Southern Miss Golden Basketball

Former Southern Miss Golden Eagles basketball player Jonathan Mills died of multiple gunshot wounds Monday near his high school in Chicago, North Lawndale College Prep.

The Chicago Tribune's Rosemary Regina Sobol and Mike Helfgot reported Mills, 26, was planning to practice at North Lawndale's gym with head coach Lewis Thorpe before he was shot on the 4100 block of West Roosevelt Road at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET.

Sobol and Helfgot cited Officer Thomas Sweeney, a Chicago police spokesman, who indicated Mills died at the scene.

Thorpe told Sobol and Helfgot that he hurried to the scene after receiving a call from his nephew, who told him Mills had been shot. The coach then proceeded to describe what he saw when he arrived at a fence around a store parking lot, with Mills covered by a blanket.

"It hurt me so bad," Thorpe said. "It looked like he fell, and his head and maybe part of his upper body had slammed against the gate."

Thorpe, who had known Mills since seventh grade, further explained how he felt about the tragedy and discussed why he and others were so fond of Mills—and how good of a player he was:

I'm so messed up. I am so shocked. When I say he was well liked…everybody loved him.

He was special, the best rebounder to ever come out of Chicago public school basketball.

He was a phenomenal player. He was just a phenomenal kid. Oh, I love that kid so much. We had a really good relationship.

The Tribune named Mills a first-team all-state player in his senior year, when he averaged 14 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks per game.

Mills helped North Lawndale secure the Public League title in 2009. He then attended Eastern Utah Community College before spending two seasons with the Southern Miss program from 2011 to 2013. He planned to play professionally overseas and was working with Thorpe to get in shape.

Chicago has been notorious for gun violence, with 2,000 victims of the crime as of early July, according to CNN (via Fox6Now.com).

The Southern Mississippi men's basketball program is reportedly facing allegations of major NCAA violations, including possible academic fraud.

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports reported officials and former coaches from the school met with the NCAA Committee On Infractions last week to discuss the issue. The potential violations stem from the three-year period (2012-2014) that Donnie Tyndall led the program.

A decision about further punishment for the program, which already enacted a self-imposed postseason ban for both last season and the current campaign, could be made by April 1, according to the report.

Forde noted academic fraud and impermissible financial aid for ineligible players are among the seven alleged violations being investigated by the NCAA. Along with Tyndall, former assistant Adam Howard is also involved in the probe into the program's actions.

Tyndall left Southern Miss for Tennessee following the 2013-14 season. He lasted just one year with the Volunteers before the violations were brought to the forefront and he was let go.

Athletic director Dave Hart stated at the time he wouldn't have been hired if Tennessee knew about the Southern Miss issues, according to ESPN.com.

"I was convinced at the time Donnie had learned from that," Hart said. "If we'd known (then) what we know now, we'd have moved in a different direction."

No further information about the additional punishments Southern Miss could face was provided. The self-imposed postseason ban hasn't come into play with the Golden Eagles finishing 9-20 last season and sporting a 6-12 record this year.

It appears the program should find out its fate within the next few months.

The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles will not be advancing in anyone’s bracket come March.

According to Raphielle Johnson of CollegeBasketballTalk, the Southern Miss men's basketball program elected to self-impose a postseason ban for the 2015-16 season. That includes forfeiting the right to play in the NCAA tournament and the Conference USA tournament.

The Golden Eagles self-imposed the same penalty last season because they were being investigated by the NCAA for violations that were allegedly committed under former coach Donnie Tyndall.

Athletic director Bill McGillis released a statement Sunday regarding the program’s decision to extend that ban, per Johnson:

I am very disappointed for the current members of our men’s basketball team and coaching staff, none of whom were involved in any alleged violation of NCAA rules. While excruciating due to the impact on the young men in our program today, the decision to withhold our team from postseason competition following the 2015-16 season is appropriate given the findings of the recent university and NCAA review of our program.

Tyndall coached the Golden Eagles during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns and led them to the quarterfinals of the NIT in both seasons. He then took the job at Tennessee, although he was fired after one season because of the investigation.

Patrick Magee of the Sun Herald noted Tyndall and Southern Miss will “go before the NCAA this spring to address seven Level I allegations, which are judged as the most serious by the NCAA.”

Among the allegations are impermissible financial aid and obstructing the NCAA’s investigation.

Johnson pointed out the timing and general nature of punishments like this seem unfair because current head coach Doc Sadler and his staff had nothing to do with the alleged infractions. There are also four seniors on the roster who cannot look into transferring to postseason-eligible programs without a penalty. 

It is a difficult way to usher in a new campaign for a Golden Eagles team that is looking to build on last year’s disappointing 9-20 record. Southern Miss will begin the season Saturday with a road trip to Memphis.

The Southern Miss basketball program is under investigation by the NCAA for potential rules violations that occurred under former coach Donnie Tyndall, who is now the head coach at Tennessee.

A source close to the program told Bleacher Report that the NCAA's investigation centers on how tuition, living expenses and other fees were paid for "Prop 48" recruits who signed with the Golden Eagles but were academically ineligible out of high school or junior college.

