2019–20 Southern Miss Golden Eagles basketball team

2019–20 Southern Miss Golden Eagles basketball
ConferenceConference USA
Record9–22 (5–13 C-USA)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaReed Green Coliseum
Seasons
2019–20 Conference USA men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
North Texas 14 – 4   .778 20 – 11   .645
Western Kentucky 13 – 5   .722 20 – 10   .667
Louisiana Tech 13 – 5   .722 22 – 8   .733
Charlotte 10 – 8   .556 16 – 13   .552
FIU 9 – 9   .500 19 – 13   .594
Marshall 10 – 8   .556 17 – 15   .531
UAB 9 – 9   .500 19 – 13   .594
Old Dominion 9 – 9   .500 13 – 19   .406
Florida Atlantic 8 – 10   .444 17 – 15   .531
UTSA 7 – 11   .389 13 – 19   .406
UTEP 8 – 10   .444 17 – 15   .531
Rice 7 – 11   .389 15 – 17   .469
Southern Miss 5 – 13   .278 9 – 22   .290
Middle Tennessee 4 – 14   .222 8 – 23   .258
Note: The 2020 C-USA Tournament was canceled prior to the quarterfinals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2019–20 Southern Miss Golden Eagles men's basketball team represented the University of Southern Mississippi during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Golden Eagles, led by first-year head coach Jay Ladner, played their home games at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi as members of Conference USA.[1]

Previous season

The Golden Eagles finished the 2018–19 season 20–13, 11–7 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for third place. They defeated Marshall in the quarterfinals before losing to Western Kentucky in the semifinals of the C-USA tournament. They were invited to the College Basketball Invitational where they lost to Longwood in the first round.[2]

Doc Sadler resigned on April 11 after 5 seasons at Southern Miss. Under Sadler, the Golden Eagles went 56–94 overall, but this season was their best under Sadler, in which the team went 20–13 overall and finished tied for 2nd in conference play. The following day, new Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg announced he had hired Sadler, a former Cornhuskers head coach who had spent a season on Hoiberg's staff at Iowa State, as an assistant.[3][4] The school hired Southeastern Louisiana head coach and fellow alumnus Jay Ladner as their new head coach on April 17.[5]

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Dominic Magee 0 G 6'4" 190 RS Senior Harvey, LA Graduated
Cortez Edwards 1 G 6'2" 180 Senior Kissimmee, FL Graduated
Shakur Daniel 2 G 6'5" 175 Freshman Toronto, ON Transferred to Ranger College
Christian Clark 4 G 6'0" 175 RS Junior Hattiesburg, MS Walk-on; left the team for personal reasons
Tim Rowe 12 F 6'11" 220 Senior Lilburn, GA Graduated
Kevin Holland 20 G 6'1" 187 RS Senior Tuscaloosa, AL Graduated
Anfernee Hampton 21 G 6'5" 170 RS Senior Jackson, MS Walk-on; graduated
LaDarius Marshall 23 F 6'5" 205 Freshman Jackson, MS Transferred to Hinds CC
Tyree Griffin 55 G 5'10" 175 RS Senior New Orleans, LA Graduated

Incoming transfers

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School
Denijay Harris 1 G/F 6'7" 195 Freshman Columbus, MS Junior college transferred from Southwest Mississippi CC
David McCoy 4 G 6'0" Sophomore Meridian, MS Junior college transferred from Jones County JC. Will join the team as a walk-on.
Jay Malone 10 G 6'1" 175 RS Sophomore Meridian, MS Junior college transferred from Southwest Mississippi CC
Bill Muse 22 G 6'2" 185 RS Senior Muskogee, OK Transferred from Coastal Carolina. Will be eligible to play immediately since Muse graduated from Coastal Carolina. Will join the team as a walk-on.
Jarrod Rigby 25 G 6'0" 160 RS Senior Bay St. Louis, MS Transferred from Southeastern Louisiana. Will be eligible to play immediately since Rigby graduated from Southeastern Louisiana. Will join the team as a walk-on.
Isaiah Jones 44 F 6'8" RS Junior Phoenix, AZ Junior college transferred from Connors State College

