Jay Ladner Channels Southern Miss Great Brett Favre as Roster Challenges Loom

As the Golden Eagles shift into offseason mode, some players will have tough decisions to make about their future.

Brett Favre became a legend on the gridiron while playing at Southern Miss. / Southern Miss Athletics

HATTIESBURG, Miss – Despite finishing the regular season just one game above .500, the Southern Miss men's basketball team finished the year playing some of its best basketball. The Golden Eagles ended up with the No. 8 seed in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, meaning they'd face the daunting task of needing to win five games in five nights to punch their ticket to March Madness.

Things started out well for Southern Miss, as junior star forward Tylik Weeks averaged more than 30 points per game over the first three games of the tournament, putting the Golden Eagles in the semifinals against No. 1 seed Troy. However, despite a valiant comeback effort on Sunday night at the Pensacola Bay Center, Southern Miss ultimately saw its season end with a 78-70 loss to the Trojans.

'Blue-Collar' Golden Eagles Punch Above Their Weight

Southern Miss star forward Tylik Weeks had another impressive scoring night on Saturday against App State. / @SouthernMissMBB

"One thing that we're proud of at Southern Miss is grit and toughness. ... punching above our weight," head coach Jay Ladner said of his team making such a deep conference tournament run.

"That's just been the history of the athletic tradition of Southern Miss. We're proud of our blue-collar mentality. I think this team just really lived up to that image and ideal at Southern Miss. ... Just the toughness and the pride that these young men have, and their competitive spirit. I'm gonna always remember that."

Roster Retention Challenges Loom

Isaac Taveras led the Golden Eagles with 32 points on Sunday with the season on the line. / @SouthernMissMBB

Now, as the Golden Eagles shift focus to the offseason, roster retention could play a big factor in how easily the transition into next season goes. Weeks, along with his junior guard teammate Isaac Taveras, has a decision to make about his future. Will they stay at Southern Miss and build on what they accomplished together this season, or will other opportunities lure them away?

"That's always a big challenge in today's climate," Ladner said of roster retention. "It goes against my thoughts, as far as having a basketball team that's first and foremost about developing young people. ... It's hard to be that type of coach into day's climate. So we have to love on 'em for seven, eight, nine months, and then they (have to decide if they want to stay)."

"On the other hand," Ladner continued, "can you really blame guys if they've got a chance to make generational-type income somewhere else? ... We're gonna do the best that we can, I can promise you."

Channelling USM Legend Brett Favre

Sep 8, 2018; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre warms up before the game between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at M. M. Roberts Stadium. Favre played for Southern Miss. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images / Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

Ladner channelled Southern Miss football legend Brett Favre when talking about players leaving a lasting legacy on the field or court during their time at the university. In this NIL era, where player movement is so frequent, it's harder for mid-majors to keep top performers for more than a couple of years, max, especially in football and basketball.

"That's the big problem, you don't have anymore legacies," Ladner said. "I was talking to Brett Favre the other day. Is there gonna be anymore Brett Favres at Southern Miss? Are they gonna be able to stay that long? What would've happened to Favre his second year at USM in football? He would've been off at Ole Miss making $5 million or something like that, and that's sad. ... I hope we can sell that to some guys."

Southern Miss will need to replenish its big-man depth with senior centers Djahi Binet and Tegra Izay leaving the team. Even so, if Ladner and his staff can find a way to bring back Weeks and Taveras for their senior season next year, it will make filling in the other roster gaps that much easier, and the Golden Eagles will be a real threat to win a Sun Belt championship.