Week 15 Men’s Basketball Preview: Southern Miss
Southern Miss (13-13, 6-7) enters this week coming off two close games. On Wednesday, the Golden Eagles fell to Marshall 81-77 despite a 31-point performance from Djahi Binet. Southern Miss rebounded Saturday, edging Kent State 66-65 on two last-second free throws by Isaac Taveras.
🥶🥶🥶@Isaactp44 pic.twitter.com/iDig7IRcps
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) February 7, 2026
The Golden Eagles continue a four-game homestand this week, beginning with South Alabama.
South Alabama at Southern Miss
South Alabama (17-7, 7-4 Sun Belt) saw its three-game winning streak snapped last week with a 65-57 loss to Appalachian State before responding with an 81-69 win over Buffalo on Saturday.
Chaze Harris leads the Jaguars offensively, averaging 17.5 points per game while shooting 53.6% from the field. He ranks just behind Southern Miss guard Tylik Weeks, who averages 17.6 points per game. Harris is also among the league’s top facilitators, averaging 4.6 assists per game and standing as South Alabama’s lone player in the Sun Belt’s top 15.
Someone check the rim 🤯 @Chaze_2 pic.twitter.com/NtQUshFc3I
— South Alabama Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@SouthAlabamaMBB) February 7, 2026
Harris ranks third in conference scoring but is not the Jaguars’ only presence in the top 10. Adam Olsen ranks ninth, averaging 16 points per game. Much of that production comes from beyond the arc, as Olsen shoots 37.8% from 3-point range, sixth-best in the conference.
Olsen also leads South Alabama in free throw percentage at 86.2%, ranking third in the Sun Belt.
Defensively, Harris contributes as well, ranking eighth in the conference with 1.46 steals per game.
Southern Miss holds an advantage on the boards, with both Binet and Weeks ranked in the top 10 in rebounding. South Alabama’s Randy Brady is close behind, ranking 14th with 5.92 rebounds per game.
This matchup sets up as a defensive battle, with both teams ranking among the top six in scoring defense. South Alabama will look to exploit Southern Miss’ struggles defending the 3-point line, while the Golden Eagles will aim to control the glass and generate second-chance opportunities.
Tipoff: Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. CST
TV: ESPN+
Radio: SportsTalk 99.5 (South Alabama); Southern Miss Radio Network (Southern Miss)
Troy at Southern Miss
This marks the second meeting between the teams this season after Troy earned a 91-65 win in the first matchup. Cobi Campbell scored a career-high 30 points, extending Troy’s winning streak against Southern Miss to three games.
Since that victory, the Trojans (17-8, 9-3 Sun Belt) have remained near the top of the conference standings. However, back-to-back losses to James Madison and Appalachian State have tightened the race as Troy looks to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Victor Valdes, who scored 19 points in the first meeting, leads Troy with 15.5 points per game, ranking 12th in the conference.
While not among the Sun Belt’s top scorers, Cooper Campbell plays a key role as a distributor. He ranks second in the conference with 4.84 assists per game, one spot ahead of Valdes at 4.71.
COOP. AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/Vz0pE2A4mr
— Troy Trojans MBB (@TroyTrojansMBB) February 8, 2026
Both Valdes and Campbell are also defensive contributors, averaging 1.6 steals per game.
Southern Miss will need to slow the Sun Belt’s top-scoring offense. Doing so will require improvement from a Golden Eagles defense that ranks near the bottom of the conference.
Tipoff: Saturday, Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m. CST
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Troy Sports Media Network (Troy); Southern Miss Radio Network (Southern Miss)
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