SMU/East Carolina preview

by **PonyPride** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:01 pm

EAST CAROLINA Pirates (5-19, 0-11 C-USA)

at

SMU Mustangs (13-12, 2-9 C-USA)

Sat. Feb. 17 - 7:00 p.m. CT

Moody Coliseum (8,998)

Dallas, Texas

Radio: KAAM 770 AM

Internet: Mustang All-Accessl-Access

www.SMUMustangs.com

The SMU Mustangs (13-12, 2-9 Conference USA) host the East Carolina Pirates (5-19, 0-11 C-USA) on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. It is the first visit for the Pirates to Moody Coliseum. The Mustangs are trying to snap a three-game losing streak that includes a 63-60 loss to Rice and a 52-49 loss at Marshall.

This is the third meeting between the programs with SMU winning the previous two. The first was a 71-62 win at Rupp Arena in the Kentucky Invitational on Dec. 21, 1985. The next was at Minges Coliseum in Greenville last season on Jan. 18 when the Mustangs rallied for a 74-70 overtime victory. This is the first head coaching matchup for Matt Doherty and ECUâ€™s Ricky Stokes.

Ike Ofoegbu had 18 points and 16 rebounds at Marshall for his seventh double-double of the season. Ofoegbu has scored in double figures 19 times this season, including the last seven games. He also has career highs for rebounds in consecutive games with 12 against Rice and then 16 at Marshall. The 16 was also the most by a Mustang in a Conference USA game, surpassing the 15 boards Devon Pearson had against UAB on Feb. 25, 2006.

Bamba Fall is out 2-3 weeks after a breaking his left ring-finger against Rice on Feb. 10. Bamba Fall has 62 blocks in 24 games this season, setting the SMU record for blocks by a sophomore. Jon Koncak held the previous mark, getting 54 in 30 games in 1982-83. His 62 this season are the fifth-most in a season at SMU. Reggie Franklin is fourth with 70 as a senior in 1978-79. The record is Jon Koncakâ€™s 97 as a junior in 1983-84. Fall had 53 blocks in 18 games in 2005-06 to break the previous freshman record of 43 by Ira Terrell in 1972-73. His 115 career blocks are fifth at SMU. Franklin is fourth with 129 career swats. Koncak holds the all-time mark with 278 returns.

Devon Pearson is tied with Terry Williams for 15th at SMU with 621 career rebounds. He is also closing in on Eric Castro (634), and Quinton Ross (650). Pearson is also 17th at SMU with 110 career steals. He is about to pass Carlton McKinney (111) and then has a ways to go to catchTroy Matthews (123).

The Mustangs lead Conference USA in rebounding defense (29.8) and third in scoring defense (62.0) and third in rebound margin (+5.6). In league play, the Mustangs are top with rebound defense (31.3) and second in free throw shooting (.747). Natioanlly, the Mustangs are 29th in rebound margin (+5.9), 48th in scoring defense, and 50th in blocked shots. Individually, Bamba Fall is leading the league and ranked 15th nationally in blocked shots (2.58), and is first in league games at 2.80 blocks per conference contest. Jon Killen is third in the league in assists (4.96) and is fourth in steals (1.84). Ike Ofoegbu is 14th in scoring (13.2) and third in rebounds (7.2) and second in offensive rebounds (3.60).

LAST GAME: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Mark Dorris scored 14 points and Markel Humphrey notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds as Marshall outlasted SMU 52-49 Wednesday in a defensive struggle. Chris Ross also scored 11 points and added five assists for Marshall (10-15, 5-6 Conference USA). Ike Ofoegbu led SMU (13-12, 2-9 C-USA) with 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, both game highs, but he was the only Mustang in double figures as the team shot just 28 percent. Devon Pearson added four points and six rebounds before a collision sent him out of the game with 3:55 to play. His now has 621 boards for his career, which is tied with Terry Williams for 15th in SMU history. After trailing by eight at the midway point of the second half, Marshall kept SMU without a field goal over a nine-minute stretch until Ofoegbu's layup with 30 seconds left. Following the layup, SMU got a pair of Marshall turnovers and a 3-pointer by Brian Epps to cut the Thundering Herd's lead to 51-49. A Dorris free throw pushed the lead to three before a 3-point attempt by Dez Willingham bounced out at the buzzer to preserve the win for the Thundering Herd. The game was tied at 18-18 at intermission.

LAST SEASON AGAINST EAST CAROLINA: W (ot), 74-70 on JAN. 18, 2006 at ECU - GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Devon Pearson scored 15 points, including the free throw that sent the game into overtime, and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead SMU to a 74-70 win over East Carolina on Wednesday. Pearson tied the game by making one of two free throws to tie the game at 62-62 at the end of regulation. He was ejected with 1:16 left in overtime after receiving his second technical foul. SMU tied the game at 59-59 with 2:45 left in the second half on a pair of free throws by Dez Willingham. East Carolina (6-10, 0-3 Conference USA) led by three points with 1:22 left after Japhet McNeil made one of two free throws and Jeremy Ingram made two free throws. But Willingham then scored a basket for SMU (8-7, 1-2) and Pearson got the free throw to tie the game. A hook shot from East Carolina's Corey Rouse hit the front of the rim and the game went into overtime. Rouse finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. SMU built a six-point lead in overtime, but Ingram scored a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to pull ECU within 72-69. Bryan Hopkins, who led SMU with 24 points, made two free throws. Brian Morris scored 11 points for SMU. Ingram scored 14 points for ECU and Tyrone Beale had 12.

