2006 COORS CLASSIC
The 2006 Coors Classic features one of the best fields in the seven year history of the event. South Alabama (5-4) coming off a Sun Belt Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament last year, along with No. 9 ranked Alabama, undefeated Southern Miss and Ole Miss who is off to a very hot start complete the field.
Alabama, along with Southern Miss and South Alabama all have played in the Coors Classic in the past. The Crimson Tide are 2-0 in the tournament, while Southern Miss is 1-0. USA has played in all seven classics and has a 4-3 record.
South Alabama will look to snap a two-game skid against Ole Miss at 5 p.m. and Alabama will tangle with Southern Mississippi at approximately 7:15 p.m. in the one night college basketball doubleheader at the Mitchell Center.
Tom Hart and Richard Cross have the call for the South Alabama vs. Ole Miss game, while Hart and Wimp Sanderson have the call for the Alabama vs. Southern Miss game.
A VICTORY OVER OLE MISS WOULD...
? Give the Jaguars a 6-4 record.
? Give John Pelphrey his first win over an SEC school as the Jaguars head coach.
? Snap a 13-game losing streak to teams from the SEC.
? Give USA its second consecutive win in the Coors Classic.
? Snap a two-game losing streak.
? Give head coach John Pelphrey his 66th victory at the helm of the Jaguar program.
THE SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS
The Jaguars return home after a pair of tough losses to the Southeastern Conference with a 5-4 record heading into the Coors Classic. The Jags, dropped a hard-fought 82-71 decision at Auburn on Dec. 6 and lost 84-46 at Mississippi State last Saturday.
Leading the way for the Jags this season is junior Demetric Bennett who is averaging a team-best 14.3 points and also leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per game. He is a team-best 45 of 106 from the field and 23-of-54 from beyond the arc. Second on the team in scoring is junior-transfer Daon Merritt who has had an outstanding beginning to the season. Merritt is averaging 11.0 points and is second on the team in made field goals (36) and leads the team at the free throw line, making 17 of 22 attempts. He also leads the team in assists with 53 for a 5.8 average.
Seniors Carlos Smith and Leandro Buboltz are third and fourth, respectively on the team in scoring at 10.6 and 7.6. Smith is second on the team in assists with 32 and is second on the team in made 3-pointers with 17. Smith had a game-high 22 points against Auburn on Dec. 6.
The Jaguars are coming off of one of the most memorable seasons in school history in 2005-06. USA won both the Sun Belt Conference West Division crown and tournament crown earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament where they fell to eventual National Champion Florida. Despite the loss to the Gators, USA had its best season in over 20 years with 24 wins, the second most in school history and had the nation’s biggest turnaround from 2004-05 to 2005-06. The Jaguars finished the season with a 24-7 mark and a 12-3 record in the SBC West Division.
This season, the Jaguars welcome back five players from a year ago, all whom had significant playing time last season. Senior Carlos Smith played every game at point guard last season, averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 assists per game as a junior. Also back is senior Leandro Buboltz who came into his own during the final nine games of the season. He had his breakout game against Florida in the NCAA Tournament, going 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc for 14 points to lead the team. Senior Stephen Cowherd, junior Demetric Bennett and sophomore Trajinski Grigsby also return.
The Jaguars welcome eight new players to the squad this season, four freshman and four transfers. Two of the transfers were with the team last year as they sat out due to NCAA transfer rules. Juniors Kenny Hooks (Oregon State) and Daon Merritt (Richmond) return along with newcomers sophomore Brandon Davis (Jacksonville State/Birmingham-Southern) and junior Ernest Little (UAB). Little will be eligible to play Dec. 21, 2006.
Four freshmen complete the 2006-07 roster. USA has a pair of 6-9 twins from Detroit Country Day High School in Charles and Philip Tabet. In addition to the added size, the Jags also have a pair of freshmen shooters in Darren Cloud (Evansville, Ind./Wabash Valley JC) and Brooks Taylor (Monette, Ark.) Cloud received a medical redshirt from Wabash Valley this past season so he will have four years of eligibility at USA. Taylor comes from Buffalo Island High School.
