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

The curious case of SMU men's basketball

·25 min·2 clips

SMU lost its top four scorers and four starters, leaving only 16.9 points per game returning from last season.

This episode of the Pony Stampede podcast analyzes the disappointing season of SMU men's basketball under first-year head coach Rob Lanier. Host Jordan Hoffaditz provides a detailed, solo assessment of the team's struggles and future outlook. Hoffaditz has closely followed the program's transition following the departure of former coach Tim Jankovic nearly a year prior. The host notes that after Jankovic's exit, key players Kendrick Davis and Emmanuel Bandoumel transferred, while signees Alex Umeh and Mohamedou Cisse were released from their letters of intent. SMU returned only 16.9 of its 73.8 points per game and 40 of 165 games started from the previous season, losing its top four scorers. Lanier inherited a roster with no high school recruiting class and only one returning starter, forcing a rapid rebuild through the transfer portal. Transfer additions included former five-star McDonald's All-American Samuel Williamson and former four-star recruits Xavier Foster and Keon Ambrose-Hylton. The team's record stands at 10 wins with three regular-season games remaining, including a brutal non-conference loss to Jackson State. SMU's conference performance includes a 25-point win over Tulsa but also 30-point road losses to Houston and UCF, leaving them tied for last in the AAC standings. A revealing statistic shows SMU has lost seven games by five or fewer points, four of which were in conference play; converting those to wins would make them a 17-11 team. Conversely, the team has also won five games by five or fewer points, meaning their record could easily be worse. Coach Lanier stated that even with 17 or 18 wins, the team would not receive an at-large NCAA tournament bid, shifting focus to daily improvement. The recent win over East Carolina featured Williamson's best full game and a 10-assist performance from Zach Nutall, showing tangible growth. A major hurdle has been road performance, with the team holding a 1-9 record away from home heading into a key game at South Florida. The host argues against firing Lanier after one season, as it would send a bad message and restart another difficult roster-building cycle. He points out that SMU's last stretch of consistent high-level success was four straight 25-win seasons ending in 2017. Despite the frustration, the host observes a lack of infighting and that players still express belief, like Williamson discussing a potential conference tournament run. The overall assessment is that this season, while a major disappointment, is not a total failure given the circumstances of the roster overhaul. The tone is analytical and conversational, featuring a solo host thoughtfully working through the team's complexities. The style is deeply informed and stats-driven, balancing criticism with measured optimism and historical context. This episode is ideal for dedicated SMU basketball fans seeking a thorough, nuanced breakdown of a tough season. Listeners looking for fiery debate or simple answers will likely find this reflective analysis too patient or forgiving.

As heard by us

A candid look at why SMU's season feels worse than its standings suggest.

Jordan Hoffaditz spends much of the episode sorting through why SMU men's basketball has been so frustrating, starting with the coaching change and the departures that followed. The strength here is not polish.

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Need the real math behind SMU's uneven season?

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