Well-known college basketball coach Andy Enfield takes over at SMU basketball as the Mustangs transition to the ACC.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. We will reveal the next team each day until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: SMU basketball.
This team is on its maiden voyage into the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). It fired a winning coach in the American Athletic Conference (Rob Lanier) at SMU. The Mustangs landed USC’s former head coach, Andy Enfield, to help with the transition into a new conference.
The turmoil over the transfer portal and all the changes led to the loss of a stable piece of Zhuric Phelps. The team also lost Jalen and Tyreek Smith to the portal. The Mustangs also are bringing in seven transfers and three incoming freshmen: Shooting Guard Chance Puryear, Power Forward Mitchell Holmes, and Center Samet Yigitoglu.
The SMU Mustang is going to look very different this year. Yet another change in identity, Andy Enfield is starting from scratch to hobble a team in his first year. A massive positive of the transfer portal is that teams can pick up experience. The biggest get is Wake Forest’s Kevin Miller, who will execute this offense. SMU basketball will likely start four transfers, which will be the entirety of the frontcourt. Some talented players are coming in, and the lone returner from last year’s SMU lineup is Chuck Harris.
There are three additional transfers on the bench. Two that could be starters as shooting guards are Kario Oquendo, Oregon, and AJ George (Long Beach State). There is maturity and talent here, but seeing what the identity of this team is going to be worth the look. Andy Enfield is likely in for a losing season to start as he transitions from the Pac-12 to the ACC. Having seven of his thirteen seasons as winning ones and five NCAA tournament appearances, SMU hopes he can bring SMU basketball to a winning season in the ACC sooner rather than later.
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Head coach: Andy Enfield (1st Season with SMU, 24th season overall)
2023-24 record: 20-13 (11-7)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Indiana State (101-92) in first round of NIT
Notable departures:
- Zhuric Phelps (14.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.9 SPG)
- Tyreek Smith (8.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.7 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 58.4 FG%)
- Jalen Smith (5.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 38.0 3P%)
Notable non-conference games:
- at Butler (Nov. 15)
- vs. Mississippi State (Nov. 22)
- vs. Washington State OR Fresno State (Nov. 27)
- vs. LSU (Dec. 14)
Projected Rotation
PG: Kevin (Boopie) Miller (6-0, 165, Rs.-Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 15.6 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 36.9 3P% (Wake Forest)
SG: Chuck Harris (6-2, 190, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 13.4 PPG, 3.4 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 40.7 3P%
SF: Matt Cross (6-7, 225, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 15.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG (UMass)
PF: Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6-8, 210, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 6.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.8 APG, 64.1 FG%
C: Yohan Traore (6-10, 225, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 14.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.4 APG, 58.3 FG% (UC Santa Barbara)
6: Samuell Williamson (6-7, 210, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 8.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 SPG
7: Kario Oquendo (6-4, 210, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 7.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.0 APG (Oregon)
8: Tibet Gorener (6-9, 205, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.5 SPG (San Jose State)
9: AJ George (6-6,190, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 10.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.5 APG (Long Beach State)
10: Samet Yigitoglu (7-1, Fr.)
247Sports #63 ranked recruit
11: Jerrell Colbert (6-10, 216, Rs.-Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.4 APG (Kansas State)
SMU Basketball team MVP: Matt Cross
Matt Cross is trying to produce a strong performance in his comeback to the ACC. After playing at Miami and Louisville, he went to UMass and the Atlantic 10. After a rough start in his freshman and sophomore years, Cross found a rhythm and accented. He became a hunter. Cross hunted the ball, ranking in the top eight in all rebounding categories; he was 11th in steals but sixth in steals per game for the A-10.
Cross is a leader who does what he can to help his team. He does the gritty work that does not always show up in the stats. However, Cross’s experience showed up last year with his intelligent shot selection as he became more efficient in his shot attempts. While he can hunt shots, he does not force them. The one area that he led everyone in last year was effective field goal percentage, where he shot 58.7% for first in the A-10.
Cross is a grinder. He finds good spots and forces himself into them to help his team. Cross isn’t afraid of contact and can play anywhere. He has solid footwork and ball handling and sees the floor. Cross distributes, cuts, and finds easy shots. He is a player that coaches love as he does all the hard work but only wants to win.
SMU Basketball make-or-break player: Kevin Miller
Kevin Miller comes to the Mustangs with knowledge of the conference they are joining. Miller knows this conference and will need to use his knowledge to help them prepare for each team. While Enfield is coming in, Miller is the inside man. He also has experience and has been an asset to his teams. Miller continues to step up, coming from Central Michigan and the Mid-American Conference. He jumped to Wake Forest and Steve Forbes. After just one season, he became a star for the Demon Deacons.
Miller will have to bring Enfield’s offense to life by showing he can score and run an offense at a high level. He was 10th in the AAC in points produced per game where he ranked tenth with 15.8. He is a solid free-throw shooter but is unselfish, ranking 11th in the ACC in assists but 12th in assists per game. While all of this is impressive, what often goes overlooked is his defense. He creates breakaways and additional offensive opportunities. He ranked tenth in steals per game while having the ninth most steals (50) in the ACC.
Key analytic: 2P% defense
There were a few similarities between last year’s USC Trojans and SMU Mustangs, with the closest number actually being turnover percentage where they were separated by only six spots. However, the building point for Enfield should be around the 2-point defense. A solid building point, SMU was higher in this area, and so bringing in these new players and coaches is a line to build on. The team last year only had one area where it was top-10 and it was offensive rebounding, this is an area that SMU will struggle to get back to with USC barely making it in the top half in offensive rebounding. Seeing how the former AAC team has changed to a new culture and the ACC.
SMU basketball will likely fall in 2-point defense but can be strong with its increased overall size. On paper, this team looks like it is going to be able to score at a higher clip. Adding five players who averaged double-digit scoring last year in different conferences makes it look like the team should be able to score more effectively. The scoring can force more issues and even better defense overall. At least, that is the hope.
SMU Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 12th in the ACC
Projected postseason ceiling: NIT Appearance