According to team staff, SMU junior forward Markus Kennedy, who has missed all of this season so far after being ruled academically ineligible to play before the season, has now been cleared to play for the team’s game against Michigan on Saturday.
SMU head coach Larry Brown initially hinted at Kennedy’s academic struggles back in October. “Markus is utilizing [SMU] resources and we expect him to continue to make the progress needed to regain his eligibility and get back on track to earn his degree,” Brown said. Kennedy would later be ruled ineligible on November 12.
The 6 ft. 9 in. Kennedy is expected to play a major role on the team after averaging 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds last season for the Mustangs. He was the team’s second leading scorer on a team that went 27-10 en route to the N.I.T. Championship game, which they lost to Minnesota 65-63. The Mustangs are predicted to compete for the American Athletic Conference title and an NCAA tournament berth.
Kennedy’s absence has opened up an opportunity for senior center and Angola-native Yanick Moreira, who is averaging 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season on 61.7 percent shooting. Sophomore forward Ben Moore has also had a strong start to the season, averaging 10.1 points and 6.5 steals per game. Junior guard Nic Moore currently leads the Mustangs in scoring with 14.5 points per game. He is also averaging 4.9 assists per game with his best interior scorer out. Exciting sophomore guard and Dallas native Keith Frazier is third on the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game.
SMU, who began the season ranked 22nd in both the coach’s and AP poll, is 7-3 on the season without Kennedy heading into Saturday’s game.
The unfortunate ruling on Kennedy in November was another significant setback to a team that was also supposed to have elite freshman Emmanuel Mudiay, who some have predicted as the No.1 pick in next year’s NBA draft. Mudiay was unable to qualify academically, and opted instead to play in China, where he is averaging 17.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists as a member of Guangdong Southern Tigers. Mudiay is expected to return to the U.S. prior to the draft.
Mustangs associate head coach Tim Jankovich stated on Friday that a decision hasn’t been made whether or not Kennedy will start against Michigan.
SMU has lost its more high-profile nonconference games on the road at Gonzaga and Indiana, as well as a close loss at home to then-No.25 Arkansas, but did beat a possible tournament-bound Wyoming team at home 66-53 on Dec. 5th.
The Michigan Wolverines, although currently reeling, provide the Mustangs one last chance to land a quality non-conference win. The American Athletic Conference is in dire need of some quality out of conference wins after a disappointing start to the season, especially with defending champion Connecticut struggling at 4-4 and Memphis just above them at 5-4. Cincinnati’s home victory over San Diego State earlier in the week might be the league’s best thus far, but SMU can pad their tournament resume significantly if they manage to escape Ann Arbor with a win.
Kennedy’s return to the Mustangs, combined with the emergence of Nic Moore and Yanick Moreira, should provide the veteran Brown the weapons he needs to challenge for the conference title and NCAA birth in his 2nd year with the team. The Mustangs have one final tune-up against Div. II Midwestern State on Dec. 29th before beginning conference play on New Year’s Eve at home against USF.
