Jackson State @ Southern Methodist preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 15, 2011 ) Jackson State 59, Southern Methodist 58

SMU concludes its season-opening homestand on Saturday against Jackson State, which has lost 22 straight non-conference road games. The Mustangs opened with a 74-65 victory over Jacksonville State before securing a 77-64 win over New Orleans on Tuesday.

Junior forward Isiaha Mike scored a team-high 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds against New Orleans as the Mustangs improved to 2-0 for the fourth time in the past five seasons. The depleted Mustangs are down to eight players while potential transfers Kendric Davis and Darius McNeill await NCAA waivers. “We’re a long way from where we would be had we known who is going to be on our team,” coach Tim Jankovich told reporters. “We’re kind of jerry-rigging it every day, like you play some, and you play some and you play some. It’s been very difficult.” Jankovich has relied heavily on junior guard Tyson Jolly, who is averaging 20.5 points and six rebounds and is the first Mustang to open with back-to-back 20-point games since Shake Milton in 2017.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, PonyUpTV

ABOUT JACKSON STATE (0-3): The Tigers began their season by losing to California Baptist and UC Santa Barbara by a combined 44 points before falling to Tulane 88-79 on Tuesday. Sophomore forward Jayveous McKinnis, the Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason defensive player of the year, recorded 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists against Tulane and is shooting 66.7 percent from the field through three games. Junior guard Tristan Jarrett has scored in double figures in all three games and averages a team-high 18.3 points.

ABOUT SMU (2-0): Jankovich has been pleased by the development of 6-8 sophomore forward Feron Hunt, who recorded his second career double-double with 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in the win over New Orleans. Hunt averaged 7.6 points and 6.2 rebounds last season but has emerged as a dominant force on the offensive glass. With no seniors on the roster, the Mustangs are giving regular playing time to CJ White and fellow sophomore Emmanuel Bandoumel, who is looking to get untracked after opening the season by shooting 5-of-17 from the field and missing his first seven 3-point attempts.

TIP-INS

1. The teams are meeting for the first time since Jackson State edged the Mustangs 59-58 on Dec. 15, 2011.

2. Jackson State was picked to finish fifth in the SWAC preseason poll.

3. SMU is 39-10 in regular season non-conference games under Jankovich – including 33-3 at Moody Coliseum.

PREDICTION: SMU 86, Jackson State 64