MBB: Hosts Oral Roberts In CIT Opener On Wednesday At 7 p.m.
March 14, 2011
CollegeInsider.com Tournament - 1st Rnd
The SMU Mustangs host the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. This is the 14th postseason for the Mustangs, but first since the 2000 National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Mustangs already have their highest win total (17) since 2002-03 and recorded their most league wins (8) in Conference USA. The Mustangs are 13-6 at Moody Coliseum this season as they prepare for their school-record 20th home game. This is the first time SMU has been the home team in the postseason since the 1957 NCAA Midwest Regional. That year, the fourth-ranked Mustangs fell to No. 2 Kansas 73-65 in overtime in the regional semifinal at Moody Coliseum. The game featured SMU's All-American Jim Krebs against KU's All-American Wilt Chamberlain. SMU then knocked off No. 10 Saint Louis 78-68 in the regional third-place game. On the season, SMU is first in C-USA and seventh in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.483), first in C-USA and 12th in the NCAA in 3-point percentage (.398), and tops in C-USA and 26th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.755). The Mustangs shot 49.3 percent in league play which ranks second in C-USA history (49.5 by Cincinnati in 1996-97). The Mustangs are 15-6 when shooting better than their opponent from the field and 8-3 when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor. SMU also leads C-USA in scoring defense (61.5). The Mustangs are third in C-USA for assists (14.2) and fifth in assist to turnover ratio (1.0). SMU has made a team-record 253 3-pointers this year. CIT: The CIT is a 24-team tournament that features 12 first-round games. Four of the teams that win first-round games will advance to the quarterfinals, while the other eight teams will play a second round game for the right to advance to the quarterfinals. SMU IN THE POSTSEASON: The Mustangs are in their 14th postseason tournament. SMU has made 10 NCAA championships (1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993), two NIT appearances (1986, 2000) and a Collegiate Commissioners Assiocation Invitational (1974). The Mustangs' last postseason win was 83-75 over Notre Dame in the first round of the 1988 NCAA Championship in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Mustangs were a No. 7 seed and Notre Dame was a No. 10 seed in the East Region. SMU is 10-15 all-time in postseason play. DOHERTY IN THE POSTSEASON: Matt Doherty is making his fourth postseason as a head coach and has a 7-3 record in two NITs and an NCAA appearance. He led Notre Dame to the NIT championship game in 2000, took North Carolina to the NCAA second round in 2001, and then led UNC to the NIT quarterfinal round in 2003. He also made seven NCAA trips as an assistant coach at Kansas, including the 1993 Final Four. POSTSEASON HONORS: Senior forward Papa Dia was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the All-Conference USA First Team, C-USA All-Defensive Team and NABC All-District First Team. Junior forward Robert Nyakundi was selected to the 2011 All-Conference USA Third Team. This is the second straight season SMU has had multiple All-Conference selections. Dia is the first Mustang to earn first-team honors since Quinton Ross in 2002-03 and the first to earn league defensive player of the year since Jon Koncak in 1984-85. Senior guard Collin Mangrum was selected to the Conference USA All-Academic Team. ALL-C-USA & NABC ALL-DISTRICT HONOREE Papa Dia: C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, All-C-USA First Team, C-USA All-Defensive Team and NABC All-District 11 First Team...Three C-USA Player of the Week Awards (Nov. 15-21, Jan. 10-16, Jan. 17-23). He is fourth in C-USA in scoring (18.6), third in rebounds (9.2), first in blocked shots (2.2) and second in double-doubles (14). He leads C-USA and is 18th in the NCAA in field goal percentage (57.8). In C-USA games, Dia averaged 20.0 points (2nd in C-USA), 9.6 rebounds (2nd) and 2.9 blocks (1st) while hitting 55.9 percent from the field (1st). ALL-C-USA HONOREE Robert Nyakundi: Named third-team All-C-USA...Ranks 11th in C-USA in scoring (14.8), first in C-USA and 23rd in the NCAA for 3FGs per game (2.9), and first in C-USA and second in the NCAA in 3FG percentage (.484, 89-184). He set the C-USA record for 3-point percentage in league play at 54.3 (44-81). He also ranks third in C-USA in FT percentage (.895, 68-76) and is second at SMU in career FT percentage (.877, 114-130). His 89 3-pointers this season is the most all-time in a season at SMU. LAST GAME (March 9 - L, 58-57 vs. Rice in C-USA 1st Rnd): EL PASO, Texas (AP) - Arsalan Kazemi had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Rice held off SMU in the final moments for a 58-57 victory in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. Connor Frizzelle had 12 points and Tamir Jackson 11 for the 10th-seeded Owls (14-17), who advance to play No. 2 seed Tulsa in a quarterfinal contest on Thursday. Papa Dia had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Mustangs (17-14), who beat Rice twice during the regular season. Collin Mangrum scored 12 points and Jeremiah Samarrippas 11. Mangrum's jumper got SMU within a point with 33 seconds left, and his steal from Frizzelle gave the Mustangs an opportunity to take the last shot. After a timeout, SMU bled the clock to a second, when Robert Nyakundi's long jumper missed. Nyakundi, who averaged 27.5 points and made 11 of 17 3-point tries against the Owls during the regular season, was held to five on Wednesday on 2 of 7 shooting. THE SERIES VS. ORAL ROBERTS (6-1): SMU and Oral Roberts are meeting for the eighth time, with SMU leading the series 6-1. The Mustangs won the first six matchups and hold a 3-0 mark at Moody. The teams last met Dec. 4, 2002, as the Golden Eagles beat the Ponies 75-62 in Tulsa. LAST MEETING VS. ORAL ROBERTS: (Dec. 4, 2002 - L, 75-62 at ORU): DALLAS (SMU) -- The SMU Mustangs fell, 75-62, to 5-0 host Oral Roberts on Wednesday, Dec. 4, to fall to 2-2 on the young season. SMU jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, but the lead would be short lived as the Golden Eagles rallied to take a 10-point halftime lead at 36-26. ORU managed to hold off the Ponies in the second half, even extending their lead to 24 points at 71-47 before SMU closed the gap to 13 for the final margin. Quinton Ross again led the SMU attack with 20 points, while sophomore Patrick Simpson posted 16 points and six boards. TEAM NOTES 20/20: The Mustangs have had two players with at least 20 points seven times this year and are 5-2 in those games; Papa Dia & Robert Nyakundi (5-1), Papa Dia & Justin Haynes (0-1). 70+: SMU is 9-1 when scoring at least 70 points this year and 32-14 in such games under Doherty. SMU is 15-3 this season when holding its opponent under 70 points. ASSISTANCE: SMU is averaging 14.2 assists (3rd in C-USA), up from 10.7 last year...the squad also has a 1.0 assist/turnover ratio (5th in C-USA) after a 0.8 ratio a year ago...In C-USA games, SMU finished 2nd in the league with 14.4 assists per game. The Mustangs led C-USA with assists on 63.8% of FGs in C-USA games (UTEP 2nd at 60.5%). BUZZER-BEATER: Robert Nyakundi hit a left-corner 3-pointer off a pass from Jeremiah Samarrippas with 1.1 seconds left at Tulsa for the 59-58 win on Jan. 26. It was the first buzzer-beating win for the Mustangs since Dez Willingham hit a left-wing 3-pointer as time expired in a 64-62 victory at TCU on Dec. 21, 2006. COMEBACK: SMU overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Memphis 64-58 on Jan. 12. SMU also overcame 13-point deficits in the 46-41 win against East Carolina on Feb. 2 and a 59-58 victory at Tulsa on Jan. 26. The Mustangs have nine double-digit comebacks under Doherty. C-USA FIRSTS: The Mustangs have won eight games for the first time in C-USA (won 7 in 2009-10). SMU also won five straight league games (Jan. 22 to Feb. 9) for the first time since joining C-USA. (The 5-game streak matches the longest since 1999-00 in the Western Athletic Conference.) SMU also went on the road for two consecutive league games and won both for the first time in C-USA, winning 59-58 at Tulsa on Jan. 26 and 75-68 at Rice on Jan. 29. (The last time SMU swept a two-game league road-trip was 2002-03 in the Western Athletic Conference.) DEFENSE-DEFENSE: SMU is leading C-USA and is 27th in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing 61.5 points per game. SMU is also led C-USA in scoring defense in league games at 62.4. The Mustangs finished 3rd in C-USA last season, allowing just 64.5 points