Southern Miss men’s basketball will continue its road stretch this Saturday with a game against Texas State in San Marcos. The Golden Eagles, holding an 11-8 overall record and 5-2 in Sun Belt Conference play, are set to tip off at 3:30 p.m. inside Strahan Arena.
Fans can follow the action on ESPN+ with Brant Freeman and Suzanne Fox or listen via the Southern Miss Radio Network, where John Cox will provide commentary.
Southern Miss is experiencing its best start in league play since the 2022-23 season. The team has won two games on its first Sun Belt road trip, marking its strongest road performance in conference play in over a decade. Tylik Weeks leads the Sun Belt Conference with an average of 17.9 points per game, while Djahi Binet has recorded double-doubles in his last three appearances. In their conference opener, Southern Miss defeated Louisiana 62-54, with Israel Hart contributing a season-high 17 points.
Weeks achieved his first career double-double against Ole Miss, posting career-best rebounds and scoring 18 points. He was also named Sun Belt Player of the Week after earning MVP honors at the Pensacola Invitational, where he scored 37 points against North Florida—the second-most by any Sun Belt player since the 2022-23 season.
The Golden Eagles lost to South Carolina earlier this season despite Weeks’ career-high 20 points and notable performances from teammates Taveras and Hart. This year marks the program’s 106th season and their 61st playing at Reed Green Coliseum.
Texas State enters Saturday’s matchup after a recent win over Louisiana, improving their record to 10-9 overall and 3-4 in conference play. DJ Hall became the first Texas State freshman in nine years to post a double-double with at least 20 points and ten rebounds; he now averages 13.4 points per game. Mark Drone leads Texas State’s scoring but did not participate fully in recent games due to limited minutes.
This is the ninth meeting between Southern Miss and Texas State—all since Southern Miss joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022. The Golden Eagles notably clinched a regular-season title with a win at Strahan Arena last February. Southern Miss is currently 1-2 when playing at that venue.
At the free throw line, Southern Miss has made significant improvements this season by making at least twenty free throws in six different games—something not achieved since the 2013-14 season—and setting new marks under head coach Jay Ladner.
On home court performance, Southern Miss holds a strong record of wins at Reed Green Coliseum since early last season and remains undefeated (7-0) in home openers during Ladner’s tenure.
Veteran guard Curt Lewis is among Division I basketball’s oldest active players this year, having been born May 19, 1999.
The team’s non-conference schedule included only five home games with challenging matchups on the road against programs like South Carolina, Miami (Fla.), Radford, LSU, as well as Ole Miss played at Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Tickets for upcoming games are available through southernmiss.com/tickets or by calling or visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office during normal hours.
For updates on Golden Eagle basketball news throughout the season, fans can follow @SouthernMissMBB on social media.
