Road Trap ‘07-’08 rolls into Southaven, MS for the showdown between Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi tomorrow night. In advance of the game, I spoke with Larry Eustachy earlier this evening. Some of the highlights of the conversation:

1. Coach Eustachy feels his team is about where it should be. Inexperience and injuries have set the team back a little, but he feels the team is “starting to understand what it takes to be successful.”

2. He says the Golden Eagles are better than they were last season, but may not finish with as good a record. He attributes that to a tougher nonconference schedule and an improved Conference USA.

3. Coach Eustachy says Jeremy Wise is better than any guard he’s coached, with the exception of Jamaal Tinsley. He believes he’ll be an NBA guard because of his athleticism and the continuing improvement in his all around game.

4. A number of subjects came up when I asked about the biggest crisis facing college basketball. The inconsistent application and midstream change of NCAA rules was one of the main problems Coach Eustachy identified. He also voiced displeasure with the new decorum rules and the fact officials are going to be rewarded with NCAA tournament assignments based on how rigorously they enforce those standards. He was especially bothered with the fact the new emphasis really keeps assistants from getting up off the bench and helping coach the guys they worked so hard to recruit.

5. The series with Ole Miss is one he is very excited about. He was effusive in his praise for Andy Kennedy(”My hats off to Andy Kennedy.”)for agreeing to the series. Coach Eustachy pointed out that Mississippi State refuses to play Southern Miss, even in a 2 for 1 arrangement. He believes the series will be great for hoops in Mississippi.

6. I asked Coach Eustachy about his time as an assistant at Idaho to Tim Floyd. The other assitants on that staff were Randy Bennett and Kermit Davis. He said “Coach Floyd rounded us all out as coaches by making us work on our weaknesses.” He also had high praise for his mentor, former USC and Mississippi State coach Bob Boyd.

7. Coach Eustachy said he believes all the national attention Memphis is receiving benefits all of C-USA. He also said John Calipari is a great friend and a team player who often does things that benefit the conference as a whole instead of only looking out for himself.

8. On the three point line being moved: “The longer the better.” He went on to say that he doesn’t let the line dictate his overall philosophy.

9. Coach Eustachy made the point that scheduling “is the toughest part of the job” at Southern Mississippi. He stated that the Golden Eagles find it pretty much impossible to get SEC teams to come to Hattiesburg, even in 2 for 1s.

10. Coach Eustachy believes he’s “sitting on a monster job.” He bases that on the fact he has “the best proximity to players I’ve ever had at any of my jobs.”

Tomorrow: The Game.

Tags: road trap