Southern Methodist coach Tim Jankovich has a trip booked down memory lane Sunday with his team’s next opponent in the NIT, Washington State.
Jankovich played half a season as a freshman for Wazzu before transferring closer to home to Kansas State in the 1977-78 season. Over 40 years later, Jankovich leads the Mustangs (24-8) against the Cougars (20-14) in a second-round game in Dallas.
Jankovich, from Manhattan, Kan., said he signed with George Raveling at Washington State out of high school because Raveling “basically would not take no for an answer.”
“Early on, I realized it was a mistake,” Jankovich said. “I missed Kansas and missed home. I didn’t have a good feel of what I gave up in terms of basketball heritage and tradition and crowds, so I transferred back and played my last three years at Kansas State.”
SMU is coming off a 68-58 win over visiting Nicholls State on Wednesday while Washington State won at home, 63-50, over Santa Clara on Tuesday.
The Mustangs’ twin brothers, Michael Weathers and Marcus Weathers, each had 16 points in the win over Nicholls. Michael Weathers had 12 rebounds and Marcus 11.
Jankovich said it took a while for his players to get focused after being disappointed about not making the NCAA Tournament.
SMU led 58-56 with 3:04 left before pulling away.
“They were there, but they weren’t themselves,” Jankovich said of his team. “That was disconcerting in the second half when it’s getting close and I can feel that we don’t quite have the normal pop that we do.”
Washington State’s win over Santa Clara gave the Cougars their first 20-win season since 2010-11. It was also the Cougars’ first postseason win since that season.
Tyrell Roberts had 23 points and seven rebounds to lead the Cougars, and Efe Abogidi added 13 points and five rebounds.
Roberts made a career-high seven 3-pointers.
“That’s what he can do,” Washington State coach Kyle Smith said of Roberts’ ability to string 3-pointers together. “He can really break one for us, he did today … and he turned down a couple that were open catch-and-shoots. And I was like ‘What are we doing here?’ ”
–Field Level Media
