Men's Basketball Opens Exhibition Slate with Houston Christian on Monday Night in Hattiesburg

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss men's basketball kicks off the 2025-26 exhibition slate of games on Monday night as the Golden Eagles host Houston Christian at Reed Green Coliseum. The first of two tune-up games this preseason is slated for 6 p.m.

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 game will not be streamed.

Exhibition 1: Southern Miss (0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs. Houston Christian (0-0, 0-0 Southland)
Monday, October 20 at 6 p.m. CT
TV: None | Radio: Southern Miss Radio Network
Reed Green Coliseum (8,095)

FROM THE TOP
- Southern Miss features a new look this season as Jay Ladner brought in 14 new players and an entirely new assistant coaching staff
- The Golden Eagles return Brewer Carruth (Lake Dixie Springs, Miss.), Jett Montgomery (Franklin, Tenn.), Tegra Izay (Montreal, Canada) and Dalyn Brandon (Baltimore, Md.)
- The 14 newcomers include Djahi Binet (Alcorn State), Dylan Brumfield (Hattiesburg, Miss.), Robert Cowherd (Ole Miss), Fallou Diagne (Western Kentucky), IJ Ezuma (South Plains), Israel "Izzy" Hart (Central Oklahoma), Blake Lander (Long Island), Curt Lewis (East Tennessee State), Felipe Patino (Eastern Florida State), EJ Paymon (Mississippi State), Isaac Taveras (South Plains), Chiante' Tramble (Independence), Chandler Watts (Eastern Florida State), and Tylik Weeks (Southwest Mississippi)

ABOUT HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
- The Huskies are led by second-year head coach Craig Doty, who guided his team to a 12-20 record last season
- Junior Elijah Brooks returns as the most veteran scorer after averaging roughly nine points per game last season. Brooks posted a pair of 20-point ballgames last year
- 6-foot-6 senior forward Trent Johnson returns with the most rebounding experience, averaging just over four rebounds per game in 2024-25
- Houston Christian went 1-0 against Sun Belt teams last year, beating ULM 74-68 in Monroe
- Doty previously spent time at Emporia State and Graceland, while leading Graceland to a NAIA National Championship

HISTORY BETWEEN THE TWO
- While this meeting won't count towards the series record, Southern Miss holds a 2-1 lead all-time over the Huskies
- Southern Miss first Houston Christian — then Houston Baptist — in 1974, where the Golden Eagles escaped with an 88-84 win in Hattiesburg
- The Huskies returned the favor the following season and won 82-71 in Houston
- Southern Miss won the last meeting, which was a 67-62 victory at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Mobile during the 2013-14 season

EXHIBITION HISTORY
- The Golden Eagles are 52-7 all-time in exhibition games
- Southern Miss beat New Orleans and Jackson State in last season's exhibition games, which both went to overtime
- Southern Miss is 6-1 under Ladner in tune-up games — its only loss was against Mississippi State before the 2023-24 season

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

Fans can follow @SouthernMissMBB on social media to get the latest Golden Eagle news.

Men's Basketball Opens Exhibition Slate with Houston Christian on Monday Night in Hattiesburg

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Djahi Binet

Dalyn Brandon

Dylan Brumfield

Brewer Carruth

Robert Cowherd

Fallou Diagne

IJ Ezuma

Tegra Izay

Blake Lander

Curt Lewis

Jett Montgomery

Felipe Patino

EJ Paymon

Isaac Taveras

Chiante' Tramble

Chandler Watts

Tylik Weeks

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics