MBB: Where things stand
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2025 2:01 pmThe Mustangs were disappointed to lose Saturday — see head coach Andy Enfield's postgame press conference — but it wasn't as disastrous for the Mustangs' postseason changes as it could have been.
The loss dropped the Mustangs' record to 20-7, and more importantly, 11-5 in ACC games.
After winning 20 games, including 11 conference games, the fact that SMU has matched those totals in its first year in the much-tougher ACC is remarkable and can'd be viewed as anything but a success in the conference many consider the toughest basketball conference in the country.
SMU came into the game tied with Wake Forest for fourth place in the conference standings. The top four teams in the regular-season standings get a double bye in the ACC tournament, so Saturday's loss could have been very costly.
But the Demon Deacons also lost (to North Carolina State), so like the Ponies, they are 11-5 in conference standings.
But in order to get the double bye, SMU would have to jump ahead of Wake in the standings, because the Demon Deacons beat the Mustangs, 77-66, February 15, and therefore own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
SMU can still jump ahead of Wake Forest, but the chances are few in number. The Mustangs have four games remaining: At Cal Wednesday, at Stanford, home (March 4) against Syracuse and then the regular-season finale at Florida State. Wake also has four games remaining: home games against Virginia and Notre Dame, then a road game at Duke before closing out the regular season at home against Georgia Tech.
The loss dropped the Mustangs' record to 20-7, and more importantly, 11-5 in ACC games.
After winning 20 games, including 11 conference games, the fact that SMU has matched those totals in its first year in the much-tougher ACC is remarkable and can'd be viewed as anything but a success in the conference many consider the toughest basketball conference in the country.
SMU came into the game tied with Wake Forest for fourth place in the conference standings. The top four teams in the regular-season standings get a double bye in the ACC tournament, so Saturday's loss could have been very costly.
But the Demon Deacons also lost (to North Carolina State), so like the Ponies, they are 11-5 in conference standings.
But in order to get the double bye, SMU would have to jump ahead of Wake in the standings, because the Demon Deacons beat the Mustangs, 77-66, February 15, and therefore own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
SMU can still jump ahead of Wake Forest, but the chances are few in number. The Mustangs have four games remaining: At Cal Wednesday, at Stanford, home (March 4) against Syracuse and then the regular-season finale at Florida State. Wake also has four games remaining: home games against Virginia and Notre Dame, then a road game at Duke before closing out the regular season at home against Georgia Tech.