Southern Methodist Mustangs
Record: 27-6, 15-3 AAC
Head coach: Larry Brown (3rd season)
Season summary: Led by the former coach of the 2004 Detroit Pistons NBA championship team, the AAC regular season and tournament champions are a good shooting team at 47.9 percent that can unselfishly dish the ball out to open teammates—they average 15.5 assists per game. Junior point guard Nic Moore is the most dynamic threat on the team, averaging 14.2 points and 5.2 assists per game. Although the Mustangs lack any wins against ranked opponents this season, they beat Temple three times and Tulsa twice as a part of their 5-4 record against the RPI top 50. A Nov. 17 loss to then-No. 13 Gonzaga 72-56 was their toughest test of the year.
How they make a run: Moore plays lockdown defense on opposing point guards and runs the offense with precision to take advantage of a generous first round draw, leading to momentum that carries the Mustangs deep into the tournament.
How they falter: Opposing defenses shut down Moore and lack of experience against other tournament teams leads to an early exit.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.