OFF THE COURT NEWS:

FEB. 10 - SMU VIP - "Very Important Pony" - reading program and SMU Campus Visit Program recognized

At the Feb. 10 game against Rice, the Mustangs are hosting the SMU VIP - "Very Important Pony" - reading program and SMU Campus Visit Program for schools in the Dallas Independent School District. Mr. Bobn Sambol, proprietor of Bob's Steak and Chop House, funds both of these programs here at SMU. The VIP Reading Program provides incentives to 4th grade DISD children to read books for SMU prizes and allows our SMU Student-Athletes to make school visits and read books to elementary school children. The Campus Visit Program brings children from various DISD schools to SMU for a campus visit and to attend an SMU Athletic event. Mr. Sambol slong with Jeff Pick and Courtney Ferguson from the SMU Marketing Department organize and implement the event . The students attending the game are from John F. Kennedy Learning Center, Dan D. Rogers Elementary, and, Ben Milam Elementary. At halftime of game, Mr. Sambol gave a check for $7,918 to the SMU Mustang Club on behalf of Bobâ€™s Steak & Chop. The total is $37 (Doak Walkerâ€™s number) for each of the 214 points the Mustangs scored at home during the 2006 football season.

FEB. 8 - Donatas Rackauskas Named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District

SMU senior center Donatas Rackauskas was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 in the University Division. The award is selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is now nominated as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. If so named, he would join Pete Lodwick (1976-77) and Eric Castro (2004-05) as men's basketball Academic All-Americans from SMU. Rackauskas currently has a 3.88 grade-point-average in graduate school and will complete his masters in accounting in May of 2007. He finished his bachelor's degree in economics with a 3.82 GPA in Dec. 2005. He is also a team captain for the Mustangs along with Jon Killen, Ike Ofoegbu, and Derrick Roberts.

FEB. 8 - Red Hot & Blue Now Available At Moody Coliseum

As part of its efforts to increase amenities and general fan enjoyment, SMU is the in process of adding fare to its concessions offerings in Moody Coliseum. The first merchant to come on board is local barbeque favorite, Red Hot & Blue. Red Hot & Blue has eight Metroplex locations and has been in business in the Dallas area for over 13 years.

FEB. 5 - SMU Offering Unique Blog

Mustang Musings Is Nation's Only Frequently-Updated, Multi-Administrator Blog - smuad.blogspot.com/

As part of his on-going efforts to open lines of communication from the SMU athletic department to its fans, Director of Athletics Steve Orsini has developed "Mustang Musings," an on-line blog featuring himself, administrators and Mustang coaches. While the blog was originally created as a vehicle for Orsini to share his thoughts with the Mustang faithful, Orsini changed the direction of the blog earlier this month.

JAN. 11 - Derrick Roberts and Ike Ofoegbu named captains - Join Donatas Rackauskas and Jon Killen

Coach Matt Doherty named Derrick Roberts and Ike Ofoegbu as team captains. They joined Rackauskas and Killen, which have been team captains since before the season. The previous day, the Mustangs rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit before falling 57-56 to Southern Miss in the C-USA opener. After intermission, Roberts had five points, four rebounds, and an assist while Ofoegbu had eight points and six boards.

JAN. 9 - Matt Doherty on KFWD TV-52 Southwest Kia Sports Talk Each Thursday

Coach Matt Doherty will make a weekly appearance on Southwest Kia Sports Talk on KFWD TV-52 each Thursday until the NCAA Final Four. The show is hosted by Josh Roe and airs weekdays at 6:30 p.m. The show re-airs each night at 11:35 p.m.

DEC. 30 - Mustangs Unveil New Scoreboard and Videoboard in Moody Coliseum

The new $900,000-dollar Daktronics scoreboard is 17 feet high by 25 feet wide with eight-by-12-foot video boards on all four sides. The board was built and raised while both teams played away from Moody Coliseum during the semester break from Dec. 13 until Dec. 30. The dedication was at halftime of the Jan. 10, C-USA opener against Southern Miss. President R. Gerald Turner, Vice President Brad Cheves and Director of Athletics Steve Orsini thanked the contributors that made it a reality: Suzanne and Bill Hutchison, B.R. and Denny Holman and Sandy and Chuck Hutchison.New corner scoreboards and signage were also put in Moody during the break and are part of arena upgrades that will continue over the summer.

