Central Florida @ Southern Methodist preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2019 ) Southern Methodist 48, Central Florida 95

After breezing through a not-so-difficult non-conference schedule that saw its only two losses come against high-major opponents, South Methodist will look to continue to try and prove it is a contender in the American Athletic Conference when they host Central Florida on Wednesday night. The Mustangs have lost three straight against the Knights, including both contests in 2018-2019.

The Mustangs have flourished this season behind the second-best scoring offense in the AAC (78.2 points per game), a conference-best 47.5 field goal percentage and a trio averaging over 15 points a game that rank in the top five in the league. Point guard Kendric Davis, stretch-four Isiaha Mike and junior college transfer Tyson Jolly account for more than half of the Mustangs’ scoring on the season. As for the Knights, they manage just 70 points per game, sitting toward the bottom of the conference in most major offensive categories. In the midst of a three-game losing streak, including its first two AAC contests, UCF is averaging only 57.7 points.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: None

ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA (9-5, 0-2 AAC): The Knights have just two players averaging double-digit points, headlined by junior forward Collin Smith, who has been incredibly steady, albeit unspectacular, scoring between 10 and 14 points in six of his last seven games. Graduate-transfer Dazon Ingram averages just under double figures, though he is productive elsewhere, leading the team in rebounding (7.6) and assists (4.1). Though he has twice the number of threes made than anyone on the team, freshman Darin Green Jr. has struggled of late from beyond the arc, shooting a measly 16 percent in the last five games.

ABOUT SOUTHERN METHODIST (11-2, 1-0): Davis, a transfer from TCU, now leads the team in scoring thanks to a career-high 24 points against Vanderbilt and dishes out 7.3 assists per game, which would be best in the AAC should he be qualified, handing out five assists or more in eight-straight contests. Big man Ethan Chargois, who was put on notice by coach Tim Jankovich following the Georgia contest, finally broke through for a season-high 16 points and 11 rebounds in the most recent game, his first double-double of the season. Mike previously led the team in scoring but is coming off a five-point dud, though he still averages just under 16 points and can step out behind the arc, connecting on over 43 percent of his 3-point tries.

BUZZER-BEATERS

1. At least four players have reached double figures for SMU in seven straight games.

2. UCF redshirt freshman Dre Fuller Jr. has scored in double figures in six of his last eight games. He averaged 3.8 points up to that point.

3. SMU is ninth in the country with a 78.5 free-throw percentage. Davis has made 97.4 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe.

PREDICTION: SMU 72, UCF 63