March 1, 2007

[6] MEMPHIS Tigers (26-3, 15-0 C-USA) at SMU Mustangs (14-15, 3-12 C-USA) - Sat. March 3 at 8:30 p.m. - Moody Coliseum (8,998) - Radio: KAAM 770 AM - Internet: Mustang All-Access - TV: CSTV

The SMU Mustangs (14-15, 3-12 Conference USA) host the sixth-ranked Memphis Tigers (26-3, 15-0) on Saturday, March 3, at 8:30 p.m. The game is nationally-telecast by CSTV. It is the sixth nationaly television game for SMU this season. The SMU Seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony: student manager Brian Porth, forward Ike Ofoegbu, forward Devon Pearson, and center Donatas Rackauskas are all participating in their final home game as Mustangs.

The Mustangs are looking for their first win over a ranked opponent since a 60-59 triumph at 17th-ranked Purdue on Dec. 21, 2003, in the championship game of the Boliermaker Invitational. The last home win over a ranked opponent was 70-60 against 25th-ranked Houston on Jan. 30, 1993. The last time SMU hosted a team ranked sixth or higher was a 76-57 loss to sixth-ranked Oklahoma State on Nov. 29, 2005. The last time the Mustangs defeated a team ranked sixth or higher was an 84-82 win by the then seventh-ranked Mustangs against fifth-ranked North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Jan. 13, 1985. The highest ranked team SMU has defeated at Moody is third-ranked Indiana by a score of 91-84 on Dec. 29, 1967. The highest ranked opponent SMU has defeated was second-ranked Louisville with an 83-81 upset on March 17, 1967, in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal at Lawrence, Kansas.

The Mustangs and Tigers are meeting for the fifth time with SMU trailing 3-1 in the series. Every previous meeting in the series has been in Memphis. The first was a 66-63 SMU win on Dec. 14, 1953. The next was a decade later with memphis winning 95-92 in overtime on Dec. 28, 1964. Since becoming conference mates, the Mustangs lost 73-53 win by fifth-ranked Memphis at the FedExForum on Jan. 14, 2006. The most recent was a 88-52 loss at then 11th-ranked Memphis on Feb. 3. This is the second meeting for SMU's Matt Doherty and Memphis' John Calipari.

Ike Ofoegbu had his streak of five consecutive games with a double-double snapped in a 29 point and seven rebound performance against Tulsa. He had a career-best 30 points to go with 10 boards at Rice Feb. 24. In the last six games, Ike Ofoegbu is averaging 19.7 points and 11.7 rebounds while shooting 53.5 percent from the field, 63.6 percent (14-22) from three-point range, and 71.8 percent (28-39) at the free throw line. He is also leading Conference USA with 10 double-doubles this season and is best in the league at 54.5 percent (18-33) from three-point range in league play. He has improved his season rebounding average to 7.7, which is second in Conference USA and 84th nationally.

The Mustangs will be the No. 11 seed in the Conference USA Championship beginning March 7, in Memphis, Tenn. The Mustangs will face the No. 6 seed, which could be any of six teams: Marshall, Rice, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa or UAB. Tipoff will be noon or 2:30 p.m. at the FedEx Forum. The winner would face the third seed which will have a bye in the first round.

Bamba Fall is out 2-3 weeks (from Feb. 14) after a breaking his left ring-finger against Rice on Feb. 10. Bamba Fall has 62 blocks in 24 games this season, setting the SMU record for blocks by a sophomore. Jon Koncak held the previous mark, getting 54 in 30 games in 1982-83. His 62 this season are the fifth-most in a season at SMU. Reggie Franklin is fourth with 70 as a senior in 1978-79. The record is Jon Koncak's 97 as a junior in 1983-84. Fall had 53 blocks in 18 games in 2005-06 to break the previous freshman record of 43 by Ira Terrell in 1972-73. His 115 career blocks are fifth at SMU. Franklin is fourth with 129 career swats. Koncak holds the all-time mark with 278 returns.

Devon Pearson is 15th at SMU with 627 career rebounds. He is also closing in on Eric Castro (634), and Quinton Ross (650). Pearson is also tied for 16th with Carlton McKinney at 111 career steals. Up next is Troy Matthews (123).

The Mustangs lead Conference USA in rebounding defense (30.5), are thirs in scoring defense (62.7) and rank fourth in rebound margin (+4.0). In league play, the Mustangs are tops in rebound defense (32.2) as well as third in free throw percentage (.729) and third in 3FG made per game (6.93). Nationally, the Mustangs are 44th in rebound margin and 46th in scoring defense. Individually, Bamba Fall is second in the league and ranked 18th nationally in blocked shots (2.58). Jon Killen is third in the league and 56th nationally in assists (4.97) and ranks fourth in the conference in steals (1.76). Ike Ofoegbu is 9th in C-USA scoring (14.3), second in rebounds (7.7) and second in offensive rebounds (3.59). In league play, Ofoegbu is fifth in scoring (15.7) and second in rebounding (7.7).

