# 2018–19 South Alabama Jaguars men's basketball team

The 2018–19 South Alabama Jaguars men's basketball team represented the University of South Alabama during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Jaguars were led by first-year head coach Richie Riley and played their home games at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama as members in the Sun Belt Conference.

## Previous season

The Jaguars finished the 2017–18 season 14–18, 7–11 in Sun Belt play, to finish in ninth place. They lost to Troy in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament.

## Off-season
### Departures

| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Dederick Lee | G | 6'0" | 162 | Senior | Clarksville, AR | Graduated |
| Devin Epps | G | 5'11" | 167 | Senior | Murfreesboro, TN | Graduated |
| Nick Davis | F | 6'6" | 191 | Senior | Mt. Vernon, AL | Graduated |
| Rozelle Nix | F | 6'11" | 330 | Senior | Cincinnati, OH | Graduated |
| Ethan Haslam | G | 6'4" | 190 | Freshman | Lithia, FL | Transferred to Berry |
| A.J. Caldwell | G | 6'4" | 190 | Freshman | Sarasota, FL | Transferred to Chattanooga |
| Joe Thompson | F | 6'7" | 211 | Freshman | Kenner, LA | Left program |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
| Josh Ayeni | | F | 6'8" | 215 | Junior | Zaria, Nigeria | Transferred from St. Bonaventure. Under NCAA transfer rules, Ayeni will have to sit out for the 2018–19 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility. |
| Don Coleman | | G | 6'2" | 190 | Senior | Augusta, GA | Transferred from California. Under NCAA transfer rules, Coleman will have to sit out for the 2018–19 season. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Andre Fox | | G | 6'3" | 190 | Senior | Greenbelt, MD | Transferred from High Point. Under NCAA transfer rules, Nix will have to sit out for the 2018–19 season. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Kory Holden | 0 | G | 6'2" | 185 | Senior | Salisbury, MD | Graduate transfer from South Carolina. Under NCAA transfer rules, Holden will play immediately in the 2018–19 season. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Tashombe Riley | 2 | F | 6'7" | 210 | Senior | Orangeburg, SC | Graduate transfer from South Carolina State. Under NCAA transfer rules, Riley will play immediately in the 2018–19 season. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Abdul Dial | 30 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Junior | West Palm Beach, FL | Junior college transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Under NCAA transfer rules, Dial will play immediately in the 2018–19 season. Will have two year of remaining eligibility. |