per contest. DOUBLE-DOUBLE: The Mustangs are 10-6 this season when an SMU player has a double-double; Papa Dia (8-6), Robert Nyakundi (2-0) FG PERCENTAGE: The Mustangs are 15-6 when shooting a higher percentage and 2-8 when shooting a lower percentage than their opponent...SMU is 8-3 when shooting 50 percent or better. FREE THROWS: SMU leads C-USA and is 26th in the NCAA in FT percentage (.755)...that is up from .700 last year and near the school record of .769 in 1961-62. Robert Nyakundi is 3rd in C-USA (.895) and Papa Dia is 11th in C-USA (.771). HOME SWEET HOME: The Mustangs are 13-6 at home this season. That is the most home wins since 1999-00 (13-2) and is tied for second most home wins in a season (15-1 in 1984-85) LONG RANGE: SMU leads C-USA and is 20th in the NCAA in 3-point field goals per game (8.2). NCAA IMPROVEMENT: The Mustangs average rank is 132.0 in the 18 NCAA team categories. That includes five top-20 rankings. The average is up from 181.1 last season. There are 336 teams ranked this season. NOT FOUR FREE: SMU went 4-4 on free throws in the 59-58 win at Tulsa. It was the fewest free throws attempted by SMU since going 2-2 at Rice in a 66-64 overtime loss on Dec. 30, 2004. The Mustangs also shot just 5 FTs (4-5) at UTEP on Feb. 12. Conversely, SMU hit 32 of 38 free throws in the 76-66 overtime win against Rice. NOTHING E-C-4-U: SMU held East Carolina to 25.5 percent (12-47) from the field on Feb. 2. ECU didn't score a field goal in the last 14:02 of the game as SMU overcame a 13-point deficit in the 46-41 win. It was the lowest shooting percentage all-time by an SMU opponent in a Conference USA game. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY: SMU hit 23-36 FGs (63.9%) in a 66-61 win over Tulane 2/9. The 36 FG attempts was the lowest for SMU since hitting 11-36 (30.6%) in a 53-48 win over Dayton on Nov. 18, 2006. SCORING ENOUGH TO WIN: SMU rallied from a 13-point deficit to defeat East Carolina 46-41 on Feb. 2. It was the fewest points for SMU in a win since a 44-38 victory over Texas A&M on Feb. 11, 1992. SHARP-SHOOTERS: The Mustangs are 1st in C-USA and 26th in the NCAA in FT percentage (.755), 1st in C-USA and 7th in the NCAA in FG percentage (.483), and 1st in C-USA and 12th in the NCAA in 3FG percentage (.398). Those are all improvements over last season when SMU was .700 at the FT line (137th in NCAA), .457 on FGs (61st in NCAA), and .358 on 3FGs (120th in NCAA). SMU also led C-USA in FG percentage in league play (.493)...SHOOTING RECORDS: Twice this season, SMU has shot better that the previous school record of 69.4%. The Mustangs hit 72.3% in a 102-70 win against Lamar on Nov. 21 then 69.8% in a 79-65 victory over Southern Miss on Jan. 22. The two performances this year are the best among C-USA teams this season. TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: SMU went 6-0 in C-USA when having fewer turnovers than its opponent and 2-8 when having more turnovers that its opposition. INDIVIDUAL NOTES: Rodney Clinkscales: Has made a career-high 35 3-pointers (27 in 2009-10)...averaging 5.4 points...shooting 40.7% on 3FG percentage (35-86). Papa Dia: Team tri-captain...All-Conference USA First Team, C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, All-C-USA Defensive Team, Preseason All-C-USA, C-USA Player of the Week 3 times (Nov. 15-21, Jan. 10-16, Jan. 17-23), SMU Invitational MVP (Nov. 19-21)...has 14 double-doubles this season (2nd C-USA) and 27 for his career...ranks 4th in C-USA with a career-high 18.6 points, 3rd in C-USA in rebounds (9.2), 1st in C-USA and 18th in the NCAA in FG percentage (.578), 11th in C-USA in FT percentage (.771), and 1st in C-USA for blocked shots (2.2)...he has scored at least 20 points 15 times and has at least 8 rebounds 25 times...CAREER CLIMBER: Dia ranks 12th at SMU in points (1375), 5th in rebounds (862), 5th in blocked shots (133), 13th in FGs (524), 10th in FG% (51.6), T-13th in FTs (214), 5th in games played (120), 8th in games started (95)...SEASON CHARTS: 7th in scoring (577), 9th in rebounds (286), 5th in rebounds (68), 14th in FGs (218), 7th in FG% (57.8)...CONSECUTIVE C-USA POTW: Dia earned C-USA Player of the Week on Jan. 17 and Jan. 24, and is the first Mustang to earn consecutive awards since 2004-05 (Bryan Hopkins Dec. 20, Dec. 27 in the WAC)...FIRST TEAM: Dia is the first