Can SMU make March Madness 2025? Breaking down Mustangs' NCAA Tournament odds

SMU has a slim chance of participating in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, but it will need a strong end to the season to solidify its spot.

The Mustangs (21-8, 12-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) are fourth in the ACC with two games left to play in the regular season.

SMU has lost two of its last three games, with a 69-79 loss to No. 11 Clemson and Saturday's 73-68 loss to Stanford bordering a 77-81 win over California.

Beating Syracuse (12-17, 6-12) on Tuesday and Florida State (16-13, 7-11) on the road on Saturday in their last two regular-season games will be vital to the Mustangs' NCAA Tournament hopes.

SMU March Madness odds

The Mustangs have a 1000-1 odds to win the national championship, and a 100-1 chance of making the Final Four.

TeamRankings.com has SMU at just a 5.0% chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

Could SMU make the 2025 NCAA Tournament?

Yes, SMU still has a slim chance of making it but will need to produce wins in their last two regular-season games and perhaps win an ACC Tournament game or two.

Also, although it will be against all odds, the Mustangs can secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament by winning the ACC Tournament.

SMU NCAA Tournament history

In 104 years of playing college basketball, SMU has reached one Final Four, made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and won 16 conference championships.

However, the last time that the Mustangs participated in the NCAA Tournament was back in 2017 when they lost in the first round to USC.

SMU strengths

The Mustangs are a solid offensive team. They are ranked top three in scoring per game, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage among ACC teams.

They also play at the second-fastest pace offensively in their conference and have great 3-point shooting at 38.4%, which is ranked 13th in the country.

SMU weaknesses

The Mustangs often commit fouls, which can hand a lifeline to the opposition, while they have the tendency to also give up a huge chunk of turnovers.

In addition, SMU also tends to go cold in games despite hot starts, and this can lead to second-half lead losses.

SMU quadrant records

The Mustangs have struggled against big-time opposition, going 0-5 in quad 1. They have a 5-3 record in quad 2, while they thrive in handing a beatdown to weaker foes, winning all 11 games in quad 3 and all five games in quad 4.