Busting Brackets
Fansided

Conference USA Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2019-20 season

By Andrew Dieckhoff

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Head coach Rick Stansbury of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes during their 2018 National Invitation Tournament Championship semifinals game at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Head coach Rick Stansbury of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes during their 2018 National Invitation Tournament Championship semifinals game at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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MANHATTAN, KS – DECEMBER 19: Leonard Harper-Baker #32 of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles scores a basket with a dunk against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second half on December 19, 2018 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS – DECEMBER 19: Leonard Harper-Baker #32 of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles scores a basket with a dunk against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second half on December 19, 2018 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

#10 — SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

2018-19 IN REVIEW

  • Record: 20-13 (11-7, T-2nd in C-USA)
  • Rankings: #102 in NET, #120 in KenPom
  • Postseason: CBI First Round — Lost to Longwood, 90-68

2019-20 AT A GLANCE

HEAD COACH

  • Jay Ladner (1st year)
  • School W-L: 0-0
  • Career W-L: 76-88 (.463)

PROJECTED STARTERS

  • Jay Malone, G, So. — 14.3 PPG, 5.4 APG in ’18-19 at SW Mississippi (JUCO)
  • LaDavius Draine, G, Jr. — 23.3 MPG (4 starts), 11.3 PPG, 78 3PM
  • Leonard Harper-Baker, F, Sr. — 27.9 MPG (29 starts), 9.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG
  • Isaiah Jones, F, Jr. — 11.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG in ’18-19 at Connors State (JUCO)
  • Boban Jacdonmi, F/C, Sr. — 5.7 MPG (4 starts), 1.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG

NON-CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

2019-20 SEASON OUTLOOK

Losing an all-league player is hard for any team as they head into the next season. Losing two? That can be like pressing the reset button on a program. Southern Miss comes into 2019-20 facing that very conundrum, with Tyree Griffin and Cortez Edwards now out the door. But Jay Ladner may have another star waiting in the wings.

LaDavius Draine had a fantastic sophomore year for the Golden Eagles and has serious breakout potential now that the backcourt has opened up for him. Despite coming off the bench and only playing 23 minutes per game, Draine knocked down 78 three-pointers and had a true shooting percentage of 64.5% — second only to Charles Bassey in C-USA. The performance was enough for Draine to earn the C-USA Sixth Man of the Year award. But he can’t do it alone. Ladner needs veterans Leonard Harper-Baker and Tim Rowe to hold down the fort in the frontcourt. The longtime head coach will also rely on a couple of JUCO transfers for minutes.

It would probably be wishful thinking to expect USM to repeat their 20-win season and CBI appearance in 2019-20. The Golden Eagles will likely regress back into the middle of the pack, but if Draine’s numbers hold up with a larger workload, Southern Miss will be a nuisance.