University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Hoops Hosts South Alabama
11/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Southern Miss and South Alabama will meet for the 39th time. The Golden Eagles hold a 23-15 advantage. When played in Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles hold a 12-7 advantage. Southern Miss has won the last four games and 12 of the last 15. This will be the first meeting in Hattiesburg since 2010. Last year, the Black and Gold earned a 66-59 victory over the Jaguars in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Mobile.
Southern Miss is 54-2 all-time in November home games, having won 22 consecutive dating back to 2005. The Black and Gold have also won 35 consecutive home non-conference regular season games.
This will be the first of three straight games against schools from the state of Alabama. The Golden Eagles will play at Alabama (Nov. 20) and host Troy (Nov. 25). On the year, Southern Miss will play six games against five schools from the state of Alabama. It will also host Spring Hill (Dec. 13) and play UAB twice (Jan. 17, Feb. 7).
Southern Miss has an extensive history against current members of the Sun Belt Conference. When the Golden Eagles face South Alabama, it will be their 218th meeting against a current member of the Sun Belt. When facing the Sun Belt, Southern Miss is 133-84. It will be the first of three games against the Sun Belt. Southern Miss also hosts Troy (Nov. 25) and travels to Georgia State (Dec. 21). Head coach Doc Sadler holds a 4-1 record when facing the Sun Belt in his career.
The 2014-15 edition of the Southern Miss basketball team returns just five letterwinners, including no starters, from last year's squad that went 29-7 and won the Conference USA regular season championship.
Southern Miss returns just two seniors from this year's squad in forward Jeremiah Eason and guard Chip Armelin. Eason played all 36 games, starting 14. He averaged 5.6 points and is the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 4.0 boards per game last year. Armelin played in 35 games last year, starting five. He averaged 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Matt Bingaya is the team's leading returning scorer, averaging 5.9 points last year. He also pulled down 3.7 rebounds while playing in all 36 games, making eight starts. Juniors Norville Carey and Jamie Chapman also return to the squad.
Six newcomers will don the black and gold for the first time this year, as head coach Doc Sadler has restocked this year's team with new faces, including three junior college transfers, three freshmen and one transfer. Included are junior college transfers Dallas Anglin (Montclair, N.J.,/College of Southern Idaho), Michael O'Donnell (Chicago, Ill./Moraine Valley CC) and Rasham Suarez (San Juan, Puerto Rico/College of Central Florida). They will be joined freshmen Keljin Blevins (Hot Springs, Ark./Bishop O'Connell), Eddie Davis (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial HS) and Kevin Holland (Tuscaloosa, Ala./Paul W. Bryant HS).
Sadler enters his first season at the helm of the Southern Miss men's basketball program. He has compiled a 150-107 (.584) record in nine years as a head coach.
Promotions
Poster Giveaway Night
The ARC Night
Seymour's Sidekicks
• All Seymour's Sidekicks receive free admission to the game
• First 1,000 fans will receive a Southern Miss Basketball poster
• Host members of The ARC as the honorary guests of the Men's Basketball team
Behind the scenes tour of the basketball offices before the game
Meet and Greet with the players prior to shoot around
Members of SAAC will sit with the group during the game; Seymour will visit the group during the game
Postgame poster signing with the team
