[24/25] SMU (12-2, 1-0 ACC) at [rv/rv] Clemson (12-3, 2-0 ACC)
Littlejohn Coliseum – Clemson, South Carolina
Wednesday, January 7, 2025 – 8 p.m. CT
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There is no time for the SMU men's basketball team to rest on its laurels following its first win against a ranked opponent since 2022 and entering the rankings itself for the first time since 2017.

The No. 24 Mustangs head to the Carolinas for a pair of tough contests on the road. First up is a Clemson team that is receiving votes in both polls, followed by a trip to famed Cameron Indoor and sixth-ranked Duke.

"Our players are very focused. We had a great week of practice leading up to the North Carolina game, and it showed how we played together on offense and defense," SMU head coach Andy Enfield said. "It's nice to have a big win, but we have a huge week ahead of us — two road games against conference opponents, both Top 35. Clemson's really highly ranked, and Duke, of course, is in the Top 6 or 7 in the country."

There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and after a big win like the Mustangs got on Saturday, it would be easy to end up on the wrong side of it. AP National Player of the Week and ACC Player of the Week Boopie Miller is working to make sure that doesn't happen.

"I just told the guys we've got to stay humble, keep our heads down, not get too high, never too low," Miller said. "Just stay in that medium realm. Just staying confident and believing that we're one of those top teams in the country."

SMU is 2-2 away from Moody Coliseum this year and 1-1 in true road games — defeating Mississippi State in overtime and falling to Vanderbilt. 

Last year, the Mustangs went 7-3 on the road in ACC play. But they are headed to two of the toughest places to play.

"We're looking forward to it," Enfield said. "Clemson is a really hard place to play. I coached in the ACC as an assistant coach at Florida State for five years, so I know how challenging Littlejohn (Arena) is, and, of course, Cameron is equally or even harder to play in. We're looking forward to it. It's a great challenge against two quality teams."

When the Mustangs went to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, they were the first games Jaden Toombs played in as he returned from an injury that forced him to miss the first seven games of the season. The other freshmen were still figuring things out.

Since then, Toombs has returned to form, including making a pair of 3-point shots against UNC — something he couldn't even attempt in those first games — and Jermaine O'Neal Jr. has a 20-point game under his belt.

"We're a completely different team now," O'Neal said. "I know as the season goes on every team's going to get better, but I feel like we're a completely different team. We didn't really have Toombs that much of it and when he did come back, he wasn't really himself. Then, with myself, the other freshmen, just as a team, we weren't really fully glued yet. Now, I feel like we've hit our stride. We have our full team, and we're practicing at the best level we have."

Not only are the Mustangs practicing at a high level because they're at full strength, but also because they are playing for each other. They've enjoyed success on the court and bonded off the court, and it's made everyone better.

"They're a pretty tight group," Enfield said. "The freshmen, the five true freshmen, the 18-year-old guys we have are very tight, and once the upperclassmen took them in and showed them what college basketball is all about, our practices are very competitive, energetic, but you see that mutual respect from everyone on the roster."

The Tigers will pose a different challenge than UNC did. Instead of having a couple of key figures to focus on defensively, the Mustangs will have to worry about all five guys on the court at any given time.

Clemson has eight players averaging at least five points — not including Zac Foster, who tore his ACL on Dec. 16 against South Carolina. Three players average in double figures, led by RJ Godfrey with 11.7, followed by Jestin Porter and Carter Welling with 11.1 and 10.1, respectively. 

The style Clemson plays with will also be a challenge, as it prefers low-scoring games with limited possessions.

"Clemson's extremely physical," Enfield said. "They play eight or nine guys that all play 18-28 minutes. Carolina had the two bigs that averaged 20 and 18. Clemson, everybody averaged 10, 11, 12, eight, six. They all contribute. We have to understand our personnel and match their physicality. They like the game in the 60s, maybe 70s. We like the game in the 90s if we can get there. It will be a little difference in styles of play. 

Now the Mustangs know what it takes to win big games and have the big result to prove it. Now they need to match the preparation and the execution.

If SMU does that, more big wins will follow.

"Clemson has a great team, but if we prepare like we did for the North Carolina game and the game before it, I feel like we can beat anybody," Toombs said.