Inside The Mustangs

SMU Basketball Coach Running Insane Schedule This Week

Rob Lanier's free time limited with three games in four days, national signing day, plus prep for huge showdown with Texas A&M at Moody Coliseum

Kent Smith

SMU Basketball Coach Running Insane Schedule This Week
SMU Basketball Coach Running Insane Schedule This Week /
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DALLAS – It's been a busy week for SMU head basketball coach Rob Lanier.

Tonight he leads the Mustangs against Western Illinois as part of a series of three games over four days with a college basketball signing day sandwiched in the middle during which SMU is expected to officially land at least one signee in Dallas Carter 4-star power forward Chance Puryear. Factor in a need to keep an eye on Texas A&M, next week's big opponent in Moody Coliseum, and there's not a lot of breathing room.

It also isn't helping that he has a need to go back a review a few lessons in practice he didn't expect would need to be covered this first week. Lanier recruited a team that statistically should shoot well from the floor, but a 42% shooting night from the floor where most of the scoring came inside because of the ice cold 2-for-18 performance from beyond the arc raised concerns he hopes are simply first game jitters.

"We're a much better offensive team than we showed tonight, so I'm not as concerned about that," Lanier said. "In a way, I'm really excited the game went the way it did. We need to be on edge. We need to compete harder. That's the identity this group has worked so hard this fall to establish. We got a little cool today and we can't afford to be cool."

There were also issues on defense. On paper it read like an old school church league game. The Assembly of God traveled across town to take on the Methodists.

Unfortunately for the SMU, Southwest Assembly of God University didn't come to play. The Lions came for a fight. Ignoring the story their NAIA status should have told, SAGU had the Mustangs on their heels from the opening tip, mostly in the form of guard CJ Hall who matched SMU's preseason All-AAC guard Zurich Phelps shot for shot as both closed the first half with 12 points each.

However, the Ponies came out with a different attitude on defense in the second half that proved to be the difference, holding the Lions to 29% after hitting 51% of their shots in the opening half. Phelps put up another dozen, but the SMU defense shut out Hall the rest of the game, allowing a 43-39 halftime lead to stretch to 20 with a few seconds left.

"We didn't play the best defense the first half," Phelps said. "I think we came in the second half with a little bit more energy on the defensive end. We still didn't play our best defense. We know we can play better. Him only scoring 12 points, and that was in the first half, I think that had to do a lot with us coming out with that energy."

Still, as the week plays out, Lanier made one thing clear. He's not looking for player revelations. He's looking for his team to listen so as much growth can take place as possible en route to Tuesday's measuring stick game with Texas A&M.

"I don't know if I'm gonna overhear any conversations," Lanier said. "I'm gonna be doing most of the talking these next couple of days. They're gonna be hearing from me. Today was evidence you've got to come out and get lost in every game. Everybody.

"College basketball is so much different these days. Taking anything for granted in today's game is just foolish. You have to play with a level of urgency and you have to remain on edge and that will be the message."

The Mustangs will follow up Wednesday night's game against Western Illinois with an in-state battle with Lamar Thursday. Tickets to Tuesday's game against the Aggies are pretty much gone, but if you and a friend would like to attend, we at allPonies.com are giving away a free pair of tickets. Information on how to win them is posted below.

PONY EXPRESS:

IT WASN'T PRETTY, BUT SMU SURVIVED RICE DESPITE LOSING STARTING QUARTERBACK

RICE PROVIDES RARE CHANCE FOR DEFENSE TO INCREASE ITS CREDIBILITY

PRESEASON GAMES DECREASE CHANCE SMU GETS UPSET IN BUSY WEEK LEADING UP TO SHOWDOWN WITH NO. 15 TEXAS A&M

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH