Men's hoops opens C-USA tournament vs. Southern Miss
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:27 pmC-USA Championship - First Round
No. 11 SMU Mustangs (14-16, 3-13 C-USA)
vs.
No. 6 Southern Miss (19-10, 9-7 C-USA)
Wed. March 7 - 2:30 p.m.
FedEx Forum (18,400)
Memphis, Tennessee
Radio: KAAM 770 AM
Internet: Mustang All-Access (PPV)
www.SMUMustangs.com
Game Notes in PDF format: http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_ ... ly-release
The No. 11 seed SMU Mustangs (14-16, 3-13 Conference USA) face the No. 6 seed Southern Miss Golden Eagles (19-10, 9-7 C-USA) in the first round of the Conference USA Championships on Wednesday, March 7. Tip time at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., is 2:30 p.m. If the Mustangs advance, they will face No. 3 seed Houston in a quarterfinal on Thursday, March 8, at 2:30 p.m.
The Mustangs enter the tournament after closing the regular season with a 64-61 home loss to the regular season champion, sixth-ranked Memphis. It was SMU’s sixth conference loss by five-points or less that was a one-possession game in the final 20 seconds. One of those was the 57-56 loss to Southern Miss in Dallas on Jan. 10.
The Mustangs are 18-30 all-time in conference postseason tournaments, including a 1-1 mark in Conference USA Championship action. Last year, No. 10 seed SMU knocked off No. 7 seed Rice 61-59 in the first round before falling 69-55 to No. 2 seed and 24th-ranked UAB in quarterfinal action. Seniors Donatas Rackauskas and Devon Pearson each had 15 points in the win over Rice and Rackauskas had the game-sealing dunk with five seconds remaining. The Mustangs won their only conference tournament title with a run through the 1988 Southwest Conference Tournament.
This is the second meeting of the season and fifth all-time for the Mustangs and Golden Eagles. Southern Miss won the Conference USA opener 57-56 in Dallas on Jan. 10. The Mustangs rallied from a 21-point second-half deficit to take a one-point lead before falling. The all-time series is tied at two wins each with all four meetings in Dallas. The Mustangs lost this season after winning last season’s league matchup 58-53 win on Feb. 4, 2006. That two previous matchups were a 91-85 loss on Dec. 14, 1975, and a 73-60 victory in the 1950-51 season. This is the second meeting between SMU’s Matt Doherty and Larry Eustachy of Southern Miss. The two are former Associated Press National Coaches of the year: Doherty earned the honor in 2001 when he was at North Carolina and Eustachy in 2000 while at Iowa State.
The Mustangs enter the Conference USA Championships with a 2-0 record in neutral site games this season. Both games were at the start of the schedule as SMU participated in the Colonial Classic hosted by Florida State in Tallahassee. Senior Devon Pearson had a buzzer-beating tip-in for a 57-55 win over Illinois State in the season-opener Nov. on 12, followed by a 70-54 victory over McNeese State on Nov. 13.
The game against Southern Miss is the 31st contest of the season fro the Mustangs. That is the most since SMU played 35 games in 1987-88. That squad went 28-7 overall, winning the Southwest Conference (13-1) and Southwest Conference Tournament before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Third-team All-Conference USA selection Ike Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.6), the first SMU player to do that since Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 (22nd pick by Orlando in 2001 NBA Draft). In conference action, Ofoegbu finished fifth in scoring at 16.0 points, second in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game, and second with 3.44 offensive boards per outing. He also led the league in three-point shooting, hitting 51.3 percent (20-39) in C-USA games, which was the fifth-best in league history. Ofoegbu enters the tournament with a league-best 10 double-doubles that includes a stretch of five straight from Feb. 10 to Feb. 24. In the last seven conference games, he averaged 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 51.4 percent (44-86) from the field, 57.1 percent (16-28) from long range, and 68.6 percent (35-51) at the free throw line.
The Mustangs caught the injury bug late in conference play, although everyone could be back for the Conference USA Championships. Bamba Fall missed the last six games after breaking his left ring finger against Rice on Feb. 10, and having surgery to repair it on Feb. 15. Derrick Roberts missed five league games with a knee injury and Devon Pearson missed three games after suffering a knee sprain with 3:55 left at Marshall on Feb. 14. These injuries plus the dismissal of Brian Epps on Feb. 17, left the Mustangs with only five or six experienced scholarship players for the final six league games. The Mustangs had three starters play 40 minutes at UTEP on Feb. 21, followed by the five starters combining for 191 or 200 minutes at Rice on Feb. 24.
Bamba Fall has missed the last six games after breaking his left ring-finger against Rice on Feb. 10. Fall has 62 blocks in 24 games this season, setting the SMU record for blocks by a sophomore. Jon Koncak held the previous mark, getting 54 in 30 games in 1982-83. His 62 this season are the fifth-most in a season at SMU. Reggie Franklin is fourth with 70 as a senior in 1978-79. The record is Jon 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. The Mustangs have missed his presence; after averaging 4.6 blocks as a team with Fall in the lineup, the Mustangs are averaging one block since.
Devon Pearson is 14th at SMU with 636 career rebounds. He is closing and Quinton Ross (650) and Lynn Phillips (669). He had a career-high and C-USA Championships record 17 boards against UAB in the 2006 quarterfinal matchup. Pearson is also 16th at SMU with 112 career steals. Up next is Troy Matthews (123).
The Mustangs lead Conference USA in rebounding defense (30.9) and are third in scoring defense (62.7). In league play, the Mustangs are tops in rebound defense (32.8) as well as third in 3FG made per game (7.00). Individually, Bamba Fall leads the league in blocked shots (2.58). Jon Killen is third in the league in assists (5.03) and ranks fourth in the conference in steals (1.70). Ike Ofoegbu is seventh in C-USA scoring (14.5), second in rebounds (7.6) and second in offensive rebounds (3.53). In league play, Ofoegbu is fifth in scoring (16.0), second in rebounding (7.9), and first in 3FG percentage (51.3).
