SI: SMU in good shape to defend AAC title
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 4:55 pmState of the champion: Southern Methodist
The Mustangs won both the regular-season and tournament championships in the AAC, but their season ended in devastating fashion. A controversial goaltending call against center Yanick Moreira on a three-point attempt by UCLA point guard Bryce Alford in the final seconds helped the Bruins complete a late rally to stun SMU in the NCAA tournament’s round of 64. While the Mustangs blew a chance for their first win in the Big Dance since 1988, that shouldn’t overshadow the success they had in coach Larry Brown’s third season.
Not only did SMU win 27 games overall and reach the NCAAs for the first time in 22 years, it did so despite overcoming several personnel issues. Top incoming recruit Emmanuel Mudiay never showed up on campus, eventually winding up in China. Forward Markus Kennedy sat out the first semester due to academics. Wing Keith Frazier was ruled ineligible for the remainder of the season in January. And forward Justin Martin left the team the same month to pursue opportunities to play professionally. Meanwhile, assistant coach Ulric Maliji decided in January to take an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons, and SMU announced less than a week later that it had received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that reportedly involves academic improprieties within the men’s basketball program.
The Mustangs will enter this season with a dark cloud of potential NCAA punishment lurking over their heads, but they will nonetheless be considered one of the strongest contenders to win the conference. Though they lose two starters in Moreira and guard Ryan Manuel, their list of returnees includes Moore, a first-team All-AAC guard, and Kennedy, a second-team all-league forward. SMU also adds two transfers in former Texas Tech forward Jordan Tolbert and former Duke forward Semi Ojeleye, who is expected to be eligible in December. Incoming freshman Shake Milton, a four-star guard in the class of 2015, will add depth to the perimeter rotation.
Assuming the roster remains healthy and intact, SMU has the potential to achieve even more than it did in 2014-15. It may take a while for Mustangs fans to forget the brutal tourney loss, but they should take comfort in the fact that their favorite team is in good position to defend its league crown.
http://www.si.com/college-basketball/20 ... nl_siextra
The Mustangs won both the regular-season and tournament championships in the AAC, but their season ended in devastating fashion. A controversial goaltending call against center Yanick Moreira on a three-point attempt by UCLA point guard Bryce Alford in the final seconds helped the Bruins complete a late rally to stun SMU in the NCAA tournament’s round of 64. While the Mustangs blew a chance for their first win in the Big Dance since 1988, that shouldn’t overshadow the success they had in coach Larry Brown’s third season.
Not only did SMU win 27 games overall and reach the NCAAs for the first time in 22 years, it did so despite overcoming several personnel issues. Top incoming recruit Emmanuel Mudiay never showed up on campus, eventually winding up in China. Forward Markus Kennedy sat out the first semester due to academics. Wing Keith Frazier was ruled ineligible for the remainder of the season in January. And forward Justin Martin left the team the same month to pursue opportunities to play professionally. Meanwhile, assistant coach Ulric Maliji decided in January to take an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons, and SMU announced less than a week later that it had received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that reportedly involves academic improprieties within the men’s basketball program.
The Mustangs will enter this season with a dark cloud of potential NCAA punishment lurking over their heads, but they will nonetheless be considered one of the strongest contenders to win the conference. Though they lose two starters in Moreira and guard Ryan Manuel, their list of returnees includes Moore, a first-team All-AAC guard, and Kennedy, a second-team all-league forward. SMU also adds two transfers in former Texas Tech forward Jordan Tolbert and former Duke forward Semi Ojeleye, who is expected to be eligible in December. Incoming freshman Shake Milton, a four-star guard in the class of 2015, will add depth to the perimeter rotation.
Assuming the roster remains healthy and intact, SMU has the potential to achieve even more than it did in 2014-15. It may take a while for Mustangs fans to forget the brutal tourney loss, but they should take comfort in the fact that their favorite team is in good position to defend its league crown.
http://www.si.com/college-basketball/20 ... nl_siextra