All-Conference first team selection for SMU since Quinton Ross in 2002-03...DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dia is the second Mustang to earn this honor; the other was Jon Koncak in the Southwest Conference in 1984-85...PAPA SAID BLOCK YOUR SHOT: Has a career-high 68 blocked shots this season, which is 5th in a season at SMU...had a career-high 7 against Houston 1/15, which was also the most by anyone in a C-USA league game this season. Ryan Harp: Team tri-captain...started 8 games...averaging 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes. JUSTIN HAYES: Started 13 games...hitting .598 (55-92) on FGs this year after .609 (67-110) last season...he is averaging 4.6 points...scored a career-high 21 points at Tulane 1/8. Collin Mangrum: Conference USA All-Academic Team...Has started the last 15 games...averaging 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds...in C-USA games, he averaged 7.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals (T14th C-USA) while shooting .449 (48-107) on FGs...had a season-high 15 points in the wins over Memphis 1/12 and Southern Miss 1/22. Robert Nyakundi: All-Conference USA Third Team...Has an SMU record 89 3-pointers this year...has at least 15 points 17 times and at least 20 points 10 times...he is 11th in C-USA in scoring (14.8), 1st in C-USA and 23rd in the NCAA for 3FGs per game (2.9) and 1st in C-USA and 2nd in the NCAA in 3FG percentage (.484, 89-184)...he is 3rd in C-USA in FT percentage (.895, 68-76)...he is 2nd all-time career FT percentage for SMU (.877, 114-130)...RECORD SETTER: He set a new C-USA record by hitting 54.3% on 3-pointers in league play (44-81)...BUZZER-BEATER: Nyakundi hit a left-corner 3-pointer off a pass from Jeremiah Samarrippas with 1.1 seconds left at Tulsa for the 59-58 win on Jan. 26...CAREER DAY: Had career-highs of 29 points and 7 3-pointers (7-11) with 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the 75-68 win at Rice 1/29. Jeremiah Samarrippas: Started 26 games as a freshman...averaging 7.4 points, 3.6 assists (8th C-USA), and 1.3 steals (12th C-USA)...ranks 8th in C-USA with a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio (111 ast / 69 to)...In C-USA games, he finished T-7th in assists (3.8), 8th in assist/turnover ratio (1.5, 61 ast / 42 to) and 7th in steals (1.6)...had a season-high 9 assists with 1 turnover in the win against Southern Miss 1/22....had a career-high 6 steals against Tulsa 2/19...OVERTIME: Had 10 points, including 8 in the extra period, as SMU defeated Rice 76-66 on Feb. 23. Mike Walker: Team tri-captain...has started 26 games this year...averaging a career-best 6.8 points (5.4 in 2007-08)...is shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range (39-104)...CLUTCH FINISH: Had 5 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer, in the final 2:35 of the 46-41 win over East Carolina 2/2. MILESTONES: SMU Career Points: Papa Dia is 12th 1375 (11th Stephen Woods 1443) SMU Career Rebounds: Papa Dia is 5th 862 (4th Larry Davis 889, 3rd Jeryl Sasser 976, 2nd Ira Terrell 1077, 1st Jon Koncak 1169) SMU Career Blocks: Papa Dia is 5th 133 (4th Patrick Simpson 151, 3rd Ira Terrell 169, 2nd Bamba Fall 245, 1st Jon Koncak 278) SMU Career 3FGM: Mike Walker is 8th 126 (7th Jeryl Sasser 133, 6th Chad Allen 161, 4th Quinton Ross 170) Robert Nyakundi is 4th 175 (3rd Troy Matthews 220, 2nd Bryan Hopkins 256, 1st Stephen Wood 273) SMU Career FT%: Robert Nyakundi is 2nd 87.7 (114-130) (1st Eric Longino 88.4 (99-112), 3rd Charles Beasley 83.9 (270-322)) SMU Season 3FGM: Robert Nyakundi is 1st 89 (record was 84 by Bryan Hopkins in 2003-04) STREAKS: 10+points: Papa Dia 19 (18, 14, 20, 22, 23, 16, 23, 19, 19, 13, 24, 18, 27, 18, 20, 21, 18, 19, 22), Collin Mangrum 2 (14, 12), Jeremiah Samarrippas (11) 8+ rebounds: Papa Dia 6 (8, 13, 12, 9, 8, 15) Dbl-Dbl: Papa Dia (22 pts, 15 rebs) 5+ assists: 3+ steals: 2+ blocks: SMU RECORDS: Additions to the SMU record book this season TEAM POINTS IN OVERTIME - 19 Rice 2/23 - 1st (W ot, 76-66) FG PCT - 72.3 (34-47) Lamar 11/21 - 1st - 69.8 (30-43) Southern Miss 1/22 - 2nd (1st in a C-USA game) 3FGM - 16 (16-37) UC Riverside 11/20 - 1st - 13 (13-26) Wayland Baptist 11/24 - T-5th 3FGA - 37 (16-37) UC Riverside 11/20 - 1st 3FG PCT - 66.7 (12-18) Southern Miss 1/22 - 3rd - 60.0 (9-15) Lamar 11/21 - 5th INDIVIDUAL 3FGM - Robert Nyakundi 7 (7-11) at Rice 1/29 - T-2nd (T-1st C-USA games) 3FGA - Rodney Clinkscales 13 (6-13) UC Riverside 11/20 - T-7th - Robert Nyakundi 13 (3-13) at Louisiana Tech 12/1 - T-7th FT% - Robert Nyakundi 100 (10-10) SE Missouri St 12/29 - T-1st BLOCKED SHOTS - Papa Dia 7 Houston 1/15 - T-3rd HONORS: 2010-11 NABC All-District 11: Papa Dia (1st Team) C-USA Defensive Player of the Year & C-USA All-Defensive Team: Papa Dia All C-USA: Papa Dia (1st Team), Robert Nyakundi (3rd Team) C-USA All-Academic Team: Collin Mangrum NetScoutsBasketball.com International Player of the Week: Papa Dia (Feb. 14-20) NetScoutsBasketball.com C-USA Player of the Week: Papa Dia (Feb. 12-18) NetScoutsBasketball.com C-USA Player of the Week: Papa Dia (Jan. 22-28) C-USA Player of the Week: Papa Dia (Jan. 17-23) C-USA Player of the Week: Papa Dia (Jan. 10-16) C-USA Player of the Week: Papa Dia (Nov. 15-21) SMU Invitational All-Tournament Team: Papa Dia (MVP), Robert Nyakundi Preseason All-Conference USA - USA Today: Papa Dia Preseason All-Conference USA - Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook: Papa Dia Preseason All-Conference USA - Athlon Sports: Papa Dia Preseason All-Conference USA - C-USA Coaches: Papa Dia (Second Team) Preseason All-Conference USA - Lindy's College Basketball: Papa Dia (Second Team) 2009-10 (Returnees Only) All-Conference USA - Papa Dia (Third Team) 2008-09 (Returnees Only) C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll - Tomasz Kwiatkowski 2007-08 (Returnees Only) Conference USA All-Freshman - Papa Dia Papa Dia - NABC ALL-DISTRICT 11: SMU senior forward Papa Dia was selected to the 2011 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District First Team. Papa Dia - CONFERENCE USA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: SMU senior forward Papa Dia was selected the 2011 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the C-USA All-Defensive Team as voted by the C-USA head coaches and media. Dia led Conference USA in blocked shots in C-USA games (2.9). He had multiple blocked shots in 13 of 16 C-USA contests. His seven blocked shots against Houston on Jan. 15 are the most in a league game this season while his six blocks at Tulsa on Jan. 26 tied for second. Dia anchors a Mustang squad that leads the league in scoring defense. Papa Dia & Robert Nyakundi - ALL-CONFERENCE USA: SMU senior forward Papa Dia and junior forward Robert Nyakundi were named to the 2011 All-Conference USA Team. Dia is a first-team selection while Nyakundi was selected to the third team. This is the second straight season SMU has had multiple All-Conference selections. Dia and Derek Williams were third-team honorees last season. Dia is the first Mustang to earn first-team honors since Quinton Ross in 2002-03. Collin Mangrum - C-USA ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: SMU senior Collin Mangrum has been named to the 2011 Conference USA Men's Basketball All-Academic Team for his achievements in the classroom and on the court. Mangrum as well as four juniors were represented on the honorary list, where nominees must hold a minimum 3.2 GPA, be a starter or key reserve for their team and be of sophomore academic standing. SMU senior Collin Mangrum rounds out the 2011 All-Academic team with a 3.850 GPA. Pursuing his Masters in Dispute Resolution. Papa Dia - SELECTED FOR PORTSMOUTH INVITATIONAL: SMU senior forward Papa Dia has been selected for the 59th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament from April 6-9 in Portsmouth, Va. Dia will be one of just 64 college seniors to participate in the event. Fifty-seven former P.I.T. players are on NBA rosters with many others in the top leagues in Europe. The event is attended by over 200 representatives from all 30 NBA teams and over 100 International Professional League Scouts. The P.I.T. is the only post-season event for college seniors prior to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp and the only post-season event to include game competition. Papa Dia - C-USA CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK (JAN. 17-23): Dia averaged 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in games against UAB and Southern Miss to repeat as C-USA Player of the Week. Dia tallied 23 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and