LAST GAME: DALLAS (AP) -- The No. 6 Tigers needed a late basket and two second-chance free throws from Douglas-Roberts to win 64-61 on Saturday night. The Tigers (27-3, 16-0 C-USA) overcame an early 11-point deficit to lead at halftime, but didn't go ahead for good until Douglas-Roberts hit a 3-pointer to make it 59-57 with 3:47 left. Douglas-Roberts had 19 points, including two free throws with 12.6 seconds remaining right after he had missed two. The last victory was much more difficult than expected. SMU (14-16, 3-13) lost for the eighth time in nine games, a stretch that began with a 36-point loss at Memphis on Feb. 3. Jeremy Hunt missed the rim with a 3-point attempt with 1:02 left for Memphis, but Joey Dorsey grabbed the rebound and scored on a putback to make it 61-58. With 22 seconds left, Hunt made the second of his free throws for a 62-58 lead. Devon Pearson then made a 3-pointer for SMU. Douglas-Roberts was fouled and missed two free throws with 13.6 seconds left. But got the long rebound on the second miss and was fouled again, hitting the next two shots. Ike Ofoegbu's 3-point attempt at the buzzer came up short for SMU. Ofoegbu had 21 points while Pearson had 16 points and nine rebounds. Donatas Rackauskas had 14 points before he fouled out with 11 minutes left. Dorsey had 13 points and seven rebounds for Memphis. Hunt had 11 points despite making 3 of 14 shots. Douglas-Roberts made a 3-pointer for Memphis on the opening possession before SMU scored 14 straight points. Pearson and Rackauskas had consecutive putbacks to start the run before Ofoegbu hit a 3-pointer for a 9-3 lead and Memphis coach John Calipari called timeout less than 2½ minutes into the game. Ofoegbu had a tip-in and Pearson made a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 14-3. Another 3-pointer by Pearson pushed SMU ahead 19-7, its largest lead in the game. Pearson had a breakaway layup on a pass from Dez Willingham with 10:17 left in the first half on what almost was a backcourt turnover. But that was the last SMU basket until Ofoegbu's putback in the final seconds, as the Mustangs missed 10 consecutive field goals and had five turnovers. Memphis forced five-second violations on consecutive possessions before Willingham stepped out of bounds trying to get around a defender. Willingham's miscue came after Hunt made two free throws to get Memphis within a point. The Tigers finally went ahead when Douglas-Roberts made a leaning layup in traffic from under the basket with 4:25 left -- and they still led by a point at halftime.
LAST MEETING AGAINST SOUTHERN MISS - GAME 15 - L, 57-56 on Jan. 10 at SMU: DALLAS (AP) - Jeremy Wise scored 11 points to help lead Southern Mississippi to a 57-56 win over SMU on Wednesday night. The Golden Eagles (11-3, 1-0 Conference USA) took the lead for good with 92 seconds left on a layup by Andre Stephens. Then they survived two missed shots by the Mustangs (11-4, 0-1): a 3-pointer from Jon Killen and a jumper by Derrick Roberts just before the buzzer. Courtney Beasley was the only other Southern Miss player in double figures with 10 points. DeWayne Green added six points and seven assists for the Golden Eagles. Four players reached double figures in scoring for the Mustangs, led by 12 apiece from Devon Pearson and Ike Ofoegbu. Roberts scored 11 points and Killen added 10 points and six assists. Ofoegbu grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. Bamba Fall blocked six shots. The Mustangs trailed by 21 points near the end of the first half, but outscored the Golden Eagles by 17 points in the second half to make it close. SMU's last field goal came with 4:29 remaining.
SERIES WITH HOUSTON: This would be the 59th meeting between the Mustangs and Cougars. SMU trails 36-22 in the all-time series, including an 82-67 loss at Houston on Jan. 13, and a 64-49 loss in Dallas on Feb. 7. SMU holds an all-time 6-4 edge in tournament play: 2-1 in NCAA Tournament action and 4-3 in SWC Tournament games. The last postseason meeting of these teams was a 62-57 quairetrfinal win in the 1996 Southwest Conference Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The Ponies won NCAA Regional matchups with the Cougars in 1956 and 1965, but lost in 1967. The eighth-ranked Mustangs won 89-76 and over 17th-ranked Houston in the 1956 Tournament. SMU eventually advanced to the 1956 Final Four.
THIS SEASON AGAINST HOUSTON:
GAME 16 - L, 82-67 on Jan. 13 at UH: HOUSTON (AP) - Robert McKiver scored 25 points for Houston, which beat SMU 82-67 on Saturday. McKiver made 9-of-17 overall, including seven 3 pointers, as Houston won for the first time Dec. 21. The Mustangs (11-5, 0-2) got 14 points from Derrick Roberts, including 12 in the second half, and 12 points each from Bamba Fall and Brian Epps. Roberts, who did not attempt a 3-pointer in the first half, made four in the second half on eight attempts. Oliver Lafayette added 21 points and Jahmar Thorpe scored 16 as the Cougars (6-8, 1-1 Conference USA) raced out to a 39-19 halftime lead. McKiver scored 14 points in the first 13 minutes of the game as the Cougars built leads of 19-8 and 31-13. Houston led by as many as 27 points. SMU outrebounded the Cougars 29-17. Fall led all players with 10 rebounds.It was Fall's first career double-double.
GAME 23- L, 64-49 on Feb. 7 at SMU: 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.
MUSTANGS AT THE FED EX FORUM: The Mustangs have played four games in the FexEx forum entering this year’s tournament and are 1-3 at the venue. All three losses have come to teams ranked in the Associated Press top-25.
J14, 2006 at [5] Memphis L, 73-53
M8, 2006 vs. Rice W, 61-59
M9, 2006 vs. [24] UAB L, 69-55
F3, 2007 at [11] Memphis L, 88-52
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 6
- Donatas Rackauskas (3.88 GPA toward Masters in Accounting)
Conference USA All-Academic Team
- Jon Killen (3.35 GPA in Business-Management)
- Donatas Rackauskas (3.88 GPA toward Masters in Accounting
All-Conference USA (Third-Team)
- Ike Ofoegbu (led C-USA with 10 double-doubles; league games, 5th in scoring (16.0), 2nd in rebounds (7.9)
OFF THE COURT NEWS:
MARCH 7 - Ofoegbu Named All-Conference USA Third-Team
SMU senior captain Ike Ofoegbu was named third-team All-Conference USA, as voted by the league's head coaches and select media. Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.6), the first SMU player to do that since Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 (22nd pick by Orlando in 2001 NBA Draft). In conference action, Ofoegbu finished fifth in scoring at 16.0 points, second in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game, and second with 3.44 offensive boards per outing. He also led the league in three-point shooting, hitting 51.3 percent (20-39) in C-USA games. Ofoegbu enters the tournament with a league-best 10 double-doubles that includes a stretch of five straight from Feb. 10 to Feb. 24. In the last seven conference games, he averaged 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 51.4 percent (44-86) from the field, 57.1 percent (16-28) from long range, and 68.6 percent (35-51) at the free throw line
MARCH 2 - Rackauskas and Killen Named to Conference USA All-Academic Team
SMU senior Donatas Rackauskas and junior Jon Killen were both named to the all-academic team. Rackauskas was recognized last month with a selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 Team. He completed his undergraduate degree in three and a half years in economics with a 3.82 GPA and is currently working towards a master’s degree in accounting and has a 3.88 GPA. Killen has started every game for the Mustangs this season, averaging 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.97 assists per game (the third-best playmaker in C-USA). The native of Arlington, Texas, also has pocketed 1.76 steals per game to rank fourth in the conference. He is a business management major with a 3.35 GPA.
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 along 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)
CONVERTING TURNOVERS TO POINTS: Points off turnovers has been a good indicator of success. The Mustangs are even on average in wins and -5.0 in losses.
IS YOUR GAME HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY: The Mustangs are 11-3 when leading at the half and 3-12 when trailing at the break. The Mustangs won 64-62 at TCU after trailing 27-21 at intermission, rallied from a 30-22 halftime deficit against Tulane for a 55-53 triumph, and won 60-56 at UAB to rebound from a 27-26 halftime score. Conversely, SMU fell 59-52 at Florida State after leading 26-25 at the half, lost to 72-67 to UTEP after holding a 32-29 edge after 20 minutes, and fell 63-60 against Rice following a 34-28 halftime edge. The 52-49 loss at Marshall was tied 18-18 at halftime.
