By Harry Barsan
Louisville will take a quick trip to Texas to face off against the SMU Mustangs.
This is quietly one of the biggest matchups of the season in the ACC, with both teams looking for a big resume-boosting win.
Pony Express
First year SMU head coach Andy Enfield has gotten off and running in Dallas.
His Mustangs are currently 10th in the nation in points per game with 84.8, and have just come off of a 43-point victory over Miami on the road.
SMU holds a slight lead over Duke for the best field goal percentage in the ACC, standing at 48.6% as a team. From three, they sit near the top if the conference again, shooting 38.6% from deep. Over six different Mustangs have an effective field goal percentage over 56%, which is well above average in Division-1.
The offense hums on a nightly basis, and the one whistling out front is Boopie Miller.
Miller leads the team with 14.7 points per game and six assists a game. His assists place him as the 18th best passer in the country in terms of assist percentage. He’s a threat to score, or help his teammates score, from virtually anywhere on the court.
One key stat is that SMU is 8-0 when Miller records seven or more assists. Expect to see Terrence Edwards Jr. defending Miller more than Chucky Hepburn due to his length and ability to clog passing lanes while working as an on-ball defender.
In their 117-74 victory against Miami, they outscored Miami 25-10 on second chance points, largely because they picked up 36 boards compared to the Hurricanes’ 18.
They have 7-foot-2 freshman Samet Yigitoglu and 6-foot-7 former Louisville forward Matt Cross to thank for that, who combine for an average of 14.8 rebounds per game.
As a result, and thanks to superior rebounding from the rest of the team, SMU’s 40.3 rebounds ranks No. 15 in the nation, giving them plenty of opportunities to take second chance shots.
Chuck Harris is the team’s best shooter with a sizzling team-leading 44.2% three-point accuracy compliment his 12.4 points per game. Louisville has not been great as a team defending the three-point line, but against Kobe Brea the Cards held the best shooter in the country to 2-of-7 from deep. They’ll need to stay attached to Harris’ hip to keep SMU from killing them from the arc.
Solid all around
Defensively SMU isn’t as impressive, but they’re still a solid squad.
They rank 77th in defensive efficiency, and are top-35 in opponent two-point shooting percentage at just 45.7%.
Probably their biggest weakness on defense, and as a team, is their defense of the three-point arc. SMU gives up 34.1% from deep, which isn’t terrible but it is above the 33.5% average nationally. Louisville is a team that takes a lot of shot from deep, but doesn’t shoot at the highest clip. They will get open looks, it’ll come down to taking advantage.
SMU is a team that gathers a solid number of steals per game at 8.1 a game, but they force very few turnovers outside of those steals. The Cards have become increasing skilled at holding onto the ball, so if they Cards make smart, intentional passes they will likely not have to cherish each possession.
Despite the strong record of 14-4, the Mustangs may be a bit of a paper tiger. SMU is currently 0-3 against quad-1 opponents and even picked up a bad double-digit loss to a struggling Butler squad.
This will be a huge challenge for both teams, and a litmus test for how long this streak can last for the Cards.
Kenpom is projecting Louisville to lose 77-79, but the Cards absolutely have what it takes to beat the Mustangs.
The game will tip-off Tuesday at 9 p.m.
Photo Courtesy // Tre Jones, Louisville Athletics