SMU basketball just barely survived a late-season slide and still snuck into the NCAA Tournament, but the Mustangs will have to earn their way into the Round of 64. After a slump that included a four-game losing streak and an uninspiring ACC Tournament loss against Louisville, the selection committee sent SMU to Dayton for a First Four matchup with Miami (OH).
Part of the reason SMU struggled to win games late in the season was because of an injury to starting guard BJ Edwards. Edwards is a key piece of one of the best backcourts in the ACC that includes Jaron Pierre and Boopie Miller, but Andy Enfield and company have been struggling since Edwards went down with an ankle injury.
Now, it sounds like Edwards has a chance to be back for Wednesday night's game against Miami. He worked out on Tuesday and is expected to be listed as questionable, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Edwards averages more than 33 minutes per game for the Mustangs and scores nearly 13 points per game, so his production has clearly been missed. Getting him back would give SMU a big advantage in the backcourt over a Miami team that will be at a talent disadvantage in this game.
However, the RedHawks are not to be overlooked in this First Four game. They are coming off of their first loss of the season, in the MAC quarterfinals against UMass, but still earned an at-large bid thanks to a 31-0 regular season. Travis Steele and company didn't play the most difficult schedule, but they still rolled through most of the season and will be a tough out in the Big Dance.
Regardless, SMU will like its chances to advance to the Round of 64 if it is able to get Edwards back for this game. The winner of Wednesday night's game will take on Tennessee in the first round, and SMU knows it will need all hands on deck if it is going to make a tournament run.
