SMU Mustangs men's basketball


The SMU Mustangs men's basketball team represents Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and currently competes in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. The Mustangs are currently coached by Tim Jankovich. In 100 years of basketball, SMU's record is 1319–1190. SMU has reached one Final Four, has made 12 NCAA Tournament Appearances, won 16 Conference Championships, had 11 All-Americans, and 23 NBA Draft selections.
SMU finished the 2016-17 season with a 30-5 record, and won their second conference title in three years. They set the school record for single season wins, and returned to the NCAA Tournament following a postseason ban in the 2015-16 season.

History

1916: The Beginning

1916 was the inaugural season of SMU basketball where it went 12-2. SMU joined the Southwest Conference in the 1918-19 season. SMU won its first two conference titles in 1935 and 1937.

1955 –1967: The Doc Hayes Era (Golden Era of Pony Hoops)

took over as SMU's head coach in 1947. By 1955 Hayes had SMU in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history advancing to the Sweet Sixteen and had won their first conference title in almost 20 years. The four year stretch from 1955–58, SMU went 77-28, won 4 straight Southwest Conference championships, and reached 3 Sweet Sixteen's while also reaching the school's first Final Four in the 1955-56 season, led by All-American Jim Krebs. SMU during the Doc Hayes era won 8 SWC championships and reached the NCAA tournament 6 times including Final Four and Elite Eight appearances. Doc Hayes retired after the 1967 season with a final record of 298–191 at SMU.

1968-1993: The Fall to Mediocrity

Following Doc Hayes, SMU basketball fell down into a period of mediocrity with some sprinkled success highlighted by SMU greats Jon Koncak, Ira Terrell, and Gene Phillips. Though the Bob Prewitt and Sonny Allen eras were largely unsuccessful and only produced one Southwest Conference Championship from a stretch of 1968-1980 the program looked to be back on the rise during the Dave Bliss era. Bliss and star big man Jon Koncak led SMU to 3 NCAA tournament appearances and an NIT appearance. The Dave Bliss era was highlighted by his final season where SMU went 28-7 winning the SWC regular season and tournament championships and making it to the Second round of the NCAA Tournament. SMU would win the SWC Championship and reach the NCAA tournament one more time in the 1993 season under John Shumate, however, this was the start of the Dark Ages of SMU basketball.

1994-2012: The Dark Ages

This period was the dark age for SMU basketball. From 1994-2012 SMU had just 7 winning seasons and did not win any conference titles or reach the NCAA tournament. Only reaching the NIT and CIT one time each.

2012-2016: The Larry Brown Era

The reemergence of SMU basketball occurred when Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown took over the Mustangs in the 2012 season, coinciding with the $48 million renovation of Moody Coliseum. By his second season, he had led SMU to a 27-10 record, and to a championship appearance in the NIT. In his third season, led by Nic Moore, SMU won its first conference title in 22 years, and returned to the NCAA tournament, losing a controversial game to UCLA on a goaltending call. In the 2015-16 season, SMU was banned from postseason play due to NCAA violations, but still managed to start the season with an unprecedented 18-0 record, peaking at the #8 spot in the AP Poll, and finish the season at 25-5. It was SMU's third straight 25+ win season. In the summer of 2016, Brown stepped down as SMU's basketball coach unexpectedly, finishing with a record of 85–39. He currently holds the third-highest W-L percentage of any head coach in SMU basketball history.

2016-Present: Maintaining Success (Post Larry Brown)

took over in the summer of 2016 following the departure of Larry Brown. In his first full season as SMU's head coach, SMU achieved a 30-4 overall record, including a 17-1 in-conference record, and finished ranked #11 in the AP Poll. The Mustangs won the 2016-17 American Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament titles, and received a bid to the NCAA tournament as a 6 seed, where they were upset by 11th seeded USC by one point in the opening round. Following the season, Junior standout Semi Ojeleye announced that he would not be returning for his final year, joining Seniors Sterling Brown and Ben Moore in entering the NBA Draft where both Ojeleye and Brown were selected 37th and 46th overall, respectively. Ben Moore spent 27 games with the G League team, Fort Wayne Mad Ants where he averaged 11.4 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. He was recently signed to a two way contract with the Indiana Pacers on January 12, 2018. This marks the first time an SMU player has been drafted since 2001. This is also the first time SMU has ever had 3 players join their first NBA rosters in the same season, topping the previous high of 1.

