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Knights Dazed
SMU Throttles UCF, Looks Forward To Memphis On Saturday
By Rick Atkinson for cusa-fans.com
http://cusa-fans.com/

DALLAS - There would be no blown lead for SMU this time.

Not with the Mustangs’ stifling defense, a long-range shooting clinic by Robert “Dagger” Nyakundi and a career-high 10 assists from Derek Williams. Not with the sting of losing to UAB - after leading by 24 points – still fresh.

This time, the Mustangs walloped a hapless UCF squad, 65-43, for a much needed soul-cleansing blowout win. SMU never trailed, jumping out to a 10-0 start and leading by as much as 30 points in the second half.

The game marked the second fewest points the Mustangs have ever allowed in a Conference USA game.

UCF coach Kirk Speraw, who spent much of the evening rubbing his forehead in disbelief at his team’s woeful shooting, said SMU was due.

“SMU played great,” he said after Wednesday’s game. “They have been playing very well and probably didn’t get some Ws [they should have,] certainly throughout the conference season. I think that they’ve been playing better than some of the outcomes that they’ve had.”

Said SMU coach Matt Doherty, “We wanted to finish the job. And I thought we did a pretty good job of that. … “I was very proud of the effort and it was a team effort.”


Derek Williams (Photo by Matthew Visinsky)

The Mustangs now own a three-game winning streak for the first time this season - and the momentum’s timing couldn’t be better. On Saturday, perennial conference heavyweight Memphis comes to town for a game SMU now views as a potential watershed moment for the program.

“If we win these two games, it could be big,” Doherty said. “And we’re halfway there.”

‘Ridiculous’ Shooter

SMU (9-10, 2-3) stormed to a 41-16 halftime lead behind Nyakundi's 3-point scoring jag (4-for-5). “Rob’s such a good shooter, it’s ridiculous,” Doherty said. “He can change the complexion of a game like that, [finger snap], and he did that again tonight … Robert can shoot the ball and it really stretches the defense.”

The Knights, bothered by the Mustangs’ unique match-up zone and still smarting from a 37-point loss to UTEP, couldn’t find the hoop with a map.

UCF (10-10, 2-4) managed just 28.6 percent from the field in the first half – including 12.5 percent from 3-point range - and an ugly 37.5 percent (3-of-8) from the free throw line.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs poured in 54 percent of their first-half field goal attempts, including 7-of-12 3s. SMU also sank 8-of-10 free throws over the same period.

UCF forward Keith Clanton, the Knights’ only double-digit scorer, led the team with 11 points and 7 rebounds.

“We’ve got to start making some shots,” Speraw said. “You’ve got to be able to put the ball in the basket. We’re missing shots and we’re missing free throws, so our confidence is down.”


3-0 Starters

SMU’s three-game win streak coincides with its new starting lineup of forwards Nyakundi and Papa Dia, and guards Williams, Mike Walker and Justin Haynes.

Against UCF it worked so well Doherty didn’t make his first substitution - Paul McCoy for Walker - until 8 minutes in.

“I didn’t want to sub just to sub off the clock,” Doherty said. “And they were doing a good job. I thought [Nyakundi] and [Dia] really did a good job as a tandem inside that zone, kind of matching up and working together. … So I just stuck with the lineup because they didn’t look tired.”

SMU starters averaged 30 minutes playing time each, with McCoy, Myles Luttman and Mouhammad Faye getting the most time off the bench.

Nyakundi paced the Mustangs with 18 points, with Williams and Dia adding 12 and 10, respectively.

Haynes led SMU with seven rebounds, tying his career-high from last month. “He’s so quick,” Doherty said. “He’s tough to keep off the boards, especially when you run him from the three-point line.”

Along with his double-double, Williams went 6-for-6 from the line with a steal and just two turnovers. “Those are point guard numbers,” Doherty said. “And I think he’s becoming a point guard, not just a scoring guard. He’s so valuable to our team. That’s why he’s leading the league in minutes.”

“I didn’t know Derek would be this good. He’s been really sensational. He’s so fast with the basketball.”

A relaxed looking McCoy had 8 points and 4 boards for SMU. “There’s no question, he’s turning the corner,” Doherty said. “He is happy. I asked him about not starting and he says, ‘I’m enjoying it. Now, I can relax and just see how the game unfolds.’ We’ve also adjusted his shot a little bit and it’s a little smoother.”

Doherty said SMU’s zone is slightly different from other teams in Conference USA. “Hopefully that gives us an edge,” he said.

Gut-Kicked

Doherty was asked how close his program is to success. “Winning does a lot,” he said. “Losing is hard. I’ve been getting kicked in the gut for three-and-a-half years. I’ve been blessed to be at places where we’ve won - as a player, as a coach. I knew this was a rebuilding project.”

“Losing is tough – on me. And I’m supposed to be the leader. So I’ve got to put a good face on and come to practice and be positive. But there’s nothing like a win. I don’t care if you beat Houston Baptist or you beat North Carolina Central. Those games are important.”

“I do believe we’ve overscheduled. … We haven’t been real smart with that.”

Doherty said SMU plays the toughest conference schedule in the league. “We’re the only team that plays Houston twice, Memphis twice, Tulsa twice and UTEP twice. Nobody else does that, I don’t think. … It’s an unbalanced schedule. And I was stupid when I got the [SMU] job, [the conference asked,] ‘Who wants to play Memphis twice and Houston twice?’ I raised my hand. … That was real bright.”

“Winning makes the food taste better,” Doherty concluded. “The flowers smell better, the jokes are funnier. … It’s a great feeling.”

Saturday against Memphis, SMU gets a chance to enhance its senses to psychedelic levels. Can you dig it?

Next two for SMU:
*Saturday, Jan. 30, Memphis, 2 p.m.
*Tuesday, Feb. 2, at Southern Miss, 7 p.m.

Notes:
*Derek Williams’ points-assists double-double was SMU’s first since Bryan Hopkins did it against TCU in 2002.
*Papa Dia has now scored 10 or more points in 10 of his last 12 games.
*The fewest points ever allowed by SMU in a C-USA game are 42, against East Carolina in February, 2007.

Quotable Doherty
*On last year’s loss at UCF: “We were terrible. We were down 17 at the half and lost by 25. Terrible. … We had six new players. Shot selection was terrible. We didn’t really have an offense. I was just glad they showed up on time and knew what uniforms to wear. Now, there’s a little bit of a sense of a team and a system. … We didn’t have any identity last year.”
*On forward Robert Nyakundi’s occasional penchant for impersonating a guard: “I just get mad at him when he tries to start acting like [New Orleans Hornet guard] Chris Paul. ‘You’re not Chris Paul, man. Do what you do. Shoot the basketball.’ Everybody wants to do things they’re not capable of doing. I wanted to dunk [when playing for North Carolina.] I couldn’t dunk. I had three dunks in my college career.”