HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss men's basketball coaching staff knew Camden Cerese could play. They wouldn't have recruited the 6-foot-4 guard otherwise. What Cerese has shown since arriving in Hattiesburg, though, apparently exceeded those expectations.
Southern Miss lead assistant coach Noah Croak recently described Cerese as " probably the biggest surprise guard-wise " during the offseason for a Southern Miss roster filled with new and talented players. For a player making the jump from Division II Saint Leo to Division I basketball, it was meaningful praise, but also validation of the work Cerese has put in not just this summer, but over the last few years to get to this point.
"I want to thank Coach Croak for saying that. That means a lot," Cerese told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI . "I think I've just been working very hard on all aspects of my game. Especially going into Division I, it's very different. You have to be sharp with all your tools."
As a sophomore at Saint Leo last season, the Roselle, Illinois, native averaged 15.6 points and 4.5 rebounds through 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury. He scored in double figures eight times, eclipsed 20 points twice and poured in a season-high 27 against Winona State.
Cerese also shot 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep. Now, Southern Miss is trying to help him turn that scoring ability into something more complete.
Southern Miss guard Camden Cerese poses during a photoshoot. | Southern Miss Athletics
Cerese entered the transfer portal knowing exactly what he wanted. After playing at Saint Leo, the junior guard believed the next step in his career needed to be Division I basketball.
"I knew at the end of this last season I needed to make that jump to Division I. I just knew that was the best route for me and my career," Cerese said.
Southern Miss wasted little time making him feel like that opportunity could be in Hattiesburg, contacting him on the first day of his portal recruitment and remaining in daily communication from that point on. Head coach Jay Ladner, Croak and the rest of the staff didn't just recruit Cerese. As they have with several other recruits , the coaching staff developed enough trust with Cerese and his family that he ultimately committed without ever visiting Hattiesburg.
"They were talking to me every day," Cerese said. "They were always the one that, you could tell, cared the most for me. ... I knew that this was the best place for me and the school that really cared the most for me.
"I didn't even come on a visit. I just knew this was the place. I committed to them off the phone. I was like, 'Yeah, this is the place where I need to be this year."
Southern Miss guard Camden Cerese directs the offense during a Golden Eagles summer practice at Reed Green Coliseum. | Southern Miss Athletics
Southern Miss already knew that Cerese could put the ball in the basket. His numbers at Saint Leo showed he was capable of scoring at all three levels, and Cerese considers that scoring versatility one of his biggest strengths. With that being said, though, he's made his game more well-rounded this offseason.
"I think the main thing that's taken a jump for me is my playmaking," Cerese said. "Just having guys around you that are playing at such a high level and guys that are athletic, shoot the ball and can slash, I think that's helped my playmaking game."
Southern Miss has been highly impressed with that part of his game, with Coach Croak noting Cerese's incredible assist-to-turnover ratio from all the summer practices. Cerese was more of a scoring point guard at Saint Leo, but with more offensive weapons around him now, he's making more of a conscious effort to create for others.
"Coming in this year, I knew there was going to be a lot of high-level talent around me," Cerese said. "So playmaking, assists, and making sure guys have the best shots possible, I think that's definitely been another part that's really elevating my game."
And then, there's his improved 3-point shot. Despite already shooting 41 percent from deep in his shortened sophomore season, Cerese said perimeter shooting has historically been one of the areas of his game he felt needed the most work. He has put in the work, and so far, at least through summer practices, that work has paid off.
"This summer I shot 50 percent from three in all our practices," Cerese said. "So that's definitely been the biggest jump that I've had. I just keep working on it, hundreds of shots a day with my 3-point shooting."
If that progress carries into games, a 6-foot-4 guard who can score at three levels and create for others starts becoming a pretty interesting piece for a Southern Miss team that has championship aspirations.
Southern Miss men's basketball head coach Jay Ladner and guard Camden Cerese during a summer practice at Reed Green Coliseum. | Southern Miss Athletics
Cerese isn't the only Golden Eagle adjusting to something new. Despite having a few key players returning, like guards Isaac Taveras and Brewer Carruth , Southern Miss will enter the season with a heavily rebuilt roster. That means most of the offseason has been about taking players from different backgrounds and trying to make them look and play like one team.
From Cerese's perspective, that process happened surprisingly quickly.
"I think we have a great group of guys that are all connected," he said. "I think we've connected from the first run we had, the first open gym."
Cerese credits the coaching staff for assembling players who share a similar mentality, particularly when it comes to putting team success ahead of individual numbers.
"I think the biggest thing you need to have on a team is guys that don't care only about themselves, but care about the team," Cerese said. "I think that's what had us make a huge jump from the start."
Nobody knows yet exactly how large Cerese's role will become once Southern Miss starts playing games, but his offseason work has certainly put him in a position to compete for a starting job. Regardless of what his role ends up being, Cerese already knows what he wants Southern Miss fans to notice the first time they see him check into a game: effort.
"I think the first thing they'll remember about me is how hard I play out there," Cerese said. "You're going to see a guy that just wants to win. That's my main objective every game. It's not about myself, it's about the team.
"I'm going to go out there and give it my all every single play. ... I'm going to work super hard to be ready and be sharp at all times. A guy that just wants to win. That's the most important thing for me."
For someone who came to Hattiesburg looking to prove he belonged at the Division I level, becoming one of Southern Miss' biggest offseason surprises isn't a bad place to start.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/southernmiss as Camden Cerese Bet on Himself, and Southern Miss Basketball Could Be Rewarded For It .
