Golden Eagles Take on Jackson State Monday Night in Men's Basketball Charity Game

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss and Jackson State will square off on Monday night in a charity men's basketball game that will benefit Extra Table, a statewide nonprofit food bank. All net proceeds from single-game ticket sales will be donated to the charity. The contest is slated for 6 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum.

Exhibition 2: Southern Miss (0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs. Jackson State (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
Monday, October 28 at 6 p.m. CT
TV: None | Radio: Southern Miss Radio Network
Reed Green Coliseum (8,095)

Fans can listen on the Southern Miss Radio Network, Southern Miss Game Day App, or their local Southern Miss Network affiliate to hear John Cox on the call.

The Opening Tip
- Denijay Harris poured in 30 points and 15 rebounds in the opening exhibition game against New Orleans last week. Andre Curbelo and Alfred Worrell Jr. added 24 and 20 points, respectively
- Southern Miss returns six players that saw action last season, while only Cobie Montgomery and Tegra Izay saw limited starts
- Neftali Alvarez — sat out last season due to injury — and Denijay Harris are both back in the Black & Gold this season. Harris suited up for Arkansas last season after playing a key role in the '22-23 Sun Belt regular season title
- Eight players will suit up for the Golden Eagles this season that ever never donned the Golden Eagle logo. That list included Alfred Worrell Jr., DeAntoni Gordon, Brewer Carruth, Jett Montgomery, Christian Watson, John Wade III, Christian Reid, and Lieb Yat

About the Tigers
- Jackson State is coming off a 15-17 campaign and returns its top six scorers from a year ago
- Jackson State cruised to a 93-52 win over Belhaven on Oct. 24 and enjoyed a 24-point game from Jayme Mitchell Jr.
- The Tigers return the likes of Jayme Mitchell Jr., Romelle Mansel and Keiveion Hunt. They also welcome Ole Miss transfer Daeshun Ruff, who averaged 9.5 points per game for the Rebels last season
- Head coach Mo Williams nabbed the following players from the coveted transfer portal: Shannon Grant (Florida A&M), Dylan Canoville (Southeastern), Juan Reyna III (UTSA). He also signed newcomers Tamarion Hoover, Dorian McMillian and Ebo Wilson
- Jackson State opens the season on Nov. 4 at Houston and then travel to High Point on Nov. 9

History Between the Two
- Though it won't count towards the series history, Monday's contest is the 15^th meeting between the two in-state programs
- Southern Miss leads 10-4 in the all-time series and own a 10-2 record in Hattiesburg
- Jackson State has won the last three meetings by double figures
- The last meeting was a 75-64 win of for the Tigers on Oct. 4, 2017

Dipping into the Portal
- The Golden Eagles once again loaded up on veteran talent in the transfer portal after adding four players with Division I experience
- The four additions are DeAntoni Gordon (Little Rock), Christian Watson (Miami), John Wade III (Stanislaus State) and Denijay Harris (Arkansas)
- Gordon brings the beefiest resume after earning All-OVC honors at Little Rock while leading the Trojans in nearly every category at some point during his three-year career. Gordon played his first season of college basketball at Wichita State
- Watson and Harris have both played on the biggest stages during their careers at Miami (Fla.) and Arkansas, respectively. Watson was a member of the Hurricanes' 2022-23 Final Four team and logged minutes in NCAA Tournament
- Wade III had a stop at Cal State Northridge during the 2022-23 season but played at Stanislaus State last season. While at CSUN, Wade III played in only 10 games
- Ladner added Alfred Worrell Jr. comes to Southern Miss after playing JUCO ball at John A. Logan college

The Youngsters are Back
- Brewer Carruth, Jett Montgomery, and Christian Reid are the first freshman Ladner has signed since the 2021-22 season
- Current senior Trey Alfonso was the last freshman Southern Miss had
- Carruth prepped at Parklane Academy in McComb, while Reid played at Mater Lakes Academy. Montgomery enjoyed a standout career at Independence High School, but is no stranger to Southern Miss has his father, Mark, was a standout wide receiver for the Golden Eagles

Exhibition History
- The Golden Eagles are 51-7 all-time in exhibition games
- Harris hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in Southern Miss' exhibition game against New Orleans last week
- Freshman Jett Montgomery flashed his shooting skills as he added 10 points off the bench
- Southern Miss is 5-1 under Ladner in the tune-up games

Preseason Accolades
- Redshirt senior Andre Curbelo was tabbed Preseason Third Team All-Sun Belt by the league's coaches
- Curbelo appeared in 12 games last season while waiting for a NCAA waiver and later battling injuries
- He recorded the second triple-double in program history when he had 12 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against Georgia State last season
- Southern Miss was picked to finish fifth in the preseason league poll

60 Years at Reed Green Coliseum
- The 2024-25 season marks the 60^th season of Golden Eagle basketball at Reed Green Coliseum
- Southern Miss officially moved into The Greenhouse ahead of the 1965-66 season and played Alabama on Dec. 11 in the arena's dedication game
- The Golde Eagles are 522-239 on their home court and have had three undefeated seasons at Reed Green Coliseum

Single game and season tickets are available via SouthernMissTickets.com, calling 1-800-844-TICK or visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office during normal business hours.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE SINGLE GAME TICKETS
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS

Follow @SouthernMissMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook to get the latest Golden Eagle news.

Golden Eagles Take on Jackson State Monday Night in Men's Basketball Charity Game

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Trey Alfonso

Neftali Alvarez

Brewer Carruth

Andre Curbelo

DeAntoni Gordon

Denijay Harris

Tegra Izay

Cobie Montgomery

Jett Montgomery

Christian Reid

John Wade III

Christian Watson

Alfred Worrell Jr.

Lieb Yat

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics