SMU surges into meeting against No. 21 Houston

When SMU plays host to No. 21 Houston on Wednesday, the Mustangs will be a healthy team on the rise.

When they opened the season already short-handed due to scholarship limitations related to past indiscretions, the last thing they could afford was a collection of injuries to complicate matters.

But that's what they got, with senior guard Jarrey Foster and sophomore forward Everett Ray unavailable from the opening tip. Mix in the usual bumps and bruises that accompany preseason workouts, and SMU occasionally struggled to field enough healthy bodies to hold routine practices.

The Mustangs' subsequent slow start was an expected byproduct.

Now, SMU (11-5, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) has won nine of its past 11 games heading into a big conference home game against the Cougars (16-1, 3-1) at Moody Coliseum.

"We're getting better. I think we have a long way to go still, mainly because of the way our season started," Mustangs coach Tim Jankovich said.

"When the season started we weren't very good at all. It was nobody's fault but just a numbers game, and so we knew we were playing from behind and we have been ever since.

"But we got Jarrey back. Everett is still out, but the other guys are obviously healthy so we have a normal practice situation, and it's paid big dividends as it would for anybody. We're really getting a lot better. There's certainly a lot of room to improve. ... When you start behind it's a little tougher and we've got to try a little harder, but I am pleased with the progress we've made."

The Cougars will put that recovery to the test. Houston rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 79-70 win over Wichita State on Saturday at the Fertitta Center, extending its home winning streak to 29 games, longest in the nation.

In many ways, the Cougars' victory over the Shockers followed a familiar formula.

Houston scuffled shooting the ball early, only to catch fire during the second half, with veteran guards Corey Davis Jr. and Armoni Brooks combining for 34 points while hitting seven 3-pointers in the second half.

Davis (20 points) and Brooks (14) each shot 4 of 11 from behind the arc.

In Davis and Brooks, Houston has a pair of streaky shooters capable of clutch performances, even when things trend poorly at the start. Davis averages a team-high 15.5 points per game. Brooks is next at 14.2.

"You never know when Armoni is going to go 4 of 5," Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said after the Wichita State game.

"In the first half, he was in the witness protection program. He was 1 of 6 in the first half; he might as well have been sitting by me. You have to know your players. That's why I believe in Armoni, and that's why I stick with him.

"Sometimes I have to tell Corey what color jersey we're wearing. They all need a little reminding here and there."

--Field Level Media