Head coach John Pelphrey is in his fifth season at the helm of the Jaguar program. He took the team to new heights in 2005-06, winning the division, tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Pelphrey was named 2006 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year. Pelphrey, the ninth head coach in school history, has a 65-58 record at South Alabama.
LAST TIME OUT - AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
STARKVILLE, Miss. -Jamont Gordon scored 14 points and Mississippi State committed a season-low eight turnovers as the Bulldogs beat South Alabama 84-46 on Saturday.
Gordon fell a rebound shy of his third double-double as the Bulldogs (5-2) held their opponent to the second lowest scoring output of the season.
The win ties coach Rick Stansbury with Babe McCarthy for second place on Mississippi State's career wins list with 169.
Reginald Delk had 16 for Mississippi State, while his twin brother Richard, Charles Rhodes and Barry Stewart each scored 10. Rhodes played after missing the Bulldogs' last game and a week of practice with an injured wrist.
Mississippi State outrebounded South Alabama (5-4) 51-37 and blocked eight Jaguars shots, including three by freshman Jarvis Varnado.
OLE MISS REBELS
Ole Miss enters the Coors Classic with an 8-2 record after a 87-53 thrashing of Sun Belt Conference member Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday. Ole Miss’ two losses have been at UConn and at Memphis.
Leading the way for the Rebels this season is senior Bam Doyne who is averaging a team-leading 17.5 points per game and is second on the team in rebounds, averaging 6.9 per contest. Doyne is tied for the team lead in field goals with 54 and is third in 3-pointers with 11. He also leads the team at the charity stripe, making 56 of 66 for 85 percent.
Second on the team in scoring in Clarence Sanders who is averaging 14.8 points and 3.0 rebounds. Sanders leads the team with 19 made 3-pointers and tied for the lead in field goals made. Also in double figures is Todd Abernethy who comes in at 10.8 points per game.
Playing in only two games thus far is Dwayne Curtis who has started this season where he left off last year. Curtis had a team-high 11 rebounds against ULM on Tuesday and has pulled down 17 rebounds in two games. Last season Curtis was honorable mention all-SEC.
Head coach Andy Kennedy is in his first season at the helm of the Ole Miss program. Kennedy came to Oxford from Cincinnati where he guided the Bearcats to the NIT Quarterfinals as the interim coach last year. Kennedy was an assistant coach at Cincinnati for four years and an assistant at UAB for five years prior to that. He bean his coaching career as an assistant coach at South Alabama during the 1994-95 season.
NO. 9 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama enters the Coors Classic with an 8-1 record. UA’s lone loss was a 99-85 setback at Notre Dame on Dec. 7.
Leading the way for the Crimson Tide this season is Alonzo Gee who is averaging 16.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Jermareo Davidson is averaging a double-double with 14.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Davidson was cleared by the NCAA to rejoin the Crimson Tide for this weekend’s Coors Classic.
Also in double figures is Richard Hendrix at 14.8 points, along with Ronald Steele at 12.7 and Mykal Riley at 11.9. Hendrix leads the team with 54 field goals, while Gee is tops with 33 made free throws.
Head coach Mark Gottfried is in his ninth year at the helm of the Crimson Tide program. He is 168-97 at Alabama and is 236-121 in his 12th year overall.
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES
Southern Miss enters the Coors Classic as the lone unbeaten team in the tournament. USM enters with a 7-0 record and has scored 70 or more points in five of its seven games thus far.
Leading the way for the Golden Eagles this season are a pair of players in double figures. Jeremy Wise leads the team averaging 16.9 points and Courtney Beasley comes in a 11.3. Beasley, Demar Dotson and Gijo Bain are tied for the team lead in rebounds at 6.4 per game. Wise leads the team with 40 made field goals and 14 3-pointers. Sai’Quon Stone leads the team in made field goals with 27.
Head coach Larry Eustachy is in his third year at the helm of the USM program and has a 28-38 record. He is in his 16th year overall and has a 288-183 record overall.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Alabama holds an 18-5 advantage in the series between Southern Miss and the Crimson Tide. Alabama has won the last two meetings and four of six.
The Crimson Tide are 2-0 in the Coors Classic and Southern Miss is 1-0. Alabama played in the 2000 and 2002 Coors Classic, while Southern Miss made its debut in 2004.
2005 COORS CLASSIC RECAP - DEC. 17, 2005
MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama men’s basketball team dug deep on Saturday night in the seventh annual Coors Classic as it defeated No. 25 Houston, 66-62 in front of a season-high and raucous crowd of 5,688 at the Mitchell Center in the first of two games. It was the first win for the Jaguars over a ranked team since USA defeated Washington 69-52 on Dec. 22, 1997 in Jaguar Gym. USA improved to 7-1 on the year and increased its winning streak to six games, the best since 2000.
USA had four players in double figures lead by senior Richard Law with 12 and senior Chey Christie with 12. Senior Michael Phillips and sophomore Demetric Bennett came off the bench for 11 and 10, respectively. Bennett was named the game’s Most Valuable Player by the media after he scored all 10 of his points, five-of-seven rebounds and two key 3-pointers in the second half.
Houston was lead by a game-high 18 points from Jahmar Thorpe, 17 from Lanny Smith and Oliver Lafayette, the team’s leading scorer averaging 20.0 points a game, had 13 points.
The nightcap of the Coors Classic saw Florida State defeat Bowling Green, 71-60. The Seminoles improved to 6-1 on the year, while Bowling Green fell to 2-6. Florida State had three players in double figures led by 14 points from Todd Galloway and a double-double 12 points and 11 rebounds by Alexander Johnson.
Bowling Green’s Martin Samarco scored a game and career-high 27 points to earn Most Valuable Player for the game. He was 9-of-22 from the field and 7-16 from beyond the arc.
TOUGH TABET(S)
The Tabet twins had a huge game against Mississippi State this past Saturday as freshman Philip Tabet made his first career start, scoring a career-high four points and pullding down a career-best five rebounds. His brother Charles came off the bench in the second half to lead the team with a career-best 11 points and four rebounds. Charles was the only Jaguar in double figures against Mississippi State.
JAGS RANK IN NCAA STATISTICS
The Jaguars rank among the NCAA’s best in two different areas. USA is tied for 30th nationally in 3-point field goals per game at 8.7 USA also ranks in the top 30 in turnovers per game. The Jags are tied for 23rd averaging 12.4 turnovers per game.
MERRITT IN NCAA STATISTICS
Junior Daon Merritt ranks tied for 21st in the first NCAA Statistics of the year in assists per game with a 5.9 average. Merritt had back-to-back 10 assist games earlier in the year.
SIZZLIN’ SMITH
Senior Carlos Smith had another good outing against Auburn on Dec. 6 as he had a game-high 22 points on 8 of 15 from the field and 6 of 11 from beyond the arc. He pulled down six rebounds and had three assists.
TURNIN’ UP THE PRESSURE
Despite a 82-71 setback at Auburn on Dec. 6, the Jaguars forced Auburn into a season-high 22 turnovers. Auburn turned the ball over on seven of its first eight possessions in the game.
CHARITY STRIPE STRUGGLES
The Jaguars have struggled getting to the free throw line so far this season. USA only has been to the free throw line 151 times and made 97 in eight games thus far. Last year through nine games, USA went to the line 215 times and made 148. USA went to the line 12 times at Mississippi State Saturday, making six.
REJECTION CENTRAL
Through nine games this season the Jaguars have 18 blocks. Sophomore Brandon Davis leads the team this season with 10 blocks. Last season two players tied for the team lead in blocks with 12.
CLUTCH COWHERD
Senior Stephen Cowherd had a big first half against Auburn on Dec. 6. He led all-scorers in the half with 11 points off the bench on 4 of 5 from the field and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Cowherd finished with a season-high 13 points in the game.