was 10-of-10 on field goals in the 79-65 win over Southern Miss Saturday. He is just the second player in C-USA history to record 10 made field goals without a miss. In the second half, Dia shot 7-of-7 to total 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks as SMU pulled away. SMU shot 69.8 percent from the floor against the Golden Eagles, a performance that ranks second in SMU history and second by any C-USA team in a conference game. At UAB, Dia had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks as he tallied his fourth straight double-double. This is his third Player of the Week honor this season and for his career. Dia is the first Mustang to earn consecutive conference Player of the Week awards since 2004-05 (Bryan Hopkins Dec. 20, Dec. 27 in the WAC). Papa Dia - C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK (JAN. 10-16): SMU senior forward Papa Dia was named the C-USA Player of the Week. Dia averaged 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals in games against Memphis and Houston. Dia had double-doubles in both games as he hit 60 percent from the floor (15-25) and 83.3 percent on free throws (15-18). Against Houston, he scored 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked a career-high seven shots. The seven blocks was also an SMU record in a C-USA game. In the 64-58 win against Memphis, he had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Dia also hit 5-of-6 free throws and grabbed two rebounds in the final 32 seconds to help seal the victory. Papa Dia - C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK (NOV. 15-21): SMU senior forward Papa Dia was named the C-USA Player of the Week. Dia averaged 18.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 71.8 percent (28-39) from the field in four games. He was named MVP of the SMU Invitational as he helped the Mustangs win the event. For the tournament, he averaged 20.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 assists and a steal. He finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds in a 102-70 win against Lamar. He also had 20 points and nine rebounds in a 69-53 victory over Portland State. This is his first career Player of the Week honor. WILLIAMS JOINS MUSTANGS: Shawn Williams joined the SMU men's basketball team when he enrolled at SMU on Jan. 11. Williams, a 6-7, 225-lb. forward, arrives at SMU from Texas, where he played in seven of the Longhorns' first eight games in 2009-10 before missing the remainder of the season with an ankle injury. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he will have to sit out one academic year and can become eligible when grades are posted at the end of the Fall 2011 semester. He will have three years of eligibility remaining. Williams was ranked the No. 46 prospect nationally and the No. 2 prospect in the state coming out of high school in 2009. He was also named the 2009 Dallas Morning News Area Player of the Year. In his sophomore season (2006-07), Williams led Duncanville to a 39-0 record, the Class 5A state title and the mythical high school national championship. PATSEVICH MAKES DEBUT ON JAN. 26: SMU junior guard Aliaksei Patsevich made his debut for SMU at Tulsa. Patsevich was cleared to practice by the NCAA beginning Dec. 22 after resolving issues relating to his amateur status. He has 3 points and a steal in 12 minutes in the 59-58 win at Tulsa. Patsevich played 28 games last season at Collin County CC, averaging 10.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 35 percent from 3-point range. ALBON HEAD HONORED WITH SAM AWARD: SMU alumnus Albon Head was honored with the Silver Anniversary Mustang Award at the Jan. 22 game against Southern Miss. Head played football at SMU from 1966-68 including the 1966 SWC Championship and 1968 Bluebonnet Bowl victory when he served as co-captain. From 1968-70, Head served as a graduate assistant coach of freshman and scout team defensive backs. He earned a Bachelor's in History in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from the Dedman School of Law in 1971. He is a past chairman of the SMU Alumni Association and ex officio member of the SMU Board of Trustees. Head is an executive board member of the SMU Dedman School of Law and SMU-in-Taos, and is the chairman of the SMU Athletic Forum & Doak Walker Award. Head is a