HATTIESBURG, Miss. – When it comes to Southern Miss men's basketball, the vibes have been on a constant upward trajectory since the end of last season. Despite battling through injuries, the Golden Eagles finished the 2025-26 season with a 19-16 overall record and a run to the Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals before ultimately falling to the eventual champion Troy. It was the first winning season Southern Miss had achieved since the 2022-23 season, when it won the Sun Belt regular-season championship.After starting the offseason by losing star guard Tylik Weeks to Memphis in the transfer portal, head coach Jay Ladner and his staff wasted no time reloading the roster with several key additions on top of star guard Isaac Taveras announcing his return for his senior year.This summer, Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI is taking a closer look at every player on the men's basketball roster. We've already done breakdowns of lead guard Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt and versatile forward Mike Montano, and today, we're looking at Southern Miss' newest two-way shooting guard, Anthony Igiede.Igiede By The NumbersUniversity of West Florida AthleticsDuring his redshirt-junior year at West Florida, Igiede started in 22 of the team's 23 games and averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.7 minutes per game. He shot 43.2 percent overall and an impressive 38.1 percent from 3-point range on nearly five attempts from deep per game. Igiede also got to the free-throw line nearly five times per game as well, shooting 75.2 percent from the charity stripe.Igiede is a natural scorer, having scored at least 20 points six times last season. He put up double figures in all but six games, with his season-high scoring performance coming against Mississippi College on Jan. 4, where he poured in 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting overall and 3-of-7 from deep to go with four blocks and two steals as well.When asked about players he's looked up to over the years, Igiede tells Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI that his all-time favorite basketball player is NBA superstar LeBron James, but that he's tried to model a lot of his game after NBA shooting guard Cam Thomas.Although Igiede is capable of filling it up on the offensive end like Thomas can, he's far from being a one-dimensional player. He's a talented perimeter defender as well, using his 6-5 frame and 7-0 wingspan to disrupt passing lanes.“Just a little bit of everything,” Igiede said when asked what he envisions himself bringing to this Golden Eagles ballclub next season. “Experience, shooting, scoring, the defense, leadership. Just trying to bring the total package, help us win some games.”Last season, shooting from deep was a struggle for the Golden Eagles at times, but that could change in the 2026-27 season, and if it does, Igiede will likely be a big reason why, given that he has shot 37 percent from beyond the arc for his entire collegiate career between two years at Southern Arkansas and one year at West Florida. Igiede is a versatile guard with his biggest strengths being 3-point shooting, ability to straight-line drive and make plays, and off-ball defense in passing lanes to create turnovers. This will be Igiede's first year playing Division I college basketball, but his shooting touch and physical traits should translate nicely going into his final year of eligibility.Getting to Know More About IgiedeSouthern Miss shooting guard Anthony Igiede soaks in head coach Jay Ladner's instructions during Tuesday afternoon's practice. | Dalton TriggIgiede, a Baton Rouge, LA native, is still adjusting to life in Hattiesburg and getting used to his new surroundings, but he's loved every minute of it so far, thanks in large part to the community's hospitality.“Man, so far, just the people, the community, the food,” Igiede said when asked what he’s loved the most about Southern Miss and the Hub City in general so far. “Everybody's welcomed me anytime I go out to a new restaurant, a new place. Everybody welcomes me. Just great hospitality, great atmosphere. So Hattisburg's treating me nice so far.”Given his abilities as a two-way shooting guard with experience, Igiede had options when he entered the transfer portal a few months ago, but he ultimately chose to finish his collegiate career at Southern Miss.“Honestly, the people, the coaching staff, the community,” Igiede said when asked what made him decide to don the Black and Gold. “When I came here on my visit, everything was welcoming. The coaching staff, they were honest from the beginning. They recruited me as I got into the portal, just telling me the truth, and it felt like the best place where I can maximize my game and make a real impact.”Despite facing the modern-day roster-retention challenges created by the transfer portal era, especially for mid-major basketball programs, the Golden Eagles seem to have found a sustainable formula for bringing in under-the-radar players with chips on their shoulders; players who are looking to win and prove the doubters wrong. It's only late June, but chemistry for this Southern Miss ballclub is already high. These guys should be ready to hit the ground running come November.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow