H.R. No. 1762
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Southern Methodist University men's basketball
team enjoyed an outstanding 2014-2015 season, as it claimed the
American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament
championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament; and
WHEREAS, Under the direction of head coach Larry Brown, the
Mustangs entered the year with a determined focus after narrowly
missing out on a berth in the 2014 NCAA Tournament; the team
combined an efficient offense and an aggressive defense to compile
24 regular season wins and capture the AAC regular season title with
a 15-3 record in league play; and
WHEREAS, SMU began the postseason as the No. 1-seeded squad
in the AAC Tournament, held in Hartford, Connecticut; there, the
team earned victories over East Carolina and Temple to set up a
finals matchup with the defending national champions from the
University of Connecticut; the Mustangs jumped out to an early lead
and withstood a late rally from their opponent to win 62-54 and
claim the school's first conference tournament championship and
first NCAA Tournament bid since 1988; and
WHEREAS, The sixth-seeded Mustangs then faced off against
UCLA in the second round of the "Big Dance"; the team fought back
from a halftime deficit to take a late lead before seeing their
memorable season come to a close with a loss; the team finished the
2014-2015 campaign with an impressive overall record of 27 wins and
just 7 defeats; and
WHEREAS, Driving the SMU attack throughout the year was
junior guard Nic Moore, who was named AAC Player of the Year after
leading the team in scoring, assists, free-throw percentage, and
minutes played; moreover, teammate Markus Kennedy was selected as
the AAC Sixth Man of the Year, and center Yanick Moreira earned the
conference's Most Improved Player honor; and
WHEREAS, Demonstrating tremendous talent and dedication, the
SMU Mustangs worked together on the court to elevate the
university's basketball program to new levels of success, and their
accomplishments are a source of great pride to their many fans in
North Texas and across the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the Southern Methodist University
men's basketball team on its achievements during the 2014-2015
season and extend to the team's players, coaches, and staff sincere
best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Meyer
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1762 was adopted by the House on May
7, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House