partner in the Jackson Walker L.L.P. Fort Worth office. In the community, he is the vice chairman of The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate. He is also a board member for the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, Fort Worth Sister Cities International and Downtown Fort Worth Inc. The annual award, which was initiated in 1991, is the most prestigious award given by the Lettermen's Association. To be selected as the SAM Award winner, an individual must have graduated from SMU at least 25 years ago and have made significant, positive and lasting impact on his/her community. SUCCESS ON THE HILLTOP: - The SMU football team finished 7-7 after a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to Army in the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. It is the second straight bowl for SMU after a 45-10 win over Nevada in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl. This season also saw SMU win the Conference USA West Division for the second straight season and make its first trip to the C-USA Championship game, falling 17-7 at UCF on Dec. 4. - The women's tennis team is ranked No. 35 in the ITA entering the spring season. Junior Marta Lesniak is ranked No. 8. The squad has made the second round of the NCAA each of the past two seasons and won the 2009 C-USA title. - The No. 5 seed SMU men's soccer team (16-2-2) tied No. 4 seed North Carolina in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship on Dec. 3. The Tar Heels advanced to the College Cup with a 4-2 edge in the penalty kick shootout. SMU also won the C-USA regular-season title. - The SMU volleyball team (25-6, 17-3 C-USA) finished second in Conference USA and set a school record for wins. The Mustangs had an RPI of 47 and were the highest rated team to miss NCAA selection. TV TIME: SMU, CBS College Sports Network and Time Warner Cable reached an agreement to televise 17 SMU basketball games on The Texas Channel. Time Warner Sports will carry 10 men's games and seven women's games. The television schedule begins with a doubleheader on Dec. 4 when the women host Kansas at 2 p.m. and the men face Grambling State at 5 p.m. The SMU men's basketball matchups on The Texas Channel include all eight home Conference USA contests - Memphis, Houston, Southern Miss, East Carolina, Tulane, Tulsa, Rice, and UTEP. The Texas Channel will also carry the men's game at UTEP on Feb. 12. SMU INVITATIONAL CHAMPS: The Mustangs won the SMU Invitational played Nov. 19-21. SMU finished 2-1 in the tournament; defeating Portland State 69-53 and Lamar 102-70. Portland State also finished 2-1, giving SMU the tiebreaker. SMU's loss came in overtime, 73-69 against UC Riverside. Papa Dia was named tournament MVP and Robert Nyakundi made the all-tournament team. The Mustangs established three school records, including a school-best 72.3 FG percentage (34-47) against Lamar and records for 3-pointers made (16) and attempted (37) against UC Riverside. THE BIG PICTURE (NOTES ENTERING THE 2010-11 SEASON) ALL-CONFERENCE USA: Papa Dia and Derek Williams were selected to the 2010 All-Conference USA Third Team. It was the first time SMU has had multiple All-Conference selections since the 2001-02 season (Damon Hancock 1st team, Quinton Ross 2nd team in WAC). CAPTAINS: Coach Matt Doherty named seniors Papa Dia, Ryan Harp and Mike Walker as team captains on Nov. 11. C-USA BEST: The Mustangs went 7-9 in C-USA last season to finish with its most wins (7), best finish (tied for 7th) and best seed (No. 8) since joining C-USA for the 2005-06 season. SMU also recorded its first C-USA wins over Memphis and Houston. COACHES VS. CANCER: THe Mustangs participated in the Coaches vs. Cancer® Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, Jan. 28-30, as basketball coaches nationwide wore sneakers with their suits to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society and its vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Coaches vs. Cancer is a collaborative initiative of the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers coaches, their teams and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The Mustangs wore sneakers at Rice on Jan. 29. (W, 75-68) DEFENSE: In 2009-10, SMU finished second in C-USA for scoring defense in league play at 61.0. That is the best for SMU since