Enfield announces full men's basketball roster

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Enfield Announces Full Roster

DALLAS (SMU) – Samet Yi─ƒito─ƒlu from Turkey has signed to play for the Mustangs beginning with the 2024-25 season, Head Coach Andy Enfield announced on Monday. Yi─ƒito─ƒlu has played for Besiktas S.K. of Turkey's first division the past two seasons, including in the Turkish Cup and EuroCup.

Yi─ƒito─ƒlu (7-2, 265, C) adds to an incoming class that includes six others that averaged double-digits in scoring before transferring to SMU. The Mustangs return starters Chuck Harris (13.4 points, 40.7% 3FGs), Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, SMU-record 64.1% FGs) and B.J. Edwards (3.7 points, 2.9 assists, 2.43 assist-to-turnover ratio).

The transfer class includes Kevin "Boopie" Miller (6-0, 175, G) from Wake Forest, who averaged 15.6 points (13th ACC), 3.5 assists (12th ACC) and 1.4 steals (10th ACC) while hitting 84.5% on free throws (6th ACC) and 46.4% on field goals (11th ACC). He is joined by Matt Cross (6-7, 230, F) following an All-Atlantic 10 season at UMass where he averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals as he hit 54.0% on field goals, 32.9% on threes and 79.8% on free throws.

The Mustangs also add AJ George (6-6, 190, G), who averaged 10.6 points and 4.1 rebounds Long Beach State won the Big West Tournament and made the NCAA Tournament. Yohan Traore (6-11, 235, F) was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection at UC Santa Barbara after averaging 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 58.3% from the field. Traore was top-15 prospect overall in the class of 2022. Kario Oquendo (6-4, 220, G) comes to the Hilltop after he averaged 7.2 points at Oregon last season and 12.7 per outing for Georgia in 2022-23. Jerrell Colbert (6-10, 235, F) played in 31 games for Kansas State last season as they went 19-15. Tibet G├╢rener (6-9, 205) started all 32 games at San Jose State in 2023-24, averaging 11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds.

The Mustangs also add prep signees Chance Puryear (6-7, 190, F) after earning TABC 4A All-State and 2024 McDonald's All-American Game Southwest Nominee at Dallas Carter High School. Mitchell Holmes (6-11, 215, F) was a power forward at Link Year Prep in Branson, Missouri. The McDonald's All-American nominee scored more than 1,500 points at The Oakridge School in Arlington where he was a two-time team MVP, a team captain and SPC Co-State Champ.

The Mustangs' inaugural season in the ACC will see SMU play an 11-game non-conference schedule that includes seven teams that made the postseason last year. SMU's pre-league slate includes a home matchup with Mississippi State (Nov. 22), a neutral-site game in DFW versus LSU (Dec. 14), a road game at Butler (Nov. 15) and two games in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational (Nov. 26-27).

Head coach Andy Enfield took the helm of the SMU program following 11 seasons at USC, where he led the Trojans to five of the last eight NCAA Tournaments, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2021.

[smuaustin1971]

How many on the roster are expected to contribute meaningful minutes this year? As many
as 11? Or is that too optimistic?

[Charleston Pony]

How many on the roster are expected to contribute meaningful minutes this year? As many
as 11? Or is that too optimistic?

I think it's anyone's guess who among the transfers and new faces demonstrate they can play at an ACC level. Obviously we had only 3 returnees that the staff had any confidence in and only Miller, Oquendo, Colbert & Cross have played for "power conference" teams. I always hope we will have 9-10 guys who can contribute minutes without any drop off in production

[Thumper]

I have high hopes for the big guy from Turkey ... and not just because he's 7'2". I've read that he's supposed to be a stud, having played against pros over there.