LAST GAME: DALLAS (AP) - Ben Uzoh scored 15 points to help lead Tulsa to a 67-60 victory over SMU on Wednesday night. Calvin Walls' layup seven minutes into the game broke a 7-7 tie and put Tulsa (18-10, 8-7 Conference USA) ahead for good. Tulsa led 29-19 at halftime and took a 16-point margin, its largest, at 13:37 in the second. Uzoh, who shot 4-of-5 from the field in the second half, was the only Golden Hurricane to score in double figures. Jamel McLean led the team with seven rebounds. Ike Ofoegbu scored a game-high 29 points, including 4-of-5 3-pointers in the second half, for SMU (14-15, 3-12). Ofoegbu also led his team with seven rebounds. Tulsa shot 49 percent from the field to 36 percent for SMU.

LAST MEETING AGAINST MEMPHIS - L, 88-52 on Feb. 3, 2007 at [11] Memphis: MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Doneal Mack was perfect from the field, and helped No. 11 Memphis remain perfect in Conference USA play. The freshman guard scored 17 points, hitting all six of his field goals including 5-for-5 on 3-pointers, as the Tigers defeated SMU 88-52 on Saturday. Mack's shooting helped Memphis (19-3, 9-0) finish 15-for-25 on 3-pointers, and the Tigers shot 61 percent overall. Memphis won its 26th consecutive home game, and 11th straight overall. It was the most points allowed by the Mustangs (13-9, 2-6), who entered the game with the conference's best defense against 3-pointers, holding opponents to 31 percent on the season. Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 15 for Memphis, while Willie Kemp had 11 points and six assists. Ike Ofoegbu was the only Mustang in double figures, finishing with 17 points. SMU shot 36 percent for the game. Memphis built its lead midway through the first half when the Tigers began connecting from outside the arc, then found creases in the SMU zone on drives to the basket. The margin reached double digits about 6 minutes before halftime, and SMU never got close in the second half. In the first half, Douglas-Roberts scored 13 points, while Mack had 12, hitting four of his 3-pointers as Memphis took a 46-26 lead. The Tigers shot 54 percent on 7-of-13 shots from outside the arc. Ofoegbu had 11 points in the first half. The zone defense has been the choice of many Memphis opponents lately, hoping to catch the Tigers on an off shooting night. However, the Tigers say they are becoming more comfortable against the zone. Calipari noted that there's not as much bumping and banging as when teams play man-to-man defense, and with the right passing, there are plenty of open shots.

