THE SETTING
The South Alabama men’s basketball team continues its three-game stretch versus the Southeastern Conference this week as it travels to Mississippi State on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Humphrey Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SportSouth and Dave Neal and Cliff Ellis have the call. The game can be seen locally in Mobile on cable channel 77. USA then returns home to host Ole Miss in the 2006 Coors Classic Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. The Jaguars are 0-9 all-time against Mississippi State.
A VICTORY OVER MISSISSIPPI STATE WOULD...
? Give the Jaguars a 6-3 record.
? Give John Pelphrey his first win over an SEC school as the Jaguars head coach.
? Snap a 12-game losing streak to teams from the SEC.
? Give USA its first road win of the season.
? Give the Jaguars their first win over Mississippi State in school history.
? Give head coach John Pelphrey his 66th victory at the helm of the Jaguar program.
THE SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS
The Jaguars begin the week with a 5-3 record after a tough 82-71 loss at Auburn Wednesday. The Jags, who trailed much of the game, began the second half with an 8-0 run to build a 41-36 lead, but a 16-0 spurt by Auburn proved to be the difference midway through the second half as USA got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Leading the way for the Jags this season are a pair of players who have had outstanding starts. Junior Demetric Bennett began the season where he left off last year as he is averaging a team-best 15.5 points and also leads the team with 5.9 rebounds per game. He is a team-best 43 of 97 from the field and 22-of-51 from beyond the arc. Second on the team in scoring is junior-transfer Daon Merritt who has had an outstanding beginning to the season. Merritt is averaging 12.1 points and is second on the team in made field goals (35) and leads the team at the free throw line, making 17 of 22 attempts.
Seniors Carlos Smith and Leandro Buboltz are third and fourth, respectively on the team in scoring at 11.4 and 8.1. Smith is second on the team in assists with 31 and is second on the team in made 3-pointers with 17. Smith had a game-high 22 points against Auburn Wednesday.
The Jaguars are coming off of one of the most memorable seasons in school history in 2005-06. USA won both the Sun Belt Conference West Division crown and tournament crown earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament where they fell to eventual National Champion Florida. Despite the loss to the Gators, USA had its best season in over 20 years with 24 wins, the second most in school history and had the nation’s biggest turnaround from 2004-05 to 2005-06. The Jaguars finished the season with a 24-7 mark and a 12-3 record in the SBC West Division.
This season, the Jaguars welcome back five players from a year ago, all whom had significant playing time last season. Senior Carlos Smith played every game at point guard last season, averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 assists per game as a junior. Also back is senior Leandro Buboltz who came into his own during the final nine games of the season. He had his breakout game against Florida in the NCAA Tournament, going 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc for 14 points to lead the team. Senior Stephen Cowherd, junior Demetric Bennett and sophomore Trajinski Grigsby also return.
The Jaguars welcome eight new players to the squad this season, four freshman and four transfers. Two of the transfers were with the team last year as they sat out due to NCAA transfer rules. Juniors Kenny Hooks (Oregon State) and Daon Merritt (Richmond) return along with newcomers sophomore Brandon Davis (Jacksonville State/Birmingham-Southern) and junior Ernest Little (UAB). Little will be eligible to play Dec. 21, 2006.
Four freshmen complete the 2006-07 roster. USA has a pair of 6-9 twins from Detroit Country Day High School in Charles and Philip Tabet. In addition to the added size, the Jags also have a pair of freshmen shooters in Darren Cloud (Evansville, Ind./Wabash Valley JC) and Brooks Taylor (Monette, Ark.) Cloud received a medical redshirt from Wabash Valley this past season so he will have four years of eligibility at USA. Taylor comes from Buffalo Island High School.
Head coach John Pelphrey is in his fifth season at the helm of the Jaguar program. He took the team to new heights in 2005-06, winning the division, tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Pelphrey was named 2006 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year. Pelphrey, the ninth head coach in school history, has a 65-58 record at South Alabama.
LAST TIME OUT
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- With 20 points Rasheem Barrett led Auburn to an 82-71 victory over South Alabama Wednesday night.
The Tigers (7-3) shot 55.8 percent from the floor and had a season high 22 turnovers in the victory over the Jaguars (5-3).
Archie Miaway had a career-high 15 points for the Tigers, and Quantez Robertson also had 15. Korvotney Barber chipped in with 12 points.