DEC. 20 - Inside College Hoops with Matt Doherty

SMU men's basketball coach Matt Doherty will have a weekly one-hour radio show beginning Jan. 8. Inside College Hoops with Matt Doherty is hosted by Rich Phillips, the voice of the Mustangs, and will be on KAAM 770 AM, the home of Mustangs' basketball. The weekly event will be held at Ten Sports Grill in downtown Dallas beginning at 7 p.m. (more information on page 4 of the notes)

DEC. 19 - SMU Adds George Lynch To Staff

George Lynch, a 12-year NBA veteran and NCAA Champion, joined the SMU men's basketball staff as the team's administrative assistant/graduate manager. Lynch averaged 22.8 minutes, 6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 774 games during his 12 NBA seasons. He was a first round selection (12th overall) by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1993 NBA draft and played for four franchises: Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. He was All-Atlantic Coast Conference and All-Final Four Tournament in 1993 when the North Carolina Tar Heels to the NCAA Championship. Lynch also played in the 2001 NBA Finals when the 76ers won the NBA Eastern Conference.

DEC. 8 - SMU breaks ground on Crum Basketball Center

The Mustangs broke ground on the Crum Basketball Center on Dec. 8. It is a $13 million, 43,000 sq. ft. training center that will be open in the Fall of 2007. (complete information on page 10 of the game notes)

IS YOUR GAME HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY: The Mustangs are 10-3 when leading at the half and 3-8 when trailing at the break. The Mustangs won 64-62 at TCU after trailing 27-21 at intermission, rallied from a 30-22 halftime deficit against Tulane for a 55-53 triumph, and won 60-56 at UAB to rebound from a 27-26 halftime score. Conversely, SMU fell 59-52 at Florida State after leading 26-25 at the half, lost to 72-67 to UTEP after holding a 32-29 edge after 20 minutes, and fell 63-60 against Rice following a 34-28 halftime edge. The 52-49 loss at Marshall was tied 18-18 at halftime.

W = 100+: Head coach Matt Doherty has 103 career wins. He got career win 100 when SMU defeated Texas-Pan American 84-71 on Jan. 4. (Doherty wins - 22 at Notre Dame, 53 at North Carolina, 15 at Florida Atlantic, 13 at SMU)

STEALING A WIN: The Mustangs are 7-2 when having the same or more steals than the opponent. The losses were 80-76 to North Carolina A&T and 52-49 at Marshall.

CONVERTING TURNOVERS TO POINTS: Points off turnovers has been a good indicator of success. The Mustangs are even on average in wins and -6.7 in losses.

WHERE THERE IS A â€œWILLâ€INGHAM, THERE IS A WAY: Dez Willingham has beat the buzzer with a running 3-pointer twice to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He also kncoked down clutch free throws after being fouled on another buzzer-beating attempt:

Dec. 21, 2006 - W, 64-62 at TCU - Willingham hit a running 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired to give SMU the 64-62 win. He received a pass from Donatas Rackauskas as the Mustangs went the length of the court for the winner in the final 8.9 seconds. The lead changed hands four times in the final 17 seconds.

Feb. 15, 2006 - Marshall L, 75-72 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit three free throws with seven seconds left as he was fould attempting the potential game-tying 3-pointer.

Jan. 21, 2006 - Rice W, 80-69 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit a 25-foot three-pointer to tie the game at 64-64 with a half a second left in regulation. That concluded an SMU rally from seven points down with 1:37 remaining in the second half.

BUZZER BEATERS:

11/12 vs. Illinois State - W, 57-55 - Devon Pearson gave the Mustangs an opening-night victory against Illinois State as he tipped in a miss from Derrick Roberts as time expired for the 57-55 triumph. Pearson tipped it in from the right side of the basket after Robertsâ€™ 12-foot jumper from the left baseline skipped across the rim.

12/21 at TCU - W, 64-62 - Dez Willingham hit a running 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired to give SMU the 64-62 win. The play started when Derrick Roberts received the inbounds pass and threw it to Donatas Rackauskas at mid-court. Rackauskas took two dribbles and fed Willingham on the left wing for the game-winner. The lead changed hands four times in the final 17 seconds. Brent Hackett gave TCU a 60-59 lead on a 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining. Jon Killen was fouled by Kevin Langford three seconds later and hit both free throws. Killen was then called for a blocking foul against Ryan Wall with 8.9 seconds to go. Wall hit both free throws to give TCU a 62-61 edge that set up the final play.

LEADER OF BOTH PACKS: Ike Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs with 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. The last time the same player led SMU in both categories was Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 with 17.0 points and 8.3 boards.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Devon Pearson entered the season with 11 career double-doubles, which was the most by an active player in C-USA. He was the only current Mustang with any entering 2006-07. Pearson had nine in 2005-06.