Recruiting class of 2019

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Angel Smith
SG 		Fort Lauderdale, FL Northeast High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul 19, 2019 
Star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Jeffery Armstrong
PG 		Rainsville, AL Massanutten Military Academy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 125 lb (57 kg) Jun 12, 2019 
Star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Auston Leslie
SG 		Huntsville, AL Westminster Christian Academy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Jun 12, 2019 
Star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Hunter Dean
C 		Mandeville, LA Lakeshore High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Apr 29, 2019 
Star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Artur Konontsuk
PF 		Pärnu, Estonia Get Better Academy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Aug 8, 2019 
Star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Roster

2019–20 Southern Miss Golden Eagles men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Gabe Watson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) So St. Joseph Catholic School Jackson, Mississippi
F 1 Denijay Harris 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 203 lb (92 kg) RS Fr Southwest Mississippi Community College Columbus, Mississippi
F 2 Jeffery Armstrong 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Massanutten Military Academy Rainsville, Alabama
G 3 Angel Smith 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Northeast High School Fort Lauderdale, Florida
G 4 David McCoy (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 171 lb (78 kg) Jr Jones County Junior College Meridian, Mississippi
F 5 Artur Konontsuk 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Get Better Academy Pärnu, Estonia
G 10 Jay Malone 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 167 lb (76 kg) RS So Southwest Mississippi Community College Meridian, Mississippi
G 11 LaDavius Draine 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 212 lb (96 kg) Jr Calhoun City High School Calhoun City, Mississippi
F 13 Boban Jacdonmi 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 256 lb (116 kg) RS Sr Chattanooga State Community College London, England
F 14 Tyler Stevenson (W) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 207 lb (94 kg) So New Hope High School Columbus, Mississippi
G 15 Clay Weatherspoon (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 212 lb (96 kg) RS Jr Ridgeland High School (MS) Jackson, Mississippi
F 20 Hunter Dean 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 232 lb (105 kg) Fr Lakeshore High School Mandeville, Louisiana
G 21 Auston Leslie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 166 lb (75 kg) Fr Westminster Christian Academy Huntsville, Alabama
G 22 Bill Muse Jr. (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Sr Coastal Carolina Muskogee, Oklahoma
G 25 Jerrod Rigby (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) RS Sr Southeastern Louisiana Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
F 32 Leonard Harper-Baker 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 208 lb (94 kg) RS Sr Moberly Area Community College Detroit, Michigan
F 44 Isaiah Jones 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 234 lb (106 kg) RS Sr Connors State College Phoenix, Arizona
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Opponent Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 29, 2019*
7:00 pm 		Mississippi College W 73–68 
Reed Green Coliseum 
Hattiesburg, MS
Non-conference regular season
November 5, 2019*
7:00 pm 		Delta State W 90–71  1–0
 Reed Green Coliseum (2,824)
Hattiesburg, MS
November 9, 2019*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at South Alabama L 69–75  1–1
 Mitchell Center (1,893)
Mobile, AL
November 14, 2019*
6:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at North Florida L 63–66  1–2
 UNF Arena (2,058)
Jacksonville, FL
November 19, 2019*
7:00 pm 		at Iowa State
Battle 4 Atlantis campus-site game 		L 45–73  1–3
 Hilton Coliseum (13,810)
Ames, IA
November 24, 2019*
2:00 pm 		William Carey W 83–64  2–3
