2007-2008 SMU Basketball Preview: Building A Foundation

Doherty’s Second Season Features Celebrated Freshmen and a New Facility

DALLAS – SMU opens its second season under Matt Doherty with a new-look team, a new practice facility and a dedication to what Doherty calls a culture of execution, discipline and accountability.

“I think it’s exciting to see that grow and develop and to have people buying into that,” he said.

Another source of excitement for the program is the new $13-million, 43,000-square-foot Crum Basketball Center, opening soon, which features two full-size practice courts, locker rooms, lounges, and training areas. The state-of-the-art facility is joined to Moody Coliseum by tunnel.

The Mustangs open at home Saturday, November 10, at 7:30 p.m., against Southern, in the school’s inaugural Tip-Off Classic.

SMU is coming off a 14-17 campaign, including a 3-13 mark in C-USA.

Freshman Fever

Though the freshmen could see significant playing time this season, Doherty urges patience. “These guys, as talented as they are, they’ve gotta learn the basics of basketball and develop habits,” he said. “And that takes time.”

Perhaps the Mustangs’ most highly-regarded recruit is 6-9, 250-pound Papa Dia from Senegal, by way of South Kent School in Connecticut. A talented rebounder, shot-blocker and scorer, Dia should see major time at both post positions.

It’s not known whether recent back problems will greatly affect his play.

Another big body underneath will be 7-1, 245-pound Tomasz Kwiatkowski of Bydgoszcz, Poland, whom Doherty expects to mix it up with bigger opponents.

Matt Doherty begins his seventh head coaching season with a record of 104-88, including stints at Notre Dame, North Carolina and Florida Atlantic.

Robert Nyakundi (6-8, 220) of Arlington, Tex. and Alex Malone (6-8, 185) of Mansfield, Tex., played for the All-Americans at the Global Games this summer.

In the backcourt, Mike Walker (6-0, 190), of Iowa City, Iowa, will likely log lots of time at point-guard. Left-handed shooter Ryan Harp (6-4, 190) of Abilene, Tex., is slated for the two-guard position and Bennie Rhodes (6-6, 185), of Oakland, Calif., may see time at three perimeter positions.

Three With Experience

Gone this season are starting forwards Ike Ofoegbu and Devon Pearson, and part-time starters Donatas Rackauskas at center and Dez Willingham at guard.

Roberts, Killen and Bamba Fall are the Mustangs’ only returnees with considerable experience.

Last season, though SMU was third in the league in scoring defense (62.6 ppg), it was also 11 th in scoring (62.7 ppg) and Mustang turnovers outnumbered assists, 16.2 to 12.5 per game, 11 th in the conference.

Doherty has said he expects his team to pick up the pace offensively this year with improved ball handling and shooting.

Roberts (6-4, 198), SMU’s leading returning scorer, averaged 8.5 points per game and shot 36.7 percent from 3-point range, with 56 assists. Doherty has said he’ll likely use Roberts as a swingman, playing both shooting guard and small forward.

Killen (6-4, 195), the only Mustang to start all 31 games last season, led the team with 151 assists and 54 steals. He averaged 8 points per game and shot 38.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Junior center Bamba Fall (7-1, 220) led C-USA last season with 2.28 blocks per game. He also collected 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing, while improving his free-throw shooting from 55.6 percent in non-conference play to 83.3 percent in C-USA.

Fall played on Senegal’s national team in the African Games in August.

Forward Cameron Spencer (6-8, 220) is back for his sophomore year after seeing action in 19 games as a freshman. In his one start, against North Carolina A&T, Spencer grabbed 10 boards.

Senior forward Paulius Ritter (6-7, 255) returns with 18 games playing experience from last season.

The Schedule

Twenty-two of SMU’s 29 games will be played in Texas, with 18 of those at home.

Bamba Fall, C-USA's leading shot blocker, returns for his junior season at SMU.

The non-conference schedule is not particularly demanding as Doherty hopes to ease his young team into things before the grind of C-USA competition. Will SMU fans come out for games against South Carolina Upstate, Paul Quinn and Houston Baptist? Doherty thinks they should - if they’re committed the program.

“I think [fans] have to show support,” he said. “You can say you want a good program, but we have to work hand-in-hand.”

In a game that certainly won’t lack interest, rival TCU comes to town December 5. Another inaugural event for SMU, The Holiday Classic on December 29-30, brings in Stephen F. Austin and Texas State.

Telling pre-conference road games include Dayton, November 24, and Colorado, January 4.

The C-USA schedule features home-and-home games with Houston, Rice, Tulsa, UTEP and Memphis. Marshall, UAB and UCF also visit SMU. The Mustangs travel to Southern Miss, Tulane and East Carolina.

SMU opens conference play January 9 at UTEP.

Doherty has Memphis, Houston, Southern Miss and UAB as the top contenders for the league crown.

With the seeds being planted at SMU, perhaps the Mustangs will soon make things crowded at the top.