Men's basketball game notes

[PonyPride]

UAB Blazers (18-8, 8-3 C-USA) at SMU Mustangs (8-16, 2-9 C-USA)

Sat. Feb. 23 - 7 p.m. CT

Moody Coliseum (8,998) - Dallas, Texas

TV: KTXA 21 (Doug Anderson, Ira Terrell) - Radio: KAAM 770 AM (Rich Phillips, Allen Stone) - Internet: Mustang All-Access



Complete Game Notes in PDF Format: http://smumustangs.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_ ... ly-release



The SMU Mustangs hosts the UAB Blazers at Moody Coliseum as the final part of an exciting week for SMU Basketball. SMU opened the Crum Basketball Center on Thursday. The $13-million, 43,000- square-foot facility where players and coaches have their own one-stop shop to practice, strength train, watch film and receive rehabilitation care. The Mustangs are also raising Jon Koncak’s jersey to the rafters of Moody Coliseum during a halftime ceremony. Koncak, one of two All-Americans from SMU, will join Jim Krebs in being so honored.



Bamba Fall has scored in double-figures in five straight, including 12 points at Southern Miss. Bamba Fall in conference play is shooting 59.5 percent (1st in C-USA) while averaging 12.0 points (18th C-USA) and 2.00 blocks (2nd in C-USA). He is averaging 2.13 blocks on the season which is third in the league and 37th in the NCAA.



In C-USA games, Killen is leading the league in assists (5.73), tied for third in 3-pointers (3.00), tied for fourth in minutes (34.82), fourth in 3FG percentage (.434), eighth in scoring (14.6), ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.66), and 12th in FG percentage (.496). His 12 assists against Houston on Jan. 16 are tied for the most in a league game this season. Overall, he is averaging 4.79 assists (3rd in C-USA, 69th in NCAA) and has a 1.64 assist/turnover ratio (9th in C-USA). Derrick Roberts is hitting 48.4 percent from the floor in league play (15th C-USA) and 40.7 percent from 3-point range (10th C-USA).



SERIES HISTORY vs. UAB: The Mustangs and Blazers are meeting for just the fifth time overall and the fourth since becoming conference mates. The series is tied at two wins each after SMU won 60-56 at UAB last season. The first ever meeting was a 79-63 win in the Rainbow Classic In Honolulu, Hawaii, on Dec. 29, 1983. The next two meetings were SMU losses in 2005-06 - a 73-68 decision at Moody Coliseum on Feb. 25 and a 69-55 Conference USA Quarterfinal loss to the 24th-ranked Blazers at the FedEx Forum in Memphis on March 9.



MATT DOHERTY vs. MIKE DAVIS: SMU’s Matt Doherty and UAB’s Mike Davis are meeting for the third time. The Mustangs won 60-56 last season in Birmingham to even the series. In the first meeting, Doherty’s North Carolina squad fell 79-66 to Davis’ 24th ranked Indiana Hoosiers in the Dean Smith Center on Nov. 28, 2001. The game was part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.



