Lance Terry (0) was 3-for-8 on threes at Syracuse, while the rest of the team was 1-for-13. (photo by Danny Karnik)
The Yellow Jackets may need to recapture their scoring form quickly.
The Mustangs, now led by former Southern Cal head coach Andy Enfield, rank second in the ACC in both scoring (82.4 ppg) and three-point percentage (37.1%). SMU’s shooting hit a snag against Duke and North Carolina, averaging just 33.8% in a pair of losses, but a return home can always energize a slumping team.
A pair of rerouted ACC players lead the Mustangs in 6-0 wisp Boopie Miller (15.3 ppg, 5.9 apg), a starter for Wake Forest last season, and 6-7 forward Matt Cross (10.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg), who had stops at Miami and Louisville before an All-Atlantic 10 stint at UMass. He’s a physical, mismatch-seeking wolf with range out to the three-point line (you may remember he had 17 points and 9 rebounds against Tech in the Diamond Head Classic last December).
Between Miller, Cross, and guards Chuck Harris, B.J. Edwards and Kario Oquendo, SMU is well-stocked with players who can get downhill and make teams pay for over-rotating. The Mustangs also lead the ACC in rebounding margin and are statistically the best offensive rebounding team the Jackets have faced.
SMU – NCAA Ranks
- Offensive Efficiency: #28 NCAA
- Offensive Rebounding %: #10 NCAA
In addition to a parade of attack-minded guards, the Mustangs have 6-11 Yohan Traore and 7-2 Samet Yigitoglu who lurk for lobs, drop-offs and deep post catches. Tech will need to play with high, active hands and stay “gapped up” when defending SMU in the halfcourt. The Jackets were outrebounded -13 and allowed 10 second chance points in the second half to Syracuse after holding SU scoreless in that category in the first half. How well can the Jackets moderate the Mustangs’ ability to get extra possessions on Saturday?
After a 3-of-11 free throw shooting night against Syracuse, perhaps Tech can draw some karma from a free throw mark they set against SMU.
Georgia Tech and SMU last played on December 21, 1986 at the old Suntory Ball in Tokyo, Japan. The Yellow Jackets went 13-of-13 at the free throw line against the Mustangs in a 63-54 win. It remains their most made free throws in a game without a miss in the last 38 years.
SMU may have one of the biggest gaps between its two-point defense and three-point defense of any team in the country.
| Category |
Percentage |
NCAA Rank |
| 2pt. FG% defense |
44.50% |
#20 |
| 3pt. FG% defense |
35.40% |
#275 |
Much of that has to do with the Mustangs’ desire to help on dribble-drives and “tag” on pick-and-rolls (when a weak side defender temporarily helps by covering the rolling screener). Tech’s guards will have to be ready for B.J. Edwards, a sturdy point-of-attack defender who ranks third in the ACC in steals.
