Veteran guard Curt Lewis brings five years of college experience, playing 8 games for East Tennessee State last season. He also played for SEC school Missouri in 2023-24
Head Coach Jay Ladner enters his seventh season at the helm of Southern Miss, and this season could prove pivotal for his future in Hattiesburg.
Ladner has only one winning season during his tenure, coming in 2022-23 when Southern Miss won the regular season conference title and earned an NIT bid. Expectations were high last season, but the Golden Eagles struggled and finished 12th in the Sun Belt, which prompted an offseason overhaul, both in the staff and the roster.
Only four players return from last seasonβs roster. Among them is redshirt junior Tegra Izay, who missed a majority of last season with an injury. His size and presence should help with one of the teamβs weaknesses from last season. Jett Montgomery and Brewer Carrith, both sophomores, are expected to take on larger roles, according to Ladner, after contributing last season. Dalyn Brandon also returns and adds depth to the rotation.
Departures
Following the disappointing season, the Golden Eagles saw 13 players leave the program.
The most notable loss comes in the frontcourt with Denijay Harris, who averaged a team-high 16.7 points, 10,6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. He also earned Second-Team All-Sun Belt honors last season.
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βοΈ First SBC player to average double figure points and rebounds since ’95-96
βοΈ 17 double-doubles
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β Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) March 3, 2025
The backcourt duo of Neftali Alvarez and Andre Curbelo also depart after serving as the teamβs two key playmakers a year ago. Alvarez averaged 10.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Curbelo added 9.8 points in the final season of his up-and-down college career before being let go from the team late in the season. Both have since started their professional careers.
Shooter Cobie Montgomery who made 41.8 percent of his shots from deep while scoring 8.2 points last season, also moves onto the professional ranks.
The Golden Eagles will also have to replace a bunch of depth in the backcourt. Alfred Worrel Jr, has transferred to Morgan State, Christian Watson moved to Hampton, and John Wade III has exhausted his eligibility after winning a case with the NCAA midway through last year. Christian Reid, Jeffery Armstrong, Jose Benitez, and Trey Alfonso also depart the team
In the frontcourt, Deantoni Gordon has graduated after averaging 8.9 points and five rebounds in his lone season in Hattiesburg. Center Lieb Yat now plays professionally in his native country Australia after playing in seven games last season.
Arrivals
In response to the mass exodus, Ladner has brought in a massive transfer class of 14 players to retool the roster.
Guard Dylan Brumfield joins from William Carey after averaging 16 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists last season. Ladner also mentioned in a recent press conference that Brumfield has made a strong case to start for the Golden Eagles this season.
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β‘οΈ Dylan Brumfield
β‘οΈ Hattiesburg, Miss.
β‘οΈ William Carey
β‘οΈ 6-4 | Guard@brumfielddylan2 | #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/lSnmIBqokxβ Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) April 25, 2025
Veteran guard Curt Lewis brings five years of college experience, playing 8 games for East Tennessee State last season. He also played for SEC school Missouri in 2023-24, appearing in over 20 games.
French native Djahi Binet, transferring from Alcorn State, has also drawn praise from Ladner. Binet averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 rebounds last season, and Ladner is expecting him to be a top rebounder in the conference this season.
Two SEC transfers also highlight the incoming class. Forward EJ Paymon arrives from Mississippi State, where he redshirted as a freshman last season. Guard Robert Cowherd transfers in from Ole Miss after making 20 appearances across two seasons for the Rebels.
The Golden Eagles will have plenty of depth at the guard positions. Izzy Hart (Central Oklahoma) averaged 16.9 points per game and shot nearly 38 percent from deep last season. Chianteβ Tramble (Independence CC) was a dynamic scorer as a freshman with 23.3 points per game, and Felipe Patino (Eastern Florida State CC) also joins with three years of eligibility remaining.
On the wing, Issac Tavares transfers in from South Plains CC where he averaged 16.7 points and was named a NJCAA First-Team All-American. Chandler Watts also comes in from Eastern Florida State CC, starting every game as a freshman. Blake Lander played 28 minutes per game last season at Long Island University, but will miss this season due to injury.
The frontcourt depth has also been prioritized. Tylik Weeks (Southwest Mississippi CC) was one of the top JUCO recruits after averaging 21 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists last season. Fallou Diagne (Western Kentucky) has battled injuries over the last two seasons, but Ladner compared him to former skilled big Felipe Haase. IJ Ezuma (South Plains CC) adds physicality and rebounding after averaging 5.5 boards per game last season.
Southern Miss fans wonβt have to wait much longer to see this new-look roster. The Golden Eagles will open their season on Nov. 3 when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bulls in the MAC-SBC Challenge. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
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