University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Recap: Battle 4 Atlantis
12/2/2019 5:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- It would be hard to beat the combination of quality basketball and scenery that the Southern Miss men's basketball team experienced over Thanksgiving week.Â
Outside, the bluest of seas and whitest of sand lined Paradise Island, while inside featured some of the nation's top teams and hordes of fans, young and old, seeking autographs and enjoying the Atlantis resort's finest amenities.Â
"I'm not surprised why they call it Paradise," freshman Artur Konontsuk said.
Three games in three days is a battle enough, much less against No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 13 Seton Hall and Alabama on national ESPN broadcasts each night. The latter two games tipped at 9 and 9:30 p.m. local time, bringing about a whole new challenge.
Nevertheless, the young Golden Eagle squad held its own in each contest, and more importantly, saw team and individual success that could serve as valuable confidence going forward.
Konontsuk exploded for a career-high 19 points against Gonzaga in the opener, making his first six shots. It was the highest-scoring total by a Golden Eagle freshman since LaDavius Draine at UAB in January 2018.Â
"I'm really grateful for the opportunity to play in that tournament and against those teams," Konontsuk said. "Not everybody gets to do it. As a freshman, it's a huge opportunity for me. I took a lot from the others. I see now what we are capable of and what I am as well, and I see the big picture and where I need to go."
Sophomore Gabe Watson led the team in scoring (15.7 ppg) and field-goal percentage (54.3) in his return to the lineup.Â
"I had to keep my confidence and go to the gym like I always do at nights after practice," he said. "I knew it would come sooner or later. Coach Ladner told us to take the same approach no matter who we play. It wasn't too different for me since I got a lot of playing time last year [appeared in all 33 games as a reserve]."Â
Three-point shooting blossomed on the islands, as well. The squad reached the islands with a 24 percent mark from long-range (24.1 percent), but went 19-for-38 in its first two games. Draine began to find his stroke as well, finishing the weekend 10-for-20 after entering the weekend 6-for-26 (23.1 percent).
Sophomore Tyler Stevenson, who came to Southern Miss as a walk-on last year, raised eyebrows from many, including ESPN analyst Chris Spatola over the three games, saying "I love this dude ... he's one of my favorite players in this tournament and plays as hard as anyone in this gym."Â
He averaged 8.3 points per game off the bench, knocking down mid-range jumpers and showing no fear against anyone, including preseason BIG EAST favorite Seton Hall, officially the tallest team in Division I, featuring four players from 6'10 to 7'2 in its rotation.
"I feel like it was a real good opportunity for our team to show what we could do," Stevenson said. "We can be good in the future. It was a real good experience overall, especially to see the beach every day."
The Golden Eagles on the week edged their foes in steals (22-19) and committed only two more turnovers than the opposition. Southern Miss shot a respectable 44 percent from both the overall field and three-point land.
David McCoy, a walk-on transfer from Jones College, made his first road trip with the team and had just nine minutes under his belt for the season. He played nine against Gonzaga, then 13 and 16 over the next two nights, respectively. Included in those games were defending Preseason All-American Myles Powell (Seton Hall) and Alabama star John Petty Jr.
"Coach Ladner told me before I came on the trip that they were gonna give me a chance and stay on me hard," McCoy said. "They gave me an opportunity in practice to prove myself, and every day I've tried to take advantage of that. When I was out there, all I could do was play hard, stay within the script, and do what Coach needed me to do."
Fellow Meridian native Jay Malone also relished the opportunity, but in a different way. He earned his first start on Sunday against William Carey and carried that role into the Battle 4 Atlantis. Other parts of the trip he enjoyed were the consistent autograph requests and the ability to watch other games in the bracket during his downtime.Â
"I thank Coach for giving me an opportunity to start," he said. "I try to lead the team each and every night. Being a point guard reserves all the mistakes. I like the role and the pressure that comes with it. As far as the competition, it's translating everything from the board to the court, whether you're playing high-level teams or anyone. It's mandatory that you pay attention to all scouting reports and carry it to the game."
One play at a time, one game at a time.
Southern Miss begins a three-game homestand Wednesday against Tulane, the nightcap of a 5 p.m. doubleheader with the women's team. The Golden Eagles will also host Southern Illinois and North Florida the following two Saturdays, with each of those tipping off at 2 p.m.
