South Alabama men’s basketball will host Coastal Carolina at the Mitchell Center on Thursday, Jan. 29, in a Sun Belt Conference game. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT and will be available for fans to follow via Jags Radio Network, StatBroadcast, and ESPN+.
South Alabama comes into the contest with a 14–6 overall record and a 5–3 mark in conference play. In their most recent game, the Jaguars defeated James Madison 90–83 on the road. Adam Olsen led South Alabama with 26 points, while JJ Wheat contributed 17 points off the bench. Jayden Cooper added 14 points and Chaze Harris recorded 15 points along with nine rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
The Jaguars overcame a halftime deficit against James Madison by outscoring their opponent 54–43 in the second half. They started the half on an 11–4 run to take control of the game and maintained their lead through consistent defensive stops and free-throw shooting late in the contest.
Coastal Carolina enters Thursday’s game following an 85–67 win over Southern Miss, extending its winning streak to five games—a program record for consecutive Sun Belt victories. During this stretch, Coastal Carolina has been effective from the free-throw line, converting nearly 78 percent of its attempts while limiting opponents to under 70 percent.
Joshua Beadle has averaged over 23 points per game during his last six outings for Coastal Carolina, scoring at least 18 points in each contest. AJ Dancler has also performed well on the road recently for Coastal Carolina.
In terms of series history, South Alabama trails Coastal Carolina with an all-time record of eight wins to ten losses but holds a home advantage at the Mitchell Center with five wins out of eight meetings there. This will be Coastal Carolina’s first regular-season visit to Mobile in five years; their last appearance was during The Basketball Classic in March 2022 when they won by one point.
South Alabama has demonstrated efficiency in ball handling this season by committing fewer than ten turnovers in eleven games. Four players scored double figures against James Madison: Olsen (26), Wheat (17), Harris (15), and Cooper (14).
Analytical data shows that South Alabama leads nationally in margin percentage of runs where teams score ten unanswered points or more—owning a .61 rate while allowing just .28 from opponents.
Defensively, South Alabama ranks first nationally for fewest fouls committed per game (11.5) and sixth in field-goal percentage defense (37.9%). The team is also ranked among national leaders by holding opponents to low scoring averages and restricting shooting efficiency; they are eleventh this season when holding teams below seventy-one points.
The Jaguars’ defense focuses on limiting shots inside while forcing opponents into three-point attempts—62 percent of field-goal tries against them come from beyond the arc according to analyst Joe Jackson—and have held teams to just under thirty-one percent accuracy from long range despite facing more three-point attempts than any other team nationally.
South Alabama has found success in close games as well; they have posted a winning record both overall and specifically in contests decided by ten or fewer points or coming down to final possessions—including overtime situations.
For ongoing updates about South Alabama men’s basketball, fans can follow official social media accounts or visit usajaguars.com.
