Larry Brown still upset with postseason ban: 'They didn't think about SMU'

In September, reports surfaced regarding a former SMU basketball administrative assistant completing course work for a student, resulting in a postseason ban for the Mustangs and a nine-game suspension for head coach Larry Brown.

Ahead of SMU's game against UConn on Thursday, Brown discussed the Mustangs' imposed sanctions, and he still thinks they're too much.

"What we were accused of doing, we should have gotten penalized," Brown said, according to ESPN. "Our secretary did an online course for a kid - it wasn't an SMU course, he didn't even need the course. ... To say there was a 'lack of compliance' is a big bunch of bull."

SMU started the season 18-0 and currently sits half a game back of top spot in the AAC, but no matter how the Mustangs finish, they won't be in the tournament come March.

"For us to get penalized the way we did - punish the coach, I get it," Brown said. "They (the NCAA) wouldn't do that to a power conference (school). They punish kids that had nothing to do with what happened. Yeah, punish us because we did something wrong. But don't put us in a box with everybody else. The penalty has to fit the crime. When the NCAA said it's about the student-athlete, they didn't think about SMU."

With six games remaining, Brown is focused on closing out the season on a good note for his players.

"I think my job, the job of the coaching staff, is to get ready for each game - that game is really important, and to have a good year for the seniors. That's what we've kind of focused on," Brown said.