Coach Andy Enfield has no doubt that SMU could be winning games in the NCAA Tournament right now. But the Mustangs didn’t get a spot in the event and were relegated to being a No. 1 seed in the NIT.
The Mustangs (24-10) responded by defeating Northern Iowa 73-63 Wednesday in the opening round and will host Oklahoma State (16-17) in a second-round NIT game Sunday afternoon in Dallas.
“We feel like our team, if you saw us play this year, especially when we were healthy with Boopie (Miller), we were an NCAA Tournament team. We could win games in the tournament,” Enfield said during his post-game radio interview Wednesday. “I was proud of our guys to put their disappointment aside, come here and play in the NIT and give a good effort tonight against a good team.”
SMU defeated Northern Iowa despite Miller being sidelined because of a hand injury. The status of Miller, who leads the team in scoring at an average of 13.2 points per game, is in question heading into the Oklahoma State game.
With Miller out Wednesday, B.J. Edwards led the Mustangs with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. He added seven assists and four steals.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma State — seeded fourth in its bracket — is coming off an 89-79 victory Tuesday at home over Wichita State in the first round. Bryce Thompson scored a team-high 23 points for the Cowboys, while Jamyron Keller scored 12 points by going 4-for-4 from 3-point range.
The Cowboys will look to carry that momentum on the road, where they are 2-10.
First-year coach Steve Lutz addressed Oklahoma State’s road woes, saying he felt the team was in a “great place mentally” this postseason and didn’t expect too hostile of a road environment over spring break.
“If we play together and stick together, we’ll be fine no matter where we play,” Lutz said.
–Field Level Media
