# 2022–23 Southern Miss Golden Eagles basketball team

The 2022–23 Southern Miss Golden Eagles basketball team represented the University of Southern Mississippi during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by third-year head coach Jay Ladner, and played their home games at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi as first-year members of the Sun Belt Conference.

## Previous season

The Golden Eagles finished the 2021–22 season 7–26, (1–17 C-USA). They defeated UTSA in the first round of the C-USA tournament before losing to Florida Atlantic in the second round.
On October 28, 2021, Southern Miss announced that this would be the last season for the team in the Conference USA and they would become a member of the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2022.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Walyn Napper | 1 | G | 6'0" | 182 | Sophomore | Columbia, SC | Transferred to Longwood |
| Blake Roberts | 3 | G | 6'2" | 187 | Freshman | Hattiesburg, MS | Walk-on; left the team for personal reasons |
| Rashad Bolden | 4 | G | 6'0" | 168 | Freshman | Jackson, MS | Transferred to McNeese State |
| Tae Hardy | 10 | G | 6'3" | 191 | Junior | Ellenwood, GA | Transferred to UTEP |
| Isaih Moore | 11 | F | 6'10" | 197 | Junior | Columbia, SC | Transferred to Fresno State |
| Tyler Stevenson | 14 | F | 6'8" | 215 | Junior | Columbus, MS | Walk-on; transferred to Mississippi State |
| Mark Jaakson | 44 | G | 6'7" | 216 | Freshman | Tallinn, Estonia | Signed to play professionally in Estonia with KK Pärnu |
| Jaron Pierre Jr. | 55 | G | 6'5" | 182 | Freshman | New Orleans, LA | Transferred to Wichita State |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Austin Crowley | 1 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Junior | West Point, MS | Ole Miss |
| Neftali Alvarez | 2 | G | 6'2" | 165 | RS Junior | Cataño, PR | Mercer |
| Cobie Montgomery | 10 | G | 6'4" | | Junior | Louisville, KY | Triton College |
| Victor Hart | 11 | F | 6'8" | 200 | Junior | Miami, FL | FIU |
| Nico Aguirre | 12 | G | 6'0" | 179 | GS Senior | Castro, Chile | Southwest Baptist |
| Donavan Moore | 15 | G | 6'3" | 180 | Junior | Hillsboro, IL | Green Bay |
| Gianfranco Grafals | 21 | G/F | 6'5" | 185 | RS Junior | Fleming Island, FL | Walk-on; Eckerd College |
| Felipe Haase | 22 | F | 6'9" | 253 | GS Senior | Osorno, Chile | Mercer |
| Marcelo Perez | 25 | F | 6'5" | 200 | GS Senior | Talca, Chile | Barry |

### 2022 recruiting class

There were no incoming recruits for the class of 2022.

## Preseason
### Preseason Sun Belt Conference poll

The Golden Eaglers were picked to finish in 13th place in the conference's preseason poll. Graduate forward Felipe Haase was named to the preseason All-SBC Second Team.
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team (1st place Votes) |
| 1 | Louisiana - 190 (10) |
| 2 | Texas State - 162 (1) |
| 3 | South Alabama - 150 (1) |
| 4 | James Madison - 149 (1) |
| 5 | Georgia State - 127 (1) |
| 6 | Marshall - 122 |
| 7 | App State - 120 |
| 8 | Coastal Carolina - 100 |
| 9 | Old Dominion - 93 |
| 10 | Troy - 76 |
| 11 | Georgia Southern - 69 |
| 12 | Arkansas State - 48 |
| 13 | Southern Miss - 34 |
| 14 | ULM - 30 |

