SMU/UAB preview

[PonyPride]

SMU Mustangs (12-8, 1-5 C-USA)
at
UAB Blazers (11-9, 3-3 C-USA)
Wed. Jan. 31 - 7:00 p.m. CT
Bartow Arena (8,500)
Birmingham, Alabama
Radio: KAAM 770 AM
www.SMUMustangs.com


The SMU Mustangs (12-8, 1-5 Conference USA) visit the UAB Blazers (11-9, 3-3 C-USA) at Bartow Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. This is the only meeting for the two this season.


The Mustangs and Blazers are meeting for just the fourth time, but the third time in less than a year. This is also the Mustangs’ first-ever game in Birmingham. The first meeting was a 79-63 win in the Rainbow Classic In Honolulu, Hawaii, on Dec. 29, 1983. The other two meetings were SMU losses last season - 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.


This is the second of a three-game road trip that concludes at Memphis on Feb. 3. The game at Memphis is an 11 a.m. start that is nationally televised on ESPN. It is the first ESPN game for the Mustangs since a home game against TCU on Jan. 11, 1999. The Mustangs’ next home game is also nationally-telecast (CSTV) when Houston visits on Feb. 7.


SMU’s Matt Doherty and UAB’s Mike Davis have met before. 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.


Devon Pearson has 592 career rebounds and needs eight more to become the 19th SMU player with 600 in his career. Bamba Fall has 56 blocks in 20 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. Fall had 53 blocks in 18 games in 2005-06 to break the previous freshman record of 43 by Ira Terrell in 1972-73.


The Mustangs lead Conference USA in 3-point percentage defense (.306) and rebounding defense (29.5) and rank second in scoring defense (61.3) and third in rebound margin (+7.2). Nationally, the team is 11th in rebound margin, 36th in blocked shots, and 37th in scoring defense. Individually, Bamba Fall is leading the league in blocked shots (2.80) and ranks 13th in the NCAA. Jon Killen is third in the league and 41st nationally in assists (5.30). He is also fourth in Conference USA in steals (1.85). Ike Ofoegbu is third in rebounds (7.0) and second in offensive rebounds (3.40).


LAST GAME: TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Freshman point guard Mark Hill made four free throws in the final 31 seconds as Tulsa held off a late rally by Southern Methodist for a 70-66 victory on Saturday night. Tulsa (13-6, 3-3 Conference USA) was ahead until the final minute, when SMU's Donatas Rackauskas scored on a conventional 3-point play with 21 seconds left to make it 67-63. After Tulsa's Charles Ramsdell made one of two free throws, Rackauskas drained a long 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining to pull the Ponies within 68-66. But Hill made two free throws with 4.2 remaining to seal the win. Jon Killen had a career-best 11 assists, getting the final one when Rackauskas knocked down his final 3-pointer. Bamba Fall had five blocks for the Mustangs. He now has 56 on the season, setting the SMU sophomore record, passing Jon Koncak's mark of 54 in 1982-83. Ike Ofoegbu led SMU with 19 points, followed by Rackauskas and Brian Epps with 14 points each. The Mustangs outshot Tulsa 46 percent to 41 percent and outrebounded the Hurricane 32-29 but had 19 turnovers to 13 for TU. Tulsa opened a 49-35 lead early in the second half before a 9-0 run by SMU pulled the Mustangs (12-8, 1-5 C-USA) within 49-44. Hill had 16 points and eight assists against three turnovers, while Rod Earls led Tulsa with 19 points, making four of 10 3-point shots. Freshman Ben Uzoh added 11 points and six rebounds.


LAST SEASON AGAINST UAB:

L, 73-68 on Feb. 25, 2006: DALLAS (AP) - Marvett McDonald scored a game-high and career-high 39 points and shot 8-of-12 from 3-point range to lead Alabama-Birmingham to a 73-68 win over SMU on Saturday night. Richard Jones added 10 points for the Blazers (20-5, 10-2 Conference USA) and Carldell Johnson added the team's only other 3-point shot. UAB led 31-30 at the half. The Blazers shot 41 percent from the field to SMU's 37 percent. Devon Pearson led SMU (12-14, 4-9) with 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Bamba Fall added 14 points for the Mustangs and made 10 of 10 free throws, becoming the 11th SMU player to hit all free throw attempts in a game. Derrick Roberts had 11 points for the Mustangs. Bryan Hopkins had a game-high and season-high eight assists.

L, 69-55 on March 9, 2006 - Conference USA Quarterfinal - UAB ranked 24th: MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Lawrence Kinnard scored 12 points to lead No. 24 UAB to a 69-55 victory over SMU in the Conference USA tournament quarterfinals Thursday afternoon. As usual, the Blazers' defense contributed to the offense. UAB forced 26 turnovers, leading to 27 points. When the Mustangs made a small run early in the second half, it was UAB's defense that contributed to a 10-0 spurt that put the game out of reach. Four Blazers finished in double figures as UAB won its seventh straight and nine of 10. Richard Jones also finished with 12 points, while Paul Delaney and Marvett McDonald each added 11 for the Blazers. SMU (13-16) has never defeated a ranked team in a conference tournament. Bryan Hopkins led the 10th-seed Mustangs with 13 points, but was 5-of-15 from the field, while Devon Pearson had 10 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. UAB's swarming defense caused problems from the start as SMU committed 17 turnovers in the first half. UAB (23-5) took a 36-26 halftime lead. Richard Tobias and Delaney had eight points each for UAB, while Hopkins finally hit a pair of 3-pointers to keep the Mustangs within 10. Hopkins began penetrating early in the second half and helped SMU cut the lead to 38-32. UAB answered with a 10-0 run, punctuated by Kinnard's midcourt steal and dunk and McDonald's second 3-pointer in the stretch, and the Blazers built the lead back to 48-32. Kinnard made all six of his shots. UAB led by as many as 25.


