning with the 2025-26 season, Head Coach Andy Enfield announced today. The 2025 signing class is ranked as high as No. 6 nationally, the highest in program history. Walls (6-10, F), from St. Francis Episcopal in Houston, is ranked as high as No. 57 nationally. Toombs and O'Neal Jr. are teammates are Dynamic Prep in Irving, where Toombs (6-10, C) is rated as high as No. 38 nationally and O'Neal Jr. (6-5, F) is listed as high as No. 88 nationally. All three are McDonald's All-American Game nominees.
- SMU Class Rankings | #6 ESPN | #13 On3 | #7 247 Sports
- Jermaine O'Neal, Jr. (Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas) | 4-star | #88 ESPN | #111 On3 | #126 247 Sports
- Jaden Toombs (Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas) | 4-star | #38 ESPN | #45 On3 | #47 247 Sports
- Nigel Walls (St. Francis Episcopal in Houston, Texas) | 4-star | #62 ESPN | #57 On3 | #58 247 Sports

BOARDROOM: SMU is +5.5 in rebounding this season (2nd ACC / 30th NCAA) with nine games of +10 or better and four games of +20 or better. The Mustangs average 12.5 offensive rebounds (2nd ACC / 47th NCAA).

BUZZER-BEATERS X3: The Mustangs have won three games in the closing seconds. Keon Ambrose-Hylton had a tip-in with 2.9 seconds left for the 77-75 win over Syracuse at Moody Coliseum on March 4. Boopie Miller has a pair of late-game winners this season. He hit a right-wing 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left for a 54-52 win at Virginia on Jan. 15. He also hit a 10-foot running jumper with 2.1 seconds left for a 79-77 win over Cal Baptist in the Acrisure Hilday Invitational semifinal on Nov. 26.

CAPTAINS: The captains for the 2024-25 season are Keon Ambrose-Hylton, Chuck Harris and Boopie Miller.

CENTER OF ATTENTION: Freshman center Samet Yiğitoğlu is averaging 10.0 points (51st ACC), 6.1 rebounds (18th ACC) and 1.0 blocks (16th ACC) while shooting 54.5% from the field and recording three double-doubles (21st ACC). He had a career-high 20 points, including 4-4 on free throws in the final two minutes to seal the 63-57 win at NC State on Jan. 25. Both were 1-and-1 situations, sinking a pair at 1:59 and again with 18 seconds left. 

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Matt Cross is leading the Mustangs at 7.8 rebounds per game (6th ACC). He has six double-doubles this season (8th ACC) and is averaging 11.9 points (38th ACC). He had a career-high tying 16 rebounds in the win versus LSU on Dec. 14. The 16 rebounds were the most by a Mustang since 19 by Jordan Tolbert against Hampton on 12/17/15. He is also 11th in the ACC with 2.4 offensive rebounds per game, grabbing season highs of seven against Washington State and LSU.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Matt Cross (6, 8th ACC), Samet Yiğitoğlu (3, 21st ACC), Yohan Traore (2), Boopie Miller (2)

DOUBLE FIGURES: Nine Mustangs have scored in double figures multiple times this season: Matt Cross (25), Chuck Harris (24), Boopie Miller (21), Samet Yiğitoğlu (19), Kario Oquendo (18), B.J. Edwards (17), Yohan Traore (7), Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6), Jerrell Colbert (2).

FLOOR EXPERIENCE: Five Mustangs have played in 125 or more NCAA D-I games: Chuck Harris (149), Tibet Görener (132), Kario Oquendo (129), Keon Ambrose-Hylton (127), and Matt Cross (127).

GRAND ACHIEVEMENT: Four Mustangs have reached the 1,000-point milestone: Chuck Harris (1,814), Kario Oquendo (1,448), Boopie Miller (1,382) and Matt Cross (1,372).

HALF A HUNDRED: The Mustangs have scored at least 50 in a half 13 times. SMU is 10-0 in those games.

INAUGURAL ACC SEASON (13-7): SMU finished tied for fourth in its inaugural ACC season. The home slate (6-4) included Virginia (W, 63-51), [4/4] Duke (L, 89-62), Georgia Tech (W, 93-71), [25/rv] Louisville (L, 98-73), Cal (W, 76-65), Stanford (W, 85-61), Pitt (W, 83-63), Wake Forest (L, 77-66), [18/17] Clemson (L, 79-69) and Syracuse (W, 77-75). The Mustangs' road ACC contests (7-3) were Boston College (W, 103-77), North Carolina (L, 82-67), Virginia (W, 54-42), Miami (W, 117-74), N.C. State (W, 63-57), Virginia Tech (W, 81-75), Notre Dame (W, 97-73), Cal (W, 81-77), Stanford (L, 73-68) and Florida State (L, 76-69). 