SMU OPENS CRUM CENTER FEB 21- SCORES SLAM DUNK WITH NEW BUILDING: DALLAS (SMU) - SMU basketball has a new MVP: the $13-million, 43,000- square-foot Crum Basketball Center, where players and coaches have their own one-stop shop to practice, strength train, watch film and receive rehabilitation care. The facility is made possible by a leadership gift from Sylvie P. and Gary T. Crum. Other major donors to the facility are David and Carolyn Miller, Vic and Gladie Jo Salvino, and the Embrey Family Foundation. "Along with our other varsity athletic programs, men's and women's basketball helps build a sense of community on campus and provides Dallas with exciting collegiate activities. Our players now have a great new resource for developing further their skills and competitiveness," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. "We are grateful to our generous donors for supporting our commitment to provide our students with the best possible campus experience." In December 2006, SMU broke ground on the Center, which joins Moody Coliseum as the new home for SMU's men's and women's intercollegiate basketball programs. The facility contains separate full-size practice courts for each program, locker rooms and lounges, and a fully equipped training and rehabilitation room with in-ground hydrotherapy pools. SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini said the new facility is a shining example of the University's support for its student-athletes. "We have made a commitment at SMU to be Top 25 in all we do," he said. "The Crum Center exceeds that standard and will help our basketball programs train and recruit top-level student-athletes." SMU's basketball coaches say the Center will allow them to recruit more competitively against other schools with basketball-only practice facilities. "I have helped design facilities at other universities, but the Crum Basketball Center is by far one of the finest practice facilities in the nation," said SMU men's basketball coach Matt Doherty. "The Crum Center will provide players the opportunity to work on their skills year round and shows the commitment to big-time basketball here at SMU." "The Crum Center is a first-class facility and a major addition to SMU athletics," said Rhonda Rompola, SMU's women's basketball coach. "The facility shows SMU's commitment to both basketball programs and will help us to recruit the best players to the University." The two practice courts allow for a more flexible practice schedule, which reduces class-scheduling conflicts for student-athletes. On-site strength training maximizes the efficiency of balancing team practices, meetings and workouts. The facility also will house coaches' offices and conference facilities, coaches' locker rooms and film-editing rooms. The lower level connects to Moody Coliseum, where the Mustangs will continue to play their games, via a tunnel. The Crum Center shares its lineage with the venerable Moody Coliseum, which also was designed by what is now HKS Sports and Entertainment Group, one of the world's premier designers of sports facilities.



SMU TO ENSHRINE JON KONCAK'S NO. 53 JERSEY ON FEB. 23 : SMU will raise Koncak's jersey in Moody Coliseum during a halftime ceremony on Feb. 23. Koncak wore no. 53 during his basketball career from 1981-85. He is one of two All-Americans from SMU men's basketball, earning the honor during the 1984-85 season. He led the team to two NCAA Tournaments in 1984 and 1985, advancing to the second round each year. Koncak led the team in scoring his final three years while compiling a 67-29 record in that span. The Mustangs spent the entire 1984-85 season in the AP top-25, reaching as high as No. 2 at the end of January. He was a member of the gold-medal winning 1984 U.S. Olympic team. Koncak was a first-round selection of the Atlanta Hawks in the 1985 NBA draft and went on to a 12-year NBA career, spending the first 10 seasons with the Hawks. He holds SMU career marks of first in rebounds (1169), first in blocks (278), third in scoring (1784), and second in FG percentage (.559). Koncak is the second player to be so honored by SMU men's basketball, joining Jim Krebs. Krebs wore no. 32 from 1954-57 and was an All-American in 1956-57. Krebs helped lead the Mustangs to three straight Southwest Conference titles and the 1956 NCAA Final Four. Previous Honorees: Raymond Berry - FB; Cash Birdwell - FB; Eric Dickerson - FB; Forrest Gregg - FB; Lamar Hunt - FB; Karlin Kennedy - WBB; Jim Krebs - MBB; Doak Walker - FB



LAST GAME: HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Jeremy Wise scored 22 points to lead Southern Mississippi to an 81-61 win over SMU on Wednesday. Wise scored 18 points in the first half as Southern Miss (14-11, 6-5 Conference USA) used a pair of big runs to take control of the game. The Golden Eagles have won four of their last five games. The Mustangs (8-16, 2-9) have lost three in a row and five of their last six. The Golden Eagles went on a 17-3 run early in the game to take a 23-9 lead midway through the opening half. The Mustangs cut the deficit to 27-20 thanks to a pair of baskets by Joe Killen, but then Southern Miss went on a 19-2 run over the last seven minutes of the half. Wise had nine points in the second run, including a 15-foot jumper with 45 seconds to play that put him over the 1,000 point mark in his career. Wise is just a sophomore and became the 31st player in school history to score over 1,000 points. The Golden Eagles lead 46-22 at halftime and put to rest any hopes the Mustangs had of making a comeback by outscoring SMU 12-3 to begin the second half. R. L. Horton added 18 points and Courtney Beasley chipped in 13. Killen paced SMU with 12 points and Papa Dia added 10. The Mustangs played without Derrick Roberts.



