First of all, I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday.

Once we get past Christmas, my thoughts always start turning toward conference play, and one of the great stories so far in college basketball is unfolding in Conference USA. It’s not getting a lot of attention nationally yet, but SMU is 7-1 under first-year coach Matt Doherty.

I’ve always believed Doherty can coach, and he’s proving it big-time in Dallas. Don’t expect SMU to be an NCAA Tournament team this year, but the Mustangs do have a legit victory over Dayton, a nice win over Illinois State, and last Thursday they beat cross-town rival TCU. Given where they were, it’s a remarkable turnaround.
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