Pony Stampede: An SMU Athletics podcast · 247Sports, SMU, SMU Mustangs, SMU football, College Football

Putting SMU basketball's losing streak into perspective

·22 min·2 clips

Steph Todorovic scored a career-high 27 points, proving he's more than just a shooter for SMU.

Host Jordan Hoffaditz analyzes the SMU men's basketball team's recent four-game losing streak within the American Athletic Conference. This solo episode provides a detailed breakdown of the team's performances, searching for positive signs amid the losses. Hoffaditz focuses on player development and the long-term building process under Coach Rob Lanier. The episode dissects specific games, including a 90-point win over Tulsa and a heavy loss to then-No. 2 Houston where SMU was outscored 22-4 early. Hoffaditz contrasts the team's fight in the Houston game with a perceived lack of effort in a 30-point road loss to UCF, the first full game without star guard Zhuric Phelps. He highlights a more recent 97-90 home loss to Tulane, where SMU led in the second half before fading. Key individual performances are noted, like Stephon Todorovic's career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds and F.A.'s 20-point outing against Tulane. A major insight is that, with only two players exhausting eligibility after this season, this year is largely about building a foundation for 2024-25. Hoffaditz argues the team must find moral victories and player growth, like Todorovic expanding his game beyond shooting, to build upon. He suggests Phelps' injury could help his development by allowing him to observe how ball movement creates shots for others. The analysis stresses that for SMU to be competitive, they need consistent double-figure scoring from four starters and key bench players like Ricardo Wright. Hoffaditz states the team is 0-6 in true road games and must protect their home court, starting with upcoming games against Cincinnati and Wichita State. He acknowledges the ceiling for this team is likely lower than preseason expectations but sees potential if individual pieces improve. The host concludes that while losing streaks are not fun, identifying "net positives" from losses like the Tulane game is crucial for the program's future trajectory. The tone is analytical and conversational, blending play-by-play recap with measured team evaluation. Hoffaditz adopts a realistic, forward-looking perspective, emphasizing development over immediate results. Die-hard SMU basketball fans seeking a nuanced, long-view analysis of a struggling team will appreciate this episode. Listeners looking for pure game highlights or optimistic playoff speculation might find it too focused on rebuilding.

As heard by us

A sober SMU reset that keeps the frustration intact.

Jordan Hoffaditz gives SMU basketball's rough stretch the kind of patience it deserves. He starts with the Hawaii trip, moves through the Tulsa win, and then lands on the Houston loss without trying to soften it.

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Why you'd press play

You want a clear-eyed SMU basketball read after Hawaii, Tulsa, and Houston without pretending the rough stretch did not happen.

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