Southern Miss basketball will face UAB in NIT opener; Alcorn State also makes field
Southern Miss men's basketball is heading to the NIT for the first time since 2014.
The Golden Eagles will face UAB in the first round of the 2023 NIT on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., ESPN+), having learned their postseason fate Sunday.
Coach Jay Ladner – the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year – guided Southern Miss (25-7) to its third regular-season conference championship and first since 2000-01. The regular-season title clinched an automatic bid for the Golden Eagles despite a 78-61 quarterfinals loss to South Alabama in the conference tournament March 4.
Alcorn State (18-13), which won the SWAC regular-season title, also made 32-team NIT field and will face 3-seed North Texas on Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPN+).
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Southern Miss is led in scoring by the Sun Belt's Newcomer of the Year Austin Crowley. The Ole Miss transfer averaged 16.1 points, on 46.7% shooting along with 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 32 games. Crowley was also selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team. Felipe Haase was an all-conference second-team selection. Haase averaged 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and three assists.
Ladner transformed the Golden Eagles from a seven-win team last season to their first 20-win season since 2018-19. Southern Miss ended conference play winning three of its last five matchups, including a 79-69 victory over Texas State to win the regular-season title.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: In NIT, Southern Miss basketball to face UAB in opener
