Southern Miss

State of '08: Mississippi

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:17:52 -0700

HTML clipboard

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI STATE - MSU returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first since 2005, when they made 4 trips in a row. This year though, both Ole Miss and Southern Miss could/should be better teams.

OLE MISS - The Rebels don't have the best history when it comes to basketball. Outside of 2001's surprising Sweet Sixteen run, NCAA Tournament wins have been extremely rare. But the last two seasons have been solid under Andy Kennedy (despite last year's post 13-0 collapse), and a Tourney trip would not be a surprise in 2009.

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI - Many expected a swift turnaround under Larry Eustachy, but he enters his fifth season at USM without a postseason trip. While 19 & 20 wins looks impressive each of the last two years, the win totals have been padded with joke non-conference wins against DII teams and SWAC opponents.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE - They've met Jackson State in the SWAC finals the last two seasons, splitting the Tourney bids. MVSU was unfortunate to face UCLA in the first round, losing 70-29, and shooting just 19% from the field.. the lowest Tournament output in over 20 years. Still, MVSU hasn't finished below .500 in SWAC play since 2000.

JACKSON STATE - JSU is coming off two solid seasons. In 2007, they made the Big Dance, knocking off legit non-conference foes (a rarity for the SWAC) like UTEP, Rutgers, and UIC. Last year they were one basket away from a return trip.. losing to in-state rival MVSU. The Tigers should once again be in the running for the conference title in 2009.

6. ALCORN STATE - It wasn't that long ago that Alcorn was one of the better teams in the SWAC, making the Big Dance in 99 & 02 for example with consistent top of the table finishes. But the last four years have been brutal, with sub-300 RPIs. The Braves haven't won a non-conference game against a D1 team since December 2004.

Last: Michigan - Next: Missouri

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

2008-09 Southern Miss Basketball Preview: #68

Joel Welser — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:20:21 -0700

HTML clipboard

Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Overall Rank: #68

Conference Rank: #3 C-USA

2007-08: 19-14, 9-7, 4^th

2007-08 postseason: none

It is not easy for anybody to lose to McNeese State and Savannah State, but that is exactly what Southern Miss did during the 2007-2008 campaign. The good news is the top eight scorers are returning, including Jeremy Wise. Wise averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals last year and any success that will come the Golden Eagles way will come from Wise. Where there is good news, there is also plenty of bad news. The team has no interior scoring threat and that leaves the offense very one-dimensional and predictable.

Who’s Out:

Making matters worse for the frontcourt, Demar Dotson and Gjio Bain are gone. Neither were the scoring threat that Southern Miss needed, but both were solid rebounders and Bain averaged 1.7 blocks per contest and was a menace under the basket on the defensive end of the court.

Who’s In:

Andre Jackson, Corey Smith and Gustavo Lino will help fill the void in the frontcourt. Jackson, at 6-8 and 240 pounds, is a wide-bodied player who can eat up space in the paint. For now he will grab rebounds and play some solid defense in the paint, but his offensive game will come around. In high school Jackson played the five, but he has worked on facing the basket knowing that he will see a majority of his minutes at the four spot at Southern Miss. Smith is the guy who could provide the team with a consistent scorer under the basket right away. Yet, it is Lino who is the most intriguing prospect. The 7-0 redshirt freshman will still have to spend some time learning how to play in C-USA, but at least he can provide some much needed depth in 2008-2009 and look to contribute more in the future. There is a need for a body or two to come off the bench on the perimeter as well and Jerome Clyburn, Lavance Pennington and Rodney McCauley should fit in nicely. Clyburn is a pure point guard who will find his teammates and play solid defense. His offensive game is not bad by any means, but it will likely take some time before Clyburn is ready to emerge as a consistent scoring threat. Pennington is the pure scorer of the bunch and McCauley will do a little bit of everything.

