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Inside The Mustangs

SMU's NCAA Tournament Opponent, Time and Location of Game and More

SMU is in, but their first game has a huge catch. The day and location of their game do not favor them, but they should be confident.
Ryan Kay|
Southern Methodist University Mustangs head coach Andy Enfield. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Southern Methodist University Mustangs head coach Andy Enfield. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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SMU will play in one of the first four games in Dayton, OH, and they will face off against a fan favorite and Cinderella candidate.

The Mustangs got rewarded by being selected for the NCAA Tournament, unlike last year, when SMU played in the NIT. However, they are playing in one of the First Four games in Dayton, OH, against a team from the state of Ohio. Furthermore, the crowd will likely be mostly RedHawks fans, as they will travel to see the game, and college basketball fans generally cheer for them due to their remarkable, near-undefeated season.

SMU is the favorite in the game and, according to the metric-based sites, should win this game and advance to play Tennessee on Friday, March 20, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a No. 11 vs. No. 6 matchup in the Midwest Region, and the Mustangs hope to play the Vols with the opportunity to advance to the round of 32.

The Mustangs have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2017, but now that they are members of the ACC and the SMU fanbase travels well, a decent number of Mustang fans are expected to attend their game on Wednesday against the RedHawks. This will only be their third NCAA Tournament appearance since 1994.

Miami (OH) enters the tournament with a 31–1 record. They went undefeated in the regular season, but they lost in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals to UMass, and that is why they are playing in the First Four. Their non-conference strength of schedule was not strong, and SMU will be the highest NET-ranked opponent that they will face this season.

SMU deserved to earn an NCAA bid for many reasons, with their marquee "Quadrant 1" wins that showed they could compete with the best by winning some important games. However, some college basketball analysts like Bruce Pearl argued that SMU didn't belong in the tournament over a team like Auburn.

Here are some clear, distinct reasons why SMU deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament.

Their win over No. 6 seed North Carolina was a clear 97–83 home triumph over the Tar Heels in early January. Earlier in the season, they defeated Texas A&M, which is a No. 10 seed, in a hard-fought victory in overtime at a neutral site, 93–80. Shortly after, they defeated Mississippi State on the road at Starkville, 87–81. In ACC play, they defeated Louisville, who, like UNC, is a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they beat the Cardinals by more than ten points.

One of the best things about SMU was how disciplined they were when they played weaker teams. SMU went 11–0 versus Quadrant 3 and Quadrant 4 teams, which means they didn't lose to any teams that were much inferior to them. Other "bubble" teams had "bad losses." Auburn, in contrast, has a Quad 3 loss to Ole Miss, lost by six to Mississippi State on the road, a team SMU defeated on the road, and lost at home to Texas A&M, a team the Mustangs defeated on a neutral court.

Regardless of what others may say, SMU deserved to be in this year's NCAA Tournament, and they will have a chance to get their first NCAA Tournament win since they defeated No. 10 seed Notre Dame in 1988. They are the favorites against Miami of Ohio on Wednesday night, and they look to get the victory to play Tennessee in the round of 64.

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Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

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