Forget Topping 2023 Wins, SMU's Potential Much Bigger

Lanier has built Mustangs into NCAA Tournament quality team that is going to make a lot of noise

GREENVILLE, N.C. – It took a few minutes to warm up after having to sit on a last second road loss to No. 13 Memphis for a week, but SMU showed why its a legit contender for an NCAA Tournament berth and the AAC championship in a 75-64 road victory over East Carolina.

The win guarantees the Ponies will have more wins than Lanier's first season on the Hilltop, but he was very clear in the postgame conversation that's not something he's willing to talk about. Getting to 11 wins was never the goal when he assembled this team. The focus is clearly getting into the NCAA Tournament and making a lot of noise once there. 

The ingredients are assembled. The Mustangs have a bevy of quick guards who can get hot from almost anywhere on the floor. They also have plenty of length inside with sturdy weight that can move defenders on the block while also generating a solid wall on defense.

Most importantly, Lanier has been able to develop this team with each game, which has helped it grow into a dangerous foe. He has started the same line-up for 14 consecutive games, allowing chemistry and confidence to build to its fullest. 

The team that nearly took down Memphis in a crazy, hostile environment last week and easily dispatched of Charlotte and East Carolina is not the same team that fought a tight game 80% of the way against a group of Texas A&M Aggies that stunned Kentucky Saturday afternoon. For starters, SMU is tougher both physically and mentally. 

"It was a game [against East Carolina] that was going to require a level of toughness because they are a tough team," Lanier said. "It was it was a conference game against a good team that's well coached. That's a good defensive team, and I was just really proud of that. We could have finished it a little bit better, but but I was really proud of the toughness that we exhibited."

It was a toughness that held the team together after Memphis made its run last week. Against so many other name teams, the Tigers have made a big run and pushed past opponents. However, the Mustangs held Memphis scoreless for 3:50 of the last 3:53 to give SMU a chance to pull the upset. That's a championship mentality.

There's also a maturity about SMU that wasn't there when the season started. For guard Zurich Phelps, NBA scouts need to see a little improvement in shooting from long range, but also want to see him adapt a professional approach to his mental game. That's exactly what they're getting.

"Tremendous demeanor tonight," Lanier said. "Tremendous demeanor. One time I took him out the game [against ECU} and I thought he was upset about coming out and I just spoke to him about the rotation. And he said, 'No, I'm good. We should have got the stop on those last couple of possessions. Don't worry about me. I'm good.' I needed that."

However, the two things that make the Mustangs dangerous come March is their consistency on defense and that teams can't shut down a single player offensively and take SMU out of the game. The Ponies held Memphis to 17 points below its average. Saturday night, the Mustangs held the Pirates to 2-of-17 from beyond the arc, blocked eight shots and came away with eight steals. Phelps' three steals move him up to No. 15 all-time in school history.

Over the past six games, SMU has had five players lead in scoring, none of which repeated in back-to-back games. Against East Carolina, 10 Mustangs put points on the board. On both ends of the floor, the Ponies are simply a preparation nightmare. In an NCAA Tournament scenario, which severely limits how much work opponents can put in, they will be almost impossible to properly scout on short notice.

Of course, there's the business of putting together enough wins to get there. Tulane narrowly missed getting into the tournament field last season, but didn't have the schedule SMU has and only bagged 20 wins. 

The Mustangs have at least 15 more games without assuming a win in the AAC Tournament. Winning 12 would likely make them a lock, especially if one were over Memphis or Florida Atlantic. Getting 11 would probably be a ticket in also with the right combination of wins. 

It's a far cry from where SMU was at this time last season. Then again, Lanier doesn't like anyone talking about that. It's simply not an accomplishment he sees worth acknowledging by a team this talented that has come so far.

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