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SMU Basketball: NCAA Tournament hopes take a hit due to injuries

By Holden Walter-Warner

TULSA, OK - MARCH 17: Jarrey Foster
TULSA, OK - MARCH 17: Jarrey Foster /
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SMU basketball will be without Jarrey Foster and Everett Ray for the rest of the season due to injuries. How will this affect the Mustangs moving forward?

If the SMU Mustangs want to make their third NCAA Tournament in four years, they’ll have to do so without one of their best players. Last Wednesday, junior forward Jarrey Foster was injured in the victory over the Wichita State Shockers. He suffered a left knee injury while driving towards the basket. Without any public news about his condition, coach Tim Jankovich sat him against Tulane on Saturday.

An MRI on Monday confirmed Jankovich would be sitting him for the rest of the season, saddled with a partially torn ACL.

Foster led the team with 5.9 rebounds per game. He only trailed Shake Milton in scoring at 13.2 points per game. Without him, Jahmal McMurray has performed adequately, though, scoring 29 combined points in the two victories.

But that may be fool’s gold. Whenever a team loses one of their top three players, there’s going to be a natural regression. SMU still has road dates with Connecticut (next up) and Houston, plus games against Cincinnati and Wichita State.

If the NCAA Tournament started today, the Mustangs would have a decent case to be included. They have a road victory at Wichita State and a neutral site victory over Arizona, which looks better by the day.

In our most recent bracketology, the Mustangs are listed as a No. 10 seed with a matchup against Gonzaga in the first round.

SMU lost another player on Monday, though, with reserve forward Everett Ray ruled out for the season with a foot injury. The losses leave the young team with just eight scholarship players, putting them on the precipice of danger if another injury befalls them.

Next: 5 biggest injuries of the season

On the surface, the SMU Mustangs are still an NCAA Tournament team. Even if the team stays healthy, they will need to stay strong with a reduced amount of rotation players. Can the Mustangs hang on to reach the Big Dance?