AAC Title on the Line

The No. 14 SMU Mustangs can lock down at least a share of the AAC regular-season title this Thursday (8 PM ET, CBSSN) when they welcome the Tulsa Golden Hurricane to Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The Mustangs (25-4 SU, 18-5-1 ATS) are one game up on the Cincinnati Bearcats with two games left to go.

It’s been a remarkable run for the Mustangs in their first year under head coach Tim Jankovic. He took over in July after Larry Brown resigned; the team Jankovic inherited was already loaded with talent, but they’ve put it all together on the court with sound two-way play and a low turnover rate, generating one of the best ATS records in college hoops.

The Golden Hurricane (14-14 SU, 15-12 ATS) have also been profitable this year, but expectations were low after losing eight senior players from the 2015-16 squad. Third-year head coach Frank Haith restocked his program with JUCO transfers and three-star prospects; junior forward Junior Etou has done his part to keep Tulsa competitive, putting up 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per 40 minutes. Still, it was the Mustangs winning their earlier matchup 76-53 as 9-point road favorites, up from –7.5 at the open.