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LOCATION: Dallas, TX
CONFERENCE: Western Athletic (WAC)
LAST SEASON: 15-15 (.500)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 7-7 (t-4th, Mountain)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 0/5
NICKNAME: Mustangs
COLORS: Red & Blue
HOMECOURT: Moody Coliseum (8,998)
COACH: Mike Dement (East Carolina '76)
record at school 57-57 (4 years)
career record 179-180 (13 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Jimmy Tubbs (Bishop College '72)
Robert Lineburg (Roanoke College '91)
Simon Cote (Tennessee '95)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 7-8-16-18-15
RPI (last 5 years) 207-199-116-104-111
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference semifinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Southern Methodist carted out a stat that sounds fine, but still doesn't justify the season: The Mustangs were the 12th-youngest team in the nation, but shouldn't have gotten off to a non-conference start that saw them lose six of their first nine games. The skid cost the Mustangs a chance at the NIT, a tournament they were easily ready for after advancing to a WAC Tournament semifinal for the first time, being within one game of claiming the WAC Mountain Division title and finishing with a .500 record for the first time since winning the Southwest Conference championship in 1993. The reasons for the early-season slide lied with injuries to guard Stephen Woods and an all-freshman frontcourt. Both were enough to warrant loses but the Mustangs have little room for error when it comes to qualifying for the postseason. They still have one of the top minds in the game in head coach Mike Dement and some of the best athletic wings in Woods, Jeryl Sasser and Willie Davis. The Mustangs must put together a postseason year if all of Dement's hard work is going to pay off. "We recovered from a tough start last year to put ourselves in position to play for a conference title toward the end of the season," said Dement, who ranks seventh on SMU's all-time coaching victory list. "We gained maturity and definitely showed that we could handle adversity. We played a lot of close games and began to learn how to win them. From a program standpoint, we have averaged better than 16 wins the past three years. We played well in the (conference tournament) again and our coaching staff has recruited the type of student-athletes that can help us win. All are good signs for the program, but we need to take the next step and that's to get into postseason play." To do that, the Mustangs must have a healthy year from Woods and the rest of the frontcourt.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B+ BENCH/DEPTH B
FRONTCOURT C INTANGIBLES C
The Mustangs' backcourt is talented enough to compete with anybody in the country. The wings are in that category, too. However, the questions inside especially with Smith's injury mean they could be in for too many mismatches again. Moody Coliseum has to be more of a homecourt and the Mustangs can't afford to let too many gimmees slip in the non-conference. If Woods is healthy, Sasser, Davis and Elsey get off like they did again, and at least two of the forwards are scorers and rebounders, the Mustangs have a chance to threaten for the league title. If that doesn't happen, they'll likely fall to fourth where they'll be battling for an NIT berth. This time, they should at least get that. |
The schedule has potential losses at Missouri, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Tulane but the Mustangs must win the home games against the likes of Lamar, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Richmond, Navy, New Mexico State and can win at Houston and a tournament at Southwest Missouri State. They've got to hold their own in the WAC, but must break through at places like Rice and Tulsa if they want a chance to compete for the title. If that happens, it'll mean Woods was a factor. The 6-foot senior guard began the fall semester with shin splints. It was enough to sit him from most conditioning. A year ago, a stress fracture in his foot kept him out of the first three games, including a brutal opening loss at Stanford in the Preseason NIT. When he was healthy, Woods (12.9 ppg, 2.6 apg, 3.3 rpg, 34.4 on threes, 78.9 FT) came back to earn second-team all-WAC Mountain Division honors and made his mark down the stretch: seven assists and no turnovers in a 34-minute win over UNLV in a WAC tournament quarterfinal; 20 points, 5 of 10 on threes, in WAC tournament first-round win over UTEP; 23 points, including 17 in the final 3:59 against Tulsa; seven points in the final 2:37 in a win at Air Force; and 23 points in SMU's win at TCU, including 20 in the second half. In his last 10 games, he averaged 15 points and 2.8 threes, not to mention a 30-to-13 assist to turnover ratio. See the importance? "He's been the key since he walked on this campus," Dement said. "We haven't won games when he's not there." Woods is one of five starters returning to a Mustang team that should cause fits for WAC teams defensively. The 6-6 Sasser can do a bit of everything. He enters his junior year as a legitimate All-America candidate. Sasser (18.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.0 spg, 41.3 FG, 29.2 threes, 72.2 FT) is one of the most versatile players in the game. He was the WAC Mountain Division Player of the Year, becoming the second sophomore to earn the honor (Utah's Keith Van Horn was the other). He averaged nearly a double-double against WAC Mountain Division opponents and was the only WAC player to rank among the top 20 league leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals, with at least two in 17 of his last 23 games. To gauge his importance against UNLV in the same WAC tournament game Sasser scored 22 points (14 in the second half) and made 4 of 8 threes. In the blowout loss to Stanford, Sasser guarded Arthur Lee yet still scored 26 of the Mustangs' 51 points. Sasser can be seen pushing the basketball, playing the wing, slashing to the basket or posting up. "He had a tremendous summer," said Dement, even though he didn't make the World University Games team. "He worked on his outside shot because he knows he needs to be a better two-guard at the next level and worked really hard on his defensive attitude. He wants to be great, not just good. But he wants to get us to postseason play." Sasser and Woods can't do it alone. They need 6-6 Willie Davis, too. The junior wing (12.