OFF THE COURT NEWS: FEB. 16 - CSTV Adds SMU vs. Tulsa Game on Feb. 28 The SMU men's basketball home game against Tulsa on Feb. 28 will be nationally-televised by CSTV. The game at Moody Coliseum begins at 7 p.m. CT, but will be tape-delayed on CSTV to 11 p.m. CT. This gives SMU six nationally-televised games during the 2006-07 regular season, extending the school-record. FEB. 10 - SMU VIP - "Very Important Pony" - reading program and SMU Campus Visit Program recognized At the Feb. 10 game against Rice, the Mustangs are hosting the SMU VIP - "Very Important Pony" - reading program and SMU Campus Visit Program for schools in the Dallas Independent School District. Mr. Bobn Sambol, proprietor of Bob's Steak and Chop House, funds both of these programs here at SMU. The VIP Reading Program provides incentives to 4th grade DISD children to read books for SMU prizes and allows our SMU Student-Athletes to make school visits and read books to elementary school children. The Campus Visit Program brings children from various DISD schools to SMU for a campus visit and to attend an SMU Athletic event. Mr. Sambol along with Jeff Pick and Courtney Ferguson from the SMU Marketing Department organize and implement the event . The students attending the game are from John F. Kennedy Learning Center, Dan D. Rogers Elementary, and, Ben Milam Elementary. At halftime of game, Mr. Sambol gave a check for $7,918 to the SMU Mustang Club on behalf of Bob's Steak & Chop. The total is $37 (Doak Walker's number) for each of the 214 points the Mustangs scored at home during the 2006 football season. FEB. 8 - Donatas Rackauskas Named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District SMU senior center Donatas Rackauskas was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 in the University Division. The award is selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is now nominated as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. If so named, he would join Pete Lodwick (1976-77) and Eric Castro (2004-05) as men's basketball Academic All-Americans from SMU. Rackauskas currently has a 3.88 grade-point-average in graduate school and will complete his masters in accounting in May of 2007. He finished his bachelor's degree in economics with a 3.82 GPA in Dec. 2005. He is also a team captain for the Mustangs along with Jon Killen, Ike Ofoegbu, and Derrick Roberts. FEB. 8 - Red Hot & Blue Now Available At Moody Coliseum As part of its efforts to increase amenities and general fan enjoyment, SMU is the in process of adding fare to its concessions offerings in Moody Coliseum. The first merchant to come on board is local barbeque favorite, Red Hot & Blue. Red Hot & Blue has eight Metroplex locations and has been in business in the Dallas area for over 13 years. FEB. 5 - SMU Offering Unique Blog Mustang Musings Is Nation's Only Frequently-Updated, Multi-Administrator Blog - smuad.blogspot.com/ As part of his on-going efforts to open lines of communication from the SMU athletic department to its fans, Director of Athletics Steve Orsini has developed "Mustang Musings," an on-line blog featuring himself, administrators and Mustang coaches. While the blog was originally created as a vehicle for Orsini to share his thoughts with the Mustang faithful, Orsini changed the direction of the blog earlier this month. JAN. 11 - Derrick Roberts and Ike Ofoegbu named captains - Join Donatas Rackauskas and Jon Killen Coach Matt Doherty named Derrick Roberts and Ike Ofoegbu as team captains. They joined Rackauskas and Killen, which have been team captains since before the season. The previous day, the Mustangs rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit before falling 57-56 to Southern Miss in the C-USA opener. After intermission, Roberts had five points, four rebounds, and an assist while Ofoegbu had eight points and six boards. JAN. 9 - Matt Doherty on KFWD TV-52 Southwest Kia Sports Talk Each Thursday Coach Matt Doherty will make a weekly appearance on Southwest Kia Sports Talk on KFWD TV-52 each Thursday until the NCAA Final Four. The show is hosted by Josh Roe and airs weekdays at 6:30 p.m. The show re-airs each night at 11:35 p.m. DEC. 30 - Mustangs Unveil New Scoreboard and Videoboard in Moody Coliseum The new $900,000-dollar Daktronics scoreboard is 17 feet high by 25 feet wide with eight-by-12-foot video boards on all four sides. The board was built and raised while both teams played away from Moody Coliseum during the semester break from Dec. 13 until Dec. 30. The dedication was at halftime of the Jan. 10, C-USA opener against Southern Miss. President R. Gerald Turner, Vice President Brad Cheves and Director of Athletics Steve Orsini thanked the contributors that made it a reality: Suzanne and Bill Hutchison, B.R. and Denny Holman and Sandy and Chuck Hutchison.New corner scoreboards and signage were also put in Moody during the break and are part of arena upgrades that will continue over the summer. DEC. 20 - Inside College Hoops with Matt Doherty SMU men's basketball coach Matt Doherty will have a weekly one-hour radio show beginning Jan. 8. Inside College Hoops with Matt Doherty is hosted by Rich Phillips, the voice of the Mustangs, and will be on KAAM 770 AM, the home of Mustangs' basketball. The weekly event will be held at Ten Sports Grill in downtown Dallas beginning at 7 p.m. (more information on page 4 of the notes) DEC. 19 - SMU Adds George Lynch To Staff George Lynch, a 12-year NBA veteran and NCAA Champion, joined the SMU men's basketball staff as the team's administrative assistant/graduate manager. Lynch averaged 22.8 minutes, 6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 774 games during his 12 NBA seasons. He was a first round selection (12th overall) by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1993 NBA draft and played for four franchises: Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. He was All-Atlantic Coast Conference and All-Final Four Tournament in 1993 when the North Carolina Tar Heels to the NCAA Championship. Lynch also played in the 2001 NBA Finals when the 76ers won the NBA Eastern Conference. DEC. 8 - SMU breaks ground on Crum Basketball Center The Mustangs broke ground on the Crum Basketball Center on Dec. 8. It is a $13 million, 43,000 sq. ft. training center that will be open in the Fall of 2007. (complete information on page 10 of the game notes)

CONVERTING TURNOVERS TO POINTS: Points off turnovers has been a good indicator of success. The Mustangs are even on average in wins and -5.8 in losses.

IS YOUR GAME HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY: The Mustangs are 11-3 when leading at the half and 3-11 when trailing at the break. The Mustangs won 64-62 at TCU after trailing 27-21 at intermission, rallied from a 30-22 halftime deficit against Tulane for a 55-53 triumph, and won 60-56 at UAB to rebound from a 27-26 halftime score. Conversely, SMU fell 59-52 at Florida State after leading 26-25 at the half, lost to 72-67 to UTEP after holding a 32-29 edge after 20 minutes, and fell 63-60 against Rice following a 34-28 halftime edge. The 52-49 loss at Marshall was tied 18-18 at halftime.

LEADER OF BOTH PACKS: Ike Ofoegbu is leading the Mustangs with 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds. The last time the same player led SMU in both categories was Jeryl Sasser in 2000-01 with 17.0 points and 8.3 boards.