LEADER OF BOTH PACKS: Ike Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs with 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds. The last time the same player led SMU in both categories was Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 with 17.0 points and 8.3 boards.
W = 100+: Head coach Matt Doherty has 104 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, 14 at SMU)
IKE TO THE LINE: Ike Ofoegbu is 135-191 (.707) at the free throw line. That is the most made and attempted by an SMU player since Quinton Ross was 184-232 (.793) as a senior in 2002-03.
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
2006-07 436 14.5 229 7.6 136-270 29-62 135-191
MOST IMPROVED: Ike Ofoegbu is averaging 14.5 points this season after scoring 3.8 points per game last season. He is the first SMU player with a 10-plus point scoring average improvement since Jay Poerner went from 2.5 ppg as a freshman in 1994-95 to 13.2 ppg as a sophomore in 1995-96.
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 Opponent Season Career
Ike Ofoegbu 26 pts, 10 rebs La-Monroe 11/22 1st 1st
Devon Pearson 19 pts, 10 rebs Texas College 12/3 1st 12th
Ike Ofoegbu 14 pts, 10 rebs Prairie View A&M 12/10 2nd 2nd
Ike Ofoegbu 13 pts, 11 rebs at Centenary 12/16 3rd 3rd
Ike Ofoegbu 10 pts, 11 rebs Brown 1/6 4th 4th
Devon Pearson 13 pts, 10 rebs Brown 1/6 2nd 13th
Ike Ofoegbu 12 pts, 11 rebs Southern Miss 1/10 5th 5th
Bamba Fall 12 pts, 10 rebs at Houston 1/13 1st 1st
Devon Pearson 16 pts, 11 rebs UTEP 1/20 3rd 14th
Ike Ofoegbu 16 pts, 12 rebs Rice 2/10 6th 6th
Ike Ofoegbu 18 pts, 16 rebs at Marshall 2/14 7th 7th
Ike Ofoegbu 11 pts, 15 rebs East Carolina 2/17 8th 8th
Ike Ofoegbu 14 pts, 10 rebs at UTEP 2/21 9th 9th
Ike Ofoegbu 30 pts, 10 rebs at Rice 2/24 10th (leads C-USA) 10th
NO POINTS FOR YOU: SMU’s scoring defense is among the best in team history.
61.4 1985-86
62.2 1957-58
62.7 2006-07
63.2 1958-59
64.1 2005-06
64.2 1956-57
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 financial consulting 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 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
SO CLOSE: The Mustangs have lost six league games by five points or less and all were one-possession games in the final 20 seconds.
Southern Miss 1/10 L, 57-56 Derrick Roberts shot potential game-winner from left elbow at buzzer
UTEP 1/20 L, 72-67 Donatas Rackasukas missed tying 3-pointer with 17 seconds left
at Tulsa 1/27 L, 70-66 Donatas Rackauskas made it 68-66 with a 3FG with 6 seconds left
Rice 2/10 L, 63-60 Briwn Epps took potential game-tying three from top of key at buzzer
at Marshall 2/14 L, 52-49 Dez Willingham took potential tying three from right-wing at horn
[6] Memphis 3/3 L, 64-61 Ike Ofoegbu missed potential tying three from left corner at buzzer
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. He had a career-high 20 points at UTEP Feb. 21.
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. 238 points in 30 games (7.9 avg)
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.
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) 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) 13:56 2nd 68-66 (on Donatas Rackauskas 3FG at 0:06)
Tulane 1/24 W, 55-53 13 (40-27) 14:30 2nd 55-53 (53-51 lead on 2FT by Bamba Fall at 3:01)
MUSTANG HOOPS BLOG: SMU Mustangs’ head coach Matt Doherty has his own blog at www.MustangHoopsBlog.com.
ASSIST BY KILLEN: That call has been the most common assist call at SMU in more than a decade. Jon Killen is averaging 5.03. 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 became the 21st SMU player with 200 or more career assists when he reached the mileston at Rice on Feb. 24. Derrick Roberts is alswo closing in on 200 career assists.
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
21 217 Jon Killen, 2004-07 (reached 200 with 6 assists at Rice 2/24)
20 212 Justin Isham, 2001-05
... 188 Derrick Roberts, 2004-07
IT IS BETTER TO RECEIVE: Devon Pearson was the 19th SMU player to surpass 100 career steals. Jon Killen is also 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
16 112 Devon Pearson, 2003-07
17 111 Carlton McKinney, 1986-88
18 109 Eric Castro, 2001-05
19 102 Tim Mason, 1989-93
... 97 Jon Killen, 2004-07
FAMILIAR FOE: The Mustangs have met seven opponents more than 100 times.
Rice 184 111-73 L, 63-60 - Feb. 10@SMU, L, 75-66 - 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
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. 636 - Devon Pearson - 2003-06
SMU RECORD FOR NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE: The SMU Men's Basketball team has a school-record six nationally televised games during the 2006-07 regular season. The Mustangs play five games on CSTV and one game, at Memphis, on ESPN.
Thu., D21, at TCU (CSTV) - W 64-62 on Dez Willingham 3-pointer at buzzer
Sat, J13, at Houston - 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., Mar. 3, [6] Memphis - L 64-60; senior night Ofoegbu (21pts,6reb), Pearson (16pts,9reb), Rackauskas (14pts,4reb)
WHERE THERE IS A “WILLâ€INGHAM, THERE IS A WAY: Dez Willingham has beat the buzzer with a running 3-pointer twice to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He also kncoked down clutch free throws after being fouled on another buzzer-beating attempt:
Dec. 21, 2006 - W, 64-62 at TCU - Willingham hit a running 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired to give SMU the 64-62 win. He received a pass from Donatas Rackauskas as the Mustangs went the length of the court for the winner in the final 8.9 seconds. The lead changed hands four times in the final 17 seconds.
Feb. 15, 2006 - Marshall L, 75-72 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit three free throws with seven seconds left as he was fould attempting the potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Jan. 21, 2006 - Rice W, 80-69 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit a 25-foot three-pointer to tie the game at 64-64 with a half a second left in regulation. That concluded an SMU rally from seven points down with 1:37 remaining in the second half.
FINALLY “FALLâ€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 40-60 .667
First 4 Games 5-13 .385
Rest of Non-Conf 15-23 .652
C-USA games 20-24 .833
BLOCK PARTY: Bamba Fall’s 2.58 blocks per game are first in 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. 24 17 11 6 4 2
Total 42 32 21 14 7 3
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. 68 - Donatas Rackauskas - 2002-07
SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots (Since 1972-73) (GP)
1. 97 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (33)
2. 91 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (33)
3. 79 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (28)
4. 70 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (27)
5. 62 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07
SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots by a Sophomore (GP)
1. 62 Bamba Fall, 2006-07
2. 54 Jon Koncak, 1982-83 (30)
3. 47 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (27)
4. 45 Patrick Simpson, 2002-03 (30)
SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots Average (Since 1972-73)
Must Play in 75% of Games (Blocks/Games Played)
Bamba Fall averaged 2.9 as a freshman, but only played in 18 of 29 team games.
