Key reserves
The Mustangs will have plenty of options coming off the bench, but their lack of experience could be a problem down the stretch. Probably the most immediately ready player who will see the most minutes is Chattanooga-transfer Nat Dixon. Dixon was one of the best players, especially on the offensive end, in the Southern Conference last season, averaging 14 points on 40% 3-point shooting with the Mocs. The 6’4″ guard won’t have the starting job at SMU, at least to begin the year, just because of how loaded the Mustangs’ loaded frontcourt is, but he’ll still have plenty to offer and should fit seamlessly into the offense whenever Whitt, Foster, or McMurray needs a rest. It will be interesting to see if he can emulate the success he had with the Mocs, as the AAC is a different animal in terms of competition level.
Another option that Jankovich will have to call on is Freshman Feron Hunt. The most highly-touted member of the Mustang’s new class, Hunt is a 6’7″ guard that can be used in a variety of ways; if Jankovich wants to keep all of his scorers out there and play small-ball, he could even put Hunt in at the 4. Another player similar to Hunt in terms of being a versatile guard is Sophomore William Douglass. Douglass had a tough go of it in his limited minutes last season, shooting 25% from the field), but he was highly-touted coming out of high school and there’s no reason to give up on him yet. He’ll have the same hurdles to deal with as Hunt in terms of fighting for minutes as a young player in a deep backcourt, but SMU fans need no reminder that the injury bug could bite at any time.
In terms of the frontcourt, two reliable options off of the bench will be sophomore Everett Ray and freshman Jahmar Young. Ray didn’t see a lot of time last season – just 10 minutes per game – but he made the most of it by shooting an efficient 63% and grabbing 3 rebounds per game. In a relatively inexperienced and thin frontcourt, he’s a candidate to make a big jump in his sophomore campaign. Young is still talented and full of potential, but it’s hard to say how much time he’ll see on the court this season. The 3-star freshman has all the raw talent, but he’ll need to work on his strength and conditioning before he’s ready to bang down low with AAC big men.