MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama men's basketball opens Sun Belt Conference play on the road this week, traveling to face ULM at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Game Information

South Alabama (8–3) at ULM (3–8)
Date: Thursday, December 17
Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Monroe, La. | Fant-Ewing Coliseum
Listen: Jags Radio Network
Stats: South Alabama StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+

Last Time Out

• South Alabama men's basketball fell just short in a wire-to-wire, tightly contested defensive battle Sunday afternoon, dropping a 58–57 decision to North Texas at the Mitchell Center.
• Chaze Harris led the Jaguars with 20 points, adding seven rebounds, three assists and two steals while going 8-for-13 at the free-throw line. South Alabama shot 40.8 percent from the field and held North Texas to 33.9 percent shooting overall, including just 22.5 percent from three-point range (9-of-40).
• The Jaguars outscored the Mean Green 34–18 in the paint and held a 19–9 advantage in fast-break points, but North Texas edged USA at the free-throw line late.

Scouting the Warhawks

• ULM has picked up two of its three wins in the last four games, defeating Arkansas Baptist and Mississippi Valley State.
• MJ Russell leads the Warhawks offensively, averaging 17.5 points per game.
• Head coach Phil Cunningham is in his first season at the helm. Similar to South Alabama.
• ULM ranks among the national leaders in fouls committed per game, currently ranking third in the country (12.7).

Notes You Need to Know

• Sophomore Stephen Williams made the first Division I start of his career in Sunday's game after Peyton Law suffered a season-ending knee injury against ETSU. Prior to his start against North Texas, Williams had made 18 career starts during his time at Coastal Alabama Community College. Hantz Louis-Jeune also logged a season-high 24 minutes off the bench, finishing with seven points as South Alabama worked to fill Law's absence.

• South Alabama has played seven of its last eight games away from home and will close the calendar year with three more road contests. During that stretch, the Jaguars posted a 5–2 record in their last seven road games while traveling approximately 3,900 miles across four states.

• The Jaguars have been one of the most efficient teams in the conference on both ends of the floor. South Alabama leads the nation in fouls committed per game (11.4) and ranks sixth nationally in turnovers per game (9.0).

• USA also ranks top three in the Sun Belt in both turnover margin (+1.33) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33).

• South Alabama's defensive approach has centered on protecting the paint and forcing opponents to rely on perimeter shooting. The Jaguars rank first in the nation in three-pointers attempted against, forcing opponents to average 39.1 attempts per game, while limiting opponents to 30.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

• Per EvanMiya College Basketball Analytics, South Alabama is generating the second-most 10–0 (or better) runs per game in the Sun Belt (0.60) while allowing the fewest 10–0 runs (0.20), giving the Jaguars a conference-best +0.33 net runs advantage.

• South Alabama is 5–2 this season in games decided by 10 points or fewer. The Jaguars also posted an 11–7 record in those situations during the 2023–24 season.

• Outside of the ETSU matchup, South Alabama has controlled the paint in every game this season, outscoring opponents 486–292 in the paint.

• Adam Olsen has been a catalyst all season, leading the team in scoring while putting together five 20-point performances. He currently ranks among the top 50 nationally in three-pointers made and has knocked down 34 triples on the year. He has collected seven games this year with two three-pointers or more made. The Canadian native tallied his fifth game with at least five three-pointers in the win at UTSA, finishing with a game-high 20 points.
• South Alabama leads the all-time series against ULM, 18–17, but has dropped three of the last four meetings between the two programs.

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