1. 2.9 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (97/33)
2. 2.8 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (79/28)
2.8 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (91/33)
4. 2.6 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (59/21)
2.6 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (70/27)
6. 2.1 Reggie Franklin (Jr.), 1977-78 (59/28)
SMU MILESTONES:
- SMU won seven consecutive games (Nov. 18 to Dec. 21), most since winning 10 in a row to start 1997-98
- The Mustangs swept a homestand of five or more games for the first time since a six-game stretch in 1997-98
- The Mustangs won a school-record five games in November, finishing the month 5-1
- The 11-3 start was the best since a 12-3 start in 2000-01.
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.
HIGH-PERCENTAGE SHOT: Bamba Fall has one of the best shooting percentages for a season in SMU history and a shot at the sophomore record.
Best FG Percentage (Since 1953-54)
1 63.7 Terry Williams (Sr.), 1986-87 (142-233)
2 62.1 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (211-340)
3 62.0 Terry Williams (Jr.), 1985-86 (150-242)
4 60.7 Larry Davis (Jr.), 1983-84 (219-361)
5 59.2 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (219-370)
6 58.1 Terry Thomas (Sr.), 1987-88 (111-191)
7 57.2 John Colborne (Jr.), 1988-89 (99-173)
57.2 Ira Terrell (Fr.), 1972-73 (219-383)
9 56.5 Larry Davis (Sr.), 1984-85 (177-313)
56.5 Eric Castro (So.), 2002-03 (105-186)
... 54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121)
SMU FG-Percentage by a Sophomore
Minimum 75 Field Goals Made
56.5 Eric Castro, 2002-03 (105-186)
56.4 Larry Davis, 1982-83 (190-337)
54.7 Tim Mason, 1990-91 (179-327)
54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121)
54.5 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (264-484)
DIALING FROM DISTANCE: Ike Ofoegbu has been on fire from three-point range in league play and is having one of the best seasons ever at SMU from beyond the arc. His 51.3 percent in league play led the confetrence and was the fifth-best in Conference USA history.
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 46.8 Ike Ofoegbu (Sr.), 2006-07 (29-62)
5 45.7 Lavardicus Atkins (Fr.), 2000-01 (21-46)
6 45.3 Todd Alexander (Jr.), 1987-88 (82-181)
7 41.8 Stephen Woods (So.), 1997-98 (74-177)
8 41.7 Carlton McKinney (Sr.), 1987-88 (35-84)
9 40.7 Chad Allen (Jr.), 1992-93 (44-108)
10 40.4 Bryan Hopkins (Jr.), 2003-04 (84-208)
All-Time Conference USA Season 3FG Percentage (League Games Only)
Minimum 1.0 Made per game
1 53.3 Eddie Basden, CHA, 2003-04 (16-30)
2 51.8 Steve Novak, MQT, 2002-03 (29-56)
3 51.7 David Haywoodd, USM, 2002-03 (30-58)
51.7 Kenya Capers, HOU, 1996-97 (15-39)
5 51.3 Ike Ofoegbu (Sr.), 2006-07 (20-39)
EYE ON THE POWER RANKINGS - KENPOM RPI & SAGARIN: RPI - 205, Sagarin - 174 (Through March 4)
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). SMU 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
RPI Rnk Conf W-L SOS W-L W-L W-L W-L W-L RPI SOS W-L W-L
205 SMU CUSA 12-16 152 0-3 1-2 4-8 7-3 9-3 107 258 2-8 5-9
8 Memphis CUSA 27-3 L, 88-52 at [11] Memphis on 2/3 & L, 64-61 to [6] Memphis at SMU on 3/3
47 Florida St. ACC 19-11 L, 59-52 at FSU on 11/14
74 Dayton A-10 18-11 W, 53-48 at SMU on 11/18
96 Houston CUSA 16-14 L, 82-67 at Houston on 1/13 & L, 64-49 at SMU on 2/7
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
OUR FTM IS MORE THAN YOUR FTA: Head coach Matt Doherty sets a goal for the Mustangs to make more free throws than the opponent attempts. Here is a look at the season to date.
SMU Opp Goal Result
11/12 18-25 7-9 vs. Illinois State Yes W, 57-55
11/13 10-17 3-4 vs. McNeese State Yes W, 70-54
11/14 7-9 13-18 at Florida State No L, 59-52
11/18 27-40 12-24 Dayton Yes W, 53-48
11/22 15-22 15-19 Louisiana-Monroe No W, 99-66
11/27 20-24 12-19 Paul Quinn Yes W, 76-54
12/3 13-22 9-10 Texas College Yes W, 79-63
12/13 10-19 2-4 Prairie View A&M Yes W, 68-51
12/16 12-15 7-12 at Centenary No W, 68-40
12/21 16-23 12-19 at TCU No W, 64-62
12/28 7-11 11-17 at Oklahoma No L, 69-42
12/30 24-32 22-30 North Carolina A&T No L, 80-76
1/4 19-25 10-18 Texas-Pan American Yes W, 84-71
1/6 3-6 11-16 Brown No W (ot), 60-56
1/10 11-17 7-11 Southern Miss No L, 56-57
1/13 15-20 11-12 at Houston Yes L, 82-67
1/17 14-19 13-19 at UCF No L, 64-56
1/20 23-29 14-22 UTEP Yes L, 72-67
1/24 19-24 7-13 Tulane Yes W, 55-53
1/27 15-19 17-21 at Tulsa No L, 70-66
1/31 12-15 5-11 at UAB Yes W, 60-56
2/3 9-12 5-12 at [11] Memphis No L, 52-88
2/7 6-9 13-16 Houston No L, 64-49
2/10 9-12 9-14 Rice No L, 63-60
2/14 9-14 15-23 at Marshall No L, 52-49
2/17 8-16 9-16 East Carolina No W, 65-42
2/21 16-25 16-19 at UTEP No L, 85-56
2/24 10-11 10-14 at Rice No L, 75-66
2/28 26-35 14-24 Tulsa Yes L, 67-60
3/3 13-23 17-27 [6] Memphis No L, 63-60
Season 416-590 328-493 NO Yes 9-3 / No 5-13
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
- Ike Ofoegbu had 30 points, most since 32 by Bryan Hopkins at Tulsa on Jan. 1, 2005.
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.
QUOTABLE: Quotes by and about SMU from the 2006-07 season.
March 3 - Postgame - [6] Memphis (L, 63-60)
Matt Doherty (on the Mustangs’ performance with only seven scholarship players)
"The level they played at in spite of all we've had to go through. I'm proud of them. I couldn't be more proud of them if we won.â€
Matt Doherty (on what allowed Memphis to finish the game with a win)
“They were very disruptive down the end. I don't know what happened when Douglas missed the foul shot and got the rebound. That was the dagger."
Memphis coach John Calipari (on the difference from the first meeting)
"When you beat a team like we did in our building, and they come back and turn the tables on you, it's amazing. ...They played us as good as anyone played us all year."
Memphis coach John Calipari (on the Mustangs’ quick start, buildding a 14-3 lead)
"They got three offensive rebounds in the first two minutes, and that was effort. They're making plays, they're inspired to play. I'm looking up thinking, we're going to be down 20 here in a minute. I had to sub four guys just to get us back to where we could settle down."
