SMU Basketball aims to take down 'America's Team' in semifinal matchup vs. Memphis

SMU Basketball will have its hands full against Memphis in the American Athletic Conference semifinal matchup on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT inside Dickies Arena. For the Mustangs, it’s a chance to beat the Tigers, who are playing their best basketball, for the third time this season.

SMU is coming off a dominant 83-58 win over Tulsa Friday night while Memphis handled UCF in an 85-69 win right after SMU played in Ft. Worth. This semifinal matchup is set to be broadcast on ESPN2, another showcase opportunity for SMU Basketball.

“I thought our defense most of the night was great,” Jankovich said of the win over Tulsa. “I thought our effort was great. Made a few mistakes. But we shared the ball. Lots of assists. And just, you know, feel great. I mean, I couldn’t hope for a better game in the first round.”

Despite Kendric Davis having a zero-point first half, he finished with 24 points. The AAC Player of the Year got going after Emmanuel Bandoumel and Michael Weathers carried things in the first half.

“Everybody picking each other up like, you know, not everybody going to have a good game,” Bandoumel said. “Somebody just switching up, sometimes it’s Marcus, sometimes it’s KD, sometimes it’s Mike or me or Zach. It will change every time. We’ve got a great team. It’s just about being ready all the time when your name is called. And we do a good job of finding the hot hand. Like in the first half it was me and Darius, switch up to KD. It’s just about finding the hot hand all the time.”

Memphis respects SMU, sees competitive game ahead

Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway has plenty of respect for SMU Basketball. The Mustangs have handled the Tigers in 11 of the last 14 matchups.

“They’ve done a fantastic job of how they played. I have a lot respect for them. They play great basketball,” Hardaway said after the UCF win. “They spread you out and they go. As a coach and competitor you look forward to games that are going to be competitive, and they bring every ounce of thinking, playing out of you, the best out of you if you’re going to try to beat them. So I enjoy those games.”

The Tigers stormed out of the gate Friday night, leading 26-5 and 30-9 before taking a 41-31 lead into the halftime locker room. From there, UCF closed the gap to pull to within three points, but an 8-0 closed the door on any threat of an upset.

Guard Lester Quinones, who scored a career-high 22 points on Friday, said it’s all about going 1-0 in the team’s next game. Quinones had four points in the first matchup and 13 points in the second contest vs. SMU.

AAC Freshman of the Year Jalen Duren is a tough matchup for any team and he’s coming off a 21-point, 20-rebound effort against the Knights.

“Honestly just what type of team they are. Like Coach said, they’re a very good basketball club,” Duren said. “We’ve just got to come out and handle business honestly. I know it’s going to be a competitive game. Like I said, they beat us two times already. We’ve just got to lock in. I learned that they’re just a great team and we’ve got to stay focused.”

“They spread you, they play smart,” forward DeAndre Williams added. “They find the mismatches and they just know how to play good basketball.”

Williams did not play in the first meeting between SMU and Memphis, a 70-62 win for SMU on the road. In the second meeting, SMU Basketball rolled and Williams notched just four points and seven rebounds.

SMU Basketball fighting for respect against ‘America’s Team’

For SMU Basketball, it’s a Game 7 mentality right now. The win over Tulsa moved the Mustangs into the NCAA Tournament field, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. Another would really bolster their case.

Davis related the respect Memphis is getting to that of “America’s Team” as far as its NCAA Tournament hopes. SMU swept the regular season series and the Mustangs, despite finishing second in the league, are still fighting for respect.

“We’re in a really tough league. I mean, this is a high-level, major basketball conference. And we just finished one game out of first place. To not be in, like — I don’t understand,” Jankovich said Friday night. “And then, you know — well, I’ll stop it there because I certainly am not trying to get anyone else out. But I just think these guys deserve to — there shouldn’t be a bubble in my opinion. We should not even have that discussion in my opinion.

“But as I said at the beginning, I don’t think anyone cares a lick about what my opinion is. So I only said it because you asked the question.”

As SMU Basketball sits as the Last Four In on Saturday morning, a win could mean an NCAA Tournament berth. Keeping the winning ways going would be the best way to leave no doubt as to SMU’s future.

“No, we don’t feel no pressure. I think it’s just one game at a time,” forward Marcus Weathers said. “We just control what we can control, and we just go out there and play hard and live with the results.”