SMU Moves Into AP Top-25
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DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU men’s basketball team (19-5, 8-3 American) is ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll (205) that was released on Monday. The Mustangs have a 3-1 record against top-25 teams, including a 76-55 win over then-No. 7/7 Cincinnati on Saturday. SMU has also knocked off then-No. 22/22 Memphis on Feb. 1 (87-72) and then-No. 17/15 Connecticut on Jan. 4 (76-65). SMU’s last appearance in the AP Poll came on March 12, 1985, when the Mustangs were No. 20.
SMU is one of five American Athletic Conference teams in the AP Poll. Cincinnati enters the week at No. 10, Louisville at No. 13, Memphis at No. 20, SMU at No. 23 and Connecticut at No. 24.
The Mustangs are coming off a 3-0 homestand that included wins over Cincinnati and Memphis. The victory over Cincinnati is SMU’s first over a top-10 opponent since the Mustangs defeated No. 7 Florida (82-76) on Dec. 3, 1987 at Reunion Arena, and its first on-campus win over a top-10 opponent since Dec. 29, 1967, when the Mustangs defeated No. 3 Indiana (91-84).
SMU sold out all three games in the homestand, and have sold out four of
seven games since the opening of the renovated Moody Coliseum on Jan. 4. The Mustangs have also announced a sellout for their March 5 game against Louisville. SMU is averaging 6,677 in its seven games at Moody Coliseum.
The Ponies are 13-0 at home this season, including 7-0 at Moody Coliseum, their best home record since they started 13-0 at home in the 1999-00 season. In home games, SMU is averaging 78 points, and has posted an average scoring margin of 21.2. The nation’s second-best scoring defense has limited opponents to 33.9% from the field at home, while shooting at a 53.8% clip in SMU’s 13 home games.
Ben Moore was named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the third time this season, coming off the bench to help SMU to its 2-0 week. Moore averaged 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the Mustangs’ two games. Moore had a team-high 15 points, going 4-of-4 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line, along with two assists, two blocks and a steal against Cincinnati.
SMU will kick-start a two-game road swing on Thursday when the Mustangs take on Rutgers at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNews. The Mustangs will follow that up with a game on Sunday at Temple (1 p.m. CT/CBSSN), before returning to Moody Coliseum to host Houston on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. CT.
