Copyright AL.com
Here’s a look at South Alabama men’s basketball as the Jaguars prepare to travel to Toledo for their season-opener on Monday: Head coach: Richie Riley (eighth year) Last season’s record: 21-11 (13-5 Sun Belt); shared regular-season Sun Belt championship Postseason: None (lost in semifinals of Sun Belt tournament) Top returning players: G JJ Wheat (6-0, Sr., 5.9 points per game, 2.1 assists per game; 1.5 steals per game); G John Broom (6-5, So., 5.3 ppg, 5.7 rebounds per game, 1.6 spg); F/G Randy Brady (6-5, Sr., 4.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 41% 3PT); G Jayden Cooper (6-2, Jr., 3.8 ppg); G Maxwell Land (6-4, Sr., 10.1 ppg in 2023-24) Key losses: F Barry Dunning (15.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg); G Myles Corey (13.8 ppg, 4.3 apg); F Elijah Ormiston (8.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg); G Judah Brown (9.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg); G Dylan Fasoyiro (6.3 ppg, 1.2 spg) Key newcomers: G Chaze Harris (6-6, Sr., Life University); F Stephen Williams (6-9, Jr., Coastal Alabama CC); F Peyton Law (6-7, Sr., Freed-Hardeman); F Adam Olsen (6-8, Jr., University of British Columbia); G Hantz Louis-Jeune (6-5, Gr., Lenoir-Rhyne); G Brian Hawthorne (6-2, Jr., Rockhurst) Season opener: Monday at Toledo (6 p.m.) Sun Belt opener: Dec. 20 at Louisiana-Monroe (6:30 p.m.) Notable: South Alabama beat West Florida 88-76 in an exhibition game at the Mitchell Center last Tuesday night. Harris scored 25 points, while Cooper and Olsen each had 20. … South Alabama lost its top five scorers and rebounders to graduation or the transfer portal, including Dunning, a first-team All-Sun Belt pick who transferred to Pittsburgh in the offseason. Corey, a third-team all-conference selection, transferred to Rhode Island. Ormiston, Brown and Fasoyiro were all seniors/grad students with no remaining eligibility. For the third straight year, the Jaguars have signed multiple transfers from the Division II and NAIA levels. … The Jaguars were picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference after sharing the 2024-25 regular-season championship with three other teams. James Madison was picked first, followed by Arkansas State. Troy was picked fourth. … South Alabama led the Sun Belt in several defensive categories last season, including opponents field goal percentage, turnover margin and assist-to-turnover ratio. … Wheat and Broom are considered among the top defensive players in the Sun Belt. Broom was a third-team All-Sun Belt pick in the preseason. … Harris was a first-team NAIA All-American and the Southern States Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2024-25 after averaging 19.7 points, 6.9 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. … Law was also a first-team NAIA All-American after averaging 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. He and Wheat were teammates on a Freed-Hardeman that won the NAIA national championship in 2023-24. … Williams, an Atmore native, averaged 16.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in junior college last season. … Olsen averaged 15 points per game in leading his UBC team to the Canadian national tournament and the U Sports Final 8. … Land is seeking to return from two serious knee injuries, the most-recent of which caused him to miss the entire 2024-25 season.
