SMU (13-4) (NET: 46)
0-3 (Q1), 2-1 (Q2), 6-0 (Q3), 5-0 (Q4)
Only six of SMU’s games have been against Quad 1 or 2 opponents and they haven’t exactly gone their way for the most part. The two important Quad 2 wins both came in nonconference play, beating Washington State in the Acrisure Invitational before taking down LSU in Palm Springs a few weeks later. The Mustangs have a pair of wins over Virginia that haven’t aged very well.
The worst of the losses isn’t really that terrible, though the Mustangs would have preferred to win at Butler back in mid-November instead of an 11-point road loss. Outside of that, they had a close call against Mississippi State and struggled earlier this month with Duke and North Carolina. There are no crazy or bad losses on the resume.
The 4-2 mark in ACC play is a fine start and includes that early sweep over the Cavaliers, but as we’ve mentioned already the lack of strength in this league will work against them. SMU’s first season in the ACC has seen them in actual good shape to compete right off the bat, but double-digit losses in their only two games against league contenders wasn’t exactly getting things off on the right foot.
A major chance awaits next week against Louisville in a matchup that would be another Quad 1 game right now. The issue is that those resume-building opportunities are few and far between, especially since the Mustangs don’t get a second shot at Duke or North Carolina. They have important home games with Pittsburgh and Clemson in February and need to stockpile success to have a realistic chance at March Madness.