Coach Eustachy says junior college transfer, who nearly left 3 weeks ago, may return after sorting through issues....
HATTIESBURG ? Southern Miss junior point guard Solomon Brown, the Golden Eagles' floor leader, has left the team, USM coach Larry Eustachy said Thursday.
"He's quit, left, whatever you want to call it," Eustachy said. "He'd been struggling with some things since he's been here, and I guess he needed some time off. He's got family issues that he's been trying to work through."
The 6-foot-2 Brown, a native of Los Angeles, could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Eustachy said Brown had nearly left the team about three weeks ago, but stayed until the end of the semester.
"He got through finals; grade-wise, he was fine," Eustachy said. "This is personal stuff, family issues."
The affable Brown had been among the best of the five junior college players that Eustachy and his staff had signed during the spring and summer. His 51 assists led the team, and he had made just 14 turnovers, giving him a sparkling assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 3.5. Brown had averaged 28.1 minutes per game, also best on the team, while averaging 9.5 points and 2.5 rebounds a game.
He had 12 assists against McNeese State on Nov. 27, matching the 10th-best performance by a Golden Eagle for single-game assists. His best all-around game may have been against UNC-Greensboro, when he scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists.
But USM's last two outings were his worst. He made just 1 of 7 baskets, while scoring three points in USM's win over Spring Hill on Dec. 7.
He dished out a team-high six assists in a game-high 32 minutes, but committed a season-worst four turnovers.
He was replaced by senior Dante Stiggers in the starting lineup against Alcorn State, and scored just one point and handed out one assist in 15 minutes play. Stiggers had his best all-around game of the season, with 11 points, nine assists and a career-high seven steals.
Eustachy said he had not talked to Brown in the past few days, and didn't know if Brown would return. But he said that he likely would welcome him back.
"Yeah, probably," Eustachy said, "but I want him to get his life together."
Eustachy said Stiggers, who had been USM's starting point guard for most of the past three seasons during coach James Green's tenure, will make his second start of the season for the Golden Eagles (6-2) when they host LSU (5-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.
Eustachy said guards Michael Ford and Rashaad Carruth were also capable of handling point guard duties.
"(Brown's leaving), it just kills us, but you have to move on," Eustachy said. "You have the rest of the season to worry about."
HATTIESBURG ? Southern Miss junior point guard Solomon Brown, the Golden Eagles' floor leader, has left the team, USM coach Larry Eustachy said Thursday.
"He's quit, left, whatever you want to call it," Eustachy said. "He'd been struggling with some things since he's been here, and I guess he needed some time off. He's got family issues that he's been trying to work through."
The 6-foot-2 Brown, a native of Los Angeles, could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Eustachy said Brown had nearly left the team about three weeks ago, but stayed until the end of the semester.
"He got through finals; grade-wise, he was fine," Eustachy said. "This is personal stuff, family issues."
The affable Brown had been among the best of the five junior college players that Eustachy and his staff had signed during the spring and summer. His 51 assists led the team, and he had made just 14 turnovers, giving him a sparkling assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 3.5. Brown had averaged 28.1 minutes per game, also best on the team, while averaging 9.5 points and 2.5 rebounds a game.
He had 12 assists against McNeese State on Nov. 27, matching the 10th-best performance by a Golden Eagle for single-game assists. His best all-around game may have been against UNC-Greensboro, when he scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists.
But USM's last two outings were his worst. He made just 1 of 7 baskets, while scoring three points in USM's win over Spring Hill on Dec. 7.
He dished out a team-high six assists in a game-high 32 minutes, but committed a season-worst four turnovers.
He was replaced by senior Dante Stiggers in the starting lineup against Alcorn State, and scored just one point and handed out one assist in 15 minutes play. Stiggers had his best all-around game of the season, with 11 points, nine assists and a career-high seven steals.
Eustachy said he had not talked to Brown in the past few days, and didn't know if Brown would return. But he said that he likely would welcome him back.
"Yeah, probably," Eustachy said, "but I want him to get his life together."
Eustachy said Stiggers, who had been USM's starting point guard for most of the past three seasons during coach James Green's tenure, will make his second start of the season for the Golden Eagles (6-2) when they host LSU (5-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.
Eustachy said guards Michael Ford and Rashaad Carruth were also capable of handling point guard duties.
"(Brown's leaving), it just kills us, but you have to move on," Eustachy said. "You have the rest of the season to worry about."
