SMU guard B.J. Edwards, the team's No. 3 scorer and 2nd assist man, had been sidelined for the final five games of the season due to an ankle injury suffered in a Feb. 25 loss at Cal. Despite this, the Mustangs' coach, Andy Enfield, denied allegations that SMU misled the NCAA committee about Edwards' availability for the tournament. The NCAA tournament selection committee chair Keith Gill suggested that Edwards' potential return helped SMU's case for a final at-large selection. Enfield defended his team's overall performance and claimed they deserved to be the NCAA tournament.