JAGS COME FROM BEHIND
With a 59-54 win over Samford on Dec. 2, the Jaguars saw that they could come-from-behind and win a game. USA was down by as many as eight points, but used a 11-1 spurt midway through the second half to get back in the game.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DEMETRIC
Junior Demetric Bennett had his first career double-double as a Jaguar against Samford on Dec. 2. Bennett led the team with 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in a come-from-behind victory over Samford, 59-54.
DAON DISHES
Junior Daon Merritt tallied a career-high 10 assists and his first double-double as a Jaguar against Morehead State (Nov. 17) with 12 points and 10 assists, becoming the first Jaguar since Demetrice Williams (1/9/03) to record 10 assists in a game. He followed that performance with another 10 assist outing against West Florida Nov. 22. Against Bowling Green (Nov. 25), Merritt recorded seven assists and leads the team with 53 assists for a 5.8 average.
CAREER-HIGHS AGAINST WEST FLORIDA
Seniors Carlos Smith and Leandro Buboltz set career-highs in points against West Florida on Nov. 22. Smith led the team with 26 points, while Buboltz added 21.
JAGS SHOOT OVER 50 PERCENT
For the first time this season, USA shot over 50 percent for the game. USA was 32-of-62 from the field against West Florida on Nov. 22 for 51.6 percent. USA also tallied a season-best 15 3-pointers against UWF.
STEALIN’ JAGS
The Jags have been coming up with the steals this season as they have a 67-40 advantage in that area, including a 17-4 performance against UC-Irvine. South Alabama has forced 158 turnovers by its opponents in four games compared to 112 by USA.
BOMBS AWAY
The Jaguars had 11 3-pointers in the season opener against UC-Irvine and had 10 against Winston-Salem State and tallied a season-high 15 3-pointers against West Florida (Nov. 22). USA had 10 games in 2005-06 with 10 or more 3-pointers including a season-high 14 last year at Troy.
LITTLE ELIGIBLE FOR OLE MISS
Junior transfer Ernest Little will be eligible for the 2006 Coors Classic against Ole Miss Dec. 16. Little, who played two years at UAB, transferred to South Alabama last January. He sat out last semester and the fall semester due to the NCAA transfer rules.
JAGS SIGN THREE DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
The Jaguars signed three players during the early signing period. USA signed a pair of high school teammates in LaDarius Hall and Jamar Moore from Thomasville High School in Thomasville, Ga. In addition to them, the Jags also signed DeAndrae Ross from Lynnhaven, Fla. and Rutherford High School. All three are guards and could have an immediate impact in 2007-08.
KNOCKING DOWN THE TREY
USA has hit a three-pointer in 220 consecutive games. The last time the Jaguars were held without a trey was Feb. 6, 1999 in a 44-43 win over Arkansas-Little Rock. USA averaged 8.8 three-pointers a game in 2005-06 and averaged 7.4 in 2004-05. USA hit a season-high 11 treys in an 67-63 victory over UC-Irvine in the season opener.
ON THE RADIO AND INTERNET
All South Alabama basketball games are broadcast on WNSP 105.5 FM out of Mobile. This season, fans will have the opportunity to get live web streaming of all home basketball games and selected away contests.
Log onto www.usajaguars.com for more information.
JAGUAR NATION LIVE AND ON DEMAND
This season Jaguar fans anywhere in the world can watch home and selected road men’s and women’s basketball games on their computers. Log onto www.usajaguars.com for more information on how to sign up for Jaguar Nation Live and On Demand.
THE COACHES SHOW RETURNS TO MONDAY
Jaguar play-by-play announcer Lee Shirvanian and coach John Pelphrey host “The Courtroom” each week during the basketball season at Banana Docks Cafe in Mobile. The show airs on WNSP 105.5 FM. The show also can be accessed at www.wnsp.com. The one-hour show now returns to its normal Monday timeslot from noon to 1 p.m., beginning Dec. 4.