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:

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)

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. 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. 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.

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.

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.


W = 100+: Head coach Matt Doherty has 102 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, 12 at SMU)


IS YOUR GAME HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY: The Mustangs are 10-2 when leading at the half and 2-6 when trailing at the break. The Mustangs won 64-62 at TCU after trailing 27-21 at intermission, and rallied from a 30-22 halftime deficit against Tulane for a 55-53 triumph. 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.


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


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

Season 298-418 215-317 NO Yes 8-2 / No 4-9


EYE ON THE POWER RANKINGS - RPI & SAGARIN: Jan. 22 - RPI No. 164, Sagarin No. 151

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

164 SMU CUSA 10-8 187 0-1 1-2 3-4 6-1 9-3 109 271 3-7 4-5

29 Florida St. ACC 15-6 L, 59-52 at FSU on 11/14/06

75 Dayton A-10 13-7 W, 53-48 at SMU on 11/18/06

79 Houston CUSA 9-9 L, 82-67 at Houston on 1/13/07

86 Oklahoma B12 10-8 L, 69-42 at Oklahoma on 12/28/06


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)


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 because he missed the 2004-05 season due a preseason 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



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. 158 points in 20 games (7.9 avg)



ASSIST BY KILLEN: That call has been the most common assist call at SMU in more than a decade. Jon Killen is averaging 5.30 after 20 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

175 Derrick Roberts, 2004-07

172 Jon Killen, 2004-07



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)





OPENING ACT IS A WINNER: Matt Doherty is off to an impressive start at SMU. Here is how he compares with othercoaches in their first year of running the men’s basketball team on the Hilltop. The Most wins by SMU under a first-season coach is 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

Matt Doherty 12-8 .600 2005-06 C-USA 1-5 .167 ___ of 12

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

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



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



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

61.3 2006-07

61.4 1985-86

62.2 1957-58

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.

+7.2 2006-07

+5.7 1959-60

+5.1 1988-89

+5.0 1958-59

+4.6 1984-85

+4.3 1999-00



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

2006-07 259 13.0 140 7.0 80-157 12-31 87-122



CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Devon Pearson became the 29th player at SMU with 500 career rebounds when he passed the mark against Louisiana-Monroe 11/22.

REBOUNDING (CAREER)

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. 592 - Devon Pearson - 2003-06



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

18 103 Devon Pearson, 2003-07

19 102 Tim Mason, 1989-93

... 83 Jon Killen, 2004-07



BLOCK PARTY: Bamba Fall’s 2.80 blocks per game are leading Conference USA. 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. 20 15 10 6 4 2

Total 38 30 20 14 7 3



SMU Single-Season Team Blocks Average

5.0 149 in 30 games in 2002-03

5.0 100 in 20 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. 109 - 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

13. 63 - 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. 59 Reggie Franklin (Jr.), 1977-78 (28)

6. 56 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (17)



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

1. 56 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 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (70/27)

5. 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 32-52 .615

Games 1-4 5-13 .385

Since 27-39 .692

C-USA games 12-16 .750



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 57.7 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (56-97)

8 57.2 John Colborne (Jr.), 1988-89 (99-173)

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

10 56.5 Larry Davis (Sr.), 1984-85 (177-313)

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



SMU FG-Percentage by a Sophomore

57.7 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (56-97)

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 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (264-484)



DIALING FROM DISTANCE: Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts are shooting well this season from three-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 43.0 Derrick Roberts (Jr.), 2006-07 (34-79)

7 41.8 Stephen Woods (So.), 1997-98 (74-177)

8 41.7 Carlton McKinney (Sr.), 1987-88 (35-84)

9 41.0 Jon Killen (Jr.), 2006-07 (23-55)

10 40.7 Chad Allen (Jr.), 1992-93 (44-108)

11 40.4 Bryan Hopkins (Jr.), 2003-04 (84-208)

12 40.0 Chad Allen (Fr.), 1990-91 (36-90)



Junior: 45.3 Todd Alexander, 1987-88 (82-181)

43.0 Derrick Roberts (Jr.), 2006-07 (34-79)

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

41.0 Jon Killen (Jr.), 2006-07 (23-55)

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


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.


IT’S THE RED JERSEYS: The Mustangs have a set of red jerseys in addition to the traidtional home white and road blue. The Mustangs have won both games played in the red jerseys this season.

Dec. 3 Texas College W, 79-63 50th anniversary of opening Moody Coliseum

Dec. 21 at TCU W, 64-62 Defeat rival on Dez Willingham’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer

Jan. 27 at Tulsa L, 70-66 Killen had 11 assists, Fall 5 blocks, Ofoegbu 19 points


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 - 11 a.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday, Feb. 7, vs. Houston - 7 p.m. (CSTV)

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


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 Mustangs’ 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 Mustangs’ locker room and offices.


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


Jan. 27 - Postgame - at Tulsa (L, 70-66)

Matt Doherty (on the Mustangs 19 turnovers)

"We just can't have 19 turnovers. We've sung this song. That's a weakness of our team. We don't handle the ball great."


Matt Doherty (on the Mustangs’ decision making with the ball)

"We're doing the best we can to improve that area. We can't jump any higher. We're not going to run any faster. But we can control those things. We don't have to play perfect, but we have to play smarter."