MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama men's basketball (6-8, 0-2) hosts its first conference opponents of the season to begin the new year, as they welcome the Arkansas State Red Wolves (9-6, 1-1) on Thursday, followed by the Texas State Bobcats (7-8, 0-2) Saturday afternoon.
 
All three teams are coming off defeats in their previous outings. The Jaguars lost at Georgia State, 68-58, the Bobcats fell to Troy, 55-52, and the Red Wolves lost, 84-72, against ULM.
 
GAME INFORMATION vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Tip-off: Thursday, Jan. 5 | 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Mitchell Center | Mobile, Ala.
Watch Live (ESPN+)
Listen Live (Sports Talk 99.5)
Live Stats
 
THE SERIES
Arkansas State leads the overall series, 27-24. South Alabama has won four of the past five matchups.
 
GAME INFORMATION vs. TEXAS STATE
Tip-off: Saturday, Jan. 7 | 2:00 p.m. CST
Site: Mitchell Center | Mobile, Ala.
Watch Live (ESPN+)
Listen Live (Sports Talk 99.5)
Live Stats
 
THE SERIES
Texas State leads the overall series, 9-4. Coach Riley has a 2-2 record against the Bobcats in his coaching career.
 
NOTES

• This is the second-straight year the Jaguars have begun conference play 0-2.
• Kevin Samuel is the Division I active career leader in rebounds with 1,178.
• He is #49 on the list of all-time career rebounding leaders, just behind former Jaguar Augustine Rubit (1,183).
• Samuel is averaging 2.0 blocks per game, good for fourth among Sun Belt players.
• He has 330 career blocked shots, second-most among active players (KC Ndefo, Seton Hall, 346).
• Samuel's 330 blocks rank #57 on the list of all-time career blocks leaders. He needs six more to enter in a five-way tie for 50th.
• Greg Parham II has one of the six 30-point performances by a Sun Belt player this season (Carlos Curry [GS], Jordan Brown [Louisiana], Taevion Kinsey [Marshall], Austin Crowley [Southern Miss], Tyreek Scott-Grayson [ODU]).
• Isaiah Moore was named the SBC Player of the Week on Nov. 29, the first Jaguar player to win the award this season.
• Moore led the Jaguars in scoring in seven straight games, reaching the 20-point threshold in four.
• His four 20-point outings are tied for fourth-most among Sun Belt players.
• In the game against New Mexico, Isaiah Moore recorded 13 assists, tied for fourth-most in program history for a single game. It was also the first time a South Alabama player has recorded 10+ assists since 11/19/18.
• Owen White is one of 18 Division I college basketball players who are married.
• South was picked to finish third in the Sun Belt preseason poll. The Jags finished fifth in the conference last year with a 9-7 record. 
• The Jaguars placed two players on the Preseason All-Sun Belt teams. Kevin Samuel was named to the first-team, and Greg Parham II was voted to the second team.

 
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