Outside, the bluest of seas and whitest of sand lined Paradise Island, while inside featured some of the nation's top teams and hordes of fans, young and old, seeking autographs and enjoying the Atlantis resort's finest amenities.Â
"I'm not surprised why they call it Paradise," freshman Artur Konontsuk said.
Three games in three days is a battle enough, much less against No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 13 Seton Hall and Alabama on national ESPN broadcasts each night. The latter two games tipped at 9 and 9:30 p.m. local time, bringing about a whole new challenge.
Nevertheless, the young Golden Eagle squad held its own in each contest, and more importantly, saw team and individual success that could serve as valuable confidence going forward.
Konontsuk exploded for a career-high 19 points against Gonzaga in the opener, making his first six shots. It was the highest-scoring total by a Golden Eagle freshman since LaDavius Draine at UAB in January 2018.Â
"I'm really grateful for the opportunity to play in that tournament and against those teams," Konontsuk said. "Not everybody gets to do it. As a freshman, it's a huge opportunity for me. I took a lot from the others. I see now what we are capable of and what I am as well, and I see the big picture and where I need to go."
Sophomore Gabe Watson led the team in scoring (15.7 ppg) and field-goal percentage (54.3) in his return to the lineup.Â
"I had to keep my confidence and go to the gym like I always do at nights after practice," he said. "I knew it would come sooner or later. Coach Ladner told us to take the same approach no matter who we play. It wasn't too different for me since I got a lot of playing time last year [appeared in all 33 games as a reserve]."Â
Three-point shooting blossomed on the islands, as well. The squad reached the islands with a 24 percent mark from long-range (24.1 percent), but went 19-for-38 in its first two games. Draine began to find his stroke as well, finishing the weekend 10-for-20 after entering the weekend 6-for-26 (23.1 percent).
Sophomore Tyler Stevenson, who came to Southern Miss as a walk-on last year, raised eyebrows from many, including ESPN analyst Chris Spatola over the three games, saying "I love this dude ... he's one of my favorite players in this tournament and plays as hard as anyone in this gym."Â
He averaged 8.3 points per game off the bench, knocking down mid-range jumpers and showing no fear against anyone, including preseason BIG EAST favorite Seton Hall, officially the tallest team in Division I, featuring four players from 6'10 to 7'2 in its rotation.
"I feel like it was a real good opportunity for our team to show what we could do," Stevenson said. "We can be good in the future. It was a real good experience overall, especially to see the beach every day."
The Golden Eagles on the week edged their foes in steals (22-19) and committed only two more turnovers than the opposition. Southern Miss shot a respectable 44 percent from both the overall field and three-point land.
David McCoy, a walk-on transfer from Jones College, made his first road trip with the team and had just nine minutes under his belt for the season. He played nine against Gonzaga, then 13 and 16 over the next two nights, respectively. Included in those games were defending Preseason All-American Myles Powell (Seton Hall) and Alabama star John Petty Jr.
"Coach Ladner told me before I came on the trip that they were gonna give me a chance and stay on me hard," McCoy said. "They gave me an opportunity in practice to prove myself, and every day I've tried to take advantage of that. When I was out there, all I could do was play hard, stay within the script, and do what Coach needed me to do."
Fellow Meridian native Jay Malone also relished the opportunity, but in a different way. He earned his first start on Sunday against William Carey and carried that role into the Battle 4 Atlantis. Other parts of the trip he enjoyed were the consistent autograph requests and the ability to watch other games in the bracket during his downtime.Â
"I thank Coach for giving me an opportunity to start," he said. "I try to lead the team each and every night. Being a point guard reserves all the mistakes. I like the role and the pressure that comes with it. As far as the competition, it's translating everything from the board to the court, whether you're playing high-level teams or anyone. It's mandatory that you pay attention to all scouting reports and carry it to the game."
One play at a time, one game at a time.
Southern Miss begins a three-game homestand Wednesday against Tulane, the nightcap of a 5 p.m. doubleheader with the women's team. The Golden Eagles will also host Southern Illinois and North Florida the following two Saturdays, with each of those tipping off at 2 p.m.
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