SMU Career Records

Season-by-season results

Under Larry Brown and Tim Jankovich:

Postseason

Complete NCAA Tournament results

The Mustangs have appeared in 12 NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 10–14.
1955Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Bradley
Tulsa		L 79–81
L 67–68
1956First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game		Texas Tech
Houston
Oklahoma City
San Francisco
Temple		W 68–67
W 89–74
W 84–63
L 68–86
L 81–90
1957Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Kansas
Saint Louis		L 65–73 OT
W 78–68
1965Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Wichita State
Houston		L 81–86
W 89–87
1966Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Kansas
Cincinnati		L 70–76
W 89–84
1967Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		Louisville
Houston		W 83–81
L 75–83
1984No. 9First Round
Second Round		Miami
Georgetown		W 83–69
L 36–37
1985No. 5First Round
Second Round		Old Dominion
Loyola–Chicago		W 85–68
L 57–70
1988No. 7First Round
Second Round		Notre Dame
Duke		W 83–75
L 79–94
1993No. 10First RoundBYUL 71–80
2015No. 6Second RoundUCLAL 59–60
2017No. 6First RoundUSCL 65–66

NIT results

The Mustangs have appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 4–3.
1986First RoundOklahoma StateL 63–67
2000First RoundMissouri StateL 64–77
2014First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals		UC Irvine
LSU
California
Clemson
Minnesota		W 68–54
W 80–67
W 67–65
W 65–59
L 63–65

CIT results

The Mustangs have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Their record is 3–1.
2011First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Oral Roberts
Jacksonville
Northern Iowa
Santa Clara		W 64–57 OT
W 63–62
W 57–50
L 55–72

Notable players

Summary

Mustangs and the NBA

NBA draft picks

1949––Bob PrewittNew York Knicks0
1951768Jack BrownRochester Royals0
195713Jim KrebsMinneapolis Lakers515
19571098Bobby MillsSt. Louis Hawks0
1958647Rick HerrscherSt. Louis Hawks0
1961983Steve StrangeChicago Packers0
1962435Jan LoudermilkLos Angeles Lakers0
1964434Gene ElmoreSan Francisco Warriors0
1966652Carroll HooserDetroit Pistons56
1967774Charlie BeasleyCincinnati Royals281
196916196Bill VoightMilwaukee Bucks0
196917202Lynn PhillipsMilwaukee Bucks0
19717119Gene PhillipsMilwaukee Bucks31
1974697Sammy HerveyAtlanta Hawks0
1976345Ira TerrellPhoenix Suns127
1980245Brad BransonDetroit Pistons72
198515Jon KoncakAtlanta Hawks784
19855113Carl WrightPhiladelphia 76ers0
19866125Kevin LewisSan Antonio Spurs0
19875105Terry WilliamsGolden State Warriors0
2001122Jeryl SasserOrlando Magic82
2017237Semi Ojeleye^Boston Celtics53
2017246Sterling Brown^Philadelphia 76ers34
2018254Shake Milton^Dallas Mavericks20

Notable undrafted players

Awards

AAC Player of the Year
Nic Moore2015, 2016
Semi Ojeleye2017

AAC Tournament MVP
Markus Kennedy2015
Semi Ojeleye2017

AAC Sixth Man of the Year
Markus Kennedy2016
Ben Emelogu2017

WAC Player of the Year
Jeryl Sasser1999
Quinton Ross2003

SWC Player of the Year
Rick Herrscher1958
Denny Holman1967
Gene Phillips1969, 1970, 1971
Ira Terrell1976
Mike Wilson1993

All-Americans

SMU has had 12 All-Americans:
2016-2017 Semi Ojeleye ; 2015–16 Nic Moore ; 2014–15 Nic Moore ; 2002–03 Quinton Ross ; 1984–85 Jon Koncak ; 1975–76 Ira Terrell ; 1970–71 Gene Phillips ; 1969–70 Gene Phillips ; 1959–60 Max Williams ; 1956–57 Jim Krebs ; 1955–56 Jim Krebs ; 1934–35 Whitey Baccus