Even though they weren't on scholarship, the players in question enrolled in classes at Southern Miss, lived in off-campus apartments and spent a year earning enough academic credits to make them eligible the following season, when they were placed on scholarship. This is standard practice under NCAA Proposition 48 rules, but the financial support these players may have received is under investigation.

Most of the recruits in question hail from out of state, which would've made their tuition fees even higher. Along with investigating how those fees were paid—and by whom—the NCAA is also looking into the academic records of some of the players, the source said.

Members of the NCAA enforcement staff were in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, last week and this week to interview players and administrators about the potential violations.

"The s--t is about to hit the fan," the source said.

Tyndall didn't return a phone call seeking comment Thursday. His replacement, Doc Sadler, has not been interviewed by the NCAA and is not believed to be under investigation.

Three players on Southern Miss' 2014-15 roster—Shadell Millinghaus, Matt Bingaya and Davon Hayes—were Tyndall signees who entered Southern Miss as Prop 48 recruits and are now academically eligible. It is not clear if those players are among those being investigated, as Tyndall signed other players who enrolled at Southern Miss under similar circumstances but are no longer with the program.

Tyndall went 56-17 in two seasons at Southern Miss but failed to lead the Golden Eagles to the NCAA tournament. He left last spring to replace Cuonzo Martin as the head coach at Tennessee. In 2011, Tennessee fired coach Bruce Pearl for violating NCAA rules while at Tennessee and then lying about it to the NCAA.

Jason King covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JasonKingBR.

March Madness is finally here, and Conference USA has a few underdogs that will make a run at stealing bids from bubble teams.

Memphis ran the table during conference play, so they are locks to make the tournament with a 27-4 record. The Tigers can improve their seed by winning the conference tournament, but they don't have much riding on this week.

Other than that, no other team is in line to make the NCAA tournament. 

The conference is hoping someone can upset Memphis so another team or two has a chance to sneak into the tournament. Southern Miss, a bubble team, needs to have a good showing to have a chance to sneak in.

Other than Memphis, here are a few teams that have a chance to steal a bid from bubble teams with good showings in the conference tournament. 

Southern Miss

As mentioned above, the Golden Eagles have the best chance to steal a bid. At 23-8, they have put themselves in position to possibly receive an at-large bid. 

They are the favorites to knock off Memphis, but it may not take a conference title to get an at-large bid. A run to the finals with a good game against Memphis may be all it takes for the Golden Eagles to be on the right side of the bubble.

Southern Miss has lost twice to Memphis this season, but they have some quality showings against good teams. The Golden Eagles have beaten Western Kentucky and Georgia. They also had an eight-point halftime lead at Arizona and an 11-point halftime lead over Wichita State.

Dwayne Davis has been spectacular this season. He is shooting 50 percent from the field, 43 percent from three-point range and 80 percent at the line. The senior has had at least 34 points in back-to-back games, so he could carry his team to a tournament bid.

Jonathan Mills has been good on the boards. He has averaged 11 rebounds per game during the last three games.

Southern Miss is led by a couple of seniors, which can be a dangerous thing in March. Although the Golden Eagles would be better off winning the tournament, they could still steal a bid by losing to Memphis in a close game in the finals.

UTEP

At 18-13, the Miners have to win the Conference USA Tournament to get into the NCAA tournament.

They finished the season by winning three of four games, so they have some momentum heading into the conference tournament. The team's only loss in that span was a two-point loss to Memphis.

UTEP has a few good showings against quality opponents but only one solid win. The Miners knocked off Oregon in triple overtime earlier this season. A close loss to Oklahoma and a pair of two-point defeats to UNLV and Memphis doesn't look bad, but they don't have a good enough record to be looking at "good losses."

They have shown that they can hang around with the quality teams, but they haven't beaten the lesser teams with any frequency.

UTEP can only make the NCAA tournament by getting the automatic bid, but they don't have any superstars to lead them on a deep run. If they are going to steal a bid, it's going to take a total team effort.

*All stats courtesy of ESPN.com

Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora is headed to UNC, but he's not done showing up teams at Southern Miss just yet.

The Hawaii Bowl gives him a chance to best his performance against Case Keenum's previously undefeated Houston team and leave a lasting memory with Southern Miss.

Fedora is onto bigger and better things, but don't think for a second that he's already checked out. Fedora undoubtedly wants to finish what he started.

After putting his team on the map against Houston, people are eager to see what he's conjuring in his last performance at the Southern Miss helm.

Nevada is doomed to put forth an embarrassing effort. This isn't the same Nevada team that dominated with Colin Kaepernick under center.

Nevada has shown that they are capable of slamming the door shut on pathetic teams, but with losses to Utah State, Louisiana Tech, Boise State, Oregon, Boise State and Texas Tech, it's clear that any team that has a pulse can roll Nevada.

Southern Miss' embarrassment of Houston has the nation craving for more. Puzzling losses to Marshall and UAB are a distant memory.

This is a team that has scored a combined 93 points in their last two games and they are coming into this bowl red hot.