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 1, 2022* 7:00 p.m. | | Delta State | W 84–54 | | 12 – Arnold | 9 – Pinckney | 5 – Tied | Reed Green Coliseum Hattiesburg, MS |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 7, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | William Carey | W 75–42 | 1–0 | 15 – Crowley | 9 – hart | 5 – Arnold | Reed Green Coliseum (2,523) Hattiesburg, MS |
| November 11, 2022* 6:00 p.m., SECN+ | | at Vanderbilt | W 60–48 | 2–0 | 14 – Haase | 11 – Pickney | 4 – Tied | Memorial Gymnasium (6,175) Nashville, TN |
| November 14, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Loyola (New Orleans) | W 86–62 | 3–0 | 17 – Haase | 9 – Harris | 4 – Arnold | Reed Green Coliseum (2,350) Hattiesburg, MS |
| November 18, 2022* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Liberty Cancún Challenge campus site game | W 76–72 | 4–0 | 25 – Crowley | 8 – Haase | 4 – Crowley | Liberty Arena (3,576) Lynchburg, VA |
| November 22, 2022* 2:00 p.m., FloSports | | vs. Winthrop Cancún Challenge Mayan Division semifinals | W 77–52 | 5–0 | 22 – Crowley | 8 – Pinckney | 2 – Tied | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (107) Cancún, Mexico |
| November 23, 2022* 2:00 p.m., FloSports | | vs. Purdue Fort Wayne Cancún Challenge Mayan Division championship | W 70–58 | 6–0 | 21 – Haase | 5 – Tied | 4 – Haase | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (107) Cancún, Mexico |
| November 27, 2022* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Mobile | W 103–52 | 7–0 | 24 – Crowley | 12 – Haase | 5 – Arnold | Reed Green Coliseum (2,428) Hattiesburg, MS |
| November 29, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Montana | W 64–54 | 8–0 | 20 – Ivory | 7 – Tied | 5 – Arnold | Reed Green Coliseum (3,022) Hattiesburg, MS |
| December 4, 2022* 3:00 p.m., 95ESPN+ | | at Northwestern State | L 82–84 | 8–1 | 23 – Haase | 12 – Pinckney | 5 – Tied | Prather Coliseum (1,430) Natchitoches, LA |
| December 10, 2022* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Lamar | W 95–59 | 9–1 | 24 – Crowley | 6 – Pinckney | 7 – Crowley | Reed Green Coliseum (2,581) Hattiesburg, MS |
| December 13, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Lamar | W 91–65 | 10–1 | 28 – Haase | 13 – Haase | 6 – Crowley | Montagne Center (1,161) Beaumont, TX |
| December 18, 2022* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | McNeese State | W 86–67 | 11–1 | 19 – Haase | 9 – Pinckney | 8 – Arnold | Reed Green Coliseum (2,600) Hattiesburg, MS |
| December 22, 2022* 9:00 p.m., MWN | | at UNLV | L 63–74 | 11–2 | 23 – Pinckney | 13 – Pinckney | 6 – Haase | Thomas & Mack Center (6,093) Paradise, NV |
| Sun Belt Conference regular season |||||||||
| December 29, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Troy | W 64–60 | 12–2 (1–0) | 17 – Crowley | 8 – Haase | 6 – Arnold | Reed Green Coliseum (3,265) Hattiesburg, MS |
| December 31, 2022 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Appalachian State | W 76–70 | 13–2 (2–0) | 30 – Crowley | 6 – Tied | 4 – Haase | Reed Green Coliseum (3,192) Hattiesburg, MS |
| January 5, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Louisiana | L 61–75 | 13–3 (2–1) | 21 – Pinckney | 13 – Pinckney | 3 – Crowley | Cajundome (3,007) Lafayette, LA |
| January 7, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Louisiana–Monroe | W 65–60 | 14–3 (3–1) | 24 – Pinckney | 11 – Pinckney | 6 – Haase | Fant–Ewing Coliseum (1,984) Monroe, LA |
| January 12, 2023 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Marshall | L 67–89 | 14–4 (3–2) | 20 – Crowley | 9 – Harris | 5 – Arnold | Cam Henderson Center (4,321) Huntington, WV |
| January 14, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Arkansas State | W 74–57 | 15–4 (4–2) | 22 – Harris | 8 – Tied | 5 – Pinckney | First National Bank Arena (1,024) Jonesboro, AR |
| January 19, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | South Alabama | W 76–72 | 16–4 (5–2) | 25 – Crowley | 9 – Harris | 5 – Tied | Reed Green Coliseum (4,128) Hattiesburg, MS |
| January 21, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | James Madison | W 83–70 | 17–4 (6–2) | 28 – Pinckney | 5 – Arnold | 6 – Arnold | Reed Green Coliseum (4,318) Hattiesburg, MS |
| January 26, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Arkansas State | W 73–57 | 18–4 (7–2) | 18 – Pinckney | 10 – Harris | 5 – Haase | Reed Green Coliseum (4,266) Hattiesburg, MS |
| January 28, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Texas State | W 67–58 | 19–4 (8–2) | 24 – Crowley | 7 – Crowley | 3 – Tied | Reed Green Coliseum (4,289) Hattiesburg, MS |
| February 2, 2023 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Troy | W 74–65 | 20–4 (9–2) | 23 – Crowley | 7 – Harris | 3 – Tied | Trojan Arena (3,314) Troy, AL |
| February 4, 2023 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Georgia State | W 79–71 | 21–4 (10–2) | 26 – Haase | 11 – Pinckney | 5 – Arnold | GSU Convocation Center (2,024) Atlanta, GA |
| February 9, 2023 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Louisiana | W 82–71 | 22–4 (11–2) | 22 – Pinckney | 6 – Pinckney | 4 – Alvarez | Reed Green Coliseum (8,097) Hattiesburg, MS |
| February 11, 2023 2:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Louisiana–Monroe | W 76–67 | 23–4 (12–2) | 23 – Haase | 8 – Crowley | 4 – Tied | Reed Green Coliseum (4,587) Hattiesburg, MS |
| February 16, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at South Alabama | L 54–85 | 23–5 (12–3) | 10 – Tied | 4 – Hart | 4 – Alvarez | Mitchell Center (2,398) Mobile, AL |
| February 18, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Georgia Southern | W 73–62 | 24–5 (13–3) | 19 – Alvarez | 14 – Harris | 7 – Haase | Reed Green Coliseum (4,888) Hattiesburg, MS |
| February 22, 2023 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Old Dominion | L 64–69 | 24–6 (13–4) | 18 – Haase | 13 – Pickney | 6 – Alvarez | Chartway Arena (5,428) Norfolk, VA |
| February 24, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Texas State | W 79–69 | 25–6 (14–4) | 26 – Haase | 10 – Harris | 3 – Tied | Strahan Coliseum San Marcos, TX |
| Sun Belt tournament |||||||||
| March 4, 2023 11:30 a.m., ESPN+ | (1) | vs. (8) South Alabama Quarterfinals | L 61–78 | 25–7 | 18 – Tied | 12 – Harris | 3 – Haase | Pensacola Bay Center Pensacola, FL |
| NIT |||||||||
| March 14, 2023* 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | | at (4) UAB First round – Clemson bracket | L 60–88 | 25–8 | 15 – Pinckney | 9 – Harris | 7 – Haase | Bartow Arena (2,237) Birmingham, AL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central. |||||||||
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