As Jacksonville State prepares for its Wednesday night home matchup with South Alabama, the college basketball world is starting to notice the Gamecocks’ emerging star. Mostapha El Moutaouakkil is not only the team’s leading scorer but also the top scorer in Conference USA and the entire Division I landscape.
The Damage So Far
The 6-foot-6 senior guard is averaging 26.7 points per game through three contests, narrowly ahead of the next-closest scorer at 26.3 points per game. What makes his start even more surprising is his playing time. He has logged just 23.7 minutes per game, prompting plenty of curiosity about how high his scoring could climb with a heavier workload.
Jacksonville State has opened the season with point totals of 117, 114, and 74. After scoring 27 in the opener and 20 in the second game, El Moutaouakkil erupted for 33 in a 74–67 win over Coastal Carolina on Friday. He has been efficient in the process, shooting 74.1 percent from the free throw line and 50 percent from three.
The History
The native of Morocco is in his first season with the Gamecocks after spending last year at Louisiana. He played in 33 games for the Ragin’ Cajuns and started 30, finishing the season with 14.5 points per game while also leading the team in rebounding at 5.2 per game.
Before that, he spent two strong seasons at Indian River State, averaging 14.8 points across 47 games. His scoring took a major leap during his NJCAA days, where he averaged 25 points per game and earned NJCAA Player of the Week honors twice.
Head coach Ray Harper is hoping El Moutaouakkil’s arrival helps Jacksonville State return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, when the Gamecocks fell to Auburn in the opening round. Their previous appearance came in 2017 as a 15 seed, losing to Louisville. Long before moving up to Division I, Jacksonville State found postseason success in Division II, going 17–8 in tournament play and winning the national title in 1985. They also reached the Elite Eight in 1992.
High Hopes for Gamecocks
Last season, Jacksonville State made a run to the second round of the NIT, knocking off Georgia Tech before falling to UC Irvine.
The schedule becomes more challenging in the coming weeks. After hosting South Alabama, the Gamecocks head to Arkansas State before returning home for three straight games. A December road trip to Georgia State follows. Conference USA play ramps up on January 4 when they face preseason favorite Liberty on the road. The Flames visit Jacksonville on February 28.
As a team, the Gamecocks are averaging 101.7 points per game, which ranks third in the nation. They are also third in rebounds per game at 51.3. With El Moutaouakkil leading the way, Jacksonville State has quickly become one of college basketball’s most explosive and entertaining teams.