SMU can’t weather Houston storm this time, misses out on chance to boost NCAA Tournament hopes | JoeJHoyt
The story of SMU’s first game against Houston was about how the Mustangs. The second was about that same storm, and how this time it was too overwhelming to overcome.
There were a lot of statistics in Houston’s favor, but none more important, and lopsided, than this: for over seven minutes in the second half, when SMU was still within striking distance, the Mustangs had a stretch where they grabbed no rebounds. Houston, on the other hand, had 15 of them, including 11 on the offensive end.“That was the whole game,” SMU head coach Tim Jankovich said of Houston’s rebounding dominance on KAAM 770 AM.
The potential for that type of outcome exists when SMU takes the calculated risk of going small more often than not. The Mustangs don’t have anyone in their starting lineup who stands taller than Marcus Weathers at 6-foot-5. It’s a trade of size for offensive versatility and more often than not it’s been a beneficial one for the Mustangs. SMU has been outrebounded in 11 of their 27 games this season and still the Mustangs are 7-4 in those games.
The key for SMU’s smaller lineup revolves around an intensity level that allows the Mustangs to rebound comparably, combined with offensive success that limits the opportunities for opposing rebounders. On Sunday, the intensity SMU usually shows wasn’t enough, and the shooting — including no made 3-pointers in the first half — couldn’t cut it. SMU finished 4-of-21 from 3-point range, and half of those 3-pointers came on back-to-back shots from Weathers to start the second half.