W = 100+: Head coach Matt Doherty has 104 career wins. He got career win 100 when SMU defeated Texas-Pan American 84-71 on Jan. 4. (Doherty wins - 22 at Notre Dame, 53 at North Carolina, 15 at Florida Atlantic, 14 at SMU)

I LIKE IKE: Ike Ofoegbu has become a force for the Mustangs this season. Points Avg. Rebs Avg. FG 3FG FT 2004-05 21 0.8 28 1.1 5-31 0-3 11-18 2005-06 102 3.8 82 3.0 35-62 0-1 32-50 2006-07 415 14.3 223 7.7 130-255 27-56 128-179

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Devon Pearson entered the season with 11 career double-doubles, which was the most by an active player in C-USA. He was the only current Mustang with any entering 2006-07. Pearson had nine in 2005-06. 2006-07 Double-Doubles Opponent Season Career Ike Ofoegbu 26 pts, 10 rebs La-Monroe 11/22 1st 1st Devon Pearson 19 pts, 10 rebs Texas College 12/3 1st 12th Ike Ofoegbu 14 pts, 10 rebs Prairie View A&M 12/10 2nd 2nd Ike Ofoegbu 13 pts, 11 rebs at Centenary 12/16 3rd 3rd Ike Ofoegbu 10 pts, 11 rebs Brown 1/6 4th 4th Devon Pearson 13 pts, 10 rebs Brown 1/6 2nd 13th Ike Ofoegbu 12 pts, 11 rebs Southern Miss 1/10 5th 5th Bamba Fall 12 pts, 10 rebs at Houston 1/13 1st 1st Devon Pearson 16 pts, 11 rebs UTEP 1/20 3rd 14th Ike Ofoegbu 16 pts, 12 rebs Rice 2/10 6th 6th Ike Ofoegbu 18 pts, 16 rebs at Marshall 2/14 7th 7th Ike Ofoegbu 11 pts, 15 rebs East Carolina 2/17 8th 8th Ike Ofoegbu 14 pts, 10 rebs at UTEP 2/21 9th 9th Ike Ofoegbu 30 pts, 10 rebs at Rice 2/24 10th (leads C-USA) 10th

NO POINTS FOR YOU: SMU's scoring defense is among the best in team history. 61.4 1985-86 62.2 1957-58 62.7 2006-07 63.2 1958-59 64.1 2005-06 64.2 1956-57

MASTERS OF THE CLUTCH: Fifth-year senior Donatas Rackauskas will have his masters in accounting in May 2007 and has a become a master of hitting bigtime shots. He finished his bachelor's in accounting in December 2005 (3.5 years). He is in his fifth season after missing the 2004-05 season due to a knee injury. - Nov. 14 at Florida State - hit a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left to pull SMU within 54-52 before falling 59-52. - Jan. 6 against Brown - hit a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining in overtime to seal the 60-56 victory - Jan. 27 at Tulsa - his a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left to pull SMU within 68-66 before fall 70-66

SO CLOSE: The Mustangs have lost five league games by five points or less and all were one-possession games in the final minute. Southern Miss 1/10 L, 57-56 Derrick Roberts took potential game-winning shot from left elbow at buzzer UTEP 1/20 L, 72-67 Donatas Rackasukas missed tying 3-pointer with 17 seconds left at Tulsa 1/27 L, 70-66 Donatas Rackauskas made it 68-66 with a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left Rice 2/10 L, 63-60 Briwn Epps took potential game-tying 3-pointer from top of key at buzzer at Marshall 2/14 L, 52-49 Dez Willingham took potential tying 3-pointer from right-wing as time expired

JON "SHOOTER" KILLEN: Coach Matt Doherty called Jon Killen "shooter" during the summer to help him think more aggressively on offense. The mindset is showing. He had a career-high 20 points at UTEP Feb. 21. 2004-05 Fr. 46 points in 28 games (1.6 avg) 2005-06 So. 57 points in 29 games (2.0 avg) 2006-07 Jr. 231 points in 29 games (8.0 avg)

BUZZER BEATERS: 11/12 vs. Illinois State - W, 57-55 - Devon Pearson gave the Mustangs an opening-night victory against Illinois State as he tipped in a miss from Derrick Roberts as time expired for the 57-55 triumph. Pearson tipped it in from the right side of the basket after Roberts' 12-foot jumper from the left baseline skipped across the rim. 12/21 at TCU - W, 64-62 - Dez Willingham hit a running 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired to give SMU the 64-62 win. The play started when Derrick Roberts received the inbounds pass and threw it to Donatas Rackauskas at mid-court. Rackauskas took two dribbles and fed Willingham on the left wing for the game-winner. The lead changed hands four times in the final 17 seconds. Brent Hackett gave TCU a 60-59 lead on a 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining. Jon Killen was fouled by Kevin Langford three seconds later and hit both free throws. Killen was then called for a blocking foul against Ryan Wall with 8.9 seconds to go. Wall hit both free throws to give TCU a 62-61 edge that set up the final play.

