FILE: The California Golden Bears logo is seen on a ball cart before the game against the Charlotte 49ers during the Raising the B.A.R. Invitational at Haas Pavilion on Nov. 15, 2025, in Berkeley, Calif.

The day before SMU’s first game in the men’s NCAA Tournament, head coach Andy Enfield used a question about one of his injured star players to accuse Cal of having an unsafe setup at Haas Pavilion.

SMU was one of the last teams to make the 68-team field for March Madness and will have to win a play-in game against Miami Ohio on Wednesday. And at least in the coach’s eyes, a recent run of poor form can be tied to its Atlantic Coast Conference matchup with Cal in Berkeley on Feb. 25, which was the night senior guard B.J. Edwards last played for the Mustangs.

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With 3:40 left in the first half, Edwards was sprinting back on defense to slow a Cal fast break when he leaped to the basket. Edwards missed blocking the layup, and in the process, he landed awkwardly at the foot of the stanchion, the main structure that holds up a basketball backboard and hoop. 

Edwards immediately crumpled in a heap, grabbing at his ankle and exiting the game. He didn’t return that night and hasn’t played since. Meanwhile, SMU has lost five of its past six games. Edwards is in the top three in pretty much every per-game statistical category for the Mustangs: minutes (33.2), points (12.7), rebounds (5.9),........

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