LAST SEASON vs. UAB: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Bamba Fall scored 16 points and Brian Epps added 14 to lead SMU to a 60-56 victory over UAB. Ike Ofoegbu scored 10 points and hit a 3-pointer to spark a 16-2 second half run that proved decisive for SMU. SMU (13-8, 2-5) trailed 27-26 at halftime. Wen Mukubu scored 14 points to lead UAB (11-10, 3-4). Lawrence Kinnard added 12 points and Mike Davis Jr. had 10 for the Blazers. UAB lost its second game in a row at home. A 3-pointer by Mukubu gave UAB a 45-41 lead with just over 11 minutes left in the game. But a basket inside by Donatas Rackauskas and a 3-pointer by Epps started the run that put SMU ahead for good. Epps' driving basket gave SMU a 57-47 lead with five minutes left. UAB had chances down the stretch, pulling to within 59-56 on a reverse layup by Davis Jr. with less than a minute to play. But UAB struggled all night to get good shots against SMU's zone defense and could not make another basket. The Mustangs also limited their turnovers to five in the second half and outscored UAB 20-11 in points off turnovers for the game.



MILESTONES ON THE HORIZON:

SMU career blocks - Bamba Fall is 3rd, 166 (2nd Ira Terrell 169; 1st Jon Koncak 278)

SMU career assists - Jon Killen is 12th at 332 (11th Scott Johnson 334, 10th Zachary Thiel 363), Derrick Roberts is 20th at 233 (19th Carlton McKinney, 236; 18th Michael Jaccar 239).

SMU career steals - Jon Killen is 8th at 137 (7th Quinton Ross 153)



STREAKS:

10+points: Bamba Fall 5 (12, 11, 16, 16, 12); Papa Dia (10); Jon Killen (12); Alex Malone (11)

8+ rebounds:

Dbl-Dbl:

5+ assists:

3+ steals:

2+ blocks: Bamba Fall (2)



HEAD COACH MATT DOHERTY...is in his seventh season as a head coach and his second season at SMU. This is his 17th season in collegiate coaching with eight NCAA Tournaments, seven conference titles, a Final Four appearance and the 2001 AP National Coach of the Year award. He also has 21 players that have gone to the NBA. He has a 112-104 record including a 22-33 mark on the Hilltop.



LEVELS: GP 10+Pts 8+Reb Dbl-Dbl 5+Ast 3+Stl 2+Blk Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk

0 Paulius Ritter 21 - 4 - - - - - 6 - - -

1 Bennie Rhodes 6 - - - - - - - - - - 1

10 Alex Malone 23 10 1 - - 1 2 3 1 - 4 2

12 Jon Killen 23 17 - - 13 8 - 7 1 19 14 -

13 Brett Holland 1 - - - - - - - - - - -

14 Tomasz Kwiatkowski 3 - - - - - - - - - - -

15 Derrick Roberts 22 10 - - 2 2 - 7 1 6 4 1

21 Bamba Fall 23 17 5 2 - - 17 7 6 - 1 18

22 Mike Walker 23 6 - - 1 4 1 2 1 6 8 -

23 Joston Benton 1 - - - - - - - - - - -

24 Robert Nyakundi - - - - - - - - - - - -

30 Ryan Harp 23 3 2 1 2 - - - 1 5 5 -

33 Cameron Spencer 16 - - - - - 1 - - - 2 1

42 Papa Dia 21 10 7 2 - 3 5 2 13 1 5 4



PLAYER NOTES: PROBABLE STARTERS

12 - Jon Killen (co-captain): 12.4 pts, 3.7 rebs, 4.8 asts, 1.5 stls, 1.64 ast/TO, 40.3% 3FG, played in all 112 games during his career

C-USA Player of the Week, J28 (21.5 pts, 6.0 ast, 4.5 reb, 1.0 stl, 50.0% FG (16-32), 41.7% 3FG (10-24))

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 12 points (4-9 FG, 3-7 3FG), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal

- at Houston 2/16: 3 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal

- UCF 1/26: Career-high 28 points (10-17 FG, 7-13 3FG), 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in 42 minutes

- Tulsa 1/19: Scored 19 (17 in the 2nd half) on 8-12 FG, 3-3 3FG with team-highs of 6 assists and 3 steals

- Houston 1/16: Played all 40 min and career-best 12 assists (4 turnovers) with 5 ps, 3 rebs, and a steal; most assists by a Mustang since Jeryl Sasser had 12 against Rice on Jan. 31, 1998.

