Date: 11/2
Position: Forward

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Josh Ajayi, Jr. (12.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 48.5 FG%, 27.1 3FG%, 74.4 FT%); Kevin Morris, Jr. (3.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 56.4 FG%, 0.0 3FG%, 33.3 FT%);

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Nick Davis (5.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 45.8 FG%, 28.6 3FG%, 47.5 FT%); Joe Thompson (2.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 38.3 FG%, 15.4 3FG%, 58.3 FT%); Rozelle Nix (2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 48.4 FG%, 0.0 3FG%, 0.0 FT%)

Newcomers (Yr., Hometown/Previous school): R.J. Kelly (So., Powder Springs, Ga./Savannah State); Tashombe Riley (Gr., Orangeburg, S.C./South Carolina State); Josh Ayeni (Jr., Zaria, Nigeria, St. Bonaventure)

Miscellaneous Notes
- Ajayi was second on the team last season in scoring and was South Alabama's top rebounder
- Ajayi had a team-high six double-doubles last year, and grabbed 10 or more rebounds seven times, including a career-high 14 twice
- Kelly transferred to South Alabama from Savannah State before last season and sat out the 2017-18 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules
- Kelly averaged 9.7 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Tigers and was named to the MEAC all-Rookie Team
- Morris averaged 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in a two-game stretch in January, then tied his career high with nine in the season finale vs. Troy

Richie Riley
- On Ajayi and Morris: "We have two true inside guys in Josh Ajayi and Kevin Morris. I really like how they're playing. They could play together at times, but the way we play offensively and the way we press, it'll be rare. Kevin Morris' improvement has been drastic. He's lost weight and it's helped his game improve. He's an emotional dude, which is great. Some coaches don't want guys to be emotional but I love it. He plays with a passion and competes; it matters to him whether he wins or loses. His voice helps our team because he talks 24/7. Josh is a preseason all-league guy and has the potential to be one of the top few players in this league. He can really score inside and is getting to where he can shoot the 3-ball some. He can drive you from the perimeter and can score in a variety of ways. Our challenge for him is to be that guy every single day; he can't become disinterested. At times he does that, but he is an all-league guy. His versatility is going to help us all year long."
- On where Ajayi has improved the most: "His skill level. He's seen value in sharing the ball – his vision is good – and since he's skilled enough to bounce it three or four times and he has really good feet in the post, he can get to where he wants to on the court. When you can do that as an offensive player, you can draw some help. He's taken another step in being able to see and find open shooters, which is important in how we play offensively. His willingness to not settle has improved. When we got him in the summer, he would shoot tough, fade-away jump shots and a lot of challenged 2s, and now he plays off two feet and thrives off drawing contact. My hope for him is he shoots 8 to 10 free throws a game, with games where he shoots 15 or 16."
- On what Kelly can bring to the team: "He adds so much to our team from an energy standpoint. Our program is built on energy. We coach with a lot of energy, we recruit energetic kids who love to play basketball and he is that guy. He fits the mold. We inherited him from the last staff but he fits who we are. He loves to play and compete. It bothers him to lose and we want 13-15 guys on a roster to be like that. He's getting to where he makes open 3s. When he's open and his feet are set he can knock that down. He gets a lot done on the offensive glass. He really is a high-energy guy that does a lot of intangible things that equal winning."

Kevin Morris
- On his role in the new system: "I've always been the energy guy and loud on the court. I bring the passion when I play. My role pretty much has stayed the same. Coach Riley looks for me to be the clean-up man. He has plenty of plays for the posts and gets us the ball; we really play inside-out. My role really hasn't changed, but I do like what he does with the posts. His main emphasis is getting the ball inside to either me or Josh."
- On how his weight loss allows him to do more on the court: "That was big time. I was like 260 or 270 last year; I'm down to 245 right now. I'm way more explosive and I can go longer. I played an entire scrimmage the other day; I couldn't go to the media timeout last year without being tired. My knees and back don't hurt as bad. I move around so much better and that helps with scoring. Last year I was so stagnant because I didn't want to get too tired. Now I can run, run, run and keep going."
- On his personal goals for the year: "I've got to get on some kind of watch list. I've got to make a name for myself this year. The last few years weren't great, but with the weight loss that I've had, the strides I've made and the energy I play with, I should be able to get my name out there. I want to get more than 10 rebounds every game and everything else just comes with it."

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