University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagle Men's Basketball Holds First Practice
10/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss men's basketball team officially began its 2016-17 campaign with a Tuesday afternoon practice inside Reed Green Coliseum.
This year's team features seven newcomers as well as two new staff members, albeit familiar faces too. Clarence Weatherspoon, the program's second-leading scorer of all-time, reunited with the program in August, and former associate head coach and alumnus Kyle Roane came in September as the Director of Basketball Operations. He took the spot of Southern Miss graduate Chris Croft, who is now an assistant coach.
The Golden Eagles also return four of their five best scorers, the top two assist producers and their steal leader from the 2015-16 season.
"We got tired, but that's understandable in the third hour," head coach Doc Sadler said. "I thought our defense was really aggressive and that's what we are going to do this season. The offense will catch up and it'll take a few weeks. I was happy with the new guys. For the first day they did a nice job."
Sadler and some of the players met with media before getting underway. The practice featured individual and team drills, as well as a thorough running period at the end that has become a key emphasis with the welcoming of Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning Michael Chatman to the squad.
Southern Miss begins exhibition play Thursday, Nov. 3 versus Mississippi College before hosting William Carey the following Monday. The regular season commences Friday, Nov. 11 versus Tougaloo.
Season tickets can be purchased for as low as $75. They can be obtained by visiting SouthernMissTickets.com, calling 1-800-844-TICK, or stopping by the Pat Ferlise Center on campus during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 to 5 p.m.). There will also be a free kids' clinic Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for children in grades K-6.
