ACC Preview #14 – SMU

SMU is nothing if not aggressive. When they joined the ACC, they basically said they’d pass on the TV revenue for awhile for the chance to move up – and covered the lost revenue. And when they got in, they fired a solid, decent coach in Rob Lanier who had just completed a 20-13 season to hire USC’s Andy Enfield.

And Enfield is an interesting coach.

Enfield played at D-III Johns Hopkins where his jersey is retired. He became a shot doctor and worked for Milwaukee and Boston in the NBA before getting hired by Leonard Hamilton at Florida State.

He first came to our attention when someone e-mailed and said to watch an FSU timeout, and it was quite funny: as Enfield diagrammed a play to the team as it huddled around him, Hamilton was on the outside, trying to get in.

Soon enough he got the Florida Gulf Coast job and turned that into the epic Dunk City, taking FGCU to the 2013 Sweet 16. He parlayed that into the USC job, where he was from 2013 to 2024 before taking the SMU job last season.

And he did well with the Mustangs in their ACC debut, turning in a 24-11/13-7 record.

From last season, Enfield loses Chuck Harris (12.9 PPG), ACC nomad Matt Cross (11.8 PPG), Kario Oquendo (11.2 PPG), Yohan Traore (6.1 PPG), Keon Ambrose-Hylton (4.0 PPG), Jerrell Colbert (2.5 PPG), AJ George (2.0 PPG) and Tibet Gorener (1.6 PPG)

SMU returns 6-1 senior Boopie Miller (13.2 PPG), 7-2/270 lb. Samet Yigitoglu (10.0 PPG), 6-3 senior B.J. Edwards (9.9 PPG) and redshirts 6-7 Chance Puryear, 6-10/230 lb. Mitchell Holmes and 6-2 Niccolo Kalischer-Stork.

We got to know Miller at Wake Forest but he left after one year and there was a sense of disappointment on both sides. He seems to have done better with SMU. He’s quick and athletic. He suffered a foot injury late last season though and missed five games. SMU went 2-3 in those games and that cost them when the NCAA field was set (however, a 57-54 ACC Tournament loss to Clemson probably sealed their fate)

Yigitoglu is a promising big man. He started 32 of 35 games and put up 10 points, 6.2 rebounds and one block per game and shot 53.5 percent. He’s a big guy at 270 and should be better this year, not that he was awful last season. Not at all.

Edwards left Tennessee after his freshman year and stuck around last year after SMU’s coaching change. He’s not a top tier player really – no insult to him – but there is going to be a lot of competition for his minutes. He’ll remain a rotation player though and will likely start again, at least at the beginning of the season.

The portal Santa brought 6-5 senior Jaron Pierre Jr. (21.6 PPG/Jacksonville State), 6-6 senior Corey Washington (13.7 PPG/Wichita State) and 6-9/230 lb. Sam Walters (5.0 PPG/Michigan).

Pierre is one of those guys who could cost Edwards minutes. He was the CUSA Player of the Year and averaged 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this past season. He went through the draft process before returning for his senior season. He’s going to be on the court a lot.

Washington was a second-team All-AAC player who can score and defend. He’s also an excellent rebounder, having averaged 7.5 boards last season for the Shockers. He’s almost certainly going to be a factor for the Mustangs.

Finally, Walters. He originally committed to Ole Miss before flipping to SMU, presumably after getting a better offer. He sat out for a big part of the season after a back injury in early February. He was a four-star recruit out of high school and got 12.7 minutes per game. He didn’t shoot overly well, though, hitting just 42.5% from the field, but 36.6% from three. Normally, you’d expect a big guy to shoot better than that overall.

As for freshmen, the Mustangs have a very nice class: 6-10/230 lb. Jaden Toombs, 6-10/200 lb. Nigel Walls, 6-5 Jermaine O’Neal Jr., 6-6 B.J. Davis-Ray and 6-8 Billy White III.

You kind of have to talk about Toombs and O’Neal together, sort of how you talked about Dereck Whittenburg and Sidney Lowe in the same breath, because those guys have played together for a long time. O’Neal of course is the son of former NBA star Jermaine O’Neal and Toombs has been living with the O’Neal’s since eighth grade.

They’re going to know each other’s games very well, obviously.

Toombs may not be a dominant scorer but he’s reportedly an excellent passer. He has a 7-3 wingspan and is a smart defender. He may have an adjustment period to college ball but he’ll be good.

O’Neal is smaller than his father obviously (his dad is 6-11), but he’s also athletic and can shoot. And his father has raised him to not be scared of hard work, which means he’ll probably be a good defender as well.

Walls could end up being a stretch four. He’s pretty thin but he can shoot and run and he has time to gain muscle. Enfield is a good coach to help develop him as a shooter obviously. His weight may hold him back, but he should be good, certainly when he muscles up.

B.J. Davis-Ray is a great name and the SMU announcer is going to love to say it after he scores. He’s said to be effective in the open court and should benefit from the shooters Enfield has gathered. Like most freshmen, he needs some time in the weight room but big deal. He’ll be fine.

White was originally in the Class of 2026 but he’s coming early to help form the highest rated class in SMU history. He’s likely to carve out a role as a rebounder and defender and build from there. Like Ray, he’s probably going to get to the basket a lot.

Put it all together and Enfield has a great collection of talent to work with and a team that can attack in multiple ways. Yigitoglu is huge but if they need more speed? He’s got options. Shooters? Plenty of options. Versatile athletes who can run the break and defend? Check.

The one place we’re not sure about with SMU is point guard. Miller is a decent guard but Wake Forest apparently felt like they misjudged him and he got hurt last year for SMU. Is he ready to step up with a better roster around him? And if he struggles or gets hurt again, who takes over?

Enfield is a smart coach and he’s going to have ideas if they’re needed. The main point is this: like NC State, Virginia, Louisville, Miami and some other ACC teams, SMU has the chance to be a much better team. The question for all of them is Darwinian, because the conference will be vastly better overall. Who will climb to the top?

No one can say for certain yet, but SMU has a decent chance of making a major move upwards.