- at UTEP 1/9: 24 points (9-16 FG, 6-11 3FG), and team-highs of 6 rebs and 6 asts

- Houston Baptist 12/9: Had 18 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals against

- TCU 12/5: Had 14 points (9 in final 5 minutes), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block

- Centenary 11/17 - Then career-best 22 points with 6 rebounds and 3 assists

- Led team in: scoring 7x (Centenary 22, at UTEP 24, Tulsa 19, at Tulane 15, UCF 28, at [1] Memphis 12, at Southern Miss 12); rebounds (at UTEP 6); assists 19x (Southern 4, Alabama St. 5, at Dayton 5, at UTSA 2, TCU 6, Prairie View A&M 2, Texas St. 8, SFA 4, at Colorado 6, at UTEP 6, Houston 12, Tulsa 6, at Tulane 5, UCF 7, at Tulsa 5, at [1] Memphis 4, Rice 5, Marshall 7, at Houston 4); steals 14x (Southern 3, Alabama St. 4, TCU 3, Houston Baptist 3, SC-Upstate 2, Texas St. 4, at Colorado 2, Houston 1, Tulsa 3, at Tulane 2, at Tulsa 3, Rice 3, at Houston 1, at Southern Miss 1)



21 - Bamba Fall: 11.4 pts, 5.5 rebs, 2.1 blocks, 61.7% FG, 70.5% FT

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 12 points (5-9 FG), 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal

- at Houston 2/16: Team-high 16 points (7-8 FG) and 5 rebounds

- Marshall 2/13: 16 points (5-8 FG, 6-8 FT), 3 rebounds

- Houston 1/16: 3rd career double-double on 13 points (4-5 FG, 5-5 FT), 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, and an assist

- Texas State 12/29: 15 points (7-7 FG, 1-2 FT), 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks

- Paul Quinn 11/27: Had second career-double-double (11 points and 11 rebounds)

- Centenary 11/17: Career-high 18 points (8-9 FG) plus 7 boards and 2 blocks

- Led team in: scoring 7x (Alabama St. 15, SC-Upstate 15, at Colorado 11, at Tulane 15, at [1] Memphis 12, at Houston 16, at Southern Miss 12); rebounds 6x (Alabama St. 8, Paul Quinn 11, Prairie View A&M 9, Houston 10, UCF 8, at Southern Miss 6); steals (at Southern Miss 1); blocks 18x (Alabama St. 5, Centenary 2, at Dayton 1, Paul Quinn 2, at UTSA 1, TCU 2, Houston Baptist 2, SC-Upstate 4, Prairie View A&M 4, Texas St. 3, SFA 2, at UTEP 3, Houston 4, Tulsa 2, UCF 3, at Tulsa 2, at [1] Memphis 4, at Southern Miss 2)

- Double-doubles: Paul Quinn (11 pts, 11 rebs), Houston (13 pts, 10 rebs)

- Named All-Tournament at SMU Holiday Classic (12.0 points, 10-14 FG, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks)



22 - Mike Walker: 6.4 pts, 2.2 rebs, 2.3 asts, 1.17 ast/TO

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 8 points and a steal

- at Houston 2/16: 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists

- Marshall 2/13: 9 points (3-4 3FG), 2 assists

- Rice 2/9: 12 points (3-5 3FG, 3-3 FT), season-high 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals

- Houston Baptist 12/9: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals

- at UTSA 12/1: Team-high 13 pts (3-5 3FG,4-4 FT)

- at Dayton 11/24: Team-high 16 points (5-10 FG, 4-7 3FG) plus 3 assists in first start

- Led team in: scoring 2x (at Dayton 16, at UTSA 13), rebounds (Houston Baptist 7); assists 4x (Centenary 4, Paul Quinn 3, SC-Upsatte 4, SFA 4); steals 7x (Centenary 3, Paul Quinn 1, Houston Baptist 3, Prairie View A&M 5, SFA 1, at [1] Memphis 1, at Southern Miss 1)



