Southern Miss basketball signs 6-foot-7 former Utah commit

The Southern Miss men’s basketball program signed a forward to bolster its frontcourt on Wednesday.

Josh Conley is a 6-foot-7, 185-pound Inglewood, Calif., product who played last season at LaGrange (Ga.) Sound Doctrine Academy.

Conley initially verbally committed to Utah in October, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

“We are happy to have Josh join our program,” Southern Miss coach Doc Sadler said in a press release. “He really excels on the defensive end, while on offense he is a great passer and is very capable of knocking down the open jumper.”

Conley plans to study sports medicine at Southern Miss.

“It had the right home environment for me, from the coaches to the players,” Conley said in a press release. “Not just that I could advance in basketball, but also leave the school with people I can have with me for life.

“Growing up around basketball, I made friends with trainers, and in my eyes, it’s a way to stay connected with sports and keep yourself healthy while playing. I have always found it interesting and looked up to the trainers I had.”

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Southern Miss basketball signs 6-foot-7 former Utah commit."