No. 11 SMU Mustangs (14-16, 3-13 C-USA)
vs.
No. 6 Southern Miss (19-10, 9-7 C-USA)
Wed. March 7 - 2:30 p.m.
FedEx Forum (18,400)
Memphis, Tennessee
Radio: KAAM 770 AM
Internet: Mustang All-Access (PPV)
www.SMUMustangs.com
Game Notes in PDF format: http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_ ... ly-release
The No. 11 seed SMU Mustangs (14-16, 3-13 Conference USA) face the No. 6 seed Southern Miss Golden Eagles (19-10, 9-7 C-USA) in the first round of the Conference USA Championships on Wednesday, March 7. Tip time at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., is 2:30 p.m. If the Mustangs advance, they will face No. 3 seed Houston in a quarterfinal on Thursday, March 8, at 2:30 p.m.
The Mustangs enter the tournament after closing the regular season with a 64-61 home loss to the regular season champion, sixth-ranked Memphis. It was SMU’s sixth conference loss by five-points or less that was a one-possession game in the final 20 seconds. One of those was the 57-56 loss to Southern Miss in Dallas on Jan. 10.
The Mustangs are 18-30 all-time in conference postseason tournaments, including a 1-1 mark in Conference USA Championship action. Last year, No. 10 seed SMU knocked off No. 7 seed Rice 61-59 in the first round before falling 69-55 to No. 2 seed and 24th-ranked UAB in quarterfinal action. Seniors Donatas Rackauskas and Devon Pearson each had 15 points in the win over Rice and Rackauskas had the game-sealing dunk with five seconds remaining. The Mustangs won their only conference tournament title with a run through the 1988 Southwest Conference Tournament.
This is the second meeting of the season and fifth all-time for the Mustangs and Golden Eagles. Southern Miss won the Conference USA opener 57-56 in Dallas on Jan. 10. The Mustangs rallied from a 21-point second-half deficit to take a one-point lead before falling. The all-time series is tied at two wins each with all four meetings in Dallas. The Mustangs lost this season after winning last season’s league matchup 58-53 win on Feb. 4, 2006. That two previous matchups were a 91-85 loss on Dec. 14, 1975, and a 73-60 victory in the 1950-51 season. This is the second meeting between SMU’s Matt Doherty and Larry Eustachy of Southern Miss. The two are former Associated Press National Coaches of the year: Doherty earned the honor in 2001 when he was at North Carolina and Eustachy in 2000 while at Iowa State.
The Mustangs enter the Conference USA Championships with a 2-0 record in neutral site games this season. Both games were at the start of the schedule as SMU participated in the Colonial Classic hosted by Florida State in Tallahassee. Senior Devon Pearson had a buzzer-beating tip-in for a 57-55 win over Illinois State in the season-opener Nov. on 12, followed by a 70-54 victory over McNeese State on Nov. 13.
The game against Southern Miss is the 31st contest of the season fro the Mustangs. That is the most since SMU played 35 games in 1987-88. That squad went 28-7 overall, winning the Southwest Conference (13-1) and Southwest Conference Tournament before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Third-team All-Conference USA selection Ike Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.6), the first SMU player to do that since Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 (22nd pick by Orlando in 2001 NBA Draft). In conference action, Ofoegbu finished fifth in scoring at 16.0 points, second in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game, and second with 3.44 offensive boards per outing. He also led the league in three-point shooting, hitting 51.3 percent (20-39) in C-USA games, which was the fifth-best in league history. Ofoegbu enters the tournament with a league-best 10 double-doubles that includes a stretch of five straight from Feb. 10 to Feb. 24. In the last seven conference games, he averaged 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 51.4 percent (44-86) from the field, 57.1 percent (16-28) from long range, and 68.6 percent (35-51) at the free throw line.
The Mustangs caught the injury bug late in conference play, although everyone could be back for the Conference USA Championships. Bamba Fall missed the last six games after breaking his left ring finger against Rice on Feb. 10, and having surgery to repair it on Feb. 15. Derrick Roberts missed five league games with a knee injury and Devon Pearson missed three games after suffering a knee sprain with 3:55 left at Marshall on Feb. 14. These injuries plus the dismissal of Brian Epps on Feb. 17, left the Mustangs with only five or six experienced scholarship players for the final six league games. The Mustangs had three starters play 40 minutes at UTEP on Feb. 21, followed by the five starters combining for 191 or 200 minutes at Rice on Feb. 24.
Bamba Fall has missed the last six games after breaking his left ring-finger against Rice on Feb. 10. Fall has 62 blocks in 24 games this season, setting the SMU record for blocks by a sophomore. Jon Koncak held the previous mark, getting 54 in 30 games in 1982-83. His 62 this season are the fifth-most in a season at SMU. Reggie Franklin is fourth with 70 as a senior in 1978-79. The record is Jon 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. The Mustangs have missed his presence; after averaging 4.6 blocks as a team with Fall in the lineup, the Mustangs are averaging one block since.
Devon Pearson is 14th at SMU with 636 career rebounds. He is closing and Quinton Ross (650) and Lynn Phillips (669). He had a career-high and C-USA Championships record 17 boards against UAB in the 2006 quarterfinal matchup. Pearson is also 16th at SMU with 112 career steals. Up next is Troy Matthews (123).
The Mustangs lead Conference USA in rebounding defense (30.9) and are third in scoring defense (62.7). In league play, the Mustangs are tops in rebound defense (32.8) as well as third in 3FG made per game (7.00). Individually, Bamba Fall leads the league in blocked shots (2.58). Jon Killen is third in the league in assists (5.03) and ranks fourth in the conference in steals (1.70). Ike Ofoegbu is seventh in C-USA scoring (14.5), second in rebounds (7.6) and second in offensive rebounds (3.53). In league play, Ofoegbu is fifth in scoring (16.0), second in rebounding (7.9), and first in 3FG percentage (51.3).
LAST GAME: DALLAS (AP) -- The No. 6 Tigers needed a late basket and two second-chance free throws from Douglas-Roberts to win 64-61 on Saturday night. The Tigers (27-3, 16-0 C-USA) overcame an early 11-point deficit to lead at halftime, but didn't go ahead for good until Douglas-Roberts hit a 3-pointer to make it 59-57 with 3:47 left. Douglas-Roberts had 19 points, including two free throws with 12.6 seconds remaining right after he had missed two. The last victory was much more difficult than expected. SMU (14-16, 3-13) lost for the eighth time in nine games, a stretch that began with a 36-point loss at Memphis on Feb. 3. Jeremy Hunt missed the rim with a 3-point attempt with 1:02 left for Memphis, but Joey Dorsey grabbed the rebound and scored on a putback to make it 61-58. With 22 seconds left, Hunt made the second of his free throws for a 62-58 lead. Devon Pearson then made a 3-pointer for SMU. Douglas-Roberts was fouled and missed two free throws with 13.6 seconds left. But got the long rebound on the second miss and was fouled again, hitting the next two shots. Ike Ofoegbu's 3-point attempt at the buzzer came up short for SMU. Ofoegbu had 21 points while Pearson had 16 points and nine rebounds. Donatas Rackauskas had 14 points before he fouled out with 11 minutes left. Dorsey had 13 points and seven rebounds for Memphis. Hunt had 11 points despite making 3 of 14 shots. Douglas-Roberts made a 3-pointer for Memphis on the opening possession before SMU scored 14 straight points. Pearson and Rackauskas had consecutive putbacks to start the run before Ofoegbu hit a 3-pointer for a 9-3 lead and Memphis coach John Calipari called timeout less than 2½ minutes into the game. Ofoegbu had a tip-in and Pearson made a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 14-3. Another 3-pointer by Pearson pushed SMU ahead 19-7, its largest lead in the game. Pearson had a breakaway layup on a pass from Dez Willingham with 10:17 left in the first half on what almost was a backcourt turnover. But that was the last SMU basket until Ofoegbu's putback in the final seconds, as the Mustangs missed 10 consecutive field goals and had five turnovers. Memphis forced five-second violations on consecutive possessions before Willingham stepped out of bounds trying to get around a defender. Willingham's miscue came after Hunt made two free throws to get Memphis within a point. The Tigers finally went ahead when Douglas-Roberts made a leaning layup in traffic from under the basket with 4:25 left -- and they still led by a point at halftime.
