Jul 15, 2026 8:00 PM
SMU basketball earned its second straight NABC academic award as three Mustangs made the Honors Court and Andy Enfield builds momentum for the 2026-27 season.
DALLAS - SMU basketball is building more than an NCAA Tournament resume under Andy Enfield.
The Mustangs just earned their second consecutive NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, giving the program another win before the 2026-27 season even begins.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches honored SMU after the team completed the 2025-26 academic year with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
That’s not the kind of statistic that flashes across a scoreboard, but it says plenty about the standards Enfield’s program is establishing in Dallas.
Three Mustangs also landed on the NABC Honors Court: Jaron Pierre Jr., Niccolo Kalischer-Stork and Mitchell Holmes. Each player recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher to qualify.
Pierre’s recognition makes the achievement even more impressive.
The former Mustang was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Draft, proving he could handle business in the classroom while building a professional basketball future.
For SMU, the academic honor arrives as expectations continue rising on the court.
The Mustangs are preparing for Enfield’s third season with a transfer class ranked No. 9 nationally and third in the ACC by On3.
That incoming talent joins a program coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.
SMU also collected two victories over ranked opponents, returned to the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in nine years and tied for the ACC lead with three All-ACC selections.
The offensive numbers were just as encouraging. The Mustangs finished among the nation’s top 30 in scoring, assists, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage, giving Enfield a strong foundation as he reloads the roster.
The 2026-27 schedule won’t allow SMU to ease into anything.
Non-conference games against Oklahoma, DePaul and UNLV will test the Mustangs before an 18-game ACC grind begins.
The ACC Tournament is scheduled for March 9-13 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Season-ticket renewals remain open through July 31, with seat upgrades later determined through the Mustang Club Priority Point system.
SMU’s next challenge is turning steady progress into something bigger.
The roster has been upgraded, the national profile is growing and the academic results show the program isn’t cutting corners away from the court.
The Mustangs aren’t merely trying to return to March Madness. They’re trying to build a program capable of staying there.
Follow Timm Hamm on X at @IndyCarTim.
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