Nevada is certainly bowl worthy, but there is no way they're going to play spoiler to Fedora's Hawaiian-themed going away party.

Follow @ASU52

Southern Miss had what I like to call “Conference USA disease” last year.

The malady is associated with a proclivity for teams in the conference to start four-guard lineups, due to a lack of quality big men. USM started guards Courtney Beasley, Craig Craft, R.L. Horton, and Jeremy Wise 152 out of a possible 160 times.

Seven other starts went to guard/forward Sai’Quon Stone (pictured right) before he broke his foot, and the last start went to rail-thin but skilled big man Gustavo Lino from Brazil. If Lino adds some bulk to his frame (listed at 7’1”, 230 right now) he could become a star in C-USA.

Until Coach Larry Eustachy can count on the big man to produce, he will continue to provide size off the bench.

It’s difficult to figure out why the Eagles didn’t produce better than their 15-17 record last year. The four-headed monster at guard combined to ring-up 55.4 ppg, the team held their opponents to a .433 shooting percentage, and USM out-rebounded their foes, 34.0-32.6 per night.

Now, three of the four heads of the offensive beast (Beasley, Craft, and Wise) are gone and Eustachy is searching for consistent producers.

The sixth-year coach of the Eagles has a 75-80 record at the school and is just 15 victories shy of his 350th career win. He has yet to replicate the success he achieved at Iowa State (101-59, back-to-back Big 12 titles in 2000 and 2001, 2000 National Coach of the Year with a 32-5 mark and an Elite Eight showing) in Hattiesburg.

Eustachy signed two highly-regarded junior college big men available in the late signing period: Gary Flowers and Torye Pelham from JUCO power Chipola (FL) Junior College.

Pelham, a 6’6”, 225-pound three-star prospect according to Rivals, was All-Panhandle Conference, scoring 9.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 1.4 bpg while helping Chipola to a 32-2 mark and third-place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament.

Flowers, an absolute specimen at 6’8”, 214, with a 7’3” wingspan, has been highly sought after since 2004. He’s a combo forward who’s always played well on the AAU circuit.

He’s also had a litany of problems: driving without a license, marijuana possession, and suspension from the Oklahoma State program in September 2006. He subsequently transferred to Chipola in January 2007.

He’s a Lamar Odom-type, but will he prove to be a distraction to the program? Only time will tell, but pencil him in to start, as he has the raw tools to play in the NBA someday.

Another big body JUCO transfer, 6’9”, 235-pound Josimar “Joe” Ayarza, will be in contention for a starting berth on the front line. The native Panamanian was a two-time all-conference choice, averaging more than 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks per night.

Also in the mix will be returning starter Andre Stephens, a steady 6’8”, 235-pound senior from Heidelberg, MS, who leads returning big men in points and rebounds (6.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg). He just doesn’t have the ability that some of the newer post players are showing.

As if that weren’t enough front court talent, the Golden Eagle staff is also very high on JUCO transfer Maurice Bolden, 6’10”, 210 from Jackson, MS. He first committed to C-USA rival UAB but changed his mind. Utah was also said to be pursuing him. He may actually be the most skilled of the Golden Eagle big men.

The guard rotation will be the key to the team after experiencing the loss of Jeremy Wise to the NBA draft. Wise was a three-year starter who put up 1,691 points (sixth in USM and 11th in C-USA history) and led the team in points and assists (16.7, 4.7) last year.

R.L. Horton, the back court mate of Wise’s for two years, now has his chance to shine. As a junior, he should provide a veteran’s influence and is a proven scorer (12.7 ppg). Mix his scoring ability with 3.0 rpg, 2.2 apg and what should be an improved jump shot (.390 overall and an anemic .253 from downtown), and look for Horton to be a threat for all-conference honors.

Stone is rugged, with a pro’s body at 6’6”, 225, but he’s not as fluent and skilled at two-guard, and he’s also not going to start on the front line. It looks as if he will come off the bench as a change-of-pace for the smaller, speedier Horton.

A sleeper for time at the two is an underrated sophomore, LaVanne Pennington, 6’4”, 190 and classic instant offense. Look for him to force his way onto the floor.

Point guard is wide open. With the riches everywhere else on the floor, it would be an absolute shame not to have anyone to get them the basketball. Cue the arrival of redshirt sophomore transfer Angelo Johnson (6’, 180) from USC.

Johnson, a three-star prospect who originally chose Southern California over Cincinnati, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington, played in 33 games as a freshman, starting 11. He drained 27 threes and averaged 4.5 ppg and 2.1 apg. He sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules.

Jerome Clyburn (6’2”, 170) is among the competitors at the lead guard position. Last year, he suffered a broken bone in each foot, participating in just three games before redshirting. True freshman Kenneth Ortiz (5’11”, 180), who helped lead Science Park (NJ) to consecutive state titles his junior and senior seasons, has his hat in the ring, too.

Larry Eustachy is touting this as the most talented team in his six years at USM. If he can get the proper production from the point guard position, it is very unlikely this team will implode down the stretch (1-10) like they did last year. This is a very dangerous basketball team.