Who to Watch:

One quick look at the Golden Eagles roster and it will not be tough to see why the incoming guards will not play much this year and why the team is in dire need of a big man who can score. After Wise, guards R.L. Horton, Courtney Beasley, Sai’Quon Stone and Craig Craft were the team’s next top scorers. Having all of them back is certainly nice, but it will not solve any of the problems that plagued Southern Miss last year. Horton is a decent shooter and ballhandler and ranked second on the team with 11.9 points per game last year as a freshman. Beasley will slash to the basket and Craft is the shooter off of the bench. Stone, at 6-6, spent some time at the power forward spot and could do so again this year. That situation is not ideal, but Stone is at least a good rebounder and a decent defender. And leaving Wise, Horton, Beasley or Stone on the bench in favor of an inexperienced forward does not sound too appealing either.

Final Projection:

Andre Stephens and Brandon Cooks are the two returning frontcourt players who have any significant experience. Stephens, a 6-8 junior, is a solid athlete and rebounder. His 6.3 points per game last year does show promise that he can emerge as a consistent scoring threat and a leader in the paint. Cooks saw limited action as a freshman, but he will have to be ready to see more minutes. With so many quality players returning, Coach Larry Eustachy’s squad should be better and that will put them into the NIT, but better things could be waiting for the Golden Eagles if the youngsters in the frontcourt can surprise and the team can stop playing four guards much of the time.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

R.L. Horton, Sophomore, Guard, 11.9 points per game

Jeremy Wise, Junior, Guard, 18.7 points per game

Courtney Beasley, Senior, Guard, 10.5 points per game

Sai’Quon Stone, Junior, Guard, 8.5 points per game

Andre Stephens, Junior, Forward, 6.3 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Former Trojan Angelo Johnson Transfers to Southern Miss

Press Release — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:03:37 -0700

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Former USC standout Angelo Johnson has transferred to Southern Miss, head coach Larry Eustachy announced Wednesday afternoon. Johnson, a point guard, will have to sit out this year due to the NCAA's transfer rules, but will be allowed to practice with the team.

A three-star prospect out of high school by Rivals.com, Johnson will have three years of eligibility remaining after playing his freshman season with the Trojans.

"We are very excited to have Angelo in the program," Eustachy said. "We expect him to help our team and really contribute in the backcourt next year."

Last year, Johnson played in 33 games for USC, starting 11. He averaged 4.5 points per game, while hitting 40.3 percent (27-of 67) from beyond the arc. He was also third on the team with 68 assists (2.06/game).

Johnson went to USC out of Stoneridge Prep, where he led the squad in scoring with 13.7 points per game while dishing out 4.1 assists. Johnson was the No. 9 prospect among fifth-year players by Hoopscooponline.com and the No. 114 recruit overall by Rivals.com.

2007-08 Southern Miss Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 07:48:19 -0700

Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Overall Rank: #79

Conference Rank: #4 C-USA

2006-07: 20-11, 9-7, 4^th (t)

2006-07 postseason: none

Once Southern Miss and Coach Larry Eustachy can find some offensive productivity out of the frontcourt, the Golden Eagles will be a contender in Conference USA…well, at least for second place in the conference. There are some options up front. Andre Stephens showed promise during his freshman campaign and the 6-8 forward has plenty of upside. Demar Dotson and Gjio Bain are the true post players. Dotson is more of an offensive threat, but 7-footer Bain is a quality shot blocker and rebounder. If Stephens can pick up his offensive game, it will at least stop the opposing defense from keying in on the talented perimeter.

Who’s Out:

Not long ago point guard DeWayne Green was the lone departure from last year’s active roster. The 5-11 would-be senior started 21 games during his only season in Hattiesburg and averaged 2.7 points, 3.1 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals. With a team that has so many prolific scoring guards, Green may have seen his minutes diminish for his senior campaign. However, having a quality backup point guard who can play solid defense would have been very helpful to the team. More recently, Jarvis Hill and Maros Zuffa have transferred. Hill was one of the better perimeter shooters on the team last year and averaged 7.8 points per game and earned nine starts. Zuffa saw limited action and is heading elsewhere to find more playing time.