LAST MEETING AGAINST SOUTHERN MISS - GAME 15 - L, 57-56 on Jan. 10 at SMU: DALLAS (AP) - Jeremy Wise scored 11 points to help lead Southern Mississippi to a 57-56 win over SMU on Wednesday night. The Golden Eagles (11-3, 1-0 Conference USA) took the lead for good with 92 seconds left on a layup by Andre Stephens. Then they survived two missed shots by the Mustangs (11-4, 0-1): a 3-pointer from Jon Killen and a jumper by Derrick Roberts just before the buzzer. Courtney Beasley was the only other Southern Miss player in double figures with 10 points. DeWayne Green added six points and seven assists for the Golden Eagles. Four players reached double figures in scoring for the Mustangs, led by 12 apiece from Devon Pearson and Ike Ofoegbu. Roberts scored 11 points and Killen added 10 points and six assists. Ofoegbu grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. Bamba Fall blocked six shots. The Mustangs trailed by 21 points near the end of the first half, but outscored the Golden Eagles by 17 points in the second half to make it close. SMU's last field goal came with 4:29 remaining.
SERIES WITH HOUSTON: This would be the 59th meeting between the Mustangs and Cougars. SMU trails 36-22 in the all-time series, including an 82-67 loss at Houston on Jan. 13, and a 64-49 loss in Dallas on Feb. 7. SMU holds an all-time 6-4 edge in tournament play: 2-1 in NCAA Tournament action and 4-3 in SWC Tournament games. The last postseason meeting of these teams was a 62-57 quairetrfinal win in the 1996 Southwest Conference Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The Ponies won NCAA Regional matchups with the Cougars in 1956 and 1965, but lost in 1967. The eighth-ranked Mustangs won 89-76 and over 17th-ranked Houston in the 1956 Tournament. SMU eventually advanced to the 1956 Final Four.
THIS SEASON AGAINST HOUSTON:
GAME 16 - L, 82-67 on Jan. 13 at UH: HOUSTON (AP) - Robert McKiver scored 25 points for Houston, which beat SMU 82-67 on Saturday. McKiver made 9-of-17 overall, including seven 3 pointers, as Houston won for the first time Dec. 21. The Mustangs (11-5, 0-2) got 14 points from Derrick Roberts, including 12 in the second half, and 12 points each from Bamba Fall and Brian Epps. Roberts, who did not attempt a 3-pointer in the first half, made four in the second half on eight attempts. Oliver Lafayette added 21 points and Jahmar Thorpe scored 16 as the Cougars (6-8, 1-1 Conference USA) raced out to a 39-19 halftime lead. McKiver scored 14 points in the first 13 minutes of the game as the Cougars built leads of 19-8 and 31-13. Houston led by as many as 27 points. SMU outrebounded the Cougars 29-17. Fall led all players with 10 rebounds.It was Fall's first career double-double.
GAME 23- L, 64-49 on Feb. 7 at SMU: 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.
MUSTANGS AT THE FED EX FORUM: The Mustangs have played four games in the FexEx forum entering this year’s tournament and are 1-3 at the venue. All three losses have come to teams ranked in the Associated Press top-25.
J14, 2006 at [5] Memphis L, 73-53
M8, 2006 vs. Rice W, 61-59
M9, 2006 vs. [24] UAB L, 69-55
F3, 2007 at [11] Memphis L, 88-52
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 6
- Donatas Rackauskas (3.88 GPA toward Masters in Accounting)
Conference USA All-Academic Team
- Jon Killen (3.35 GPA in Business-Management)
- Donatas Rackauskas (3.88 GPA toward Masters in Accounting
All-Conference USA (Third-Team)
- Ike Ofoegbu (led C-USA with 10 double-doubles; league games, 5th in scoring (16.0), 2nd in rebounds (7.9)
OFF THE COURT NEWS:
MARCH 7 - Ofoegbu Named All-Conference USA Third-Team
SMU senior captain Ike Ofoegbu was named third-team All-Conference USA, as voted by the league's head coaches and select media. Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.6), the first SMU player to do that since Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 (22nd pick by Orlando in 2001 NBA Draft). In conference action, Ofoegbu finished fifth in scoring at 16.0 points, second in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game, and second with 3.44 offensive boards per outing. He also led the league in three-point shooting, hitting 51.3 percent (20-39) in C-USA games. Ofoegbu enters the tournament with a league-best 10 double-doubles that includes a stretch of five straight from Feb. 10 to Feb. 24. In the last seven conference games, he averaged 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 51.4 percent (44-86) from the field, 57.1 percent (16-28) from long range, and 68.6 percent (35-51) at the free throw line
MARCH 2 - Rackauskas and Killen Named to Conference USA All-Academic Team
SMU senior Donatas Rackauskas and junior Jon Killen were both named to the all-academic team. Rackauskas was recognized last month with a selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 Team. He completed his undergraduate degree in three and a half years in economics with a 3.82 GPA and is currently working towards a master’s degree in accounting and has a 3.88 GPA. Killen has started every game for the Mustangs this season, averaging 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.97 assists per game (the third-best playmaker in C-USA). The native of Arlington, Texas, also has pocketed 1.76 steals per game to rank fourth in the conference. He is a business management major with a 3.35 GPA.
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 along 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)
CONVERTING TURNOVERS TO POINTS: Points off turnovers has been a good indicator of success. The Mustangs are even on average in wins and -5.0 in losses.
IS YOUR GAME HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY: The Mustangs are 11-3 when leading at the half and 3-12 when trailing at the break. The Mustangs won 64-62 at TCU after trailing 27-21 at intermission, rallied from a 30-22 halftime deficit against Tulane for a 55-53 triumph, and won 60-56 at UAB to rebound from a 27-26 halftime score. Conversely, SMU fell 59-52 at Florida State after leading 26-25 at the half, lost to 72-67 to UTEP after holding a 32-29 edge after 20 minutes, and fell 63-60 against Rice following a 34-28 halftime edge. The 52-49 loss at Marshall was tied 18-18 at halftime.
