ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – South Alabama men's basketball opens play at the inaugural Showdown in St. Pete against Central Michigan on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. CT, at the MacArthur Center on the campus of Eckerd College. The game will stream live on YouTube.

Last Time Out

Six Jaguars reached double figures in South Alabama's 99–50 win over Spring Hill, led by Hantz Louis-Jeune with 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting and four rebounds. Jayden Cooper added 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting with three assists, while Brian Hawthorne provided a spark off the bench with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Randy Brady knocked down three triples en route to 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists, and Chaze Harris and Peyton Law chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Stephen Williams dominated the glass, hauling in a season-best 15 rebounds to go along with seven points.

The Jaguars poured in 60 first-half points — their most in any half under head coach Richie Riley — and shot 50 percent from the field for the third straight game while connecting on 11 three-pointers. South Alabama's 54 rebounds marked its most in a game since recording 58 against Spring Hill during the 2021–22 season. The Jags also controlled the paint (44–12), forced 18 turnovers while committing just five, and limited the Badgers to 30.6 percent shooting from the field and 26.2 percent from beyond the arc (11-for-42).

Scouting the Chippewas

• Central Michigan is led by new head coach Andy Bronkema, who earned his first win at the helm Monday with an 82–66 home victory over Appalachian State in the MAC/SBC Challenge.

• Bronkema, a McBain, Mich., native, was named the 22nd head coach in program history on April 14, 2025, following a decorated 12-year tenure at NCAA Division II Ferris State. 

• The Chippewas are led by Tamario Adley (13.0) and Keenan Garner (10.5) who both average double figures.

Series History

South Alabama and Central Michigan meet for the third time in program history, with the series currently tied 1–1. The Jaguars hold an 8-6 all-time record against MAC opponents. The teams last met in the 2024–25 season opener at the Mitchell Center, where South Alabama nearly erased a 22-point second-half deficit before falling 74–70.

Notes You Need to Know

• Head coach Richie Riley has guided South Alabama to its best start in nine years, improving to 3–0 after the dominant win over Spring Hill. The Jags' last start this strong came in 2016–17 under Matthew Graves (5–0).

• Peyton Law has been a force through three games, averaging 19.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per contest. He currently leads the nation in field goals made (27) and ranks 18th nationally in field goal percentage (81.2%), while pulling down more offensive rebounds (4.0) than defensive (3.5).

• The Jaguars have outscored opponents 230–102 in the paint across their first three contests (including the exhibition) and rank among the Sun Belt's top three in rebounding margin (+12.0) and fewest opponent rebounds allowed (28.0).

• South Alabama leads the Sun Belt with a 52.5 percent team field goal percentage and, for the first time under Riley, has shot 50 percent or better in every game this season.

• Chaze Harris ranks third in the Sun Belt and 20th nationally in total assists (17), averaging nearly six per game.

• Randy Brady and Peyton Law are both top-three in the Sun Belt in rebounds per game (7.7), while Stephen Williams sits inside the top 10 after his 15-rebound outing against Spring Hill.

FOLLOW THE JAGS

For complete coverage of South Alabama men's basketball, follow the Jaguars on social media at @SouthAlabamaMBB (X/Instagram), /SouthAlabamaJaguars (Facebook), or visit the official home of South Alabama Athletics at USAJaguars.com.