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 44.6 FG, 25.9 threes, 60.6 FT) is like an extension of Sasser. He's a rebounding wing with an inkling to face the basket more than get inside. He led the Mustangs in field-goal percentage and shot a team-high 44.2 against WAC teams. He picked up his play down the stretch, scoring 10 or more points in 18 of the final 23 games and scored in double figures 19 times. With the unknown inside, Davis still has to crash the glass after every shot. "When he played well, we won," Dement said. "We tended to go as he went. He creates a lot of problems defensively for other teams. But he wore down battling the bigger kids. If he can take advantage of the fact he can shoot it outside and drive on guys, it'll help him at the other end." The fourth member of this perimeter-oriented bunch is 6-7 junior guard Chad Elsey (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 43.4 FG, 31.2 3FG, 75.0 FT). Elsey was not a common wing. He looks like a forward, but has an aversion to playing inside. He'd rather launch bombs from the perimeter than get dirty in the paint. It works on offense, but it makes him limited defensively when he's got to guard someone bigger and stronger. He was the only Mustang to start all 30 games. He does look to pass, leading the Mustangs in assists in 10 games, but still managed to score 20 or more four times. "He was our unsung hero," Dement said. "However, he faded at the end of the year. He's got to continue to improve his rebounding and be a stronger defender. We usually put him on the shooting wing (with Davis on the bigger body), but he still needs to improve." The fifth spot would normally go to 6-10 sophomore Nigel Smith (3.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 39.2 FG, 45.8 FT, 35 blocks). However, Smith underwent major sinus surgery and could be lost for year, or at the very least the outset of the season. His orbital bones can't be jostled while he recovers. It's a crushing blow to a developing post game, considering he started 17 games the most of the newcomers and led the team in blocks. If Smith can't go, look for Dement to lean on 6-11 sophomore Jon Forinash (1.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 37.8 FG, 30.4 FT, 12 blocks). He only logged 8.1 minutes a game and can't shoot free throws, but had the best summer of the big men. He went to Don Meyer's Big Man Camp in Tennessee and spent a lot of time in the gym with Davis and Sasser. "He changed his body in the weight room, too," Dement said. "He took up space at times with guys like (former TCU forward Lee) Nailon. He likes to be physical, but he's got to finish around the basket." Forinash won't be able to do it alone. Dement needs similar development from 6-8 sophomore DeWayne Ford (3.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and 6-8 sophomore Mike Niemi. Ford (3.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 44.2 FG, 26.1 3FG, 29.2 FT) started 11 of 30 games but his touch is still not there inside or at the free-throw line. He fancies himself more of a face-the-basket scorer, but needs to get inside. He ended the year by making 17 of his last 25 field goals, but needs to stay on course with his rebounding, too. "He broke his nose early and that affected him, but he was better late in the year," Dement said. "In light of Nigel's situation, he could be a key. He can block shots, he's added weight and could be a better post defender after getting overpowered. He can run the floor and hit the three-pointer but needs to get to the offensive glass more often." Niemi (3.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 33.8 FG, 64.3 FT) was the more physical of the forward/centers. He drew a team-high 10 charges and shot nearly 34 percent. "But he's been injury prone," Dement said. "He broke his hand and missed nine games [he started 10 of 21]. He's one of our toughest kids and probably our best free-throw shooting big man. He's got good post moves, but he really gives us toughness." While Dement could go with any of the three in the middle next to Davis and Elsey, he could even go small with 6-8 true freshman Jibran Kelley of Lee's Summit North HS in Lee's Summit, Mo. "He's a stronger version of Ford and a left-hander, too," Dement said. "He can rebound and can score around the basket. He's a solid free-throw shooter with decent range. We need him to come in and be aggressive inside." While Kelley has a chance to log minutes, it might be tougher on 6-6 freshman guard Quinton Ross of Kimball HS in Dallas. He's got to contend with 6-3 senior Anthony Anderson (0.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg, 12.5 FG in 13 games), 6-foot junior Renaldo Bratton (3.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 35.6 FG, 25.5 3FG, 68.4 FT in 26 games) and 6-4 sophomore Damon Hancock (4.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.9 apg, 29.7 FG, 20.7 3FG, 58.8 FT). Hancock is the team's best on-the-ball defender reserve. Bratton, who transferred from LSU, could be the best reserve scorer. "Damon is a solid penetrating guard and can get his shot off," Dement said. "This could be a breakthrough year for Bratton. He didn't get to play until January. He can score and made some key plays for us, defending Greedy Daniels of UNLV and hitting a key shot against Rice. He can push the ball and get a shot off quickly. Anthony can jump, but he's got to make things happen. Quinton went to the same school as Jeryl and he can put the ball on the floor. He's really almost 6-7 now and with his arms he can be a great defender. He's a winner and he'll help us with that mentality."
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