HATTIESBURG, Miss. – With the Southern Miss men's basketball team set to begin exhibition play next week and the 2026-27 regular season just over two weeks away at Reed Green Coliseum, there are still a few players that Golden Eagle fans need to know more about before things officially tip off.

DeAndre Harvey is the youngest player on Southern Miss' roster, but he does not lack confidence in his ability to score the basketball, and he's the subject of our Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI player profile spotlight today.

The freshman guard has a lot of room to grow as his collegiate career is just getting started, but he already knows how to create his own shot and can knock them down. Harvey projects to start out this season in a reserve role, but the staff sees a scorer it hopes to build with as he learns the Division I game.

Harvey By The Numbers and Why He Chose Southern Miss

Harvey said the Golden Eagles were consistent throughout his entire recruitment period. The regular conversations helped him get comfortable with the staff and made him aware of just how much Southern Miss wanted him.

"They were consistent. I knew they wanted me because they stayed on top of it throughout the whole year, basically just keeping in contact, making sure to text me like every other day at least," Harvey said. "Just building that bond over time. I liked that."

The 6-foot-4 guard from Williston, Florida, averaged 18.2 points as a senior at The Rock School in Gainesville, earning first-team All-SIAA recognition. As a junior at Williston High School, Harvey averaged 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals. He also had experience playing in the Grind Session prep circuit along the way as well.

Harvey just recently turned 18 and has the physical tools and athleticism to be an impressive shooting guard at this level on both sides of the ball as he continues to gain experience. The Golden Eagles' coaching staff really likes his ability to create offense.

Although Harvey certainly works hard in the weight room to enhance his athleticism, some of it is natural, as he comes from an athletic family that includes NFL and other professional athletes. Going into his first year at Southern Miss, he knows exactly what fans should expect from him when he gets opportunities on the floor.

"A lot of energy on the defensive side and playing fast, getting downhill, getting out, getting some dunks," Harvey said. "Just bringing energy."

A Natural Scorer with Plenty of Upside

It didn't take Harvey long to post double-digit points in the box score of his first time playing in front of Golden Eagle fans, as he scored 10 points for the Black team in Tuesday's Black and Gold scrimmage at Reed Green Coliseum.

Harvey is still working on carving out his role in this year's rotation, but he could very well find his way onto the floor as the season progresses and he continues to adapt and pick up the college game. The scoring ability is there. Understanding and executing his responsibilities on both ends will be part of earning those minutes.

Harvey has noticed the faster pace and how much more attention he has to pay to the details. Things he could get away with in high school can now be exposed against college players. He's confident in his ability as a natural scorer but also acknowledges which parts of his game he needs to work on.

"It's definitely faster," Harvey said. "Faster-paced for sure. ... I feel like I'm a great offensive player. I have great on-ball defense, I would say, but just my off-ball defense, I have to get better with that and gain more attention to detail with being in the right spots."

Growing Chemistry and Dreams of March Madness

Harvey believes Southern Miss' chemistry has improved throughout the offseason, though it was already strong from the very beginning, too. That connection was noticeable during practices I attended early in the summer, even with so many players still getting to know one another.

“It’s gotten way better since the summertime,” Harvey said. “We all know each other’s personnel and what we all do well, what we like to do, where we like to catch the ball.”

He expects that familiarity to keep improving once games officially begin, but he already likes the group's chances given how connected it already is.

"What we expect is to get into that tournament," Harvey said. "I feel like we've got all the tools we need to make it happen. Great team, great coaches."

Others appear to believe this year's Golden Eagles squad has that kind of potential as well, as the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook ranked Southern Miss at No. 4 in its Sun Belt preseason rankings and named returning senior guard Isaac Taveras as the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year.

Harvey has the skills and the right mindset to earn a role that helps the Golden Eagles live up to those kinds of expectations. He just has to stay consistent, continue stacking one good day after another, and take advantage of the opportunities he's been given throughout his freshman year.