- Ky McKeon
Key Returners: Kendric Davis, Tyson Jolly, Feron Hunt, Emmanuel Bandoumel, Ethan Chargois, Isiah Jasey, CJ White
Key Losses: Isiaha Mike
Key Newcomers: Yor Anei (Oklahoma State)***, Darius McNeill (California), Darius McBride (Redshirt)
*** As of this preview date, Yor Anei has yet to receive a waiver to be immediately eligible
Lineup:
Outlook:
Since leading his Mustangs to a 30-5 (17-1) record in 2016-17 after taking over the reins from Larry Brown, Tim Jankovich has struggled. SMU is just 51-44 (21-33) over the past three seasons, leading some to question whether the right coach is in Dallas. In Jankovich’s defense, the Ponies have faced a plethora of injury issues over those three seasons but leaning on that as an excuse will only take you so far. This year appears to finally be the year in which SMU breaks through the chains of mediocrity and ascends back to the top of the AAC. Jankovich has plenty of depth and loses just one piece from a talented 2019-20 squad. If he can’t produce a winner with this roster, it wouldn’t shock me to see a change in leadership in 2021-22.
First, a rant about the NCAA willy-nilly transfer rule. SMU’s star PG Kendric Davis sat out the first four games of last season as the NCAA hemmed and hawed over whether he should receive a waiver to be immediately eligible following his transfer from TCU. Cal import Darius McNeill had to wait until JANUARY SEVENTH until he was officially ruled ineligible for the 2019-20 campaign, a full two months into the season. This is absolutely ridiculous. Decisions on eligibility should never bleed into the season, it just makes zero sense. End rant.
So, with all that B.S. behind, SMU now has its two stud transfers completely ready to go for 2020-21. Davis, a 3rd Team All-AAC honoree last year, is a legitimate AAC POY contender this season after being a role player for the Horned Frogs two years ago. One look at SMU’s splits with Davis on and off the court explains why:
Info per Hoop Lens
The 5’11” lead guard is a lightning bolt on the court and one of the best table setters in the country – in 2019-20 he ranked #1 in the AAC in assist rate and 11th in the nation. Davis uses his compact stature to his advantage, easily shrugging off defenders when driving the lane:
With one year in Dallas under his belt, Davis should explode in his junior season and have his Mustangs competing for a Tourney berth.
Though Jankovich brings nearly everyone back, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Darius McNeill in the starting five alongside Davis in the backcourt, forming a deadly dual-PG look. McNeill ranked 8th in the Pac 12 in minutes as a sophomore and 12th as a freshman, so it would be odd to see him take a significant minutes cut in the AAC. Whether he starts or not, one thing is certain – McNeill brings instant offense from the perimeter; he’s a career 35% three-point shooter and can score off the bounce. On the other end of the floor, the end where SMU needs the most help, McNeill can be an asset with his length and quickness.
Former Baylor Bear Tyson Jolly, another 3rd Team All-AAC member, has the starting 3-spot locked up after leading the Stangs in scoring a year ago. Jolly is deadly from deep, knocking down 38.2% of his 3P tries last year, and is one of the best wing rebounders in college basketball. Like Davis, having a season at SMU under his belt should do wonders for Jolly’s game in 2020-21. Former JUCO transfer Emmanuel Bandoumel will fight for starts with McNeill; he’s a hustle guy who started the final 14 games of the last season. CJ White, Charles Smith IV, and 3-star freshman Darius McBride will provide depth on the perimeter.
SMU’s riches don’t stop in the backcourt. Jankovich has three forwards at his disposal capable of starting and playing major minutes this season, four if OK State transfer Yor Anei is granted a waiver. Though the mid-summer departure of big man Isiaha Mike was a crushing blow, SMU should be just fine in the frontcourt on both ends of the court. 6’8” junior Feron Hunt is the best rebounder on the squad and functions more as a bruiser in the paint. But, his ability to step away from the hoop allows him to pair nicely in the frontcourt with any big on the roster. Former Texas A&M Aggie Isiah Jasey returns after missing the first part of 2019-20; he’s a legit shot blocker and force on the glass. Jasey is SMU’s one “true” big man outside of Anei, a guy Jankovich can start based on matchups or bring off the bench for a change of pace. Junior Everett Ray likely won’t see a whole lot of minutes in his third season after missing much of 2019-20 with injury.
Finally there’s 6’9” senior Ethan Chargois, a very skilled forward whose production fell off a cliff last season. After averaging 12.4 PPG and 6.2 RPG as a sophomore, Chargois put up just 7.0 and 3.8 RPG last year. Nagging injuries certainly played a factor in Chargois’s regression, so hopefully he can bounce back in 2020-21. Chargois opens up SMU’s offense with his toolbox of abilities – here is an example of his excellent court vision and passing ability:
And here demonstrates Chargois’s deft touch in the post (I’m a sucker for smooth turnarounds):
If he can return to his junior form, SMU’s offense will be unstoppable.
Yor Anei is the potential game changer for the Ponies. Considering OK State was banned from the postseason, Anei seems to be in good shape to receive a waiver to play in 2020-21, though see previous rant on how swift the NCAA is at making decisions. Anei can anchor a defense that has been a significant weakness for the SMU program the past two seasons. For two straight years now, Jankovich’s defenses have ranked outside the KenPom top 200; opposing teams have murdered the Stangs from deep, via the pick-n-roll, and on the glass on this end of the floor. Jankovich mixes in some matchup zone, which performed better than his man-to-man a year ago, but nothing seemed to work last season. Anei is one of the best shot blockers in the country, leading the Big 12 in block rate as a freshman and ranking 3rd in that stat last year - he brings balance to a roster previously lopsided skewing towards the offensive end.
Offense has never been the issue for Tim Jankovich’s SMU squads. The Stangs were the 28th best offense in the country per KenPom (#1 in the AAC) in 2019-20 and always have one of the highest assist rates nationally. Jankovich’s halfcourt offense is slow tempo-wise and methodical, the ball pings around the perimeter, inside, and out until an open shot is found. His roster versatility allows him to play 4-out or high-low depending on who’s on the floor. To boot, SMU has always been a great offensive rebounding team under Jankovich (counter to their recent defensive glass efforts), as crashing the boards is a priority. Expect the Stangs to be a top 20 national offense in 2020-21.
Bottom Line: Defense is the one area holding SMU back from AAC title contention and an at-large bid. The Stangs have the athletes, the size, the depth, and now hopefully the rim stopper to be a good defensive team on paper, but until they execute, we have to take a wait-and-see approach to their expectations. At least we know the offense will be a joy to watch.