USF opens American Athletic Conference play tomorrow afternoon in a New Year's Day game at SMU.
The Bulls completed non-conference play with a dramatic 60-58 come-from-behind victory over in-state foe Florida Atlantic.
SMU won its first eight games before dropping back-to-back games to Georgetown and Georgia. They followed those losses with a nine-point win over Georgia State.
RunningTheBulls.com has your quick facts and what to watch for against SMU.
Quick Facts
Matchup: USF (7-6, 0-0 AAC) at SMU (9-2, 0-0 AAC)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1
Time: 5 p.m. EST
Location: Dallas, Texas | Moody Coliseum
Watch: ESPNU (Mike Corey, Sean Harrington)
Radio: USF Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall)
History: This will be the 14th meeting between USF and SMU. Officially, USF trails in the series 5-9 (one SMU win from the 2013-14 season was later vacated). Last season the teams split their two games with the visiting team winning each time.
The Opponent: SMU was selected to finish eighth in the AAC preseason poll. The Mustangs have eight newcomers and zero seniors on the roster. Three Mustangs are in the AAC Top 20 in points and rebounds per game – Feron Hunt, Isiaha Mike and Tyson Jolly. Mike and Jolly are both in the top five in scoring. Hunt is in the top ten. Mike and Hunt are tied for sixth in rebounding and Jolly is tied for 11th.
SMU is better defensively than last season. Opponents are shooting below 40 percent against SMU whether they are in man (91.2 percent of the time) or zone. In the games we scouted we only saw the Mustangs use a 2-3 zone, not the 1-3-1 they used last season. At times they will spring a 1-2-2 zone press after a timeout or made basket.
Offensively SMU runs lots of set plays and plenty of high ball screens.
TCU transfer point guard Kendric Davis has GREAT vision which helps him be a high level distributor. As I wrote this Davis had the eighth best assist rate in the nation. He hasn’t been a perimeter threat but he is making 51.8 percent inside the arc and has made 97 percent of his free throws.
The Mustangs starting front court runs 6-foot-8 (Hunt), 6-foot-8 (Mike) and 6-foot-9 (Chargois). All three return from last season. We noticed a play SMU runs when they feel Mike has a mismatch. Watch the video below.
Chargois is struggling offensively this season. He's shooting 35 percent inside the arc and 27.6 percent on the perimeter. Chargois is getting to the free throw line a LOT less than he did last season but his defense is still pretty good.
Mike and Hunt are long and athletic. Mike scores at all three levels. He is the Mustangs best deep threat at 43.6 percent, he is making 60.7 percent of his two-point attempts and is just under 90 percent at the charity stripe. Off ball defenders need to keep an eye on Mike or he’ll cut to the basket for a lob (see second video).
At a meager 29.4 percent on three-pointers, Hunt is not the best shooter but the sophomore is very efficient inside the arc, is a solid free throw shooter and throws down some SportsCenter worthy dunks off lobs.
Jolley can shoot, rebound and defend. At 6-foot-4 he has the size and skills that NBA teams covet. USF needs high hands when Jolley catches a pass on the perimeter.
Prediction
USF 56 SMU 68
I doubt David Collins will play, or play many minutes, so my prediction reflects that. To win USF must control the glass, cut off lobs and backdoor cuts and defend the three-point line. USF also needs to make shots and limit turnovers.