2006-07 Double-Doubles

Player Stats Opponent Season Career

Ike Ofoegbu 26 pts, 10 rebs La-Monroe 11/22 1st 1st

Devon Pearson 19 pts, 10 rebs Texas College 12/3 1st 12th

Ike Ofoegbu 14 pts, 10 rebs Prairie View A&M 12/10 2nd 2nd

Ike Ofoegbu 13 pts, 11 rebs at Centenary 12/16 3rd 3rd

Ike Ofoegbu 10 pts, 11 rebs Brown 1/6 4th 4th

Devon Pearson 13 pts, 10 rebs Brown 1/6 2nd 13th

Ike Ofoegbu 12 pts, 11 rebs Southern Miss 1/10 5th 5th

Bamba Fall 12 pts, 10 rebs at Houston 1/13 1st 1st

Devon Pearson 16 pts, 11 rebs UTEP 1/20 3rd 14th

Ike Ofoegbu 16 pts, 12 rebs Rice 2/10 6th 6th

Ike Ofoegbu 18 pts, 16 rebs at Marshall 2/14 7th 7th

I LIKE IKE: Ike Ofoegbu has become a force for the Mustangs this season.

Points Avg. Rebs Avg. FG 3FG FT

2004-05 21 0.8 28 1.1 5-31 0-3 11-18

2005-06 102 3.8 82 3.0 35-62 0-1 32-50

2006-07 331 13.2 181 7.2 105-207 16-40 105-146

MASTERS OF THE CLUTCH: Fifth-year senior Donatas Rackauskas will have his masters in accounting in May 2007 and has a become a master of hitting bigtime shots. He finished his bachelorâ€™s in accounting in December 2005 (3.5 years). He is in his fifth season after missing the 2004-05 season due to a knee injury.

- Nov. 14 at Florida State - hit a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left to pull SMU within 54-52 before falling 59-52.

- Jan. 6 against Brown - hit a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining in overtime to seal the 60-56 victory

- Jan. 27 at Tulsa - his a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left to pull SMU within 68-66 before fall 70-66

RALLY, RALLY: The Mustangs have rallied from double-digit deficits in the second-half to be within a possession multiple times, including overcoming a 13-point deficit against Tulane for a 55-53 win.

GAME FINAL DEFICIT CLOSEST

Southern Miss 1/10 L, 57-56 21 (42-21) at 17:48 2nd 56-55 (Led by 1 at 2:42, So. Miss winner at 1:32)

at Tulsa 1/27 L, 70-66 14 (49-35) at 13:56 2nd 68-66 (on Donatas Rackauskas 3FG at 0:06)

Tulane 1/24 W, 55-53 13 (40-27) at 14:30 2nd 55-53 (53-51 lead on 2FT by Bamba Fall at 3:01)

OUR FTM IS MORE THAN YOUR FTA: Head coach Matt Doherty sets a goal for the Mustangs to make more free throws than the opponent attempts. Here is a look at the season to date.

SMU Opp Goal Result

11/12 18-25 7-9 vs. Illinois State Yes W, 57-55

11/13 10-17 3-4 vs. McNeese State Yes W, 70-54

11/14 7-9 13-18 at Florida State No L, 59-52

11/18 27-40 12-24 Dayton Yes W, 53-48

11/22 15-22 15-19 Louisiana-Monroe No W, 99-66

11/27 20-24 12-19 Paul Quinn Yes W, 76-54

12/3 13-22 9-10 Texas College Yes W, 79-63

12/13 10-19 2-4 Prairie View A&M Yes W, 68-51

12/16 12-15 7-12 at Centenary No W, 68-40

12/21 16-23 12-19 at TCU No W, 64-62

12/28 7-11 11-17 at Oklahoma No L, 69-42

12/30 24-32 22-30 North Carolina A&T No L, 80-76

1/4 19-25 10-18 Texas-Pan American Yes W, 84-71

1/6 3-6 11-16 Brown No W (ot), 60-56

1/10 11-17 7-11 Southern Miss No L, 56-57

1/13 15-20 11-12 at Houston Yes L, 82-67

1/17 14-19 13-19 at UCF No L, 64-56

1/20 23-29 14-22 UTEP Yes L, 72-67

1/24 19-24 7-13 Tulane Yes W, 55-53

1/27 15-19 17-21 at Tulsa No L, 70-66

1/31 12-15 5-11 at UAB Yes W, 60-56

2/3 9-12 5-12 at [11] Memphis No L, 52-88

2/7 6-9 13-16 Houston No L, 64-49

2/10 9-12 9-14 Rice No L, 63-60

2/14 9-14 15-23 at Marshall No L, 52-49

Season 343-480 262-393 NO Yes 9-2 / No 4-10

EYE ON THE POWER RANKINGS - RPI & SAGARIN: RPI No. 170, Sagarin No. 161

The RPI is one of the principal components the NCAA selection committee uses to determine the field for the NCAA Men's Tournament. It has three primary components. It does not include non-Division I opponents in SMUâ€™s record (Paul Quinn and Texas College). The Mustangs finished the 2005-06 season at No. 269 in the RPI and No. 198 in the Sagarin ratings.

Part I (25% of the formula): Team winning percentage.

Part II (50%): Average opponents' winning percentage.

