School: Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Location: Dallas, Texas (University Park)

Previous NCAA Conference Affiliations: Independent (1916-18), Southwest Conference (1918-96), Western Athletic Conference (1996-2005), Conference USA (2005-13), American Conference (2013-24)

ACC Member Since: 2024-25

ACC Ranking Among 31 Leagues (KenPom): 4th (2026), 5th (2025), 5th (2024), 7th (2023), 5th (2022), 5th (2021), 4th (2020)

NCAA Tournament Bids: 13 (1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993, 2015, 2017, 2026)

Sweet 16s: 6 (1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967)

Final Fours: 1 (1956)

NCAA Championships: 0

Conference Titles: 3 (1988 in SWC; 2015, 2017 in AAC)

Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 15 (1935, 1937, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1972, 1988, 1993 in SWC; 2015, 2017 in AAC)

Head Coach: Andy Enfield, 56 years old, 2nd season at SMU, 44-24 (.647)

As A Player: Johns Hopkins guard (1987-91)

Record As Head Coach (through March 17): 305-199 (.605) in 14+ seasons

Previous HC Experience: Florida Gulf Coast (2011-13), USC (2013-24)

College AC Experience: Florida State (2006-11)

Assistant Under: Leonard Hamilton

2024-25 Record: 24-11, 13-7 (4th in 18-team ACC)

2025-26 Preseason Prediction (Coaches/Media): 6th in 18-team ACC

2025-26 Record (through March 17): 20-13, 8-10 ACC (11th in ACC)

2025-26 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #42 nationally (8th in ACC)

Remaining Schedule: NCAA Tournament (First Four vs. 31-1 Miami-Ohio, Wed., 9:15 p.m., truTV)

The last time SMU started and finished a decade as a member of the same conference came in the 1980s, when the Mustangs were part of the Southwest Conference, a league that doesn’t even exist anymore.

In the 1990s and well into the 21st century, the SMU athletic program lived a nomadic existence, jumping to the Western Athletic Conference (1996-2005), Conference USA (2005-13) and the American Conference (2013-24). For the overwhelming majority of three-plus decades, the Mustangs were — from a national perspective — mostly irrelevant in football and basketball.

On the gridiron, second-year coach Rhett Lashlee put the Mustangs back on the map in 2023. SMU posted a 11-3 record, won the American Conference championship and finished in the postseason Top 25. One year later, the Mustangs made a huge splash as brand-new ACC members, going 8-0 in league play during the regular season, competing in the ACC title game, earning a College Football Playoff invitation, and finishing with a #11 national ranking.

Now, in basketball, second-year coach Andy Enfield has propelled SMU back onto that sport’s biggest platform, too. The Mustangs, in their second year as ACC members, are playing in the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in the past 38 years.

“It was a very joyous time to be a Mustang,” Enfield said of Selection Sunday. “It’s been a while since SMU has been in the NCAA Tournament, It’s certainly been even longer since they won a basketball game in the tournament. So we’re looking forward to representing our school and the ACC in Dayton. … It didn’t matter what region or what bracket, we’re just happy to be there and go compete for a national championship.

“To make the NCAA Tournament obviously is a goal for everybody, but it’s a really big thing for our school, it’s a big thing for the SMU community, because they haven’t been here in nine years, and they haven’t won a game in 37 years, since 1988. So we’re gonna try very hard to get that first (NCAA Tournament) win in a long time. We’re proud of our players and what they’ve accomplished.”

A former Florida State assistant coach under Leonard Hamilton, Enfield quickly has built SMU into a formidable program by promoting the Mustangs’ new affiliation with the basketball-loving ACC and tapping all of the available talent pipelines in the modern game.

In 2024, just as the Mustangs were joining the ACC, Enfield signed super-quick Wake Forest point guard Boopie Miller from the transfer portal and super-sized Turkish center Samet Yigitoglu from the international ranks. This season, Miller has put up the biggest numbers — and also the most efficient numbers — of his entire five-year college career. Yigitoglu also has become a two-year starter for the Mustangs.