Who’s In:

Finding another big body or two to bang down low would be beneficial and Brandon Cooks and Gustavo Lino are hoping to fill that role. Cooks is a good offensive option and can score in a variety of ways. Lino, a seven-footer, should be a decent defensive presence. Kevin Branch will do a little bit of everything for Southern Miss. The 6-4 wing is a great athlete who can score, get on the glass and play some defense. R.L. Horton, Mississippi’s Mr. Basketball, will at least take over the job from the departed Green. The 6-0 point guard is a good playmaker, but will do more than his fair share of scoring as well and averaged 27.7 points last year at Lanier High School. Walk-on Josh Barnes redshirted last season and will provide some emergency depth to the perimeter.

Who to Watch:

He was only a freshman, but Jeremy Wise wasted no time cementing himself as the team leader. Wise averaged 17.5 points, 3.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman. The expectations for him, and thus the team, are increasing greatly during his sophomore campaign. Wise will likely run the point this year with the help of Horton, but if Horton can handle it, Wise will be moved off the ball to help increase his scoring output. Yet there are other scoring threats on the perimeter. Sai’Quon Stone, another sophomore, was second on the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game. He also led the team in rebounding with 5.4 per contest. It is nice to have a decent rebounder on the wing, but that says more about the inconsistency of the frontcourt than anything else. Courtney Beasley is expected to be the starter on the other wing. As a junior, Beasley is the elder statesman of the group, but like Stone he is more of a slasher than a shooter. Outside of Wise, most of the shooting will come off the bench in the form of Craig Craft.

Final Projection:

Despite losing a grand total of zero players to graduation, this is still a young team. The Coach Eustachy rebuilding process is still going and better things are coming. Thirteen of the 17 players on the roster are underclassmen and considering how young the team was last year, getting fourth place in the conference was an amazing feat. Yet, in a much improved C-USA, reaching higher than fourth place this year will be difficult, but at least fourth place is good enough for a trip to the NIT.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Jeremy Wise, Sophomore, Guard, 17.5 points per game

Courtney Beasley, Junior, Guard, 9.7 points per game

Sai’Quon Stone, Sophomore, Guard, 10.3 points per game

Andre Stephens, Sophomore, Forward, 4.5 points per game

Gjio Bain, Senior, Center, 3.6 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Southern Miss Signs Three-Star Prospect

Press Release — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:45:33 -0700

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy announced today the signing of guard Kevin Branch of LaPlace, La., to national letter of intent for the 2007-08 academic year.

At 6-foot-4, 185 lbs., Branch played his senior season at Washington-Marion Magnet School in Lake Charles, La., for coach Mack Guillory where he was an All-Southwest performer by the Lake Charles American Press. Branch averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest. The team reached the Louisiana Class 4A championship game and his team was ranked third in the state by MaxPreps.com with a 26-3 mark.

“We are getting another athletic perimeter player in Kevin who can score, rebound the ball and is a tremendous defensive player,” said Eustachy. “We are excited about getting a player of his quality this late (in the signing process).”

The three-star rated prospect by Rivals.com, Branch garnered Class 4A all-state honorable mention honors.

Prior to his year at Washington-Marion, Branch attended Reserve Christian where he was a member of the basketball team there.

Branch is the third signee for the Golden Eagles this spring. He joins 6-foot R.L. Horton from Jackson, Miss. (Lanier HS), 6-foot-8 Brandon Cooks from Thibodaux, La. (Thibodaux HS/Genesis One Christian School), who signed during the spring signing period, for the 2007-08 season. In the fall, the Golden Eagles signed 6-foot-8 Maurice Bolden from Jackson, Miss. (Wingfield HS), as well as adding 7-foot Gustavo Lino from Sao Paulo, Brazil (Universidade Anhmebi Morumbi), who enrolled during the spring semester for the 2007-08 season.

