12 Preview I NOVEMBER 22, 1996 I THE TULANE HULLABALOO USM Golden Eagles MEN'S TEAM------

Jan. 11 at Fogelman Arefla, 7 p.m. Thomas Baker Jan. 27 at Hattiesburg, Miss., 7 p.m. USM Student Printz

Location Hattiesburg, Miss. The word used most in Founded 1910 describing the 1996-97 Enrollment 14,000 Southern Mi ss men's Nickname Golden Eagles basketball team is Colors Black, Gold unpredictable. Conference Conference USA Quite a few of the pre- Home Arena Reed Green Coliseum (8,095) season basketball magazines President TBA are predicting USM to finish Athletic Director H.C. "Bill" Mclellan at the bottom of the Head Coach James Green Conference USA pack with at USM first year little or no prospect of Overall first year postseason play. vs. Tulane 0-0 Other magazines have the Assistant Coaches Terry Reed, Jeff Norwood Golden Eagles fini shing as 1995-96 Record 12-15 high as second with hope of a Conference 6-8 (t2nd-Red) National Invitational Postseason None Tournament bid awaiting Letterwinners Returning/Lost 9/2 them at the end of the sea on . Basketball SID Regiel Napier Why all the uncertainty? Perhaps it has a little to do with the fact that USM will be debuting new Head Coach James Green this season. Green, who was an assistant coach under Tim Floyd at 1996-97 Schedule Iowa State last year, will be replacing M.K. Turk, who ha coached the USM future of the program and how to help that." Nov. 22 at Texas Tech hoopsters for the past 20 seasons. To build for the future, Green signed heralded Nov. 26 Jackson State Green has earned the reputation for being a Texas Christian guard Juan Bragg and true Nov. 30 at Northeast Louisiana disciplinarian as well as a avvy recruiter, two freshman Vencrall Jones. However, Bragg must Dec. 3 South Alabama attributes that USM was earching for from a sit out for the 1996-97 season because of Dec. 6-7 Super Chevy Shootout head coach. During his two years as an assistant academic ineligibility. (LaSalle, Iowa, Grambling) for David Hobbs at Alabama, Green recruited Green has four starters returning from a team Dec. 11 Nicholls State the likes of Eric Washington, Artie Griffin and that went 12-15 last season, 6-8 in C-USA. One Dec. 14 at New Orleans Antonio McDyess. McDyess went on to be the of those starters is Damien Smith, who is Dec. 21 at Southwestern La. second overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft and regarded by Athlon magazine as one of the Top Dec. 23 Texas Southern was named to last season's All-Rookie team. 40 point guards in the nation. However, Smith is Dec. 30 vs. Oral Roberts Green also recruited quite a few of the players coming off a season-ending knee injury suffered Jan. 4 at Marquette on last season's 24-9 Iowa State team, who went at the end of last season and has had some Jan.11 at Tulane on to win the Big Eight championship despite complications with his knee this season. Green Jan. 18 UAB being predicted to finish last in pre-season polls. said Smith's knee is improving, and he should Jan. 21 DePaul However, Green had a hard time recruiting be ready to go when the season starts. "He has Jan. 25 at South Florida for the Golden Eagles had some problems with the back of his knee Jan.27 Tulane this year because he was Jan. 30 at Memphis hired just prior to the Feb.2 at Saint Louis signing date. "It was 1996-97 Roster Feb. 6 Houston pretty tough because at Feb. 9 South Florida that particular point, Returning Starters Pos. Ht. Wt. CI. PPG RPG Feb. 15 atUAB even though the signing Kelly McCarty F 6-7 190 Jr. 11.8 8.4 Feb. 19 Miss. Valley State date had not passed, a Damien Smith G 5-10 165 Sr. 17.4 4.4 Feb.22 Louisville lot of kids had still made Anthony Richards F 6-9 230 So. 8.9 5.6 Feb. 25 at Cincinnati up their minds as to Mike Jones F 6-6 220 Sr. 6.3 3.2 March 2 UNC Charlotte where they were going Other Returnees March 5-8 C-USA Championship to visit, had taken visits George Scott G 6-5 185 Sr. 6.1 3.2 (St. Louis, Mo.) and had already reached Jimmie Floyd G 6-5 175 Jr. 5.1 2.1 their decision," Green Roderick Agee G 6-5 180 Jr. 0.9 1.3 said. "What we did Damien Roberts F 6-7 245 Jr. 2.3 1.5 basically was instead of Marcus Price G 6-0 180 Jr. 4.8 1.2 going out and taking a Newcomers guy just to take a guy, Billy Henderson, G; Vandarel Jones, F; Philip Prince, G we tried to look at the