2026-27 Outlook
LangIndex projects Southern Miss at #194 nationally for the 2026-27 college basketball season with a projected efficiency margin of -0.6 points per 100 possessions. That's a major climb from #234 a season ago, one of the bigger projected rises in the country. The model expects a rebuilding-type season.
Only 10% of last season's minutes return, so this roster will look very different. Expect some early-season volatility while new pieces settle in.
Last Season (2025-26)
Southern Miss finished 2025-26 at 17-16, ranked #234 in the final LangIndex ratings with adjusted offense of 101.8 and adjusted defense of 111.1 points per 100 possessions.
How LangIndex Rates Southern Miss
Southern Miss's power rating of -0.6 is an adjusted efficiency margin: the points per 100 possessions the model expects them to outscore an average Division I team by, once you strip out schedule strength. It combines adjusted offensive efficiency, adjusted defensive efficiency, and pace into one number, so a rating of -0.6 means Southern Miss projects to lose to a neutral-court average team by about 0 points on a typical night. The full live version updates every morning during the season.
Southern Miss Rating History
Season-by-season LangIndex power rating and national rank. Southern Miss has trended upward over the last few seasons. Their best finish in this window was #60 in 2022-23.
| Season | Power Rating | Nat. Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | -5.1 | #226 |
| 2024-25 | -10.4 | #313 |
| 2023-24 | -4.8 | #249 |
| 2022-23 | +9.1 | #60 |
| 2021-22 | -19.9 | #351 |
| 2020-21 | -7.8 | #265 |