Part III (25%): Average opponents' opponents' winning percentage.

The Mustangs reached No. 7 in the RPI on Dec. 8

1-50 51-100 101-200 201+ Non Conference L10 R/N

Rnk Conf W-L SOS W-L W-L W-L W-L W-L RPI SOS W-L W-L

170 SMU CUSA 11-12 148 0-2 1-3 4-6 6-1 9-3 102 268 2-8 5-7

10 Memphis CUSA 22-3 L, 88-52 at [11] Memphis on 2/3/07

33 Florida St. ACC 17-9 L, 59-52 at FSU on 11/14/06

74 Oklahoma B12 14-9 L, 69-42 at Oklahoma on 12/28/06

66 Dayton A-10 16-8 W, 53-48 at SMU on 11/18/06

91 Houston CUSA 13-11 L, 82-67 at Houston on 1/13/07 & L, 64-49 at SMU on 2/7/07

FAMILIAR FOE: The Mustangs have met seven opponents more than 100 times.

Rice 183 111-72 L, 63-60 - Feb. 10@SMU, Feb. 24@RU

TCU 182 100-82 W, 64-62 - Dec. 21@TCU

Baylor 175 100-75

Texas A&M 175 90-85

Texas 174 71-103

Arkansas 153 59-94

Texas Tech 104 47-57

HONORS:

Colonial Classic All-Tournament (SMU went 2-1)

Jon Killen (10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.3 steals)

Ike Ofoegbu (14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds)

ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District

Donatas Rackauskas (3.88 GPA in his Masters in Accounting program)

JON â€œSHOOTERâ€ KILLEN: Coach Matt Doherty called Jon Killen â€œshooterâ€ during the summer to help him think more aggressively on offense. The mindset is showing.

2004-05 Fr. 46 points in 28 games (1.6 avg)

2005-06 So. 57 points in 29 games (2.0 avg)

2006-07 Jr. 185 points in 25 games (7.4 avg)

ASSIST BY KILLEN: That call has been the most common assist call at SMU in more than a decade. Jon Killen is averaging 4.96 after 25 games. No player has averaged five or more assists for SMU since Gerald Lewis had 6.7 per outing in 1992-93. Killen had 10 against Louisiana-Monroe and 11 at Tulsa. The 11 at Tulsa was the most since 12 by Jeryl Sasser against Rice on Jan. 31, 1998.

SMU CAREER Assists: Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts are closing in on 200 career assists. Only 20 players at SMU have done so to this point.

1 828 Butch Moore, 1982-86

2 491 Gerald Lewis, 1989-93

3 469 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01

4 468 Billy Allen, 1978-80

5 460 Carl Wright, 1982-85

6 419 Roderick Hampton, 1987-91

7 403 Kato Armstrong, 1985-89

8 396 Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06

9 387 Troy Matthews, 1993-97

10 363 Zachary Thiel, 1971-74

11 334 Scott Johnson, 1983-87

12 323 Stephen Woods, 1996-00

13 279 Jemeil Rich, 1994-97

14 278 David Piehler, 1979-83

15 276 Damon Hancock, 1998-02

16 260 Phil Hale, 1976-80

17 239 Michael Jaccar, 1974-76

18 236 Carlton McKinney, 1986-88

19 222 Quinton Ross, 1999-03

20 212 Justin Isham, 2001-05

190 Jon Killen, 2004-07

178 Derrick Roberts, 2004-07

OPENING ACT IS A WINNER: Matt Doherty is off to an impressive start at SMU. Here is a comparison of the first year for menâ€™s basketball coaches on the Hilltop. The most wins are 16 by Sonny Allen in 1975-76.

COACH W-L PCT SEASON LEAGUE W-L PCT FINISH

Dale Morrison 12-2 .857 1916-17 N/A

John Shumate 13-16 813 1988-89 SWC 7-9 438 7th of 9

F.C. Baccus 14-8 .636 1938-39 SWC 8-4 667 3rd of 7

Sonny Allen 16-12 .571 1975-76 SWC 10-6 625 3rd of 9

E.O. â€œDocâ€ Hayes 13-10 .565 1947-48 SWC 5-7 417 5th of 7

James Stewart 10-8 .556 1942-43 SWC 4-8 333 T-5th of 7

Burton Rix 5-4 555 1917-18 N/A

Roy D. Baccus 11-10 524 1944-45 SWC 7-5 583 T-3rd of 7

Matt Doherty 13-12 .520 2006-07 C-USA 2-9 182 ___ of 12

Jimmy Tubbs 14-14 .500 2004-05 WAC 9-9 500 T-4th of 10

H.A. Faulkner 10-11 .476 1922-23 SWC 4-10 286 6th of 6

R.N. Blackwell 8-14 .363 1921-22 SWC 4-11 267 4th of 6

J.W. St. Clair 5-11 .313 1924-25 SWC 4-10 286 6th of 8

Mike Dement 8-20 .286 1995-96 SWC 3-11 214 T-7th of 8

Dave Bliss 7-20 .259 1980-81 SWC 3-13 188 9th of 9

Bob Prewitt 6-18 .250 1967-68 SWC 5-9 357 T-7th of 8

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Devon Pearson is the 19th SMU player to surpass 600 career rebounds, getting there with nine against Houston on Feb. 7. He became the 29th player at SMU with 500 career rebounds when he passed the mark against Louisiana-Monroe 11/22.