Josh Dollard, who has averaged 12 rebounds per game in the last two games, had 12 against the Jaguars.
Carlos Smith led South Alabama with 22 points, including six 3-pointers. Daon Merritt helped out with 15 points and eight assists, and Stephen Cowherd had 13 points.
Auburn led by only three points at the half, managed to hike that lead up to 13 points in the second half and won by 11.
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
The Mississippi State Bulldogs enter the game with a 4-2 record after a week off. MSU posted a 96-72 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Saturday and have not played since. In that game, the Bulldogs had two players who scored over 20 points led by a 24-point night from Jamont Gordon and 23 points from freshman Ben Hansbrough. Hansbrough, leading five players in double figures. Hansbrough earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his play.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs this season is Jordan who is averaging 16.7 points per game. He leads the team in just about every statistical area. Also in double figures is is Charles Rhodes (13.2), Hansbrough (11.5) and Barry Stewart (11.3). Jordan leads the team averaging 9.0 rebounds per contest.
Head coach Rick Stansbury is in his 10th year at the helm of the Bulldog program. He is 138-120 at MSU and is 514-238 overall in 25 years of coaching. Stansbury led the Bulldogs to a 15-15 record in 2005-06 and a 5-11 record in the West Division of the SEC. MSU returns four starters and nine letterwinners from 2005-06.
LAST TIME THEY MET - DEC. 2, 2004
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Senior All-American forward Lawrence Roberts scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a game-best 13 rebounds to lead No. 15 Mississippi State to a 66-52 men's college basketball victory over South Alabama.
Shane Power added 16 points for the Bulldogs (6-1) and Winsome Frazier had 12. Mario Jointer scored a team-high 15 points for USA and Richard Law poured in 10.
Trailing 14-8, MSU got hot, reeling off 14 straight points to take a 22-14 lead. USA regained its composure and put together a spurt of its own, out-scoring the Bulldogs 9-2 to trim the deficit to 24-23 with 5:09 to go in the opening half.
Jag sophomore guard Stephen Cowherd, a former MSU player, played well in his return to Starkville with nine points and six rebounds. USA hit just 8-of-30 shots in the second half for 27 percent and finished the game 20-of-59 for 34 percent. After hitting just 12-of- 34 first-half shots for 35 percent, the Bulldogs knocked down 11-of- 23 attempts in the second half.
SIZZLIN’ SMITH
Senior Carlos Smith had another good outing against Auburn on Wednesday as he had a game-high 22 points on 8 of 15 from the field and 6 of 11 from beyond the arc. He pulled down six rebounds and had three assists.
TURNIN’ UP THE PRESSURE
Despite a 82-71 setback at Auburn on Wednesday, the Jaguars forced Auburn into a season-high 22 turnovers. Auburn turned the ball over on seven of its first eight possessions in the game.
CHARITY STRIPE STRUGGLES
The Jaguars have struggled getting to the free throw line so far this season. USA only has been to the free throw line 139 times and made 91 in eight games thus far. Last year through eight games, USA went to the line 188 times and made 129. USA went to the line a season-low four times against Auburn Wednesday, making three.
REJECTION CENTRAL
Through eight games this season the Jaguars have 18 blocks compared to the 11 blocks at this point last year. Sophomore Brandon Davis leads the team this season with 10 blocks. Last season two players tied for the team lead in blocks with 12.
CLUTCH COWHERD
Senior Stephen Cowherd had a big first half against Auburn Wednesday. He led all-scorers in the half with 11 points off the bench on 4 of 5 from the field and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Cowherd finished with a season-high 13 points in the game.
COWHERD KNOWS BULLDOGS
Jaguar senior Stephen Cowherd is quite familiar with the Mississippi State Bulldogs as he played there in 2002-03 during his freshman season. Cowherd played in 23 of MSU’s 31 games that season.
JAGS COME FROM BEHIND
With a 59-54 win over Samford on Dec. 2, the Jaguars saw that they could come-from-behind and win a game. USA was down by as many as eight points, but used a 11-1 spurt midway through the second half to get back in the game.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DEMETRIC
Junior Demetric Bennett had his first career double-double as a Jaguar against Samford on Dec. 2. Bennett led the team with 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in a come-from-behind victory over Samford, 59-54.