 Reed Green Coliseum (2,635)
Hattiesburg, MS
November 27, 2019*
6:00 pm, ESPNU 		vs. No. 8 Gonzaga
Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals 		L 69–94  2–4
 Imperial Arena (1,459)
Nassau, Bahamas
November 28, 2019*
8:00 pm, ESPN2 		vs. No. 13 Seton Hall
Battle 4 Atlantis consolation 2nd round 		L 56–81  2–5
 Imperial Arena (1,204)
Nassau, Bahamas
November 30, 2019*
8:00 pm, ESPNU 		vs. Alabama
Battle 4 Atlantis 7th place game 		L 68–83  2–6
 Imperial Arena (1,159)
Nassau, Bahamas
December 4, 2019*
7:00 pm 		Tulane L 56–61  2–7
 Reed Green Coliseum (3,668)
Hattiesburg, MS
December 7, 2019*
2:00 pm 		Southern Illinois W 72–69  3–7
 Reed Green Coliseum (2,009)
Hattiesburg, MS
December 14, 2019*
2:00 pm 		North Florida L 69–72  3–8
 Reed Green Coliseum (2,380)
Hattiesburg, MS
December 16, 2019*
6:00 pm, ESPN2 		at No. 24 Texas Tech L 65–71  3–9
 United Supermarkets Arena (12,290)
Lubbock, TX
December 21, 2019*
2:00 pm 		Tougaloo W 96–77  4–9
 Reed Green Coliseum (2,408)
Hattiesburg, MS
Conference USA regular season
December 30, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Louisiana Tech L 49–80  4–10
(0–1) 		Reed Green Coliseum (3,005)
Hattiesburg, MS
January 4, 2020
4:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Louisiana Tech L 50–78  4–11
(0–2) 		Thomas Assembly Center (2,341)
Ruston, LA
January 9, 2020
8:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at UTEP L 64–76  4–12
(0–3) 		Don Haskins Center (4,622)
El Paso, TX
January 11, 2020
3:00 pm, ESPN3 		at UTSA L 70–80  4–13
(0–4) 		Convocation Center (1,095)
San Antonio, TX
January 16, 2020
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		North Texas L 52–72  4–14
(0–5) 		Reed Green Coliseum 
Hattiesburg, MS
January 18, 2020
2:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Rice W 81–68  5–14
(1–5) 		Reed Green Coliseum (3,571)
Hattiesburg, MS
January 23, 2020
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at UAB W 84–77  6–14
(2–5) 		Bartow Arena (2,705)
Birmingham, AL
January 25, 2020
5:00 pm 		at Middle Tennessee L 63–65  6–15
(2–6) 		Murphy Center (3,523)
Murfreesboro, TN
January 30, 2020
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Old Dominion L 58–68  6–16
(2–7) 		Reed Green Coliseum (2,889)
Hattiesburg, MS
February 1, 2020
2:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Charlotte W 74–68 OT 7–16
(3–7) 		Reed Green Coliseum (3,840)
Hattiesburg, MS
February 6, 2020
6:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Marshall L 58–72  7–17
(3–8) 		Cam Henderson Center (5,528)
Huntington, WV
February 8, 2020
6:30 pm, Stadium 		at Western Kentucky L 72–75  7–18
(3–9) 		E. A. Diddle Arena (6,170)
Bowling Green, KY
February 13, 2020
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Florida Atlantic W 68–66  8–18
(4–9) 		Reed Green Coliseum 
Hattiesburg, MS
February 15, 2020
2:00 pm, ESPN+ 		FIU W 75–67  9–18
(5–9) 		Reed Green Coliseum (4,059)
Hattiesburg, MS
February 22, 2020
12:00 pm, ESPN3 		Middle Tennessee L 53–61  9–19
(5–10) 		Reed Green Coliseum (3,203)
Hattiesburg, MS
March 1, 2020
3:00 pm, CUSA.tv 		at UTEP L 56–75  9–20
(5–11) 		Don Haskins Center (4,975)
El Paso, TX
March 4, 2020
7:00 pm, ESPN3 		Rice L 57–72  9–21
(5–12) 		Reed Green Coliseum (3,065)
Hattiesburg, MS
March 7, 2020
5:00 pm, ESPN3 		at Middle Tennessee L 62-65 OT 9-22
(5-13) 		Murphy Center 
Murfreesboro, TN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time Source[6].

References

  1. ^ Magee, Patrick. "Here's a deep dive on Southern Miss basketball for Jay Ladner's debut season". Sun Herald. Archived from the original on October 22, 2019.
  2. ^ "Wilson scores 23 to lift Longwood over Southern Miss in CBI". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Borzello, Jeff (April 11, 2019). "Sadler steps down as Southern Miss coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  4. ^ "Hoiberg adds Sadler to Huskers' coaching staff". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  5. ^ Clay, Patrick. "USM hires former longtime St. Stanislaus head coach to lead men's basketball". wlox.com. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  6. ^ Southern Miss Official Athletic Site – Men's Basketball