University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, November 5
Reed Green Coliseum
7 p.m. CT
Southern Miss
vs
Delta State
Photo by: Joe Harper
Men's Basketball Opens Regular Season Tuesday Versus Delta State
11/4/2019 5:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Jay Ladner era for the Southern Miss men's basketball program will officially commence Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against Delta State.Â
Fans can watch the game on CUSA.tv or listen to John Cox's radio call on the Southern Miss Learfield IMG Sports Network (Rock 104.5 in Hattiesburg/Laurel), as well as the USM Gameday app. Tickets can be purchased through SouthernMissTickets.com, calling 1-800-844-TICK, or visiting the Pat Ferlise Center during normal business hours.
The first 500 fans in attendance will also receive rally towels commemorating Ladner's return to his alma mater.
Game Notes
– Last year, Southern Miss (CBI) made its first postseason appearance since 2012 and seventh since 2001. The Golden Eagles, still under NCAA sanctions from the vacated 2012-14 seasons, have won 36 games the last two years, each time making the Conference USA semifinals and defeating the defending champ in the process. The Golden Eagles will formally get over its probation on Feb. 1, 2020.
– Over the past five years, Southern Miss joined only Florida A&M and Saint Louis as teams to perfectly improve its league win total each season (3-5-6-7-11).
–  Southern Miss enters the season with 11 newcomers, tying for fifth in the country. The Golden Eagles lost a transformative senior class that featured Cortez Edwards (all-time steals leader; fourth member of 1,000-point, 500-rebound and 200-assist club), Tyree Griffin (434 assists in two years, No. 3 in school history), Kevin Holland (No. 5 in games started, No. 7 in three-point makes) as well as Dominic Magee and Anfernee Hampton.Â
–  LaDavius Draine was Southern Miss' first Sixth-Player of the Year since Neil Watson in 2011-12, and his 78 triples were No. 6 in single-season school history. He was 8-for-14 in the C-USA Tourney, including 6-for-8 (career-high 33 minutes) against Marshall His 48.6 percent clip in C-USA play trailed only teammate Kevin Holland. He has 35 more three-pointers than any other sophomore at USM, and his 46.4 percentage bested Casey Fisher (46.3 in 1987-88) for the best single-season deep clip at the school.
–  Leonard Harper-Baker was shooting 41.9 percent (18-for-43) at the foul line before going 8-for-12 in a clutch win over UAB on Jan. 12. That game begun what has now amounted to a 73.7 percent stretch (42-for-57). In C-USA play, he was third for both shooting (58.2 percent) and rebounding (8.9 per game). His 8.0 rebounds per game led the team.
–  One notable returner looking to prove his abilities even more is sophomore Gabe Watson, who had four double-digit scoring games last season. The Golden Eagles won the first three of those (at SMU, Middle Tennessee and at FIU), and he posted a career-high 17 at Longwood in the finale.Â
–  Southern Miss was one of six schools nationally to have not allowed 80 points in a game until a 90-68 defeat at Longwood in the CBI. The team ranked No. 4 nationally for assist-turnover ratio (1.60) and No. 16 for fewest turnovers (10.5 pg). In league play, the Golden Eagles were first in field goal percentage (47.8), three-point shooting (41.2) and assists (16.5) and FG defense (40.4) and while sitting third in steals (7.8).
–  The Golden Eagles have won three consecutive season openers against Tougaloo, Southern-New Orleans and Southeastern Baptist, the most recently by a 111-66 score.Â
–  Delta State is led by first-year head coach Mike Nienaber, who comes by a way of a highly-decorated tenure at Christian Brothers in Memphis. His 593 wins rank 11th among active Division II head coaches. The Statesmen only have one returnee from last year's GSC tournament title team.
Fans can watch the game on CUSA.tv or listen to John Cox's radio call on the Southern Miss Learfield IMG Sports Network (Rock 104.5 in Hattiesburg/Laurel), as well as the USM Gameday app. Tickets can be purchased through SouthernMissTickets.com, calling 1-800-844-TICK, or visiting the Pat Ferlise Center during normal business hours.
The first 500 fans in attendance will also receive rally towels commemorating Ladner's return to his alma mater.
Game Notes
– Last year, Southern Miss (CBI) made its first postseason appearance since 2012 and seventh since 2001. The Golden Eagles, still under NCAA sanctions from the vacated 2012-14 seasons, have won 36 games the last two years, each time making the Conference USA semifinals and defeating the defending champ in the process. The Golden Eagles will formally get over its probation on Feb. 1, 2020.
– Over the past five years, Southern Miss joined only Florida A&M and Saint Louis as teams to perfectly improve its league win total each season (3-5-6-7-11).
–  Southern Miss enters the season with 11 newcomers, tying for fifth in the country. The Golden Eagles lost a transformative senior class that featured Cortez Edwards (all-time steals leader; fourth member of 1,000-point, 500-rebound and 200-assist club), Tyree Griffin (434 assists in two years, No. 3 in school history), Kevin Holland (No. 5 in games started, No. 7 in three-point makes) as well as Dominic Magee and Anfernee Hampton.Â
–  LaDavius Draine was Southern Miss' first Sixth-Player of the Year since Neil Watson in 2011-12, and his 78 triples were No. 6 in single-season school history. He was 8-for-14 in the C-USA Tourney, including 6-for-8 (career-high 33 minutes) against Marshall His 48.6 percent clip in C-USA play trailed only teammate Kevin Holland. He has 35 more three-pointers than any other sophomore at USM, and his 46.4 percentage bested Casey Fisher (46.3 in 1987-88) for the best single-season deep clip at the school.
–  Leonard Harper-Baker was shooting 41.9 percent (18-for-43) at the foul line before going 8-for-12 in a clutch win over UAB on Jan. 12. That game begun what has now amounted to a 73.7 percent stretch (42-for-57). In C-USA play, he was third for both shooting (58.2 percent) and rebounding (8.9 per game). His 8.0 rebounds per game led the team.
–  One notable returner looking to prove his abilities even more is sophomore Gabe Watson, who had four double-digit scoring games last season. The Golden Eagles won the first three of those (at SMU, Middle Tennessee and at FIU), and he posted a career-high 17 at Longwood in the finale.Â
–  Southern Miss was one of six schools nationally to have not allowed 80 points in a game until a 90-68 defeat at Longwood in the CBI. The team ranked No. 4 nationally for assist-turnover ratio (1.60) and No. 16 for fewest turnovers (10.5 pg). In league play, the Golden Eagles were first in field goal percentage (47.8), three-point shooting (41.2) and assists (16.5) and FG defense (40.4) and while sitting third in steals (7.8).
–  The Golden Eagles have won three consecutive season openers against Tougaloo, Southern-New Orleans and Southeastern Baptist, the most recently by a 111-66 score.Â
–  Delta State is led by first-year head coach Mike Nienaber, who comes by a way of a highly-decorated tenure at Christian Brothers in Memphis. His 593 wins rank 11th among active Division II head coaches. The Statesmen only have one returnee from last year's GSC tournament title team.
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