- SouthernMiss.com -

Southern Miss Signs Mississippi Mr. Basketball

Press Release — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:51:17 -0700

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy announced today the signing of R.L. Horton (Jackson, Miss.) to a national letter of intent for the 2007-08 academic year.

Horton, a 6-foot, 175-pound guard, was named The Clarion Ledger’s Mr. Basketball for the state of Mississippi, after leading Lanier High School to its third consecutive Class 4A state title, as well as the MHSAA’s newly revived Grand Slam title en route to a No. 1 ranking in the Clarion-Ledger Super 10 Poll.

“We are excited about signing the best player from the state of Mississippi,” said Eustachy. “He has a tremendous mental makeup, which helped propelled his team to 108 wins, while losing just eight over the last three years. R.L. is a quality basketball player that is a solid play-making point guard who we are looking forward to joining our program.”

He averaged 27.7 points, including 31 in the 4A championship game, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game as the Bulldogs finished 39-3, including 35 wins in their final 36 games for Coach Thomas Billups. Horton also garnered honorable-mention All-America honors by MaxPrep Sports.

He scored 18 points, including two key baskets late, to lead Mississippi to a 118-113 victory over Alabama in the all-star game between the two states earlier this spring at the Pelham (Ala.) Civic Center. Last summer, Horton was named the South Offensive MVP in the annual North-South All-Star game in Clinton.

As a junior, Horton averaged 24.6 points per contest as he earned all-star first team honors, as well being named the Metro Player of the Year.

Horton joins 6-foot-8 Brandon Cooks from Thibodaux, La. (Thibodaux HS/Genesis One Christian School), who signed during the spring signing period. In the fall, the Golden Eagles signed 6-foot-8 Maurice Bolden from Jackson, Miss. (Wingfield HS), as well as adding 7-foot Gustavo Lino from Sao Paulo, Brazil (Universidade Anhmebi Morumbi), who enrolled during the spring semester for the 2007-08 season.

The Golden Eagles were 20-11 last season and finished tied for fourth in Conference USA with a 9-7 record.

- SouthernMiss.com -

Southern Miss Improves to 5-0

Press Release — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:54:42 -0800

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Freshman Jeremy Wise led six Golden Eagles in double figures with 27 points, including a key 3-point play that triggered a late run, in a 94-86 non-conference victory over Sam Houston State here Thursday night at Reed Green Coliseum.

The Golden Eagles improved to 5-0 with the victory to match their best start since 2002-03 squad.

“That was a good win for us against a very good team,” third-year coach Larry Eustachy said. “This is the best win that we have had here in awhile and it is a game that, in the past, we would have lost. It was just a terrific win for our program.”

Demar Dotson and Courtney Beasley each collected double-doubles for Southern Miss, as the team has now had that happen in two straight games. For Doston it was his second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, while Beasley added 13 points and a career-best 13 rebounds.

Jarvis Hill added 16 points, while Andre Stephens poured in 12 and Sai’Quon Stone tallied 10.

It was Wise, though, that made the game-changing play in the contest. With the Golden Eagles trailing 64-63, Wise converted a driving layup and was fouled on the play with 12:24 to play. After a subsequent made free throw, the Golden Eagles eventually went on a 9-0 run to never trail again in the contest.

That lead change was the last of 15 in the contest, to also go along with 11 ties.

SHSU (4-3) had four players in double figures including 27 from Jejuan Plair, who scored 22 in the second half to keep the Bearkats in the game late. He was joined by Ryan Bright, who tallied 20 points, along with 14 from Jeremy Thomas and 12 from Aaron Wade.

The Bearkats, though, could not overcome a 50.8 percent shooting night for the Golden Eagles (32-of-63), as the Golden Eagles converted 22 second-chance points in outrebounding the visitors 47-29.

Southern Miss struggled at the free throw line, hitting 23-of-43 for 55.8 percent, but converted 40 percent from 3-point range, hitting 6-of-15 attempts.