30 - Ryan Harp: 4.8 pts, 3.0 rebs, 1.9 asts, 1.31 ast/TO

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and a steal

- at Houston 2/16: 8 points, (4-7 FG), 5 rebounds, and an assist

- at [1] Memphis 2/6: 7 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds

- Houston 1/16: 12 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and a block

- at UTEP 1/9: 8 points, team-high 6 assists, and a steal in first start since Dec. 1 at UTSA

- Texas State 12/29: 14 points, team-high 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal

- Paul Quinn 11/27: Had a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) in first start with 3 assists and a steal

- Led team in: rebounds (Texas St. 9); assists 5x (Paul Quinn 3, at UTSA 2, at UTEP 6, at [1] Memphis 4, at Houston 4); steals 6x (Paul Quinn 1, at UTSA 2, SFA 1, UCF 1, at [1] Memphis 1, at Southern Miss 1)

- Double-double: Paul Quinn (10 pts, 10 rebs)



42 - Papa Dia: 9.8 pts, 6.5 rebs, 0.8 blocks, 1.0 stls, 44.3% FG

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 10 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal

- at Houston 2/16: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 5-7 FT

- Rice 2/9: 8 points and 2 steals with game-highs of 9 rebounds and 3 blocks

- Tulsa 1/19: Scored 18 with 7 boards, a block, a steal, and an assist

- Houston 1/16: 21 pts (10-15FG) and 3 rebs; first freshman since Bryan Hopkins in 2002-03 with a 20-pt game

- at UTEP 1/9: 12 points (5-12 FG, 2-3 FT) plus team-highs of 6 rebounds and 2 steals as well as 2 blocks

- TCU 12/5: 12 points & 8 rebounds

- Southern 11/10: Started and had double-double in his first career game (11 points and 13 boards)

- Led team in: scoring 2x (Paul Quinn 19, Houston 21); rebounds 13x (Southern 13, at Dayton 7, at UTSA 8, TCU 8, Houston Baptist 7, SC-Upstate 8, at Colorado 7, at UTEP 6, Tulsa 7, at Tulsa 7, at [1] Memphis 7, Rice 9, Marshall 4); assists (at UTSA 2); steals 5x (Alabama St. 4, SFA 1 at UTEP 2, Marshall 3, at Southern Miss 1); blocks 3x (Southern 2, at UTSA 1, Houston Baptist 2)

- Double-double 2x: Southern (11 pts, 13 rebs), Paul Quinn (19 pts, 10 rebs)



RESERVES:

0 - Paulius Ritter 2.2 pts, 4.0 rebs, 45.0% FG (18-40)

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 2 rebounds and an assist in 9 minutes

- at [1] Memphis 2/6: 2 points, 3 rebounds, assist

- at Tulsa 2/2: 2 points (1-1 FG), team-high 7 rebounds in 14 minutes

- UCF 1/26: 2 points and a rebound in 7 minutes

- Stephen F. Austin 12/30: 6 pts, career-high 9 rebs, and a block

- Houston Baptist 12/9: 7 pts (3-3 FG) & 7 boards

- TCU 12/5: 6 pts, 8 rebs, 2 asts, and a steal

- Led team in: rebounds 6x (Centenary 8, at UTSA 8, TCU 8, Houston Baptist 4, SFA 9, at Tulsa 7)



1 - Bennie Rhodes: 2.5 pts, 1.3 rebs in 6 games

- missed appoximately six week with a stress fracture in his lower left leg from Jan. 4 (missed game at Colorado)

- Paul Quinn 11/27: Had 6 points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3FG, 1-2 FT) and a block

- at Dayton 11/24: Added 5 points, 2 boards and a block in 8 minutes

- Led team in: blocks (at Dayton 1)



10 - Alex Malone: 7.8 pts, 3.1 rebs, 36.9% 3FG

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-3 FT), 2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal

- at Houston 2/16: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block

- at Tulsa 2/2: team-high 14 points (4-8 FG, 3-5 FG), 6 rebounds

- Houston1/16: 15 points and 7 rebounds

- at Colorado 1/4: Had 11 points, including 9 straight, and an assist

- TCU 12/5: 10 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and a block

- Named to the Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team after totaling 29 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block in the two games

- Led team in: scoring 3x (Southern 19, at Colorado 11, at Tulsa 14); steals 4x (Centenary 3, SFA 1, at [1] Memphis 1, at Southern Miss 1); blocks 2x (at UTSA 1, at Houston 1).



13 - Brett Holland: Played in final minute against Paul Quinn 11/27



14 - Tomasz Kwiatkowski: Played 3 games - last at Dayton

- at Dayton 11/24: Had a rebound in 5 minutes

- Centenary 11/27: Had 2 boards in 2 minutes



15 - Derrick Roberts (co-captain): 10.0 pts, 3.2 rebs, 2.0 asts, 1.02 ast/TO, 28-32 FT in last 5 min of games this season

- at Southern Miss 2/20: DNP - ankle

- at Houston 2/16: 5 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, and a steal

- Marshall 2/13: 18 points (8-9 FG), 3 steals

- Rice 2/9: Game-high 20 points (6-9 FG, 3-5 3FG, 5-5 FT) with 3 rebounds and a steal

- Texas State 12/29: Team-high 16 pts, tied career-high 4 steals, plus 5 rebs and 3 asts; was 8-8 FT in last 1:48

- Houston Baptist 12/9: Tied career-high 22 points with team-high 7 assists, and just 1 turnover

- TCU 12/5: Had a game-high 18 points

- UTSA 12/1: Scored 10 points with 4 FT in final 16 seconds to seal win

- Led team in: scoring 7x (TCU 18, Houston Baptist 22, Prairie View A&M 15, Texas St. 16, SFA 12, Rice 20, Marshall 18); rebounds (at Houston 6); assists 6x (Southern 4, Centenary 4, at Dayton 5, Paul Quinn 3, Houston Baptist 7, SC-Upstate 4); steals 4x (Texas St. 4, at [1] Memphis 1, Marshall 3, at Houston), blocks (at UTSA 1)

- Named to SMU Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team (28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals in 2 games)



23 - Joston Benton: Played in final minute against Paul Quinn 11/27



24 - Robert Nyakundi: Expected to redshirt



33- Cameron Spencer: 0.8 pts, 1.9 rebs in 17 games

- at Southern Miss 2/20: 2 points, 5 rebounds, and a block

- at Houston 2/16: 1 rebounds and 1 assist in 6 minutes

- Marshall 2/13: played 1 minute

- UCF 1/26: Had 4 pts, 5 rebs, 2 bls and was 2-2 FT w/ 8:54 remaning to give SMU first lead of 2nd half

- Led team in: steals (at Dayton 2)



HOME IS WHERE THE GAMES ARE: The Mustangs play a team-record 18 home games in 2007-08. The previous mark was 17 in 1997-98.



STATE RIVALS: The Mustangs play 22 games in Texas this year, including 18 home games as well as road games at UTSA, Rice, Houston, and UTEP. The Mustangs play 13 games against in-state foes, facing Paul Quinn, UT-San Antonio, TCU, Houston Baptist, Prairie View A&M, Texas State, and Stephen F Austin once each followed by home and away sets with Conference USA opponents Houston, Rice, and UTEP. The Mustangs are 7-4 against teams from Texas this season.



INCREASING ATTENDANCE: SMU has already surpassed its total home attendance from last season.

Season Attendance Games Average

2006-07 29,406 16 1,838

2007-08 38,645 15 2,576



INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: SMU has five players that have played in international competition.