RALLY, RALLY: The Mustangs have rallied from double-digit deficits in the second-half to be within a possession multiple times, including overcoming a 13-point deficit against Tulane for a 55-53 win. GAME FINAL DEFICIT CLOSEST Southern Miss 1/10 L, 57-56 21 (42-21) at 17:48 2nd 56-55 (Led by 1 at 2:42, So. Miss winner at 1:32) at Tulsa 1/27 L, 70-66 14 (49-35) at 13:56 2nd 68-66 (on Donatas Rackauskas 3FG at 0:06) Tulane 1/24 W, 55-53 13 (40-27) at 14:30 2nd 55-53 (53-51 lead on 2FT by Bamba Fall at 3:01)

WHERE THERE IS A "WILL"INGHAM, THERE IS A WAY: Dez Willingham has beat the buzzer with a running 3-pointer twice to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He also kncoked down clutch free throws after being fouled on another buzzer-beating attempt: Dec. 21, 2006 - W, 64-62 at TCU - Willingham hit a running 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired to give SMU the 64-62 win. He received a pass from Donatas Rackauskas as the Mustangs went the length of the court for the winner in the final 8.9 seconds. The lead changed hands four times in the final 17 seconds. Feb. 15, 2006 - Marshall L, 75-72 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit three free throws with seven seconds left as he was fould attempting the potential game-tying 3-pointer. Jan. 21, 2006 - Rice W, 80-69 (ot) - The Mustangs forced overtime after Willingham hit a 25-foot three-pointer to tie the game at 64-64 with a half a second left in regulation. That concluded an SMU rally from seven points down with 1:37 remaining in the second half.

FAMILIAR FOE: The Mustangs have met seven opponents more than 100 times. Rice 184 111-73 L, 63-60 - Feb. 10@SMU, L, 75-66 - Feb. 24@RU TCU 182 100-82 W, 64-62 - Dec. 21@TCU Baylor 175 100-75 Texas A&M 175 90-85 Texas 174 71-103 Arkansas 153 59-94 Texas Tech 104 47-57

HONORS: Colonial Classic All-Tournament (SMU went 2-1) Jon Killen (10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.3 steals) Ike Ofoegbu (14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds) ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Donatas Rackauskas (3.88 GPA in his Masters in Accounting program)

ASSIST BY KILLEN: That call has been the most common assist call at SMU in more than a decade. Jon Killen is averaging 4.97. No player has averaged five or more assists for SMU since Gerald Lewis had 6.7 per outing in 1992-93. Killen had 10 against Louisiana-Monroe and 11 at Tulsa. The 11 at Tulsa was the most since 12 by Jeryl Sasser against Rice on Jan. 31, 1998.

SMU CAREER Assists: Jon Killen became the 21st SMU player with 200 or more career assists when he reached the mileston at Rice on Feb. 24. Derrick Roberts is alswo closing in on 200 career assists. 1 828 Butch Moore, 1982-86 2 491 Gerald Lewis, 1989-93 3 469 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01 4 468 Billy Allen, 1978-80 5 460 Carl Wright, 1982-85 6 419 Roderick Hampton, 1987-91 7 403 Kato Armstrong, 1985-89 8 396 Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06 9 387 Troy Matthews, 1993-97 10 363 Zachary Thiel, 1971-74 11 334 Scott Johnson, 1983-87 12 323 Stephen Woods, 1996-00 13 279 Jemeil Rich, 1994-97 14 278 David Piehler, 1979-83 15 276 Damon Hancock, 1998-02 16 260 Phil Hale, 1976-80 17 239 Michael Jaccar, 1974-76 18 236 Carlton McKinney, 1986-88 19 222 Quinton Ross, 1999-03 20 212 Justin Isham, 2001-05 21 210 Jon Killen, 2004-07 (reached 200 with 6 assists at Rice 2/24) ... 188 Derrick Roberts, 2004-07

IT IS BETTER TO RECEIVE: Devon Pearson has surpassed 100 career steals. Jon Killen is also closing in on the milestone. SMU Career Steals - 100+ 1 225 Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06 2 209 Gerald Lewis, 1989-93 3 205 Carl Wright, 1982-85 4 197 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01 5 179 Stephen Woods, 1996-00 6 160 Willie Davis, 1997-01 7 153 Quinton Ross, 1999-03 8 136 Jemeil Rich, 1994-97 9 130 Butch Moore, 1982-86 10 128 David Piehler, 1979-83 11 127 Roderick Hampton, 1987-91 12 126 Justin Isham, 2001-05 126 Kato Armstrong, 1985-89 14 125 Phil Hale, 1976-80 15 123 Troy Matthews, 1993-97 16 111 Carlton McKinney, 1986-88 111 Devon Pearson, 2003-07 18 109 Eric Castro, 2001-05 19 102 Tim Mason, 1989-93 ... 97 Jon Killen, 2004-07

SMU RECORD FOR NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE: The SMU Men's Basketball team has a school-record six nationally televised games during the 2006-07 regular season. The Mustangs play five games on CSTV and one game, at Memphis, on ESPN. Thu, Dec. 21, at TCU (CSTV) - W, 64-62 on Dez Willingham 3-pointer at buzzer Saturday, Jan. 13, at Houston - L, 82-67 as Bamba Fall has first career double-double (12 pts, 10 rebs) Saturday, Feb. 3, at Memphis (ESPN) - L, 88-52; Ofoegbu has team-high 17 pts, Memphis 15-25 3FG Wednesday, Feb. 7, vs. Houston (CSTV) - L, 64-49; Pearson leads with 13 points and 9 rebounds Wednesday, Feb. 28 vs. Tulsa (CSTV) - L, 67-60; Ofoegbu leads with 29 points, 7 rebounds Saturday, March 3, vs. Memphis - 8:30 p.m. CT (CSTV)

MUSTANG HOOPS BLOG: SMU Mustangs' head coach Matt Doherty has his own blog at www.MustangHoopsBlog.com.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Devon Pearson is the 19th SMU player to surpass 600 career rebounds, getting there with nine against Houston on Feb. 7. He became the 29th player at SMU with 500 career rebounds when he passed the mark against Louisiana-Monroe 11/22. 1. 1169 - Jon Koncak - 1981-85 2. 1077 - Ira Terrell - 1972-76 3. 976 - Jeryl Sasser - 1997-01 4. 889 - Larry Davis - 1981-85 5. 840 - Jim Krebs - 1954-57 6. 790 - Willie Davis - 1997-01 7. 785 - Jeff Swanson - 1974-78 8. 759 - Patrick Simpson - 2001-05 9. 745 - Joel Krog - 1953-56 10. 690 - Tim Mason - 1989-93 11. 687 - Carroll Hooser - 1963-66 12. 669 - Lynn Phillips - 1966-69 13. 650 - Quinton Ross - 1999-03 14. 634 - Eric Castro - 2001-05 15. 627 - Devon Pearson - 2003-06

R-T-C: Head Coach Matt Doherty uses the initials RTC to represent his vision for the Mustangs. They are Respect, Trust and Commitment. The red wristbands the players wear have RTC. There are also several signs around the Mustangs' locker room and offices.

FINALLY "FALL"ING: Bamba Fall's free throw percentage can be misleading due to struggles at the beginning of the season. Against Tulane, he went 4-4, all in the second half, with a pair at 4:13 and 3:01 as the Mustangs rallied from 13 points down for the 55-53 win on Jan. 24. SEASON 40-60 .667 First 4 Games 5-13 .385 Rest of Non-Conf 15-23 .652 C-USA games 20-24 .833

BLOCK PARTY: Bamba Fall's 2.58 blocks per game are second in Conference USA. This season, he has already set the SMU sophomore blocked shots record, passing Jon Koncak's mark of 54 blocks in 1982-83. In 2005-06, Bamba Fall set the SMU freshman record with 53 blocks in just 18 games. (Passed the previous record of 43 by Ira Terrell in 1972-73). He also led C-USA with 3.36 per league contest.

Bamba Fall - Blocks GP 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 6+ 2005-06 Fr. 18 15 10 8 3 1 2006-07 So. 24 17 11 6 4 2 Total 42 32 21 14 7 3

Conference USA Blocks Average in a Season (All Games) 1. 4.11 Anwar Ferguson, Houston (111 in 27) 2003-04 2. 4.00 Gerrick Morris, South Florida (108 in 27) 2003-04 3. 3.62 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (87 in 24) 2001-02 4. 3.45 Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (107 in 31) 1999-00 5. 3.33 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (90 in 27) 2003-04 ... 2.58 Bamba Fall, SMU 2006-07

Conference USA Blocks Average in a Season (Conference Games) 1. 4.38 Gerrick Morris, South Florida (70 in 16) 2003-04 2. 3.88 Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (62 in 16) 1999-00 3. 3.69 Anwar Ferguson, Houston (59 in 16) 2003-04 4. 3.44 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina (55 in 16) 2003-04 5. 3.36 Bamba Fall, SMU (47 in 14) 2005-06 6. 3.25 Kelly Wise, Memphis (52 in 16) 1999-00 ... 2.80 Bamba Fall, SMU 2006-07

SMU Career Blocked Shots 1. 278 - Jon Koncak - 1981-85 2. 169 - Ira Terrell - 1972-76 3. 151 - Patrick Simpson - 2001-05 4. 129 - Reggie Franklin - 1977-79 5. 115 - Bamba Fall - 2005-07 (Moved into 5th against Southern Miss 1/10 - 6 blocks) 6. 88 - James Gatewood - 1990-94 7. 81 - Quinton Ross - 1999-03 8. 78 - Brad Branson - 1978-80 9. 69 - Bobby Dimson - 1994-98 10. 68 - Donatas Rackauskas - 2002-07

SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots (Since 1972-73) (GP) 1. 97 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (33) 2. 91 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (33) 3. 79 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (28) 4. 70 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (27) 5. 62 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07

SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots by a Sophomore (GP) 1. 62 Bamba Fall, 2006-07 2. 54 Jon Koncak, 1982-83 (30) 3. 47 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (27) 4. 45 Patrick Simpson, 2002-03 (30) SMU Single-Season Blocked Shots Average (Since 1972-73) Must Play in 75% of Games (Blocks/Games Played) Bamba Fall averaged 2.9 as a freshman, but only played in 18 of 29 team games. 1. 2.9 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (97/33) 2. 2.8 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (79/28) 2.8 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (91/33) 4. 2.6 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (59/21) 2.6 Reggie Franklin (Sr.), 1978-79 (70/27) 6. 2.1 Reggie Franklin (Jr.), 1977-78 (59/28)