DAON DISHES
Junior Daon Merritt tallied a career-high 10 assists and his first double-double as a Jaguar against Morehead State (Nov. 17) with 12 points and 10 assists, becoming the first Jaguar since Demetrice Williams (1/9/03) to record 10 assists in a game. He followed that performance with another 10 assist outing against West Florida Nov. 22. Against Bowling Green (Nov. 25), Merritt recorded seven assists and leads the team with 50 assists for a 6.3 average.
CAREER-HIGHS AGAINST WEST FLORIDA
Seniors Carlos Smith and Leandro Buboltz set career-highs in points against West Florida on Nov. 22. Smith led the team with 26 points, while Buboltz added 21.
JAGS SHOOT OVER 50 PERCENT
For the first time this season, USA shot over 50 percent for the game. USA was 32-of-62 from the field against West Florida on Nov. 22 for 51.6 percent. USA also tallied a season-best 15 3-pointers against UWF.
STEALIN’ JAGS
The Jags have been coming up with the steals this season as they have a 65-34 advantage in that area, including a 17-4 performance against UC-Irvine. South Alabama has forced 150 turnovers by its opponents in four games compared to 102 by USA.
BOMBS AWAY
The Jaguars had 11 3-pointers in the season opener against UC-Irvine and had 10 against Winston-Salem State and tallied a season-high 15 3-pointers against West Florida (Nov. 22). USA had 10 games in 2005-06 with 10 or more 3-pointers including a season-high 14 last year at Troy.
LITTLE ELIGIBLE DEC. 12
Junior transfer Ernest Little will be eligible Dec. 12 and able to play in the 2006 Coors Classic against Ole Miss Dec. 16. Little, who played two years at UAB, transferred to South Alabama last January. He sat out last semester and this semester due to the NCAA transfer rules.
KNOCKING DOWN THE TREY
USA has hit a three-pointer in 218 consecutive games. The last time the Jaguars were held without a trey was Feb. 6, 1999 in a 44-43 win over Arkansas-Little Rock. USA averaged 8.8 three-pointers a game in 2005-06 and averaged 7.4 in 2004-05. USA hit a season-high 11 treys in an 67-63 victory over UC-Irvine in the season opener.
ON THE RADIO AND INTERNET
All South Alabama basketball games are broadcast on WNSP 105.5 FM out of Mobile. This season, fans will have the opportunity to get live web streaming of all home basketball games and selected away contests.
Log onto www.usajaguars.com for more information.
JAGUAR NATION LIVE AND ON DEMAND
This season Jaguar fans anywhere in the world can watch home and selected road men’s and women’s basketball games on their computers. Log onto www.usajaguars.com for more information on how to sign up for Jaguar Nation Live and On Demand
THE COACHES SHOW RETURNS TO MONDAY
Jaguar play-by-play announcer Lee Shirvanian and coach John Pelphrey host “The Courtroom” each week during the basketball season at Banana Docks Cafe in Mobile. The show airs on WNSP 105.5 FM. The show also can be accessed at www.wnsp.com. The one-hour show now returns to its normal Monday timeslot from noon to 1 p.m., beginning Dec. 4.
2006 COORS CLASSIC
The 2006 Coors Classic might possibly be the best ever and has a great local flavor. The defending Sun Belt champions South Alabama Jaguars host Ole Miss of the SEC on Dec. 16, 2006, beginning at 5 p.m., while highly ranked Alabama hosts Southern Miss at 7:15 p.m. The games will be broadcast on CSS. Last season USA defeated No. 25 Houston, 66-62 and Florida State defeated Bowling Green.
MISS. STATE GAME CHANGED TO SPORTSOUTH
This week the South Alabama at Mississippi State game has been changed from CSS to SportSouth. The game will be Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in Starkville and will be on Comcast Cable channel 77 in Mobile. Dan Neal will provide the play-by-play.
JAGS ON TV
This season, USA is slated for television four times as of Nov. 29. USA will play two games on CSS one on SportsSouth and one ESPN Plus as part of the Sun Belt Conference TV package. The Jags played at Auburn on CSS (Dec. 6) and play at Mississippi State on SportsSouth (Dec. 9) host Ole Miss in the Coors Classic on Dec. 16 on CSS. South Alabama then will host Louisiana-Monroe on Jan. 25 on ESPN-Plus.
