Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – With the final non-conference game behind them, the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team resumes its Sun Belt Conference schedule against Arkansas at Little Rock Saturday afternoon at the Mitchell Center. Tip-off will be at 2:05 p.m.

Saturday’s tilt will match up two of the league’s three 2-0 teams. The other, Western Kentucky, will play its final non-league game against Louisville.

Fans can listen to the game live on 105.5 WNSP and WNSP.com. Subscribers to Jaguars All-Access can watch online at USAJaguars.com. Fans can also follow the action via live stats and Twitter: @SouthAlaMBK.

Jeff Price will be on the sidelines for the Jaguars in his first game as interim head coach after Ronnie Arrow announced his retirement Wednesday. Price served as associate head coach the last two seasons.

UALR enters the contest 8-5 overall with its five losses coming to teams with a combined 35-7 record, including 11-0 Cincinnati, ranked No. 11 in this week’s polls.

“They’re a very good basketball team,” Price said. “Coach (Steve) Shields does a great job with them. They’re a well-rounded team – they have size and shoot the ball well. They’re a little young at point guard but talented, and they defend well. They’re a solid, well-rounded team that’s well coached.”

The Trojans are one of the toughest defensive teams in the conference, ranking first in field goal percentage defense (39.8%) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.8%), and third in scoring defense (63.8 ppg). In its two Sun Belt wins, Arkansas at Little Rock held the opposition to an average of 57 points per contest.

“They’re just solid,” Price said. “They’re going to trap some ball screens, but outside of that, they’re a well-coached, solid defensive team. They don’t gamble a whole lot, they help each other well and they have size in the post that helps them guard the rim.”

Scoring points have been little problem for South Alabama, who top the Sun Belt rankings in scoring offense, pouring in 71.9 points per game. USA has recorded 70 points or more in every game but two, and has three players that average double figures.

Driving that offense is junior Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) who ranks second in the conference in scoring (18.9 ppg) and is averaging 23.5 points in his last two games, with 24 points vs. UAB and 23 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

With three points Saturday he’ll become the 14th player in school history to score 1,000 points in a career and he needs six rebounds to move into fourth place in a career at South Alabama.

Rubit also managed to grab double-digit rebounds in both of those games and has done so six times in his last seven outings. Back-to-back games with 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds are a career first.

“He’s gotten better, particularly in the last couple of games, at sharing the ball when he gets double-teamed inside,” Price noted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they double-teamed Aug inside in this game and maybe throughout conference play. I think he’s making that adjustment and understanding that his life gets easier if he can kick it out and other guys do things with it or go back in to him. He’s been playing hard; his motor’s been good and he’s been aggressive. I think more than anything, he’s learning better how to handle double teams.”

UALR, seventh in the league in scoring offense (68.2 ppg), relies on freshman John Gillon for its perimeter offense. Gillon leads the team in scoring (11.5 ppg), 3-pointers (22), 3-point percentage (44.0%) and assists (35).

Teaming up with Gillon on the inside is 6-foot-10 junior Will Neighbour, the Trojans’ second-leading scorer at 11.1 per outing. In addition to leading the squad in rebounding (6.1 rpg), he is converting over 50 percent from the floor and has nine 3-pointers.

“They are certainly two guys we need to focus on,” Price said. “We’re going to try each game to focus on one or two guys in particular, and those would be two guys for us to attempt to lock down. Neighbour is an all-conference player that’s 6-foot-10 and we have to know where he is around the 3-point line; he just shoots the ball so well. He’s good inside, he shoots turnaround jump shots and has good size so he creates matchup problems. Gillon is solid and he’s an over 40 percent 3-point shooter that gets to the free throw line a lot. He’s a really talented freshman guard. The key to him is he’s a freshman. You’ve got to hope a freshman can’t beat you but he’s a good player.”

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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