1. 1169 - Jon Koncak - 1981-85

2. 1077 - Ira Terrell - 1972-76

3. 976 - Jeryl Sasser - 1997-01

4. 889 - Larry Davis - 1981-85

5. 840 - Jim Krebs - 1954-57

6. 790 - Willie Davis - 1997-01

7. 785 - Jeff Swanson - 1974-78

8. 759 - Patrick Simpson - 2001-05

9. 745 - Joel Krog - 1953-56

10. 690 - Tim Mason - 1989-93

11. 687 - Carroll Hooser - 1963-66

12. 669 - Lynn Phillips - 1966-69

13. 650 - Quinton Ross - 1999-03

14. 634 - Eric Castro - 2001-05

15. 621 - Terry Williams - 1983-87

621 - Devon Pearson - 2003-06

TOUGHNESS: The starting lineup against North Carolina A&T of Brian Epps, Jon Killen, Donatas Rackasukas, Paulius Ritter and Cameron Spencer was decided based on toughness drills conducted by the coaching staff in practice the day before the game. The winners got to start.

NO POINTS FOR YOU: SMUâ€™s scoring defense is among the best in team history.

61.4 1985-86

62.0 2006-07

62.2 1957-58

63.2 1958-59

64.1 2005-06

64.2 1956-57

GLASS PATROL: The Mustangsâ€™ rebound margin has a chance to be the best in school history.

+5.7 1959-60

+5.6 2006-07

+5.1 1988-89

+5.0 1958-59

+4.6 1984-85

+4.3 1999-00

IT IS BETTER TO RECEIVE: Devon Pearson has surpassed 100 career steals, Jon Killen is closing in on the milestone.

SMU Career Steals - 100+

1 225 Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06

2 209 Gerald Lewis, 1989-93

3 205 Carl Wright, 1982-85

4 197 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01

5 179 Stephen Woods, 1996-00

6 160 Willie Davis, 1997-01

7 153 Quinton Ross, 1999-03

8 136 Jemeil Rich, 1994-97

9 130 Butch Moore, 1982-86

10 128 David Piehler, 1979-83

11 127 Roderick Hampton, 1987-91

12 126 Justin Isham, 2001-05

126 Kato Armstrong, 1985-89

14 125 Phil Hale, 1976-80

15 123 Troy Matthews, 1993-97

16 111 Carlton McKinney, 1986-88

17 110 Devon Pearson, 2003-07

18 109 Eric Castro, 2001-05

19 102 Tim Mason, 1989-93

... 92 Jon Killen, 2004-07

BLOCK PARTY: Bamba Fallâ€™s 2.58 blocks per game are leading Conference USA and his 2.80 per league game are also also tops in C-USA. This season, he has already set the SMU sophomore blocked shots record, passing Jon Koncakâ€™s mark of 54 blocks in 1982-83. In 2005-06, Bamba Fall set the SMU freshman record with 53 blocks in just 18 games. (Passed the previous record of 43 by Ira Terrell in 1972-73). He also led C-USA with 3.36 per league contest.

Bamba Fall - Blocks GP 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 6+

2005-06 Fr. 18 15 10 8 3 1

2006-07 So. 24 17 11 6 4 2

Total 42 32 21 14 7 3

Conference USA Blocks in a Season (All Games)

1. 111 Anwar Ferguson, Houston (27) 2003-04

2. 108 Gerrick Morris, South Florida (27) 2003-04

3. 107 Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (31) 1999-00

4. 90 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (27) 2003-04

5. 90 Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati (33) 2004-05

... 62 Bamba Fall, SMU 2006-07

Conference USA Blocks Average in a Season (All Games)

1. 4.11 Anwar Ferguson, Houston (111 in 27) 2003-04

2. 4.00 Gerrick Morris, South Florida (108 in 27) 2003-04

3. 3.62 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (87 in 24) 2001-02

4. 3.45 Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (107 in 31) 1999-00

5. 3.33 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (90 in 27) 2003-04

... 2.58 Bamba Fall, SMU 2006-07

Conference USA Blocks in a Season (Conference Games)

1. 70 Gerrick Morris, South Florida (16) 2003-04

2. 62 Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (16) 1999-00

3. 59 Anwar Ferguson, Houston (16) 2003-04

4. 55 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (16) 2003-04

5. 52 Kelly Wise, Memphis (16) 1999-00

6. 51 Steve Hunter, DePaul (16) 2000-01

... 28 Bamba Fall, SMU 2006-07

Conference USA Blocks Average in a Season (Conference Games)

