SMU basketball faces Syracuse in the ACC Tournament with NCAA hopes on the line as Boopie Miller leads the Mustangs into a must-win matchup.
DALLAS - The SMU vs. Syracuse ACC Tournament matchup on Tuesday carries real March Madness implications, and the Mustangs know exactly what’s at stake.
SMU basketball enters the postseason firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, meaning a win over Syracuse could keep its postseason dreams alive.
The Mustangs arrive in Charlotte with a 19-12 record, though their recent form hasn’t been ideal. SMU has dropped four straight games, but context matters.
Three of those losses came on the road in conference play, and the team still owns impressive wins this season over North Carolina, Louisville and Texas A&M.
Those victories are the reason SMU still appears in many NCAA Tournament projections as one of the final at-large teams in the field. Now the Mustangs need to prove they belong.
Standing in their way is a Syracuse team that started the season strong but has struggled badly down the stretch.
The Orange sit at 15-16 overall and have lost five consecutive games entering the ACC Tournament. After opening the season 12-5 with quality performances against teams like Tennessee and Houston, Syracuse has faded with a 3-11 stretch run.
Despite the late-season slide, the Orange still have offensive weapons capable of causing problems.
Forward Donnie Freeman leads Syracuse with 17.0 points per game, while guard Nate Kingz has averaged 16 points over his last three outings. Point guard Naithan George also showed his scoring ability recently with a 26-point performance against Pittsburgh.
Still, SMU’s offensive firepower may simply be too much. The Mustangs feature five players averaging double figures, led by dynamic senior guard Boopie Miller, who averages 19.4 points per game and has been on an absolute tear lately.
Miller has scored 26.3 points per game over his last three contests and has been red hot from deep, hitting 12 3-pointers in his last four games.
He’s far from alone.
Wing Jaron Pierre Jr. adds 17.5 points per game, while Corey Washington (11.3 ppg) and 7-2 center Samet Yigitoglu (11.0 ppg) give SMU size and scoring balance inside.
Guard B.J. Edwards, who averages 12.7 points, could also return if his ankle injury allows.
The two teams already met once this season, with Syracuse escaping with a narrow 79-78 win at home. But neutral court games in tournament settings tend to reward the deeper team, and that advantage appears to belong to SMU.
With the NCAA Tournament drought dating back to 2017, expect the Mustangs to play with urgency.
And if Boopie Miller continues his scoring surge, SMU may not just survive the first round ... it could become one of the most dangerous teams in the ACC Tournament.