“(This NCAA bid) is a credit to our players,” Enfield said. “They took a chance on SMU coming into the ACC, and what they’ve accomplished the last two years, especially this season … guys like Boopie Miller, BJ Edwards, Samet (Yigotolu) — the returnees — it means a lot.”

In 2025, Enfield added two more high-quality transfers and two Dallas area high school teammates who have made immediate impacts. Jacksonville State guard Jaron Pierre Jr. had been the 2025 Conference USA Player of the Year. Wichita State forward Corey Washington had earned second-team All-American Conference honors. From the prep ranks, SMU added center Jaden Toombs (one of the highest-ranked signees in program history) and guard Jermaine O’Neal Jr. (namesake son of the six-time NBA All-Star).

During conference play this season, although the Mustangs often struggled defensively, they ranked just behind ACC champion Duke and fellow NCAA Tournament participant Louisville in offensive efficiency. Thanks largely to Enfield’s philosophy and Miller’s uncommon skill set, they also played at the third-fastest tempo in the conference.

“I can’t say enough about our guys right now,” Enfield said, “because they’ve transformed SMU basketball into something that’s fun to watch.”

2025-26 SMU Mustangs
(20-13, 8-10 ACC; through March 17)

STARTERS

PG Boopie Miller*, r-Sr. (6-0/175) — 2024 Wake Forest transfer (starter)
35 mpg, 19 ppg, 4 rpg, 47% FG, 87% FT, 41% threes, 206/84 ATO, 48 steals, 2 blocks

G BJ Edwards*, Sr. (6-3/200) — 2023 Tennessee transfer (backup)
33 mpg, 13 ppg, 6 rpg, 47% FG, 77% FT, 37% threes, 138/54 ATO, 65 steals, 5 blocks

G Jaron Pierre Jr., Sr. (6-5/210) — 2025 Jacksonville State transfer (CUSA POY)
33 mpg, 18 ppg, 5 rpg, 46% FG, 76% FT, 38% threes, 67/62 ATO, 30 steals, 15 blocks

F Corey Washington, Sr. (6-6/190) — 2025 Wichita State transfer (2nd-team All-AAC)
28 mpg, 11 ppg, 5 rpg, 48% FG, 77% FT, 40% threes, 27/34 ATO, 31 steals, 16 blocks

C Samet Yigitoglu*, So. (7-2/270) — 2024 international signee (Turkey)
29 mpg, 11 ppg, 8 rpg, 62% FG, 62% FT, 0 threes, 53/59 ATO, 17 steals, 43 blocks

KEY RESERVES

C Jaden Toombs, Fr. (6-10/230) — 2025 4-star HS signee; Carrollton (Texas) Dynamic Prep
19 mpg, 8 ppg, 4 rpg, 55% FG, 62% FT, 23% threes, 30/20 ATO, 13 steals, 17 blocks

F Jermaine O’Neal Jr., Fr. (6-5/185) — 2025 4-star HS signee; Carrollton (Texas) Dynamic Prep
15 mpg, 5 ppg, 2 rpg, 44% FG, 92% FT, 38% threes, 13/16 ATO, 16 steals, 11 blocks

F Sam Walters, Jr. (6-9/230) — 2025 Michigan transfer (backup)
9 mpg, 3 ppg, 1 rpg, 41% FG, 0% FT, 36% threes, 7/9 ATO, 1 steal, 2 blocks

G BJ Davis-Ray, Fr. (6-6/195) — 2025 3-star HS signee; San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic
7 mpg, 1 ppg, 1 rpg, 36% FG, 75% FT, 22% threes, 12/7 ATO, 9 steals, 1 block

Departures from 2024-25: BF Keon Ambrose-Hylton (senior/Belgium), C Jerrell Colbert (transfer/McNeese State), BF Matt Cross* (senior/G League), WG AJ George (transfer/Cal-Bakersfield), BF Tibet Gorener (senior/Turkey), WG Chuck Harris* (senior/Germany), WG Kario Oquendo (senior/G League), C Yohan Traore (transfer/Butler).

*—2024-25 starter (started at least 50% of the Mustangs’ games last season)