1. 4.38 Gerrick Morris, South Florida (70 in 16) 2003-04

2. 3.88 Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (62 in 16) 1999-00

3. 3.69 Anwar Ferguson, Houston (59 in 16) 2003-04

4. 3.44 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (55 in 16) 2003-04

5. 3.36 Bamba Fall, SMU (47 in 14) 2005-06

6. 3.25 Kelly Wise, Memphis (52 in 16) 1999-00

... 2.80 Bamba Fall, SMU 2006-07

SMU Career Blocked Shots

1. 278 - Jon Koncak - 1981-85

2. 169 - Ira Terrell - 1972-76

3. 151 - Patrick Simpson - 2001-05

4. 129 - Reggie Franklin - 1977-79

5. 115 - Bamba Fall - 2005-07 (Moved into 5th against Southern Miss 1/10 - 6 blocks)

6. 88 - James Gatewood - 1990-94

7. 81 - Quinton Ross - 1999-03

8. 78 - Brad Branson - 1978-80

9. 69 - Bobby Dimson - 1994-98

10. 67 - Thines Robinson II - 1974-78

67 - Jeryl Sasser - 1997-01

12. 65 - Glenn Puddy - 1984-86,87-89

65 - Donatas Rackauskas - 2002-07

SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots (Since 1972-73) (GP)

1. 97 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (33)

2. 91 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (33)

3. 79 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (28)

4. 70 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (27)

5. 62 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07

SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots by a Sophomore (GP)

1. 62 Bamba Fall, 2006-07

2. 54 Jon Koncak, 1982-83 (30)

3. 47 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (27)

4. 45 Patrick Simpson, 2002-03 (30)

SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots Average (Since 1972-73)

Must Play in 75% of Games (Blocks/Games Played)

Bamba Fall averaged 2.9 as a freshman, but only played in 18 of 29 team games.

1. 2.9 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (97/33)

2. 2.8 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (79/28)

2.8 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (91/33)

4. 2.6 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (59/21)

2.6 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (70/27)

6. 2.1 Reggie Franklin (Jr.), 1977-78 (59/28)

FINALLY â€œFALLâ€ING: Bamba Fallâ€™s free throw percentage can be misleading due to struggles at the beginning of the season. Against Tulane, he went 4-4, all in the second half, with a pair at 4:13 and 3:01 as the Mustangs rallied from 13 points down for the 55-53 win on Jan. 24.

SEASON 40-60 .667

First 4 Games 5-13 .385

Rest of Non-Conf 15-23 .652

C-USA games 20-24 .833

HIGH-PERCENTAGE SHOT: Bamba Fall has a chance for one of the best shooting percentages for sa season inSMU history and a shot at the sophomore record.

Best FG Percentage (Since 1953-54)

Minimum 75 Field Goals Made

1 63.7 Terry Williams (Sr.), 1986-87 (142-233)

2 62.1 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (211-340)

3 62.0 Terry Williams (Jr.), 1985-86 (150-242)

4 60.7 Larry Davis (Jr.), 1983-84 (219-361)

5 59.2 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (219-370)

6 58.1 Terry Thomas (Sr.), 1987-88 (111-191)

7 57.2 John Colborne (Jr.), 1988-89 (99-173)

57.2 Ira Terrell (Fr.), 1972-73 (219-383)

9 56.5 Larry Davis (Sr.), 1984-85 (177-313)

56.5 Eric Castro (So.), 2002-03 (105-186)

... 54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121)

SMU FG-Percentage by a Sophomore

56.5 Eric Castro, 2002-03 (105-186)

56.4 Larry Davis, 1982-83 (190-337)

54.7 Tim Mason, 1990-91 (179-327)

54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121)

54.5 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (264-484)

SMU RECORD FOR NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE: The SMU Men's Basketball team has a school record five nationally televised games during the 2006-07 regular season. The Mustangs play four games on CSTV and one game, at Memphis, on ESPN. The Mustangs' games on CSTV include TCU, both match-ups with Houston and the home game against Memphis. The Mustangs play the first three televised games on the road before playing the final two at home in Moody Coliseum.

Thu, Dec. 21, at TCU (CSTV) - W, 64-62 on Dez Willingham 3-pointer at buzzer

Saturday, Jan. 13, at Houston - L, 82-67 as Bamba Fall has first career double-double (12 pts, 10 rebs)

Saturday, Feb. 3, at Memphis (ESPN) - L, 88-52; Ofoegbu has team-high 17 pts, Memphis 15-25 3FG

Wednesday, Feb. 7, vs. Houston (CSTV) - L, 64-49; Pearson leads with 13 points and 9 rebounds

Saturday, March 3, vs. Memphis - 8:30 p.m. (CSTV)

DIALING FROM DISTANCE: Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts are shooting well this season from 3-point range.

