MOBILE, Ala. — The South Alabama Western Kentucky men’s basketball game Thursday evening at the Mitchell Center will be the last home meeting between the longtime rivals as Sun Belt Conference members. Western Kentucky will join Conference USA for the 2014-15 season.
Tip-off is set for 5:05 p.m. The game opens Sun Belt play for both teams.
Jaguars Come Off Demanding December
South Alabama played four road games in December, three of them against teams ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, and went 2-4 for the month. The Jaguars enter conference play at 6-7 overall under first-year head coach Matthew Graves.
Senior forward Augustine Rubit is averaging 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, ranking seventh and third in the Sun Belt, respectively. In Saturday’s game against New Mexico State, Rubit became the Sun Belt’s career leader in rebounds.
Price and Fant Lead Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky, the defending Sun Belt tournament champion, relies heavily on T.J. Price and George Fant. Price averages 17.1 points per game, just behind Rubit in the league scoring race, and Fant averages 14.1.
Price scored 26 points with six 3-pointers in Monday’s 79-74 loss to Ole Miss. Fant scored 23 points against Brescia on Dec. 28.
Graves on the Matchup
Graves said the Western Kentucky duo is as good as any in the conference.
“They’re tough, they’re physical, they have a presence about them and they have a swagger about them,” Graves said. “They’re the defending conference champs so they have a bit of an ego and that’s a good thing if you’re a Western Kentucky fan. We’ll certainly have our hands full but I think the way we guard in our system, it’s a team defense so it’s not one guy guarding Price and one guy guarding Fant. It’s our five guys defending Western Kentucky.”
Graves said the Jaguars must limit Price’s easy baskets and make him take difficult shots. “We understand that, especially for Price, he’s going to make some tough shots. That’s what he does, but how many times can we make him take those tough shots and not give him easy baskets?” he said.
On Fant, Graves said, “With Fant, you really have to match his energy. He does a great job of scoring around the basket, attacking the goal, getting to the free-throw line and getting offensive rebounds. Can we play as hard as he’s going to play? I think our guys are going to be ready for that challenge.”
