Sometimes a team has a night where everything just seems to go right. The Mustangs have not had many of those nights this season, as they are still learning to play a new type of basketball under a new coach. But SMU’s performance against McNeese State should serve as an encouraging sign that the Mustangs are going in the right direction.
SMU reminded everyone just how potent its offense can be when things are clicking. The Mustangs overwhelmed the Cowboys with their best shooting night of the year en route to a 92-56 victory.
SMU head coach Tim Jankovich said during the postgame press conference that the Mustangs’ sharpness on offense was partially due to a great week of practice. With a full week off, his players were able to get some good reps in the gym despite their looming final exams.
“My experience has been that rarely happens,” Jankovich said postgame. “Guys are kind of fried mentally and they usually don’t come in with a lot of energy. But I really liked our week, and so I’m not surprised we played well because we’ve been practicing well.”
What did SMU do well? Put the ball in the hole. For a team with great shooters, the Mustangs have seemed hesitant to shoot the ball this season, favoring post scoring instead. Not Wednesday night.
SMU shot 50 percent from the field and 52 percent from deep. All five starters scored in double figures.
Shake Milton lead at the point, but also found lots of success playing off the ball like he did last season. Milton shot 60 percent (6-10) from the field and 80 percent (4-5) from beyond the arc, not missing a three-pointer until 9:06 remained in the game. Milton finished with 17 points.
“My teammates kept finding me,” Milton said postgame. “I just wasn’t going to hesitate.”
Jankovich is also pleased with Milton’s performance.
“He’s been looking good,” Jankovich said. “I want him on the ball and I want him off the ball.”
Forward Semi Ojeleye played like a guard Wednesday night, shooting 57 percent from deep and scoring the Mustangs’ first nine points with consecutive three-balls. Ojeleye finished with 16 points, his tenth double-digit scoring performance of the season.
Playing small, Ben Moore, Sterling Brown, and Jarrey Foster were very active under the basket for SMU. Moore and Foster combined for 28 points on 59 percent shooting from the field with Brown adding 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. SMU outscored McNeese 40-14 in the paint.
With the announced departure of Australian freshman Harry Froling earlier this week, SMU’s young bench did not hesitate to absorb his minutes. Ben Emelogu played 20 minutes, finishing with 9 points and 6 assists. Freshman guards Dashawn McDowell and Tom Wilson also saw more time, combining for 10 points on the night.
Jankovich said he looks forward to finding more solidified roles for his freshman in SMU’s new “interchangeable parts” brand of offense. As his younger players become more comfortable, Jankovich said their contributions will become greater. He hopes all of his players progress and play more.
“You earn your minutes,” Jankovich said. “They’re not handed to you. When you start handing out minutes, you’re getting ready to have a bad situation.”
