College basketball tips off Wednesday, and the SMU Mustangs feel like there's unfinished business.
The Mustangs were 19-11 last season and lost five of their last six games. The final three games all were winnable, as they lost by a total of eight points.
SMU returns 13 players from last year's squad. There are 14 players on the roster. It's a junior-laden squad -- with three key seniors included -- that believes it has seen enough from last year to right the wrongs and become a legitimate team to watch on a national level.
"I thought that we were a really good team -- with the chance to be great -- but we weren't a great team," SMU coach Tim Jankovich said of last season. "In our league, we were very good against the top teams. The chances to be great that we missed was because of lessons unlearned that we needed to learn.
"We did learn that you've got to be just as ready to play a lower-level, low- tier team in your league as you'd do an upper-tier [team]."
SMU gets a chance to show its growth Wednesday, as it opens the 2020-21 basketball schedule at home against Sam Houston State. It will be the first of three home games for the Mustangs between Wednesday and Dec. 2.
From there, SMU will travel to Ohio on Dec. 5 to take on a Dayton team that went 29-2 last season. The Mustangs then will return to Moody Coliseum for a Dec. 8 clash against SEC opponent Vanderbilt.
SMU will open American Athletic Conference play Dec. 16 at home against East Carolina. The AAC Championships, assuming COVID-19 doesn't get in the way like it did last season, will take place March 11-14 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
Like all of college basketball, SMU hasn't been able to hold scrimmages because of COVID-19. But even so, Jankovich sees something different with this year's team.
"In practice, every single one of our returning players feels significantly better a year later to me," Everyone's improved, smallest to biggest."
THE BACKCOURT
SMU features point guard Kendric Davis and versatile two-guard Tyson Jolly. Davis is an AAC preseason first-team selection; Jolly is an AAC preseason second-team selection.
Davis averaged 14.2 points last season and led the AAC in assists, averaging 6.6 per game. Jolly led the Mustangs in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.
Emmanuel Bandoumel returns after starting 18 of 30 games and averaging 6.3 points per contest. Bandoumel's clutch gene was at its peak when he sank a game-winning 3-pointer in the final minute of a 73-72 overtime victory against then-No. 20 Houston.
The expectations for Darius McNeill are very high. McNeill, a Cal transfer, did not have his NCAA waiver approved last season, and he sat the entire season.
He is now eligible and hungry, and he could be an immediate impact player for the Mustangs. McNeill averaged double figures in two seasons at Cal and set the program's freshman 3-point record with 67.
William Douglas is back after receiving a medical hardship waiver. He is healthy and should be a solid contributor. Charles Smith IV brings perimeter range to the backcourt and is much improved after playing 22 games as a freshman.
Alex Tabor played only eight minutes in seven games total last season, but he made his time count. In eight minutes, he scored seven points. Darius McBride redshirted last season and is hoping to return to the court soon. He is still recovering from an automobile accident roughly a month ago.
THE FRONTCOURT
Gone from last year's team is Isiaha Mike, who turned pro overseas. Mike was one of only two players to start all 30 games (the other being Jolly) and averaged 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Ethan Chargois is the team's elder statesman. He's the only senior to have been at SMU since his freshman year, and he's coming off a junior season where he averaged 7.0 points and 3.8 rebounds. Chargois started 14 of 28 games, and he's expected to be more of an impact player as a stretch big.
Feron Hunt has the tools to be SMU's most exciting player this season. Hunt teamed with Davis on several highlight dunks last season, but Hunt is more than just an above-the-rim player. While he averaged a team-best 6.7 rebounds, he also averaged 11.0 points and shot 56% from the field.
Isiah Jasey had a roller-coaster 2019-20, primarily because he couldn't get started until December. Jasey also battled injury to where of the 20 games he was allowed to play, he only participated in 12. Look for Jasey to be a better defensive specialist and another option for Davis to complete highlight-reel alley-oops.
Arguably the most anticipated player on the team is the one still waiting for an NCAA waiver. Yor Anei is an Oklahoma State transfer who is a certified rim protector. One of his best games came last season against Oral Roberts, where he finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks. Anei is hoping to get his waiver soon.
Everett Ray has battled injuries throughout his career, and he's hoping this season will be one to remember on the court. Ray connected on a team-high 67% of his shots, even though he only played 19 games and started three.
The wildcard of the frontcourt is Jahmar Young Jr., who redshirted his sophomore season. As a freshman, he played in 22 games, but with a full roster last season, he was able to redshirt and get stronger inside and quicker outside.