HIGH-PERCENTAGE SHOT: Bamba Fall has a chance for one of the best shooting percentages for sa season inSMU history and a shot at the sophomore record. Best FG Percentage (Since 1953-54) Minimum 75 Field Goals Made 1 63.7 Terry Williams (Sr.), 1986-87 (142-233) 2 62.1 Jon Koncak (Jr.), 1983-84 (211-340) 3 62.0 Terry Williams (Jr.), 1985-86 (150-242) 4 60.7 Larry Davis (Jr.), 1983-84 (219-361) 5 59.2 Jon Koncak (Sr.), 1984-85 (219-370) 6 58.1 Terry Thomas (Sr.), 1987-88 (111-191) 7 57.2 John Colborne (Jr.), 1988-89 (99-173) 57.2 Ira Terrell (Fr.), 1972-73 (219-383) 9 56.5 Larry Davis (Sr.), 1984-85 (177-313) 56.5 Eric Castro (So.), 2002-03 (105-186) ... 54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121)

SMU FG-Percentage by a Sophomore 56.5 Eric Castro, 2002-03 (105-186) 56.4 Larry Davis, 1982-83 (190-337) 54.7 Tim Mason, 1990-91 (179-327) 54.5 Bamba Fall (So.), 2006-07 (66-121) 54.5 Ira Terrell, 1973-74 (264-484)

DIALING FROM DISTANCE: Ike Ofoegbu has been on fire from three-point range in league play and is having one of the best seasons ever at SMU from beyond the arc. Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts are also shooting well this season from 3-point range.

SMU Season 3FG Percentage (Since 1986-87) Minimum 20 Made 1 53.2 Eric Longino (Sr.), 1988-89 (50-94) 2 48.2 Ike Ofoegbu (Sr.), 2006-07 (27-56) 3 47.6 Troy Dorner (Sr.), 1993-94 (39-82) 4 47.5 Scott Johnson (Sr.), 1986-87 (44-99) 5 45.7 Lavardicus Atkins (Fr.), 2000-01 (21-46) 6 45.3 Todd Alexander (Jr.), 1987-88 (82-181) 7 41.8 Stephen Woods (So.), 1997-98 (74-177) 8 41.7 Carlton McKinney (Sr.), 1987-88 (35-84) 9 40.7 Chad Allen (Jr.), 1992-93 (44-108) 10 40.4 Bryan Hopkins (Jr.), 2003-04 (84-208) 11 40.0 Chad Allen (Fr.), 1990-91 (36-90) ... 38.2 Jon Killen (Jr.), 2006-07 (39-102) ... 38.1 Derrick Roberts (Jr.), 2006-07 (40-105) SMU Season 3FG Percentage (Since 1986-87) as a Junior: 1. 45.3 Todd Alexander, 1987-88 (82-181) 2. 40.7 Chad Allen, 1992-93 (44-108) 3. 40.4 Bryan Hopkins, 2003-04 (84-208) ... 38.2 Jon Killen (Jr.), 2006-07 (39-102) ... 38.1 Derrick Roberts (Jr.), 2006-07 (40-105)

EYE ON THE POWER RANKINGS - KENPOM RPI & SAGARIN: RPI - 205, Sagarin - 175 (as of March 1) The RPI is one of the principal components the NCAA selection committee uses to determine the field for the NCAA Men's Tournament. It has three primary components. It does not include non-Division I opponents in SMU's record (Paul Quinn and Texas College). SMU finished the 2005-06 season at No. 269 in the RPI and No. 198 in the Sagarin ratings. Part I (25% of the formula): Team winning percentage. Part II (50%): Average opponents' winning percentage. Part III (25%): Average opponents' opponents' winning percentage. The Mustangs reached No. 7 in the RPI on Dec. 8 1-50 51-100 101-200 201+ Non Conference L10 R/N RPI Rnk Conf W-L SOS W-L W-L W-L W-L W-L RPI SOS W-L W-L 205 SMU CUSA 12-15 176 0-2 1-2 5-8 6-3 9-3 108 265 2-8 5-9 7 Memphis CUSA 25-3 L, 88-52 at [11] Memphis on 2/3/07 48 Florida St. ACC 18-11 L, 59-52 at FSU on 11/14/06 78 Dayton A-10 17-11 W, 53-48 at SMU on 11/18/06 99 Houston CUSA 15-14 L, 82-67 at Houston on 1/13/07 & L, 64-49 at SMU on 2/7/07

SMU MILESTONES: - SMU won seven consecutive games (Nov. 18 to Dec. 21), most since winning 10 in a row to start 1997-98 - The Mustangs swept a homestand of five or more games for the first time since a six-game stretch in 1997-98 - The Mustangs won a school-record five games in November, finishing the month 5-1 - The 11-3 start was the best since a 12-3 start in 2000-01.