LEADER OF BOTH PACKS: Ike Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs with 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds. The last time the same player led SMU in both categories was Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 with 17.0 points and 8.3 boards.
W = 100+: Head coach Matt Doherty has 104 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, 14 at SMU)
IKE TO THE LINE: Ike Ofoegbu is 135-191 (.707) at the free throw line. That is the most made and attempted by an SMU player since Quinton Ross was 184-232 (.793) as a senior in 2002-03.
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
2006-07 436 14.5 229 7.6 136-270 29-62 135-191
MOST IMPROVED: Ike Ofoegbu is averaging 14.5 points this season after scoring 3.8 points per game last season. He is the first SMU player with a 10-plus point scoring average improvement since Jay Poerner went from 2.5 ppg as a freshman in 1994-95 to 13.2 ppg as a sophomore in 1995-96.
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 Opponent Season Career
Ike Ofoegbu 26 pts, 10 rebs La-Monroe 11/22 1st 1st
Devon Pearson 19 pts, 10 rebs Texas College 12/3 1st 12th
Ike Ofoegbu 14 pts, 10 rebs Prairie View A&M 12/10 2nd 2nd
Ike Ofoegbu 13 pts, 11 rebs at Centenary 12/16 3rd 3rd
Ike Ofoegbu 10 pts, 11 rebs Brown 1/6 4th 4th
Devon Pearson 13 pts, 10 rebs Brown 1/6 2nd 13th
Ike Ofoegbu 12 pts, 11 rebs Southern Miss 1/10 5th 5th
Bamba Fall 12 pts, 10 rebs at Houston 1/13 1st 1st
Devon Pearson 16 pts, 11 rebs UTEP 1/20 3rd 14th
Ike Ofoegbu 16 pts, 12 rebs Rice 2/10 6th 6th
Ike Ofoegbu 18 pts, 16 rebs at Marshall 2/14 7th 7th
Ike Ofoegbu 11 pts, 15 rebs East Carolina 2/17 8th 8th
Ike Ofoegbu 14 pts, 10 rebs at UTEP 2/21 9th 9th
Ike Ofoegbu 30 pts, 10 rebs at Rice 2/24 10th (leads C-USA) 10th
NO POINTS FOR YOU: SMU’s scoring defense is among the best in team history.
61.4 1985-86
62.2 1957-58
62.7 2006-07
63.2 1958-59
64.1 2005-06
64.2 1956-57
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 financial consulting 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 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
SO CLOSE: The Mustangs have lost six league games by five points or less and all were one-possession games in the final 20 seconds.
Southern Miss 1/10 L, 57-56 Derrick Roberts shot potential game-winner from left elbow at buzzer
UTEP 1/20 L, 72-67 Donatas Rackasukas missed tying 3-pointer with 17 seconds left
at Tulsa 1/27 L, 70-66 Donatas Rackauskas made it 68-66 with a 3FG with 6 seconds left
Rice 2/10 L, 63-60 Briwn Epps took potential game-tying three from top of key at buzzer
at Marshall 2/14 L, 52-49 Dez Willingham took potential tying three from right-wing at horn
[6] Memphis 3/3 L, 64-61 Ike Ofoegbu missed potential tying three from left corner at buzzer
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. He had a career-high 20 points at UTEP Feb. 21.
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. 238 points in 30 games (7.9 avg)
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.
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) 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) 13:56 2nd 68-66 (on Donatas Rackauskas 3FG at 0:06)
Tulane 1/24 W, 55-53 13 (40-27) 14:30 2nd 55-53 (53-51 lead on 2FT by Bamba Fall at 3:01)
MUSTANG HOOPS BLOG: SMU Mustangs’ head coach Matt Doherty has his own blog at www.MustangHoopsBlog.com.
ASSIST BY KILLEN: That call has been the most common assist call at SMU in more than a decade. Jon Killen is averaging 5.03. 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 became the 21st SMU player with 200 or more career assists when he reached the mileston at Rice on Feb. 24. Derrick Roberts is alswo closing in on 200 career assists.
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
21 217 Jon Killen, 2004-07 (reached 200 with 6 assists at Rice 2/24)
20 212 Justin Isham, 2001-05
... 188 Derrick Roberts, 2004-07
IT IS BETTER TO RECEIVE: Devon Pearson was the 19th SMU player to surpass 100 career steals. Jon Killen is also 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
16 112 Devon Pearson, 2003-07
17 111 Carlton McKinney, 1986-88
18 109 Eric Castro, 2001-05
19 102 Tim Mason, 1989-93
... 97 Jon Killen, 2004-07
FAMILIAR FOE: The Mustangs have met seven opponents more than 100 times.
Rice 184 111-73 L, 63-60 - Feb. 10@SMU, L, 75-66 - 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
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. 636 - Devon Pearson - 2003-06
SMU RECORD FOR NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE: The SMU Men's Basketball team has a school-record six nationally televised games during the 2006-07 regular season. The Mustangs play five games on CSTV and one game, at Memphis, on ESPN.
Thu., D21, at TCU (CSTV) - W 64-62 on Dez Willingham 3-pointer at buzzer
Sat, J13, at Houston - 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., Mar. 3, [6] Memphis - L 64-60; senior night Ofoegbu (21pts,6reb), Pearson (16pts,9reb), Rackauskas (14pts,4reb)
WHERE THERE IS A “WILLâ€INGHAM, THERE IS A WAY: Dez Willingham has beat the buzzer with a running 3-pointer twice to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He also kncoked down clutch free throws after being fouled on another buzzer-beating attempt:
Dec. 21, 2006 - W, 64-62 at TCU - Willingham hit a running 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired to give SMU the 64-62 win. He received a pass from Donatas Rackauskas as the Mustangs went the length of the court for the winner in the final 8.9 seconds. The lead changed hands four times in the final 17 seconds.
Feb. 15, 2006 - Marshall L, 75-72 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit three free throws with seven seconds left as he was fould attempting the potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Jan. 21, 2006 - Rice W, 80-69 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit a 25-foot three-pointer to tie the game at 64-64 with a half a second left in regulation. That concluded an SMU rally from seven points down with 1:37 remaining in the second half.
FINALLY “FALLâ€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 40-60 .667
First 4 Games 5-13 .385
Rest of Non-Conf 15-23 .652
C-USA games 20-24 .833
BLOCK PARTY: Bamba Fall’s 2.58 blocks per game are first in 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. 24 17 11 6 4 2
Total 42 32 21 14 7 3
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. 68 - Donatas Rackauskas - 2002-07
SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots (Since 1972-73) (GP)
1. 97 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (33)
2. 91 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (33)
3. 79 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (28)
4. 70 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (27)
5. 62 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07
SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots by a Sophomore (GP)
1. 62 Bamba Fall, 2006-07
2. 54 Jon Koncak, 1982-83 (30)
3. 47 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (27)
4. 45 Patrick Simpson, 2002-03 (30)
SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots Average (Since 1972-73)
Must Play in 75% of Games (Blocks/Games Played)
Bamba Fall averaged 2.9 as a freshman, but only played in 18 of 29 team games.
