The future of SMU basketball changed in a moment’s notice this weekend when star forward Semi Ojeleye announced he will sign with an agent and officially stick with his decision to enter the NBA Draft.
His absence will be noticeable in the SMU lineup this fall and will force head coach Tim Jankovich to use his personnel very wisely. Ojeleye averaged 34.1 minutes per game for the Mustangs last season, the second most minutes played aside from Shake Milton. Ojeleye was not only the team's leading scorer with 19 points per game but also the team's second best rebounder and free throw shooter.
SMU survived last season without a player taller than 6-foot-8, ranking among the best teams in the nation in rebounding margin. With the graduation of Ben Moore and Sterling Brown, and now losing the versatile Ojeleye, SMU will need its young front court to play a significant role right away.
Incoming freshman forwards Everett Ray and Ethan Chargois are both three-star prospects and stand 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8 respectively. By no means are these two towering presences down low, but they will both be asked to be interior options from day one. Sophomore Leo Kontopoulos is the only other forward on the roster and played minimally last season but perhaps he'll be pushed into the rotation more with Ray and Chargois this season.
There are far fewer worries in the SMU backcourt. Returning guards Shake Milton and Jarrey Foster will lead the way, and will have a new set of complimentary players in transfers Jimmy Whitt and Jahmal McMurray. The latter will not be eligible until the second semester, but his three-point prowess will be a significant mid-season addition. Reigning AAC sixth man of the year Ben Emelogu will also be back to fill minutes and contribute occasionally on both ends of the floor.
SMU still has more talent than almost every team in the AAC but is already being shunned by most in favor of Cincinnati and Wichita State. With Ojeleye heading to the draft, the Mustangs may have very well lost their best and most versatile player, but the strength of the team last year was that almost everyone on the floor could excel in multiple roles. More of that will be needed this season without Ojeleye, Moore and Brown, and it is up to newcomers like Ray, Chargois and Whitt to emulate their predecessors at their positions.
Aside from the names on the back of the jerseys, SMU’s lineup still shakes out closely to what it was this past season. Guard play will be the strength of the squad, and an amoeba of a lineup with no dominant big man but five flexible players, especially out of the forward position. The SMU coaching staff is still on the hunt for an additional transfer/grad transfer big with Georgetown transfer Akoy Agau visiting this past weekend.