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 27, 2018* 4:00 p.m. | | Tuskegee | W 63–40 | – | 13 – Sikes | 8 – Kelly | 4 – McGee | Mitchell Center (1,714) Mobile, AL |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2018* 8:00 p.m., SECN | | at No. 11 Auburn | L 58–101 | 0–1 | 25 – Sikes | 5 – tied | 3 – McGee | Auburn Arena (7,754) Auburn, AL |
| November 11, 2018* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Huntingdon | W 106–76 | 1–1 | 23 – Dial | 9 – tied | 10 – Mitchell | Mitchell Center (1,562) Mobile, AL |
| November 16, 2018* 7:00 p.m. | | Chattanooga Goldie and Herman Ungar Classic | W 73–54 | 2–1 | 23 – Ajayi | 12 – Ajayi | 3 – McGee | Mitchell Center (1,585) Mobile, AL |
| November 17, 2018* 7:00 p.m. | | Jacksonville Goldie and Herman Ungar Classic | L 48–71 | 2–2 | 16 – McGee | 8 – tied | 2 – MGee | Mitchell Center (1,605) Mobile, AL |
| November 19, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Southeast Missouri State Goldie and Herman Ungar Classic | W 79–58 | 3–2 | 30 – Sikes | 9 – Mitchell | 11 – McGee | Mitchell Center (1,482) Mobile, AL |
| November 23, 2018* 6:30 p.m., SECN+ | | at Texas A&M | L 62–74 | 3–3 | 21 – Sikes | 5 – Ajayi | 4 – tied | Reed Arena (8,569) College Station, TX |
| November 28, 2018* 7:00 p.m. | | at Southern Miss | L 67–71 | 3–4 | 28 – Holden | 7 – Mitchell | 4 – McGee | Reed Green Coliseum Hattiesburg, MS |
| December 1, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Florida A&M | W 66–57 | 4–4 | 18 – Sikes | 15 – Ajayi | 4 – tied | Mitchell Center (2,114) Mobile, AL |
| December 5, 2018* 7:00 p.m. | | at New Orleans | L 61–70 | 4–5 | 20 – Mitchell | 8 – Mitchell | 3 – McGee | Lakefront Arena (505) New Orleans, LA |
| December 8, 2018* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Tulane | W 81–60 | 5–5 | 21 – Sikes | 10 – Ajayi | 6 – Kelly | Mitchell Center (1,565) Mobile, AL |
| December 19, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Alabama A&M | W 79–67 | 6–5 | 20 – Ajayi | 13 – Mitchell | 9 – Mitchell | Mitchell Center (1,732) Mobile, AL |
| December 20, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Mobile | W 86–47 | 7–5 | 28 – Mitchell | 11 – Ajayi | 7 – Pettway | Mitchell Center (1,671) Mobile, AL |
| December 29, 2018* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Richmond | L 82–91 | 7–6 | 25 – Ajayi | 6 – tied | 6 – Holden | Mitchell Center (1,523) Mobile, AL |
| Regular season |||||||||
| January 3, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Appalachian State | W 79–73 | 8–6 (1–0) | 21 – Sikes | 12 – Ajayi | 8 – Ajayi | Mitchell Center (1,729) Mobile, AL |
| January 5, 2019 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Coastal Carolina | W 84–77 $^{2OT}$ | 9–6 (2–0) | 22 – Mitchell | 11 – Mitchell | 7 – Mitchell | Mitchell Center (2,091) Mobile, AL |
| January 10, 2019 7:00 p.m. | | at Arkansas State | L 65–66 | 9–7 (2–1) | 24 – Sikes | 7 – tied | 3 – Ajayi | First National Bank Arena (1,374) Jonesboro, AR |
| January 12, 2019 3:00 p.m. | | at Little Rock | L 62–91 | 9–8 (2–2) | 22 – Mitchell | 6 – Mitchell | 4 – Holden | Jack Stephens Center (1,565) Little Rock, AR |
| January 17, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Georgia State | L 66–69 | 9–9 (2–3) | 24 – Ajayi | 11 – Ajayi | 7 – Holden | Mitchell Center (1,985) Mobile, AL |
| January 19, 2019 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Georgia Southern | L 86–88 $^{OT}$ | 9–10 (2–4) | 26 – Ajayi | 11 – tied | 4 – Mitchell | Mitchell Center (1,885) Mobile, AL |
| January 24, 2019 7:00 p.m. | | at Louisiana | L 84–88 | 9–11 (2–5) | 31 – Mitchell | 12 – tied | 3 – tied | Cajundome (3,847) Lafayette, LA |
| January 26, 2019 2:00 p.m. | | at Louisiana–Monroe | W 78–72 | 10–11 (3–5) | 23 – Mitchell | 8 – Ajayi | 4 – McGee | Fant–Ewing Coliseum (5,206) Monroe, LA |
| February 2, 2019 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Troy | W 81–75 | 11–11 (4–5) | 17 – Mitchell | 10 – Ajayi | 5 – Mitchell | Mitchell Center (4,469) Mobile, AL |
| February 7, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Arkansas State | W 70–62 | 12–11 (5–5) | 24 – McGee | 10 – Mitchell | 7 – Mitchell | Mitchell Center (1,785) Mobile, AL |
| February 9, 2019 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Little Rock | L 68–73 | 12–12 (5–6) | 19 – Sikes | 9 – Mitchell | 4 – Pettway | Mitchell Center (2,193) Mobile, AL |
| February 13, 2019 6:00 p.m. | | at Georgia Southern | L 65–75 | 12–13 (5–7) | 18 – McGee | 7 – Mitchell | 4 – Mitchell | Hanner Fieldhouse (1,321) Statesboro, GA |
| February 15, 2019 6:00 p.m. | | at Georgia State | L 81–90 | 12–14 (5–8) | 26 – McGee | 12 – Mitchell | 8 – McGee | GSU Sports Arena (1,531) Atlanta, GA |
| February 23, 2019 4:15 p.m. | | at Troy | W 68–52 | 13–14 (6–8) | 18 – Ajayi | 14 – Mitchell | 5 – Mitchell | Trojan Arena (3,049) Troy, AL |
| February 28, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | UT Arlington | L 57–75 | 13–15 (6–9) | 18 – Ajayi | 10 – Ajayi | 3 – Ajayi | Mitchell Center (1,813) Mobile, AL |
| March 2, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Texas State | W 77–63 | 14–15 (7–9) | 20 – Ajayi | 9 – Mitchell | 3 – Mitchell | Mitchell Center (1,811) Mobile, AL |
| March 7, 2019 6:00 p.m. | | at Coastal Carolina | L 70–92 | 14–16 (7–10) | 22 – Mitchell | 6 – McGee | 5 – McGee | HTC Center (1,037) Conway, SC |
| March 9, 2019 1:00 p.m. | | at Appalachian State | W 78–71 | 15–16 (8–10) | 26 – Ajayi | 11 – Mitchell | 7 – McGee | Holmes Center (1,104) Boone, NC |
| Sun Belt tournament |||||||||
| March 12, 2019 7:00 p.m. | (8) | (9) Arkansas State First round | W 75–67 | 16–16 | 22 – Ajayi | 13 – Mitchell | 6 – McGee | Mitchell Center (1,624) Mobile, AL |
| March 14, 2019 5:00 p.m. | (8) | vs. (5) Louisiana Second round | W 70–69 | 17–16 | 25 – Ajayi | 7 – Ajayi | 6 – Mitchell | Lakefront Arena New Orleans, LA |
| March 15, 2019 5:00 p.m. | (8) | vs. (4) Texas State Quarterfinals | L 67–79 | 17–17 | 25 – McGee | 5 – Kelly | 4 – McGee | Lakefront Arena New Orleans, LA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||