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SMU Basketball: Ponies grab Isiaha Mike from Duquesne

By Doug Winkey

Feb 4, 2017; Dayton, OH, USA; Duquesne Dukes forward Isiaha Mike (45) drives to the basket against Dayton Flyers forward Kendall Pollard (left) in the first half at the University of Dayton Arena. The Flyers won 90-53. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2017; Dayton, OH, USA; Duquesne Dukes forward Isiaha Mike (45) drives to the basket against Dayton Flyers forward Kendall Pollard (left) in the first half at the University of Dayton Arena. The Flyers won 90-53. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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SMU basketball got a boost to their front court this week as former Duquesne Duke Isiaha Mike will join the Ponies and hit the floor in 2017-2018.

SMU basketball is turning into a national threat under Tim Jankovich. The Mustangs made the NCAA Tournament and is poised to dominate the American Athletic Conference again in 2017-2018.

Related Story: Semi Ojeleye dominates in beat down of Temple

They picked up a potential contributor for the future just this past week in the form of Isiaha Mike.

https://twitter.com/__MRMIKE__/status/855953636169527296

The former Duquesne Duke will sit out next season but might be a big factor for the SMU Mustangs for three years after that.

Mike was an effective option for the Dukes this past year. The 6’8″, 200 pound Scarborough, Ontario native averaged 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds as a freshman. He was the third leading scorer for Duquesne and one of the bright spots during the team’s 10-win campaign.

It will be interesting to see how Mike develops. The young man was a good scorer, but was inefficient trying to help carry a bad team. His splits of 43/33/67 are fine for a freshman, but need to improve immensely going forward if he’s to be a big part of his new system. His biggest advantage is that he is versatile and has plenty of time to develop.

Jankovic could elect to use Mike in a similar role to star wing Semi Ojeleye. The two have similar builds and stat lines. Obviously, we can’t know if Mike can reach Ojeleye’s level of production, but he will have an opportunity to develop against better competition with SMU. At worst he is a solid-looking swing man/stretch forward hybrid tough to defend.

Next: Zylan Cheatham is heading to Arizona State

The Mustangs have 11 claimed scholarships for now if there are no further departures. The team might grab another guard this spring for immediate use, but Mike is one of the sneakier grabs of this offseason that I really like. Keep an eye on his future development for the next three years.