SMU faces Stanford on Feb. 28 with a top-35 NET and an ACC-best playmaking attack. Boopie Miller and B.J. Edwards headline a huge road swing.
SMU basketball is walking into Maples Pavilion on Saturday with a resume that’s louder than its record. The Mustangs are 19-9, sitting at 8-7 in the ACC, and - here’s the part that matters in March - No. 31 in the NCAA NET as of Feb. 27.
Every possession at Stanford is another chance to harden the profile, not just pad the win column.
The opponent is Stanford (17-11, 6-9 ACC), and the matchup has a little history and a lot of tension. The teams split last season, and Stanford still has the “we remember” energy after SMU thumped them 85-61 in Dallas before the Cardinal held serve 73-68 at Maples a month later.
This one tips at 5 p.m. CT on ACC Network, and it feels like a fork-in-the-road game for both programs.
Let’s start with what makes SMU dangerous. The Mustangs don’t just score - they score with structure. They’re putting up 86.2 points per game (second in the ACC) while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from deep - both top-two marks in the league. And that's their identity.
The motor that drives the bus is Boopie Miller, the senior guard who’s playing like a guy who’s tired of being called “underrated.” He’s averaging 18.6 points (sixth in the ACC) and 6.8 assists - best in the conference and 11th nationally - while keeping his decision-making clean with a 2.69 assist-to-turnover ratio.
And he’s not alone. Jaron Pierre Jr. is right there at 17.4 a night, giving SMU a second high-level shot creator who can stress a defense from the arc and off the bounce.
Then there’s B.J. Edwards, the chaos merchant in the best way. He’s at 12.7 points, 4.9 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game - leading the ACC in thefts and ranking 14th nationally. He’s one of only two players in the country with multiple triple-doubles this season.
Inside, 7-2 center Samet Yigitoglu gives SMU a real rim presence with 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s also a monster on the offensive glass (3.5 a game, second in the ACC), which matters when road shots inevitably wobble.
SMU is 4-7 in Quad 1 games, and Saturday is another Q1 shot.
After a 73-69 loss at Cal, the Mustangs don’t need a speech—they need a response. And if their pace, passing, and perimeter shooting travel, Stanford is about to find out what “ACC-best offense” looks like in person.