University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Basketball Opens Season on Road at Memphis
11/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss men's basketball team begins the 2015-16 season with former Conference USA rival Memphis on Saturday night at the FedEx Forum. Tip off between the two teams is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN 3.
Southern Miss enters its second season under head coach Doc Sadler. During the 2014-15 season, Sadler and the Golden Eagles notched a 9-20 overall record.
The Golden Eagles return seven players, but only six -- Keljin Blevins, Norville Carey, Jamie Chapman, Eddie Davis III, Kevin Holland and Michael O'Donnell -- have lettered at Southern Miss. Transfer Khari Price played and started at Dayton prior to joining the Southern Miss roster. Price sat out the 2014-15 season due to NCAA regulations.
Southern Miss welcomes eight newcomers to the team for the 2015-16 season. The newcomers include Quinton Campbell (RJr.), Christian Clark (Fr.), Cortez Edwards (Fr.), Kourtlin Jackson (RSr.), Michael Ramey (Jr.), Tim Rowe (Fr.), Robert Thomas III (Fr.), and Raheem Watts (Jr.).
During the game, both Southern Miss and Memphis basketball programs will honor Gene D. Carlisle, a prominent businessman and friend of Tiger Athletics as well as a Southern Miss Alumnus, who passed away on May 29, 2015.
The two programs, which have a long tradition of strong competition against each other -- and have played 88 times prior to this season -- will play their 2015-16 season openers against each other while wearing a black circular patch, emblazoned with GC on it.
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Southern Miss and Memphis have met 88 times. It's first time since Jan. 17, 1995 the 2 teams have met as nonconference opponents. #Tradition
Southern Miss won the first meeting against Memphis, defeating the Tigers, 50-31, in Hattiesburg in 1938. #Historic
Last meeting between the 2 teams needed 2 overtimes to decide, but Memphis pulled out the 91-79 victory at the C-USA Tournament. #EpicBattle
Southern Miss has 15 victories in series against Memphis on the road, nearly double (8) of home wins against the Tigers. #RoadWarriors
Road game with Memphis marks the 1st time since 2010-11 that the Golden Eagles have opened up on road. (W, 60-53 at USF) #NoPlaceLikeHome
Southern Miss is 9-1 (.900) in its last 10 season openers. Golden Eagles are 6-0 at home; 2-0 on road; and 1-1 at neutral sites. #OpeningAct
Last time Southern Miss opened a season with a game in Memphis was Nov. 25, 1983 vs. North Texas in Mid-South Classic (W, 63-61). #Memories
Southern Miss competed in Mid-South Classic during 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons, going 3-1 with each game decided by less than 5 pts. #Close
Former Golden Eagle head coach M.K. Turk (1976-96) was an assistant at Memphis from 1974-76. #Legend
The 15-player roster for Southern Miss has 12 states represented with just one from Mississippi and none from Tennessee. #AmericanEagles
Southern Miss has balanced roster with four seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen making up the 15-man roster. #Balance
Senior transfer Kourtlin Jackson played for Doc Sadler at Iowa State. #Reunited