LEADING BY COMMITTEE: Six Mustangs have led the team in scoring this season: Chuck Harris (11x), Boopie Miller (9x), Matt Cross (7x), Kario Oquendo (6x), Samet Yiğitoğlu (3x), B.J. Edwards (1x)

MEN OF STEALS: SMU is leading the ACC at 8.0 (58th NCAA). B.J. Edwards is leading SMU at 2.4 steals (2nd ACC, 12th NCAA). Boopie Miller is averaging 1.6 per contest (9th ACC).
SMU Season Steals
    1     79    Gerald Lewis (Sr.), 1992-93
    2    78    B.J. Edwards (Jr.), 2024-25
    3    77    Carl Wright (So.), 1983-84
    4    76    Carl Wright (Jr.), 1984-85

POWER MOVE: SMU is 23-10 (.697) after going 13-7 (.650) in the ACC. That is the second-most wins, second-highest winning percentage and tied for the second-best league win percentage among teams that changed leagues in the Power 4.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Mustangs are 7-3 on the road in the ACC and 11-5 away from Moody Coliseum.
SMU - Most Conference Road Wins In A Season
8 in 2016-17 (8-1)
7 in 2014-15 (7-2)
7 in 2024-25 (7-3)
6 in 1955-56 (6-0), 6 in 1966-67 (6-1), 6 in 1983-84 (6-2)
High Major Teams With 7+ Regular-Season Road Wins: Duke, Louisville, Clemson, SMU, Houston, Texas Tech, St. John's, Marquette, UCONN, Michigan State, Michigan, Oregon, Auburn, Alabama, Florida
High Major Teams With 10+ Regular-Season Wins Away From Home: Duke, Louisville, Clemson, SMU, Houston, Michigan State, Oregon, Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State

RUN, RUN: The Mustangs have 29 runs of at least 10-0 this season, going 18-2 in games when they have at least one run of at least 10-0.

SWEEP: SMU swept Virginia, winning 63-51 in Dallas on Dec. 7 and 54-52 in Charlottesville on Jan. 15. The Mustangs became the first team to sweep Virginia since the 2018-19 season (Duke).

SWEEP 2.0: SMU swept Cal with an 81-77 win at Berkely on Feb. 26 after recording a 76-65 victory in Dallas on Jan. 29.

TRIPLE THREAT: The Mustangs are 37.6% from three this season (2nd AAC, 24th NCAA). SMU has made at least 10 three-pointers in 11 games this season and has shot 50% or better from beyond the arc eight times this season. In the 103-77 win at Boston College on Dec. 21, SMU hit 68.8% (11-16), the fifth-highest percentage in program history.

MEET THE MUSTANGS:

Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6-9, 220, F, Sr.) | 2024-25: Played all 33 games...4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 57.1% FGs ...GAME-WINNER: Tip-in with 2.9 second left for the 77-75 win against Syracuse on senior night 3/4... 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 32 of 33 games...2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 63.6% FGs... 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: ACC Player of the Week (Dec. 16)... Played 32 of 33 games... 11.9 points (38th ACC), 7.8 rebounds (6th ACC), 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 49.5% FGs, 38.1% 3FGs, 6 double-doubles (8th ACC) ... 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: ACC All-Defensive Team and received votes for ACC Most Improved Player... Started all 33 games... averaging 9.8 points (53rd ACC), 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists (12th ACC), 2.4 steals (2nd ACC, 12th NCAA), 1.84 assist-to-turnover ratio (13th 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 20 games...2.1 points, 1.0 rebounds... 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 28 games (1 start)...1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds... 2023-24 (San Jose State): Started all 32 games… 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 33.9% on threes…totaled 25 assists, 15 steals and 11 blocks

Chuck Harris (6-4, 190, G, Sr.): 2024-25: Played all 33 games (17 starts)... 12.8 points (30th ACC), 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, 42.1% on 3FGs, 2.2 made threes per game (9th 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: All-ACC Third Team, Acrisure Holiday Invitational MVP.... Played/started 28 of 33 games (missed 2/15, 2/19, 2/22, 2/26, 3/1 - injury)... 13.2 points (27th ACC), 5.5 assists (4th ACC, 33rd NCAA), 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals (9th ACC), 2.50 assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd ACC, 44th NCAA), 81.6% FTs (12th ACC), 2 double-doubles ... GAME WINNERS: Game-winning right-wing 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left at Virginia for 54-52 win 1/15... 10-foot running jumper wtih 2.1 seconds left for 79-77 win vs Cal Baptist 11/26...  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: Received vites for ACC Sixth Man of the Year... Played all 33 games (10 starts)... 10.5 points (48th ACC), 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 40.5% on 3FGs... 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: Played 30 of 33 games (missed 2/1, 2/11, 2/15 due to injury)... 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 50.0% FGs, 2 double-doubles... 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 5 games... 2023-24: Played in 7 games.

Samet Yiğitoğlu (7-2, 265, C, Fr.) | 2024-25: Played/started 30 games... 10.0 points (51st ACC), 6.1 rebounds (18th ACC), 1.0 blocks (15th ACC), 54.5% FG, 3 double-doubles (21st ACC)... 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 7 games... 2023-24: Played in 8 games.

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.