JAGUARS PICKED SECOND IN THE EAST
The 2006-07 Jaguars were picked second in the East Division by the coaches at the annual Sun Belt Conference Media Day Oct. 23 in Lafayette, La. USA garnered two first place votes and 60 overall points, behind Western Kentucky with nine first place votes and 73 points. Middle Tennessee followed USA with 55 points and one first place vote, followed by Troy (41 points), Florida International (23) and conference newcomer Florida Atlantic with 21 points.
In the West Division, UALR was selected first followed by a tie for second between New Orleans and North Texas and a tie for fourth between Arkansas State and Denver, followed by Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe.
BENNETT AND SMITH PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Junior Demetric Bennett and senior Carlos Smith were named to the preseason all-conference team at the annual Sun Belt Media Day. Bennett was named to the second team preseason all-conference, while Smith was named to the third team. Bennett had an outstanding first year at USA last season as he was fourth in scoring at 8.8 points and fourth in rebounds at 3.7 and fourth in total rebounds with 115. Smith played in all 31 games as a junior and averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 assists.
JAGUARS SWITCH DIVISIONS
In 2006-07 the Jaguars will be playing different conference teams twice as USA was moved to the East Division this past summer. USA will be in the East and now play an 18 game conference slate with two games against Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Troy, Florida Atlantic and Florida International. The West will feature Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas State, New Orleans, Denver, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette and North Texas. USA will play six of the seven West schools once and one team (Arkansas State) twice.
JAGS ON TV
This season, USA is slated for television four times as of Nov. 29. USA will play two games on CSS one on SportsSouth and one ESPN Plus as part of the Sun Belt Conference TV package. The Jags played at Auburn on CSS (Dec. 6) and played at Mississippi State on SportsSouth (Dec. 9) host Ole Miss in the Coors Classic on Dec. 16 on CSS. South Alabama then will host Louisiana-Monroe on Jan. 25 on ESPN-Plus.
JAGUARS HAVE BEST TURNAROUND IN THE NATION
The University of South Alabama men’s basketball team had the biggest turnaround in the nation from 2004-05 to 2005-06 in terms of win/loss differential. The Jaguars were 10-18 in 2004-05 and responded with the second most wins in school history, a Sun Belt Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2005-06 with a 24-7 record.
The win/loss differential for South Alabama is 12.5 to lead the nation of all 326 Division I men’s basketball teams. It is figured by the NCAA by adding the difference in the two years together and the difference in losses in the two years and then divide by two. Brigham Young and Memphis were second with an 11.5 differential.
TWIN TOWERS
The South Alabama men’s and women’s basketball team has a rare double-double this season with sets of twins on both teams. The Jaguar men’s basketball team has a set of 6-9 freshmen twins from Bloomfield Hill, Mich., in Charles and Philip Tabet, while the women’s team has a pair of 6-3 twins and one is a junior while the other is a sophomore. As of this printing, there are very few teams in the country that have twins on both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
PELPHREY NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR
South Alabama head coach John Pelphrey has been named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches, the conference announced Wednesday. Pelphrey guided his team to a 21-6 mark, the best regular season since the 1980-81 season and the 13th 20-win season in school history. Pelphrey is the first Jaguar coach to win the Coach of the Year honors since Bob Wetlich won that honor after the 1999-2000 season.
INCHING UP THE CHARTS
Jag coach John Pelphrey, the ninth head coach hired in Jaguar history, is fifth on the all-time wins list at USA with 65. Former USA and Auburn coach Cliff Ellis is the all-time winningest coach in Jag history with 171 victories. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Cliff Ellis 171-84 .671
2. Ronnie Arrow 114-93 .551
3. Bob Weltlich 81-65 .555
4. Jimmy Taylor 76-53 .589
5. John Pelphrey 65-59 .524
6. Mike Hanks 45-43 .511
7. Bill Musselman 35-22 .614
8. Rex Fredrick 19-29 .396
9. Judas T. Prada 8-15 .348