OUR FTM IS MORE THAN YOUR FTA: Head coach Matt Doherty sets a goal for the Mustangs to make more free throws than the opponent attempts. Here is a look at the season to date. SMU Opp Goal Result 11/12 18-25 7-9 vs. Illinois State Yes W, 57-55 11/13 10-17 3-4 vs. McNeese State Yes W, 70-54 11/14 7-9 13-18 at Florida State No L, 59-52 11/18 27-40 12-24 Dayton Yes W, 53-48 11/22 15-22 15-19 Louisiana-Monroe No W, 99-66 11/27 20-24 12-19 Paul Quinn Yes W, 76-54 12/3 13-22 9-10 Texas College Yes W, 79-63 12/13 10-19 2-4 Prairie View A&M Yes W, 68-51 12/16 12-15 7-12 at Centenary No W, 68-40 12/21 16-23 12-19 at TCU No W, 64-62 12/28 7-11 11-17 at Oklahoma No L, 69-42 12/30 24-32 22-30 North Carolina A&T No L, 80-76 1/4 19-25 10-18 Texas-Pan American Yes W, 84-71 1/6 3-6 11-16 Brown No W (ot), 60-56 1/10 11-17 7-11 Southern Miss No L, 56-57 1/13 15-20 11-12 at Houston Yes L, 82-67 1/17 14-19 13-19 at UCF No L, 64-56 1/20 23-29 14-22 UTEP Yes L, 72-67 1/24 19-24 7-13 Tulane Yes W, 55-53 1/27 15-19 17-21 at Tulsa No L, 70-66 1/31 12-15 5-11 at UAB Yes W, 60-56 2/3 9-12 5-12 at [11] Memphis No L, 52-88 2/7 6-9 13-16 Houston No L, 64-49 2/10 9-12 9-14 Rice No L, 63-60 2/14 9-14 15-23 at Marshall No L, 52-49 2/17 8-16 9-16 East Carolina No W, 65-42 2/21 16-25 16-19 at UTEP No L, 85-56 2/24 10-11 10-14 at Rice No L, 75-66 2/28 26-35 14-24 Tulsa Yes L, 67-60 Season 403-567 311-466 NO Yes 9-3 / No 5-12

SMU RECORD UPDATES: Additions or changes to the SMU record book during the 2006-07 season. SMU Single-Game - Team 3FGM T-4th - 13 Texas-Pan American 1/4 T-6th - 12 vs. McNeese State 11/13 T-6th - 12 La-Monroe 11/22 3FG PCT 3rd - 61.9% (13-21) Texas-Pan American 1/4 SMU Single-Game - Individual FTA T-7th - 17 by Ike Ofoegbu vs. Illinois State 11/12 Opponent Single-Game - Individual 3FGM T-6th - 7 by Robert McKiver, Houston 1/13 Moody Coliseum Single-Game - Team 3FGM T-4th - 13 by SMU vs. Texas-Pan American 1/4 3FG PCT T-5th - 61.9% (13-21) by SMU vs. Texas-Pan American 1/4

LONG TIME, NO SEE: SMU has had a few numbers in the boxscore that have not seen in a while - SMU scored 99 points against La.-Monroe 11/22 - last time was 101 at Puerto Rico - Mayaguez 12/20/2000 (W 101-72) - Jon Killen had 10 assists against La-Monroe 11/22 - last time was Bryan Hopkins with 10 against TCU on 11/24/2002 (W ot, 87-84) - Jon Killen had 11 assists at Tulsa, most since 12 by Jeryl Sasser against Rice on Jan. 31, 1998 - Ike Ofoegbu had 30 points, most since 32 by Bryan Hopkins at Tulsa on Jan. 1, 2005.

COACHING EXPERIENCE: Head Coach Matt Doherty has assembled a coaching staff of Associate Head Coach Mike Garland, Assistant Coach Lance Irvin, Assistant Coach Steve Lutz, and Director of Operations Malcolm Farmer. The coaching staff entered the season with totals of 49 years of collegiate coaching with 16 conference crowns and 12 conference tournament championships. They have earned 26 postseason appearances, including 18 bids to the NCAA Tournament with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, nine Elite Eights, six Final Fours and two National Championships. The coaching staff has also guided 32 players to the NBA.

QUOTABLE: Quotes by and about SMU from the 2006-07 season.

Feb. 28 - Postgame - Tulsa (L, 67-60) Matt Doherty (on the Mustangs continuing to work despite several close losses) "There's a lot of frustration, but I'm proud of the guys for not giving in. It would be very easy this time of year to quit. And they haven't. I want them to find a reward. Hopefully just the hard work and satisfaction knowing you gave your best is enough. But with young people, you'd like to see them come up with a win."

Ike Ofoegbu (on him having 29 points after scoring 30 at Rice) "We're short on bodies, so coach said everybody's got to pick it up. And coach has had the confidence in me."