University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Backcourt Relying on Experience, Leadership in Upcoming Season
10/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- There will be plenty of old faces and new faces looking for wide open spaces in the Southern Miss men's backcourt this coming season, and with the dawning of a new era on the horizon, there is nothing but positivity and motivation.
"I think the season is going to have a lot to depend on with the four seniors," head coach Doc Sadler said. "I think all those guys had an unbelievable spring and summer and that it'll carry into the fall."
Those seniors include Michael Ramey and Khari Price as true guards, with Quinton Campbell and Raheem Watts both teaming up on the wings and forward positions. There has also been a consensus among the class on how important offseason preparation will be for yielding the best in-season results.
"This summer, I tried getting in the best shape I've ever been in," Ramey said. "I was running all day and working on getting my shot off faster and being able to shoot off the dribble and move."
Watts' beliefs even stemmed from his own on-court experiences from the previous year, his first with the Golden Eagles.
"Being in shape has been a big part of me performing well at this level. My shooting struggled at the beginning of the year, and then I got a whole lot better later."
Sadler also discussed how the young roster on paper is wise beyond its years.
"Some of the newcomers are oldcomers to be honest," he said. "Kevin Holland, who played two years ago [then redshirted] but is back now, is going to add some leadership. Each and every day he comes to practice and makes the guys better. I think some newcomers would be Bilal Abdur-Rahim, who's actually a sophomore. I think of all the players on the team, he's been the biggest surprise not necessarily of what's he doing, but what he's picked up already. He has a very high basketball IQ and will help us sooner rather than later."
Sadler is not the only one who has been keen to Holland's persona.
"I think Kevin did a great job last year and this offseason at getting his body right and getting extra time," assistant coach Marques Townsend said. "Kevin made very good use of his year off and hopefully it all translates to success on the court for him. I think he's gonna be better than he was the last time we saw him against LA Tech at the end of 2015."
Southern Miss is set to play one of its more challenging schedules in recent memory, playing at least eight games this season against 2016 postseason teams, including an adventure in the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu (Dec. 22-25).
"Being a part of this league, we are looking to do our part and play a challenging schedule that will prepare us to hopefully play in March," Sadler said. "We want to win right now. this is the season we want to win."
The Golden Eagles begin their journey with exhibition games on Nov. 3 and 7 in Reed Green Coliseum. Admission is free to those. The regular season will begin Friday, Nov. 11 against Tougaloo. Fans looking to experience the action can visit SouthernMissTickets.com, call 1-800-844-TICK, or visit the Pat Ferlise Center on campus during normal business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 to 5 p.m.).
