Pike County native ‘exceeding already high expectations’ for Southern Miss men’s basketball

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Ahead of a highly-anticipated 2024-2025 college basketball season in Hattiesburg, it is three freshmen who are impressing early during offseason workouts for Southern Miss.

Brewer Carruth, a Pike County native and Parklane Academy grad, along with frosh players Jett Montgomery and Christian Reid, has “already exceeded high expectations,” according to head basketball coach Jay Ladner.

The trio could see significant minutes in the upcoming season with a plethora of talent, including three starters, no longer on the team after graduating from USM.

This includes starting guard and 2022-23 Sun Belt Player of the Year Austin Crowley, Victor Hart, and Victor Iwuakor.

Crowley and Hart were key members of the Golden Eagles’ historic and improbable 18-games won turnaround – an NCAA record – that took college basketball by storm two seasons ago, winning the Sun Belt regular season title and qualifying for the NIT for the first time since 2014.

[READ: ‘It means more than you would ever know’: Southern Miss basketball is soaring after historically low season]

[READ: From last to first: Southern Miss soars past rival, claims sole possession of top spot in the Sun Belt]

As Carruth and an overall young squad prepare for the upcoming season in Reed Green Coliseum, the likes of returnees and fan favorites Andre Curbello and Neftali Alvarez, along with an injury-free Lieb Yat, are set to play a big role in the success of “La Familia.”

Denijay Harris, who was also a member of the historic 2022-23 team, will return to play for Southern Miss after spending a year as an Arkansas Razorback.

USM will begin the season hosting Bowling Green on Monday, November 4, in the MAC-SBC Challenge.

The remaining schedule has not been released.

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