Southern Miss coach Doc Sadler knows the feeling.
Two programs that recently felt the wrath of the NCAA, Sadler’s Golden Eagles and Eran Ganot’s Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, square off in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic seventh-place game at 9:30 this morning.
They’ve each dealt with sanctions and a drastic reduction in talent from recent postseason-caliber teams.
“It’s going to take some time,” said Sadler, who like Ganot inherited punishment for another regime’s actions. “The hand that was dealt because of the previous coaching staff; it’s tough. And I know because we’re going through it. If all the guys they thought would be returning would be here, then they might be playing in the late game instead of the early game.”
UH (4-7) will look to avoid a fifth straight loss, which would be its longest since it dropped five near the end of the 2011-12 season. USM (3-8) has been hammered by margins of 42 and 49 points during its seven-game slide, though it lost only 67-64 to Stephen F. Austin on Friday.
“It’s interesting that it’s set up that way,” UH coach Eran Ganot said of the matchup. “We’re in this deal. I’m sure (Sadler) is saying it too — nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. It’s probably the only other program that (has) empathy.”
The host ’Bows are playing in the seventh-place game for the first time in the DHC’s eight years after losing by double digits to Illinois State and Utah. Thursday’s 71-45 loss to ISU was the third-largest margin for UH in the Stan Sheriff Center.
UH has swapped guards Brocke Stepteau and Leland Green in the starting lineup in recent games in looking for the right combination.
“We have to go out there and play as hard as we can. It’s a morning game, so we have to be ready,” Green said. “Whoever is prepared and ready to fight will win the game.”
Another shakeup is a possibility. UH faced Utah in crunch time with a three-guard lineup and wing Noah Allen (13.2 ppg) on the bench. Energy was a popular topic over the last couple of days.
“We shouldn’t have to talk about that again,” Ganot said. “The attitude and effort are givens, absolutes, non-negotiables. If you don’t have that at this point, then we’ve got bigger problems.
“We have to get closer to all 15 (players). We’re not there yet. … I’d say the other day against Illinois State we had less than half. We had more (vs. Utah), but not enough.”
While UH still has a postseason ban to sort out, Southern Miss just served two straight years of tournament ineligibility.
Ex-coach Donnie Tyndall was handed a 10-year show-cause order in April, tied for the longest in college hoops. By comparison, ex-UH coach Gib Arnold was handed a three-year order. Under Tyndall (56-17 record over 2012-14), USM was found to have several major violations of academic and other varieties.
USM went 9-20 and 8-21 in Sadler’s first two seasons while it chewed on the bans and reduced scholarships.
“It’s the worst thing any coach can go through, probably,” Sadler said. “Every day it’s an unknown. And when you find out what the ‘known’ is, then you can start dealing with it. You know, it’s no fun. … I understand what they’re going through. And knowing what they’re going through, I think they’ve done a phenomenal job.”
USM, though athletic on the wings, is shooting 40 percent this season to UH’s 39.1.
“I think they’re having some similar problems to us right now where overall their field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting just hasn’t been at the level to be able to win games,” UH associate coach Adam Jacobsen said. “It puts so much pressure on your defense and rebounding when you just can’t score the ball.”
Wing Quinton Campbell leads the Eagles with 10.5 points per game. Second-leading scorer Tim Rowe (9.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is not expected to play with an unspecified injury.
UH BASKETBALL TIPOFF
Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Day 3
Southern Miss (3-8) at Hawaii (4-7), 9:30 a.m.
Today at Stan Sheriff Center
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
Series: First meeting
Projected starting lineups
Southern Miss
Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
G 20 Kevin Holland 6-1 175 So.
G 1 Cortez Edwards 6-2 170 So.
G/F 22 Quinton Campbell 6-7 192 Sr.
F 0 Raheem Watts 6-7 216 Sr.
F 15 Eddie Davis III 6-7 248 So.
When Southern Miss has the ball
The Golden Eagles try to seize on their athleticism on the wings, looking to drive and attack from there led by Campbell. Edwards is at his best driving off ball screens. USM is shallow up front with one of its key big men out, but tries to put opponents in mismatch situations with high-low action.
Hawaii
Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
PG 23 Brocke Stepteau 5-9 160 So.
SG 23 Sheriff Drammeh 6-3 160 So.
SG 0 Leland Green 6-2 175 Fr.
PF 12 Jack Purchase 6-8 200 So.
PF 21 Gibson Johnson 6-8 220 Jr.
When Hawaii has the ball
The Rainbow Warriors made things a little more competitive against Utah with a three-guard lineup down the stretch, cutting a 20-point deficit to 10. That could be in play again with UH searching for anything that works; it shot below 30 percent from the field in each of the last two games.