SMU Season 3FG Percentage (Since 1986-87)

Minimum 20 Made

1 53.2 Eric Longino (Sr.), 1988-89 (50-94)

2 47.6 Troy Dorner (Sr.), 1993-94 (39-82)

3 47.5 Scott Johnson (Sr.), 1986-87 (44-99)

4 45.7 Lavardicus Atkins (Fr.), 2000-01 (21-46)

5 45.3 Todd Alexander (Jr.), 1987-88 (82-181)

6 41.8 Stephen Woods (So.), 1997-98 (74-177)

7 41.7 Carlton McKinney (Sr.), 1987-88 (35-84)

8 41.6 Derrick Roberts (Jr.), 2006-07 (37-89)

9 40.7 Chad Allen (Jr.), 1992-93 (44-108)

10 40.4 Bryan Hopkins (Jr.), 2003-04 (84-208)

11 40.0 Chad Allen (Fr.), 1990-91 (36-90)

... 37.3 Jon Killen (Jr.), 2006-07 (28-75)

SMU Season 3FG Percentage (Since 1986-87) as a Junior:

1. 45.3 Todd Alexander, 1987-88 (82-181)

2. 41.6 Derrick Roberts (Jr.), 2006-07 (37-89)

3. 40.7 Chad Allen, 1992-93 (44-108)

4. 40.4 Bryan Hopkins, 2003-04 (84-208)

... 37.3 Jon Killen (Jr.), 2006-07 (28-75)

SMU MILESTONES:

- The Mustangs won seven consecutive games (Nov. 18 to Dec. 21) for the first time since winning 10 in a row to start the 1997-98 season

- The Mustangs swept a homestand of five or more games for the first time since a six-game stretch in the 1997-98 season

- The Mustangs won a school-record five games in November, finishing the month 5-1. The Mustangs had previously gone 4-0 in November to start the 1997-98 and 2000-01 seasons.

- The 11-3 start was the best since a 12-3 start in 2000-01.

SMU RECORD UPDATES: Additions or changes to the SMU record book during the 2006-07 season.

SMU Single-Game - Team

3FGM T-4th - 13 Texas-Pan American 1/4

T-6th - 12 vs. McNeese State 11/13

T-6th - 12 La-Monroe 11/22

3FG PCT 3rd - 61.9% (13-21) Texas-Pan American 1/4

SMU Single-Game - Individual

FTA T-7th - 17 by Ike Ofoegbu vs. Illinois State 11/12

Opponent Single-Game - Individual

3FGM T-6th - 7 by Robert McKiver, Houston 1/13

Moody Coliseum Single-Game - Team

3FGM T-4th - 13 by SMU vs. Texas-Pan American 1/4

3FG PCT T-5th - 61.9% (13-21) by SMU vs. Texas-Pan American 1/4

LONG TIME, NO SEE: SMU has had a few numbers in the boxscore that have not seen in a while

- SMU scored 99 points against La.-Monroe 11/22 - last time was 101 at Puerto Rico - Mayaguez 12/20/2000 (W 101-72)

- Jon Killen had 10 assists against La-Monroe 11/22 - last time was Bryan Hopkins with 10 against TCU on 11/24/2002 (W ot, 87-84)

- Jon Killen had 11 assists at Tulsa, most since 12 by Jeryl Sasser against Rice on Jan. 31, 1998

MUSTANG HOOPS BLOG: SMU Mustangsâ€™ head coach Matt Doherty has his own blog at www.MustangHoopsBlog.com.

COACHING EXPERIENCE: Head Coach Matt Doherty has assembled a coaching staff of Associate Head Coach Mike Garland, Assistant Coach Lance Irvin, Assistant Coach Steve Lutz, and Director of Operations Malcolm Farmer. The coaching staff entered the season with totals of 49 years of collegiate coaching with 16 conference crowns and 12 conference tournament championships. They have earned 26 postseason appearances, including 18 bids to the NCAA Tournament with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, nine Elite Eights, six Final Fours and two National Championships. The coaching staff has also guided 32 players to the NBA.

R-T-C: Head Coach Matt Doherty uses the initials RTC to represent his vision for the Mustangs. They are Respect, Trust and Commitment. The red wristbands the players wear have RTC. There are also several signs around the Mustangsâ€™ locker room and offices.

QUOTABLE: Quotes by and about SMU from the 2006-07 season.

Feb. 14 - Postgame - at Marshall (L, 52-49)

Matt Doherty (on SMU's poor shooting)

"We should have won this ballgame. We shot 28 percent and we had good shots. I guess that is going to happen from time to time."

Matt Doherty (on SMU's good defense and taking care of the ball)

"Our zone defense was good and we really slowed Marshall down. We took reasonable care of the basketball, but we only had 10 assists. That is where shooters need to make shots and we didn't."

Matt Doherty (on the rally from 8 points down with a minute to play to have a 3-point shot to tie at the buzzer)

"I thought our players did a great job late game situations - we pressed and got some turnovers. Donatas made a great pass to Epps for a 3-pointer. We got some good looks, and Dez did a great job drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line.

Matt Doherty (on Ike Ofoegbu's 18 points and 16 rebounds)

"Ike had a great statistical game, but I want more energy out of him. He has really played great over the last several games."