SMU/Rice preview

[PonyPride]

RICE Owls (12-10, 6-3 C-USA)

at

SMU Mustangs (13-10, 2-7 C-USA)



Sat. Feb. 10 - 7:00 p.m. CT

Moody Coliseum (8,998)

Dallas, Texas

Radio: KAAM 770 AM

Internet: Mustang All-Access

www.SMUMustangs.com





The SMU Mustangs (13-10, 2-7 Conference USA) host the Rice Owls (12-10, 6-3 C-USA) on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. The Mustangs are 8-4 at home this season.



This is the 183rd meeting for the Mustangs and Owls with SMU holding a 111-71 advantage. That is the most wins and games in any series for the Mustangs. The Ponies have played TCU 182 times. The Rice series dates to Feb. 18, 1918, when SMU won 33-23 in Houston. The two teams have been members of the same conference since the 1918-19 season when both were members of the Southwest Conference. Both programs moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 1996 and then to Conference USA in 2005. Last season, SMU won two of three meetings. The first was an 80-69 overtime win in Dallas on Jan. 21. Dez Willingham hit a 25-foot buzzer beater to send the game to overtime. It was the third time in four games the teams needed extra time to decide the outcome. The next was a 68-66 loss to conclude the regular season on March 4. The teams immediately hooked up four days later in the first round of the Conference USA Championship at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. Donatas Rackauskas had a game-sealing dunk with five seconds left of the 61-59 SMU victory. For SMU coach Matt Doherty, this is the first game against Rice and Owls’ coach Willis Wilson.



On Feb. 8, 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.



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 Bob’s Steak & Chop. The total is $37 (Doak Walker’s number) for each of the 214 points the Mustangs scored at home during the 2006 football season.



Bamba Fall has 62 blocks in 23 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 Koncak’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 19th at SMU with 606 career rebounds. He only needs 15 rebounds to move up four more spots: 609 Greg Kinzer, 615 Jan Loudermilk, 619 Steve Strange, 621 Terry Williams. Pearson is also 18th at SMU with 107 career steals. He is closing in on Eric Castro (109) and Carlton McKinney (111).



The Mustangs lead Conference USA in rebounding defense (29.7) and are second in 3-point percentage defense (.323) and scoring defense (62.3) and third free-throw percentage (.716). In league play, the Mustangs are shooting a conference-best 75.6-percent at the free throw line. Natioanlly, the Mustangs are 24th in rebound margin (+6.3) and 39 in blocked shots. Individually, Bamba Fall is leading the league and ranked 14th nationally in blocked shots (2.70) and is also averaging a league-best 3.11 blocks in conference contests. Jon Killen is third in the league in assists (5.09) and steals (1.91). Ike Ofoegbu is third in rebounds (6.7) and second in offensive rebounds (3.35).



LAST GAME: DALLAS (AP) -Oliver Lafayette scored 20 points to help Houston defeat SMU 64-49 on Wednesday night. Lafayette was 5-of-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds. Robert Lee came off the bench to add 13 points and Robert McKiver had 11, including three 3-pointers. Dion Dowell led the team with eight rebounds. The Cougars (12-10, 6-3 Conference USA) led 28-21 at halftime and had an 18-point lead with 52 seconds remaining in the game. They turned 21 SMU turnovers into 23 points and led the Mustangs in fast-break points and rebounds. Devon Pearson came off the bench to lead the Mustangs (13-10, 2-7) with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Ike Ofoegbu had 11 points and five rebounds. Pearson increased his career rebounding total to 606 during the game. He is the 19th Mustang to reach 600 career boards. Bamba Fall had two blocks to extend his SMU sophomore record to 62 on the year. He is closing in on Reggie Franklin for fourth-most ever in a season at SMU. Franklin had 70 as a senior in 1978-79. Jon Koncak set the standard with 97 as a junior in 1983-84.



LAST SEASON AGAINST RICE:

W (ot), 80-69 on JAN. 21, 2006 at SMU: DALLAS (AP) -- Derrick Roberts came off the bench to score a career high 22 points as SMU beat Rice 80-69 in overtime Saturday night. The Mustangs forced overtime after Dez 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. Bryan Hopkins added 17 points in the win for SMU (9-7, 2-2 Conference USA), and Bamba Fall scored 12 while blocking 4 shots. Willingham finished with seven points and four assists. The Mustangs outscored Rice 16-5 in overtime as Hopkins and Fall each added five points in the extra session. Twelve of the 16 points for SMU came at the free throw line. Rice (8-9, 2-2) shot 38 percent from the field as a team, while SMU finished the night shooting 52 percent. Morris Almond lead all Rice scorers with 32 points, and J.R. Harrison scored 20. SMU lead 39-35 at the half.

L, 68-66 on MARCH 4, 2006 at RICE: HOUSTON (AP) - Morris Almond scored 40 points and had nine rebounds to lead Rice past SMU 68-66 on Saturday night. Harrison, who was the only Rice player in double figures, shot 14-of-19 from the floor and was 10-of-11 from the foul line. His last point was a key free throw that extended Rice's lead to four with 20 seconds left. After that free throw, Dez Willingham hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to get SMU within one. But the Mustangs (12-15, 4-10 Conference USA) wouldn't get another shot after Willingham turned the ball over on SMU's last possession. J.R. Harrison hit the go-ahead jumper for Rice (12-15, 6-8) with 2:05 left. It was the first field goal of the game for Harrison, who finished 1-of-9 from the field. Willingham had 14 and Bryan Hopkins had 12 to lead SMU.

