The addition of SMU to the ACC is still something of a head scratcher to some, but Andy Enfield is doing his best to show that the Mustangs can belong in this league. The former longtime USC coach arrived in 2024 and has 44 wins in two years, grabbing a 4th place finish in his debut before leading the Mustangs to the NCAA Tournament this past March.
That appearance in the Big Dance was the program’s first since 2017 and was certainly a big step in the right direction. SMU hasn’t looked bad since joining the ACC, albeit in what haven’t exactly been the glory years for their conference. Regardless, SMU has had some talent these last few seasons and are certainly hoping to build on last season, even if it did end unceremoniously in the First Four.
Some big time losses for Enfield
Top scorers Boopie Miller and Jaron Pierre both found their way to the NBA, and they aren’t exactly the only departures from last season’s talent. The fact of the matter is that Enfield and his staff had their work cut out for them, especially as the rest of the ACC tries to get a bit better. This breakthrough season for the Mustangs was a great effort, though replacing that talent won’t be easy.
Perhaps overlooked at times over these last few seasons, Enfield and company won’t be overlooked moving forward, especially as they try to contend in the ACC yet again. The Mustangs have added a plethora of talent, largely through the transfer portal, with the hopes of filling in those holes and producing another Tournament team. There’s also been some very recent interesting activity that may depend on a few lawsuits in the coming weeks.
Projected Starters
Guard – Rowan Brumbaugh (Senior)
Brumbaugh arrives in Dallas hoping that school three provides his best efforts yet. The 6-4 guard from Washington DC began his career at Georgetown before hitting another stride these last two years at Tulane. Brumbaugh was one of the American’s best offensive players, putting up 19.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game last season and will hope to replace some of that lost scoring in the backcourt.
Guard – Oziyah Sellers (Senior)
Whether or not he’s eligible, Sellers could be a breakthrough weapon for this backcourt. He formerly played for Enfield at USC before spending a season each at Stanford and St. John’s, averaging double-figures in each of those two years. He’s familiar with the ACC and has a decent shooting clip throughout his career, but his eligibility is anything but guaranteed for a fifth season.
Forward – Jaylin Stewart (Senior)
After winning a national championship as a reserve as a freshman, Stewart started a few games these last two years but now hopes for a breakthrough campaign. The former Top 75 prospect joins the Mustangs and should be a prominent piece in this rotation, hoping for much better figures than last season’s 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds a night.
Forward – Nic Codie (Junior)
Two years at Texas preceded Codie’s arrival at SMU this offseason, and he’s another highly-regarded prospect hoping to be a major playmaker in this frontcourt. Codie put up just 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds a game in limited minutes for the Longhorns last season, but the Dallas native should have much more run with these Mustangs.
Forward – Jaden Toombs (Sophomore)
An actual returning player from last season, Toombs was a Top 40 prospect who made decent strides in his freshman year at SMU. He started a few games and put together 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds, with solid scoring figures around the rim. The Mustangs are excited about his size and potential on the boards and we’ll see if he can establish himself in his second collegiate season.
Key Reserves
Guard – Jacob Patrick (Senior)
We really haven’t seen much of Patrick on the college basketball floor, as the guard from Germany saw action just ten times for Utah last season. The European sharpshooter had his season shortened by a foot injury, averaging 7.2 points while making 47% of his 3-pointers. He gives SMU what they hope is a reliable shooting option off the bench.
Guard – David Terrell Jr. (Senior)
A likely starter if Sellers is ineligible, Terrell joins SMU this offseason after previous work for both UTEP and North Texas. He was the Conference USA Rookie of the Year with the Miners and is coming off a great year with the Mean Green at 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists a game. Don’t be shocked if Terrell plays starting minutes regardless and takes charge as the point guard for this group.
Forward – Jermaine O’Neal Jr. (Sophomore)
While perhaps not the same caliber of player as his father, O’Neal has great potential for the future with the Mustangs. He largely played a bench role last season for SMU and averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds, though there’s every opportunity to slide much further up the depth chart this season. We’ll see how his development progresses, though he had some notable moments in year one.
Guard – Cameron Lomax (Freshman)
Nobody is exactly expecting Lomax to step into a major role from the jump, but the 3-star freshman was a fantastic scorer at the high school level and did great work in the Dallas area. He projects as a notable backcourt weapon especially is his game translates to this level, though we’ll see what kind of run he can get with all the experience SMU has at guard.
Forward – Nigel Walls (Sophomore)
Walls has the potential to be a great frontcourt weapon but his first collegiate season didn’t really get him a chance to show that. He saw time in just nine games largely in cleanup roles and didn’t score a single point last season, not really getting any chance to live up to his high school hype. It’s an important season for Walls and we’ll see just what kind of opportunities the Houston Native gets in this new frontcourt.
Forward – Johan Munch (Junior)
A 6-11 forward from Denmark, Munch spent the last two seasons playing at Oregon State and is now hoping to be even more productive with the Mustangs. After limited minutes in year one, his sophomore year saw promise, putting up 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds while starting a majority of the games for the Beavers. More size and potential in the frontcourt is never a bad thing for SMU.
Schedule Outlook
The early schedule doesn’t really jump off the page as the Mustangs have five straight very winnable home games against mid-major foes. The holidays is when things get more interesting, as they’ll participate in the Acrisure Series Thanksgiving Event, with games against Utah State and LSU capping off their November.
A sneaky good Stephen F. Austin team comes to town on December 1st before their first true road test at DePaul a few days later. December 12th brings the Dallas Duel and a faceoff with Minnesota in Frisco. Exactly one week later the Mustangs head to Phoenix for a matchup with UNLV as part of the Hall of Fame Series. The final nonconference matchup is a home game with Oklahoma just before Christmas.
Starting ACC play with a road game at Virginia on January 2nd is definitely a rude awakening and it doesn’t get easier from there. SMU hosts Louisville and will travel to North Carolina, NC State, and Virginia Tech all in the first four weeks of conference play. They do get to host Duke and a relatively easy final stretch in league play, though an early March test at Miami won’t be easy either.
Season Outlook
Much as is the case with a few other power conference programs, we don’t exactly know how things are going to turn out with these lawsuits. Sellers only just joined the Mustangs in the middle of September despite his NBA involvement and it’s hard to say if he’ll be allowed to play, but he’d clearly be a fantastic backcourt weapon.
Even if he’s unavailable, it’s hard not to like what Enfield has done with this lineup. Brumbaugh and Terrell are bona fide scorers who can both run the point and have excellent potential here. It’s hard to ignore Stewart as well, who’s trusting in SMU’s system after his previous opportunities on nationally relevant UConn.
There are many question marks in the frontcourt but perhaps the talent to overcome those mysteries. Toombs is a player on the rise and SMU is hoping his sophomore season showcases that to the rest of the ACC. Transfer additions like Codie and Munch certainly help the cause, though it remains to be seen what we’re going to get from players like Walls.
With or without Sellers, SMU has the pieces to be a competent unit. Brumbaugh and Terrell help fill the holes left behind without Miller and Pierre, though it’ll just be a very different year for the Mustangs either way. Honestly, if the lawsuits go their way, pairing those two with Sellers could give SMU one of the ACC’s best backcourts; they’ll just need some of those new forwards to carry their weight as well.
Add us as a preferred source on Google