1. 2.9 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (97/33)
2. 2.8 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (79/28)
2.8 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (91/33)
4. 2.6 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (59/21)
2.6 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (70/27)
6. 2.1 Reggie Franklin (Jr.), 1977-78 (59/28)
SMU MILESTONES:
- SMU won seven consecutive games (Nov. 18 to Dec. 21), most since winning 10 in a row to start 1997-98
- The Mustangs swept a homestand of five or more games for the first time since a six-game stretch in 1997-98
- The Mustangs won a school-record five games in November, finishing the month 5-1
- The 11-3 start was the best since a 12-3 start in 2000-01.
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.
HIGH-PERCENTAGE SHOT: Bamba Fall has one of the best shooting percentages for a season in SMU history and a shot at the sophomore record.
Best FG Percentage (Since 1953-54)
1 63.7 Terry Williams (Sr.), 1986-87 (142-233)
2 62.1 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (211-340)
3 62.0 Terry Williams (Jr.), 1985-86 (150-242)
4 60.7 Larry Davis (Jr.), 1983-84 (219-361)
5 59.2 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (219-370)
6 58.1 Terry Thomas (Sr.), 1987-88 (111-191)
7 57.2 John Colborne (Jr.), 1988-89 (99-173)
57.2 Ira Terrell (Fr.), 1972-73 (219-383)
9 56.5 Larry Davis (Sr.), 1984-85 (177-313)
56.5 Eric Castro (So.), 2002-03 (105-186)
... 54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121)
SMU FG-Percentage by a Sophomore
Minimum 75 Field Goals Made
56.5 Eric Castro, 2002-03 (105-186)
56.4 Larry Davis, 1982-83 (190-337)
54.7 Tim Mason, 1990-91 (179-327)
54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121)
54.5 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (264-484)
DIALING FROM DISTANCE: Ike Ofoegbu has been on fire from three-point range in league play and is having one of the best seasons ever at SMU from beyond the arc. His 51.3 percent in league play led the confetrence and was the fifth-best in Conference USA history.
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 46.8 Ike Ofoegbu (Sr.), 2006-07 (29-62)
5 45.7 Lavardicus Atkins (Fr.), 2000-01 (21-46)
6 45.3 Todd Alexander (Jr.), 1987-88 (82-181)
7 41.8 Stephen Woods (So.), 1997-98 (74-177)
8 41.7 Carlton McKinney (Sr.), 1987-88 (35-84)
9 40.7 Chad Allen (Jr.), 1992-93 (44-108)
10 40.4 Bryan Hopkins (Jr.), 2003-04 (84-208)
All-Time Conference USA Season 3FG Percentage (League Games Only)
Minimum 1.0 Made per game
1 53.3 Eddie Basden, CHA, 2003-04 (16-30)
2 51.8 Steve Novak, MQT, 2002-03 (29-56)
3 51.7 David Haywoodd, USM, 2002-03 (30-58)
51.7 Kenya Capers, HOU, 1996-97 (15-39)
5 51.3 Ike Ofoegbu (Sr.), 2006-07 (20-39)
EYE ON THE POWER RANKINGS - KENPOM RPI & SAGARIN: RPI - 205, Sagarin - 174 (Through March 4)
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). SMU 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
RPI Rnk Conf W-L SOS W-L W-L W-L W-L W-L RPI SOS W-L W-L
205 SMU CUSA 12-16 152 0-3 1-2 4-8 7-3 9-3 107 258 2-8 5-9
8 Memphis CUSA 27-3 L, 88-52 at [11] Memphis on 2/3 & L, 64-61 to [6] Memphis at SMU on 3/3
47 Florida St. ACC 19-11 L, 59-52 at FSU on 11/14
74 Dayton A-10 18-11 W, 53-48 at SMU on 11/18
96 Houston CUSA 16-14 L, 82-67 at Houston on 1/13 & L, 64-49 at SMU on 2/7
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
OUR FTM IS MORE THAN YOUR FTA: Head coach Matt Doherty sets a goal for the Mustangs to make more free throws than the opponent attempts. Here is a look at the season to date.
SMU Opp Goal Result
11/12 18-25 7-9 vs. Illinois State Yes W, 57-55
11/13 10-17 3-4 vs. McNeese State Yes W, 70-54
11/14 7-9 13-18 at Florida State No L, 59-52
11/18 27-40 12-24 Dayton Yes W, 53-48
11/22 15-22 15-19 Louisiana-Monroe No W, 99-66
11/27 20-24 12-19 Paul Quinn Yes W, 76-54
12/3 13-22 9-10 Texas College Yes W, 79-63
12/13 10-19 2-4 Prairie View A&M Yes W, 68-51
12/16 12-15 7-12 at Centenary No W, 68-40
12/21 16-23 12-19 at TCU No W, 64-62
12/28 7-11 11-17 at Oklahoma No L, 69-42
12/30 24-32 22-30 North Carolina A&T No L, 80-76
1/4 19-25 10-18 Texas-Pan American Yes W, 84-71
1/6 3-6 11-16 Brown No W (ot), 60-56
1/10 11-17 7-11 Southern Miss No L, 56-57
1/13 15-20 11-12 at Houston Yes L, 82-67
1/17 14-19 13-19 at UCF No L, 64-56
1/20 23-29 14-22 UTEP Yes L, 72-67
1/24 19-24 7-13 Tulane Yes W, 55-53
1/27 15-19 17-21 at Tulsa No L, 70-66
1/31 12-15 5-11 at UAB Yes W, 60-56
2/3 9-12 5-12 at [11] Memphis No L, 52-88
2/7 6-9 13-16 Houston No L, 64-49
2/10 9-12 9-14 Rice No L, 63-60
2/14 9-14 15-23 at Marshall No L, 52-49
2/17 8-16 9-16 East Carolina No W, 65-42
2/21 16-25 16-19 at UTEP No L, 85-56
2/24 10-11 10-14 at Rice No L, 75-66
2/28 26-35 14-24 Tulsa Yes L, 67-60
3/3 13-23 17-27 [6] Memphis No L, 63-60
Season 416-590 328-493 NO Yes 9-3 / No 5-13
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
- Ike Ofoegbu had 30 points, most since 32 by Bryan Hopkins at Tulsa on Jan. 1, 2005.
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.
QUOTABLE: Quotes by and about SMU from the 2006-07 season.
March 3 - Postgame - [6] Memphis (L, 63-60)
Matt Doherty (on the Mustangs’ performance with only seven scholarship players)
"The level they played at in spite of all we've had to go through. I'm proud of them. I couldn't be more proud of them if we won.â€
Matt Doherty (on what allowed Memphis to finish the game with a win)
“They were very disruptive down the end. I don't know what happened when Douglas missed the foul shot and got the rebound. That was the dagger."
Memphis coach John Calipari (on the difference from the first meeting)
"When you beat a team like we did in our building, and they come back and turn the tables on you, it's amazing. ...They played us as good as anyone played us all year."
Memphis coach John Calipari (on the Mustangs’ quick start, buildding a 14-3 lead)
"They got three offensive rebounds in the first two minutes, and that was effort. They're making plays, they're inspired to play. I'm looking up thinking, we're going to be down 20 here in a minute. I had to sub four guys just to get us back to where we could settle down."