SMU needs to avoid jeopardizing its NCAA Tournament hopes as it visits Pitt for an Atlantic Coast Conference clash on Saturday afternoon.

The Mustangs (15-7, 4-5 ACC) have dropped two in a row with a loss at Louisville and a tough 84-83 setback at home to North Carolina State on Tuesday night.

The Mustangs sit 34th in the NCAA’s NET rankings, but know they need to get back on track and avoid what could be a damaging loss to Pitt (9-14, 2-8 ACC), which has also lost two in a row and has a NET ranking of 114.

Boopie Miller, SMU’s leading scorer at 19.1 points per game, scored 14 points against the Wolfpack, but his game-winning attempt in the closing seconds was blocked, sealing the Mustangs’ defeat.

“The league is certainly better this year,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said of the depth of the ACC. “More quality teams from top to bottom, meaning on a national scale, some of these teams, including SMU, won big out-of-conference games in November and early December… So every game we play now is a pretty important game for us on the regional and league scale, but also nationally.”

The Panthers, who are led by Brandin Cummings (12.5 points per game) and Cameron Corhen (12.1), find themselves in the conference’s cellar, tied with Notre Dame and Georgia Tech heading into the weekend. Pitt is looking for more consistent play that can lead to wins instead of just valiant efforts.

Lack of depth and size have hurt Pitt as well as other factors, such as poor free-throw shooting (66.1%) and turnovers. The Panthers committed 17 turnovers in their most recent loss, 67-47 at Virginia, and surrendered 13 offensive rebounds.

Pitt athletic director Allen Greene recently spoke to the media about Pitt’s disappointing season, which could foreshadow changes ahead if there’s no noticeable improvement.

“We have high expectations for our men’s basketball program, and we haven’t lived up to those expectations this year,” Greene said. “Obviously, Coach (Capel) knows that, the staff is aware of that, the players are aware of that. They want more out of what we got going on, and I know they’re working their tails off to try to fix it.”

–Field Level Media

Seattle Seahawks standout rookie safety Nick Emmanwori returned to full practice participation and is expected to play in Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots on Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif.

Emmanwori suffered a low ankle sprain at practice Wednesday and was held out Thursday. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters he “fully expects” Emmanwori to play, and that was backed up by Friday’s injury report listing with Emmanwori without a game status.

Only one Seahawk is questionable, fullback Robbie Ouzts (neck).

Quarterback Sam Darnold (oblique) and left tackle Charles Cross (foot) were among the other key Seahawks who had been dealing with injuries late in the season. Both Darnold and Cross were limited on Wednesday but increased to full participants by Friday, with neither warranting a game designation.

The Patriots deemed three players questionable: defensive lineman Joshua Farmer (hamstring) and linebackers Harold Landry (knee) and Robert Spillane (ankle).

Farmer, a rookie, practiced in full all week but has been on injured reserve since the Dec. 21 game at Baltimore. Landry (8.5 sacks in regular season) missed the AFC Championship Game win over Denver but could return.

Like his Seattle counterpart, New England quarterback Drake Maye has also been practicing through a minor injury to his right (throwing) shoulder but was a full participant every day.

–Field Level Media

Kansas State coach Jerome Tang may not be happy about the way his team is playing, but he could not be more pleased with his team in general.

The Wildcats (10-12, 1-8 Big 12) are on a three-game losing streak after a 95-61 shellacking at the hands of then-No. 8 Iowa State on Sunday.

They will try to get back on track Saturday when they travel to Fort Worth, Texas to take on TCU (13-9, 3-6) in a Big 12 matchup.

Tang is under pressure as the Wildcats face a third straight season of not making the NCAA Tournament.

Kansas State won 26 games and reached the Elite Eight in Tang’s first season four years ago, but have only won 45 games since.

Sunday was the latest painful game for Wildcats fans as the Cyclones went on runs of 22-4 and 13-0 in the first half to build a 29-point halftime lead.

The Wildcats, who played a fourth straight game with three starters out because of injury, cut the lead to 54-31 with 16:30 left, but Iowa State kicked the door open again with an 11-2 spurt.

Still, Tang could do nothing but praise his team.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “I’m with these dudes every single day and I know everything they are going through and y’all don’t. So I was proud of our guys, especially in the second half.”

P.J. Haggerty continues to lead the Wildcats with 23 points per game, and Abdi Bashir Jr. has 13.2.

The Horned Frogs are struggling as well, having lost two straight after an 87-61 defeat to Colorado on Sunday.

TCU failed to score for 7:23 in the first half and the Buffaloes went on a 12-0 run to lead 34-21. The Horned Frogs were behind by double digits the rest of the way.

“I have to look at myself and figure out how I can bring us out more early,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “There is not a lot positive we can take out of this game. We were a step slow on everything we did.”

David Punch leads the Horned Frogs with 14.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Xavier Edmonds is scoring 12 points a game and pulling down 5.6 rebounds.

–Field Level Media