Bamba Fall - 2007 Senegalese National Team (competed in Global Games and African Championships)

Mouhammad Faye - 2007 Senegalese National Team (competed in African Championships)

Also played on Senegalese U-18 and U-20 National Teams

Alex Malone - 2007 Team USA (competed in Global Games)

Robert Nyakundi - 2007 Team USA (competed in Global Games)

Tomasz Kwiatkowski - Played for Poland’s U-16 and U-18 National Teams while in high school



HONORS:

Team Captains: Jon Killen & Derrick Roberts

SMU Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team: Alex Malone (14.5 points, 5.0 rebs)

SMU Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team: Bamba Fall (12.0 pts, 10-14 FG, 6.0 rebs, 2.5 blks)

Derrick Roberts (14.0 pts, 3.0 rebs, 2.5 ast)

Meyer Brothers’ Academic Award: (Jim & Mark Meyer)

Jon Killen 3.4 GPA: Management and Sociology (double major)

- Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative

- Team Co Captain

- Omega Psi Phi (Nu Kappa)

- National Pan-Hellenic Council at SMU, Vice President

Most Improved SMU Team GPA - Men's Basketball

(Based on difference in team GPA from Fall 06 to 07 and Spring 06 to Fall 07)

Conference USA Player of the Week

Jan. 28 - Jon Killen (21.5 pts, 6.0 ast, 4.5 reb, 1.0 stl, 50.0% FG (16-32), 41.7% 3FG (10-24))



COACHES OF THE YEAR: When June Jones was named head football coach at SMU, he and men’s basketball coach Matt Doherty made SMU one of seven Football Bowl Subdivision universities with a national coach of the year in football and men’s basketball. Jones in 1999 (CNN/Sports Illustrated, American Football Coach/Schutt Sports & The Sporting News), and Doherty in 2001 (Associated Press).

- Iowa: Kirk Ferentz (FB) & Todd Lickliter (MBB)

- Florida State: Bobby Bowden (FB) & Leonard Hamilton (MBB)

- Kansas: Mark Mangino (FB) & Bill Self (MBB)

- Maryland: Ralph Friedgen (FB) & Gary Williams (MBB)

- SMU: June Jones (FB) & Matt Doherty (MBB)

- Tennessee: Phil Fulmer (FB) & Bruce Pearl (MBB)



MUSTANG AND LEFTY: The SMU roster features four left-handers: Papa Dia, Bamba Fall, Ryan Harp, and Tomasz Kwiatkowski.



FINAL FOUR THROWBACKS: THe Mustangs made the 1956 NCAA Final Four, losing to Bill Russell’s San Francisco squad in the national semifinal. SMU faces five other programs this season that have been to at least one Final Four. The Mustangs unveiled throwback jerseys that were replicas from the 1956 Final Four squad during the homegame against Tulsa on Jan. 19. It was part of SMU Basketball Slumni Weekend.

Dayton (1967 runner-up)

Colorado (1942 semifinal, 1955 third)

Houston (1967 third, 1968 fourth, 1982 semifinal, 1983 runner-up, 1984 runner-up)

Memphis (1973 runner-up, 1985 semifinal)

UTEP (1966 champions)



NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE: The SMU Men's Basketball team has two games on CSTV in 2007-08 after having six nationally televised games during the 2006-07 regular season. Following are the Mustangs’ nationally broadcast games under head coach Matt Doherty.

2007-08

Sat., F2, at Tulsa (CSTV) - L 72-60, Jon Killen 13 pts, 5 asts; Alex Malone 14 pts; Papa Dia 9 pts, 7 rebs

Wed., M5, Memphis (CSTV)

2006-07

Thu., D21, at TCU (CSTV) - W 64-62 on Dez Willingham 3-pointer at buzzer

Sat, J13, at Houston (CSTV) - L 82-67 as Bamba Fall has first career double-double (12 pts, 10 rebs)

Sat., F3, at Memphis (ESPN) - L 88-52; Ofoegbu has team-high 17 pts, Memphis 15-25 3FG

Wed., F7, Houston (CSTV) - L 64-49; Pearson leads with 13 points and 9 rebounds

Wed., F28, Tulsa (CSTV) - L 67-60; Ofoegbu leads with 29 points, 7 rebounds

Sat., M3, [6] Memphis (CSTV) - L 64-60; SR night Ofoegbu (21pts), Pearson (16pts,9reb), Rackauskas (14pts)



ROOKIES: The Mustangs started freshmen Papa Dia, Ryan Harp, and Mike Walker against Paul Quinn on Nov. 27. The Mustangs won the game 81-63. It was the first time SMU had three freshman starters since Eric Castro, Justin Isham, and Patrick Simpson started as freshmen at TCU on Dec. 18, 2001, a 74-62 loss. Castro Isham, and Simpson also started in the 82-64 win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 14, 2001. The last time SMU started four freshmen was a visit from Florida Atlantic on Nov. 29, 1998, when DeWayne Floyd, Damon Hancock, Mike Niemi, and Nigel Smith helped the the Mustangs to a 91-61 victory.