W, 61-59 on MARCH 8, 2006 in MEMPHIS, TENN. - C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND: MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Devon Pearson and Donatas Rackauskas scored 15 points each to lead SMU to a 61-59 victory over Rice in the opening round of the Conference USA tournament Wednesday. The Mustangs (13-15) will face No. 24 UAB, the tournament's No. 2 seed, on Thursday. Bryan Hopkins, SMU's leading scorer, was held scoreless for the first time this season after missing all seven of his shots, but he grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds and had six assists. Morris Almond, a C-USA first team all-conference selection, led the Rice (12-16) with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting and hit three of his four shots outside the arc. His 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left cut the SMU lead to the final two-point margin. J.R. Harrison added 13 for Owls. SMU led throughout the second half, but never by more than six points. The two teams were tied at 46 when the Rice's Cory Pflieger connected for his only points of the game on a 3-pointer with 6:26 left in the game. Pearson helped the Mustangs pull away down the stretch with a streak of 8 points. SMU jumped out to an early lead thanks to Rackauskas, who scored 6 of the Mustang's first 8 points. But SMU went more than five minutes without scoring, allowing the Owls to score 10 straight points. SMU shot 50 percent in the first half, but was hampered by 13 turnovers, leading to 13 Rice points. The Mustangs committed 21 turnovers in the game.



BY AIR AND BY WEB: The Mustangs are on KAAM 770 AM in Dallas/Fort Worth. Rich Phillips, Allen Stone, and Jay Poerner bring you all the SMU basketball action and news from around Conference USA. All home games can also be seen through Mustangs All-Access at SMUMustangs.com.



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 Bob’s Steak & Chop. The total is $37 (Doak Walker’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 10-2 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, and lost to 72-67 to UTEP after holding a 32-29 edge after 20 minutes.



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 7-1 when having the same or more steals than the opponent. The only eception was the 80-76 loss to North Carolina A&T.



CONVERTING TURNOVERS TO POINTS: Points off turnovers has been a good indicator of success. The Mustangs are even on average in wins and -7.5 in losses.



WHERE THERE IS A “WILL”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:

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.

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 Roberts’ 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.



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



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

Season 325-454 238-356 NO Yes 9-2 / No 4-8



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 bachelor’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



EYE ON THE POWER RANKINGS - RPI & SAGARIN: RPI No. 142, Sagarin No. 150

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 SMU’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

142 SMU CUSA 11-10 139 0-2 1-3 4-4 6-1 9-3 105 267 3-7 5-6

10 Memphis CUSA 19-3 L, 88-52 at [11] Memphis on 2/3/07

22 Florida St. ACC 17-7 L, 59-52 at FSU on 11/14/06

61 Dayton A-10 15-8 W, 53-48 at SMU on 11/18/06

65 Houston CUSA 12-10 L, 82-67 at Houston on 1/13/07 & L, 64-49 at SMU on 2/7/07

72 Oklahoma B12 13-8 L, 69-42 at Oklahoma on 12/28/06



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

Rice 182 111-71 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



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

2006-07 297 12.9 153 6.7 92-184 13-34 100-140



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 “SHOOTER” KILLEN: Coach Matt Doherty called Jon Killen “shooter” 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. 173 points in 23 games (7.5 avg)



ASSIST BY KILLEN: That call has been the most common assist call at SMU in more than a decade. Jon Killen is averaging 5.09 after 23 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

183 Jon Killen, 2004-07

176 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 men’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

Matt Doherty 13-10 .565 2005-06 C-USA 2-7 .222 ___ of 12

E.O. “Doc” 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

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

16. 619 - Steve Strange - 1958-61

17. 615 - Jan Loudermilk - 1959-62

18. 609 - Greg Kinzer - 1989-93

19. 606 - Devon Pearson - 2003-06



NO POINTS FOR YOU: SMU’s scoring defense is among the best in team history.

61.4 1985-86

62.2 1957-58

62.3 2006-07

63.2 1958-59

64.1 2005-06

64.2 1956-57



GLASS PATROL: The Mustangs’ rebound margin has a chance to be the best in school history.

+5.9 2006-07

+5.7 1959-60

+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

17 109 Eric Castro, 2001-05

18 107 Devon Pearson, 2003-07

19 102 Tim Mason, 1989-93

... 90 Jon Killen, 2004-07



BLOCK PARTY: Bamba Fall’s 2.70 blocks per game and 3.11 per league game are leading Conference USA. This season, he has already set the SMU sophomore blocked shots record, passing Jon Koncak’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. 23 17 11 6 4 2

Total 41 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

... 2.70 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

... 3.11 Bamba Fall, SMU 2006-07



SMU Single-Season Team Blocks Average

5.0 149 in 30 games in 2002-03

4.8 110 in 23 games in 2006-07

4.8 138 in 29 games in 2005-06



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

5. 2.6 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (70/27)

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



FINALLY “FALL”ING: Bamba Fall’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 38-58 .655

First 4 Games 5-13 .385

Rest of Non-Conf 15-23 .652

C-USA games 18-22 .818



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)

... 55.2 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (64-116)



SMU FG-Percentage by a Sophomore

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

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

55.2 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (64-116)

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

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