holding opponents to 60.9 points per outing in 1958-59. SMU has held its C-USA opponents to an average of 11.9 points below their scoring average (entering that game). Only three C-USA opponents reached their scoring average. FUTURE - NLIs: Head Coach Matt Doherty announced that four student-athletes signed National Letters-of-Intent to play for the Mustangs beginning with the 2011-12 season. The class includes Cannen Cunningham, a four-star 6-8 center from Lamar High School in Arlington; Jalen Jones, a 6-6 three-star guard from Kimball High School in Dallas; Eric Norman, a two-star 6-6 forward from Francis W. Parker School in San Diego; and Ryan Manuel, a 6-4 three-star guard from Fort Bend Austin High School in Houston. - "Overall, this is one of the best recruiting classes SMU has had in recent history," says Doherty. "I am thrilled with this group of young men. By adding this class with last year's class, we have a foundation that will translate into success on the court for years to come." NEW ASSISTANTS: The Mustangs have two new assistant coaches in Larry Mangino and Jerry Hobbie. Mangino enters SMU with 24 years of collegiate coaching experience. He spent the last two years in player development for the Denver Nuggets after a seven-year stretch at the Air Force Academy. Hobbie comes to the Hilltop with 12 years in collegiate coaching. He spent the previous three years at Houston, making the postseason each year including the 2010 NCAA Tournament. NBA: For the third season, the NBA's Dallas Mavericks held training camp at SMU's Crum Basketball Center. NCAA SELECTION: SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini is a member of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee, receiving a five-year appointment that began Sept. 1, 2010. The 10-member committee consists of athletics directors and commissioners of Division I member institutions and conferences, and oversees administration of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, including the selection, seeding and bracketing of teams for the tournament. The committee is the primary NCAA contact with CBS Sports, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and other key basketball organizations. Committee members oversee selected preliminary round sites, as well as the Final Four, and assign officiating crews for each game of the championship. The committee also serves as stewards for the good of the game, monitoring and taking action as appropriate regarding issues affecting college basketball. NEXT LEVEL: The last three seniors from SMU are playing professionally. Two are in the NBA D-League: Bamba Fall (Reno Bighorns) and Mouhammad Faye (Rio Grande Valley Vipers). Derek Williams is playing in Latvia. PRESEASON HONORS: Papa Dia was selected preseason All-Conference USA by Blue Ribbon College Yearbook and All-C-USA second-team by the league's coaches. Last year, he led the team and was fifth in C-USA in rebounds (8.6) while also ranking second on the team and 17th in C-USA in scoring (12.3). Additionally, Dia finished fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.544), sixth in free throw percentage (.800) and sixth in blocked shots (1.2). In C-USA games, he averaged 13.9 points (13th C-USA), 9.1 rebounds (4th C-USA), and 1.4 blocks (4th C-USA). He had 10 double-doubles for the season. SENIORS: SMU has six seniors this season with Papa Dia, Ryan Harp, Tomasz Kwiatkowski, Myles Luttman, Collin Mangrum and Mike Walker. Dia, Harp, Kwiatkowski, and Walker are the first four-year student-athletes for Coach Matt Doherty. SMU had just two seniors in 2009-10 (Mouhammad Faye, Derek Williams) and one in 2008-09 (Bamba Fall). SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT: SMU improved statistically in league play in 15 of 20 categories kept by C-USA. STAYING AT HOME: The Mustangs play an SMU-record 19 home games at Moody Coliseum in 2010-11. HEAD COACH Matt Doherty...is in his 10th season as a head coach and his fifth season at SMU. This is his 20th season in collegiate coaching with eight NCAA Tournaments, seven conference titles, a Final Four appearance and the 2001 AP National Coach of the Year award. He also has 22 players that have gone to the NBA. He has a 154-160 record including a 64-89 mark on the Hilltop.
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