Date: 11/1
Position: Wings

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Trhae Mitchell, So. (3.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.0 apg, 62.3 FG%, 63.6 3FG%, 51.9 FT%); Devin Epps, Sr. (0.5 ppg, 0.1 rpg, 0.2 apg, 100 FG%, 0.0 3FG%, 80.0 FT%); Ethan Haslam, So. (0.8 ppg, 0.1 rpg, 0.0 apg, 28.6 FG%, 28.6 3FG%, 0.0 FT%)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Ken Williams, Sr. (13.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 36.0 FG%, 26.7 3FG%, 77.8 FT%); Nick Stover, Sr. (9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 47.1 FG%, 36.8 3FG%, 72.7 FT%); Shaq Calhoun, Sr. (8.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 32.2 FG%, 26.1 3FG%, 75.4 FT%)

Newcomers (Yr., Hometown/Previous school): Jordan Andrews (So., Abita Springs, La./Youngstown State); A.J. Caldwell (Fr., Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS); Rodrick Sikes (Jr., Ocean Springs, Miss./Southwest Mississippi CC)

Miscellaneous Notes
- South Alabama loses three of their top six scorers from last year at this position: Ken Williams (13.9 ppg), Nick Stover (9.5) and Shaq Calhoun (8.3)
- Williams finished his career as the school's all-time leader in 3-pointers (253) and 3-point attempts (778), and is seventh with 1,723 points
- Andrews sat out last season after transferring from Youngstown State; he was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in his one season with the Penguins after hitting 50 3-pointers and averaging 7.9 ppg
- Mitchell averaged 6.2 points and shot 69.6 percent from the floor in the final 13 games of 2016-17
- Sikes was a junior college all-American last year at Southwest Mississippi Community College
- Sikes led all players with 20 points in the Jaguars' exhibition win over Spring Hill

Matthew Graves
- On having a mix of new and returning players: "We have a very interesting mix and a balance of new guys, old guys and returning guys. You start with Trhae Mitchell, who has an ability to be an all-league-level defender in the Sun Belt. He's our glue guy of the wing group because he's really efficient offensively and he's our best wing defender. Jordan Andrews has been our most consistent through the summer and preseason workouts. He's going to give us an ability to stretch the defense. With Rodrick, you have a guy that can come in and score in bunches, as we saw in the Spring Hill game. He's very explosive and can score 6, 8, 10 points in a hurry."
- On how much Mitchell improved over last season: "Trhae is similar to Josh (Ajayi) in that he's going to have to grow into his role as an alpha male, being the aggressor and a leader for us on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, he's a glue guy. He makes the right pass, he can get you an offensive rebound and he can hit a spot-up shot. He's very valuable in the fact that he doesn't need to have plays run for him to be effective on that end."
- On benefits of having Andrews in the program last year: "I think it's extremely beneficial that Jordan has played a year of Division I basketball. He knows what the ups and downs of a season are like, travel and scouting reports. It can be a grind at times during the season and he understands that. Last year, since he redshirted, he understands our approach and how we do things. He's able to take those experiences as a player and what he did last year, and apply them to this year. He's going to be a very valuable asset for us offensively."
- On Sikes' scoring ability: "He is a guy that can score at all three levels. He's outstanding in transition, spotting up or he has the speed and athleticism to get to and finish at the rim, with the three 'and-1s' against Spring Hill. That's impressive for a guard. His scoring ability is very valuable to a team because you can change the complexion of a game with his ability to rattle off points like that."
- On where A.J. Caldwell fits in: "I really like what A.J. has been able to do as a freshman. He's come in well-prepared and was well-coached. He's shot the ball really well for us in practice. Obviously, having the broken nose has set him back a little bit, but we're going to look for him to give us a spark with his ability to shoot the ball and stretch the defense. That will be a really added benefit for our team this year."

Trhae Mitchell
- On how he thought he played at the end of last season: "I think I was playing really well. I had to get adjusted to starting and being a role player, doing what I was asked to do."
- On how he felt against Spring Hill: "I think I did a great job picking up where I left off last year. I wasn't forcing it and I let the game come to me. I did a majority of my work on defense and let the offense just come to me."
- On his expectations for the upcoming season: "I'm trying to win defensive player of the year. I want us to have a winning season and be the best teammate I can be."
- On being a leader at his position: "I just have to show leadership. I know a lot of people on the team are looking up to me. The coaches have already told me before the season that I would be a leader, so in practice I try to go as hard as I can and let everybody follow what I do."

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