SMU Mustangs
2020-2021 Overall Rank: #52
Conference Rank: #3 American
Coach Tim Jankovich finally had a full team on his hands last season after dealing with scholarship limitations brought on by his predecessor. The result was a decent 19-11 campaign. But last year was just building towards bigger and better things in the future. That was a young team. They lacked consistency at times during the 2019-2020 season, but they pulled off some nice wins too. With four starters and much of the bench returning, the Mustangs should be much more consistent this season and potentially even compete for an American Athletic Conference title.
2019-20 Record: 19-11, 9-9
Coach: Tim Jankovich
Coach Record: 90-46 at SMU, 241-163 overall
Key Departed Players:
Isiaha Mike, Forward, 14.0 ppg
CJ White, Guard, 3.5 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Tyson Jolly, Senior, Guard, 14.5 ppg
Kendric Davis, Junior, Guard, 14.2 ppg
Feron Hunt, Junior, Forward, 11.0 ppg
Emmanuel Bandoumel, Junior, Guard, 6.3 ppg
Ethan Chargois, Senior, Forward, 7.0 ppg
Isiah Jasey, Senior, Forward, 2.8 ppg
Everett Ray, Junior, Forward, 2.7 ppg
Charles Smith IV, Sophomore, Guard, 1.3 ppg
Key New Players:
Yor Anei, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Oklahoma State
Darius McBride, RS Freshman, Guard
Darius McNeill, Junior, Guard, Transfer from Cal
Projection:
The backcourt duo of Tyson Jolly and Kendric Davis combined to average 28.7 points per game last season. Jolly led the way with 14.5 points and was the most consistent three-point shooter on the team. The 6-4 senior also added 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Davis proved to be a very efficient point guard, dishing out 6.7 assists per game with just 2.5 turnovers. Much of his 14.2 points per game will come from inside the arc, but Davis is at least a threat to shoot the ball. Emmanuel Bandoumel came in from the junior college ranks and stepped into a starting role. In the frontcourt, Feron Hunt will look to take on a larger role after averaging 11.0 points and 6.7 rebounds a season ago. Without Isiaha Mike, Hunt will be the main man in the paint. Ethan Chargois has the track record to fight for that title as well. He took a step back last season, but Chargois averaged 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds back in 2018-2019. The addition of Yor Anei will add another dimension to the frontcourt. Anei is a superb shot blocker and did some scoring during his time at Oklahoma State too. Darius McNeill brings more experience to the roster. The junior guard spent two seasons at Cal where he was a regular starter and proved to be one of the best three-point shooters in the Pac-12. Having another consistent outside shooter will be huge for SMU. If McNeill and Anei can fit into those roles effectively, the Mustangs have all the pieces they need to seriously compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.9 (121st in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.5 (154, 10)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.1 (102, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (110, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.9 (112, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.3 (226, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.2 (25, 1)
Rebound Margin: 4.2 (57, 3)
Assists Per Game: 15.6 (19, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.3 (195, 5)