OFF THE COURT NEWS:

Inside College Hoops with Matt Doherty

SMU men's basketball coach Matt Doherty will have a one-hour radio show beginning Dec. 3. It will then air Dec. 17 and weekly from Jan. 14 through March 17. The show will 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 Mustang men’s basketball. The Monday night event will be held at Ten Sports Grill in downtown Dallas beginning at 7 p.m.

The Matt Doherty Show on FSN SW

The "Matt Doherty Show" featuring the SMU men's basketball head coach and his team begins on Fox Sports Net Southwest (FSN SW) on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. The show will air each Thursday at 2 p.m. for the rest of the college basketball season. The 30-minute telecast will follow the Mustang coaches and players from practice to final buzzer and give a complete behind-the-scenes look into the program.

SMU opens Crum Basketball Center on Feb. 21

SMU basketball has a new MVP: the $13-million, 43,000- square-foot Crum Basketball Center, where players and coaches have their own one-stop shop to practice, strength train, watch film and receive rehabilitation care. The facility is made possible by a leadership gift from Sylvie P. and Gary T. Crum. Other major donors to the facility are David and Carolyn Miller, Vic and Gladie Jo Salvino, and the Embrey Family Foundation.

Swishful Thinking for Nothing But Nets

Head coach Matt Doherty, his wife Kelly have teamed with Rev. Paul Rasmussen and members of Cornerstone at Highland Park Methodist Church for Nothing But Nets. Nothing But Nets is a charity to help fight malaria in Africa. The NBA and Sports Illustrated are among the partners in the intiative. A ten dollar donation buys a young person a net to put over their bed so they won't get infected by a mosquito carrying Malaria. People can give through direct donations or pledge money for each three pointer SMU makes at Moody Coliseum during league play. Individuals can get involved please log onto to www.swishfulthinking.net

Feb. 23 - SMU Will Enshrine Jon Koncak’s No. 53

SMU will raise Koncak's jersey to the rafters of Moody Coliseum during a halftime ceremony on Feb. 23. He was selected to be honored by the SMU Hall of Fame Committee, which is comprised primarily of Lettermen's Club members. Koncak wore no. 53 during his basketball career from 1981-85. He is one of two consensus All-Americans from SMU men's basketball, earning the honor during the 1984-85 season. He led the Mustangs to two NCAA Tournaments in 1984 and 1985, advancing to the second round each year. Koncak led the team in scoring his final three years while compiling a 67-29 record in that span. The Mustangs spent the entire 1984-85 season in the Associated Press top-25, reaching as high as No. 2 at the end of January. He was a member of the gold-medal winning 1984 U.S. Olympic team. Koncak was a first-round selection of the Atlanta Hawks in the 1985 NBA draft and went on to a 12-year NBA career, spending the first 10 seasons with the Hawks. Koncak holds SMU career rankings of first in rebounds (1169), first in blocks (278), third in scoring (1784 points), and second in field-goal percentage (.559). Koncak is the second player to be so honored by SMU men's basketball, joining Jim Krebs. Krebs wore no. 32 from 1954-57 and was an All-American in 1956-57. Krebs helped lead the Mustangs to three straight Southwest Conference titles and the 1956 NCAA Final Four. Previous Honorees: Raymond Berry - football; Cash Birdwell - football; Eric Dickerson - football; Forrest Gregg - football; Lamar Hunt - football; Karlin Kennedy - w-basketball; Jim Krebs - m-basketball; Doak Walker - football

Feb. 9 - SMU Men “Pony Up For The Cureâ€