From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebels and Gamecocks will face off for the second time this year, as the Ole Miss men's basketball team hosts South Carolina on Saturday, February 11 at noon in the SJB Pavilion and on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (10-14, 2-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (74-75) • 543-338 career record (28th Season)
South Carolina Gamecocks (8-16, 1-10 SEC)
Head Coach: Lamont Paris • 1st Season at South Carolina (8-16) • 95-88 career record (6th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave Neal
Color: Joe Kleine
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
The two programs will meet for the 46th time ever and second time this season, after Ole Miss picked up a 70-58 win in Columbia on January 17. The programs first met in December of 1960, when South Carolina defeated Ole Miss 85-79. After joining the SEC in 1991, the two began regularly meeting with the Rebels defeating the Gamecocks 76-61 in February of 1992. Overall, the Rebels lead the all-time series 24-21, and are 6-4 over the last 10 meetings. Under head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels have won four compared to South Carolina's two.
LAST MEETING: JANUARY 17, 2023 (W, 70-58, COLUMBIA, S.C.)
• The Ole Miss defense held South Carolina to just 20 points on 30.0 percent shooting in the first half to take a 30-20 advantage into the break, before winning by 12.
• For the first time on the season (now one of three), Ole Miss connected on 10 three pointers, led by five from Matthew Murrell who finished with a game-best 23 points and career-high nine rebounds.
• Jayveous McKinnis recorded his 39th career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
South Carolina enters Saturday's game with a record of 8-16 overall and 1-10 in conference. They've picked up wins over South Carolina State, Clemson, USC Upstate, Georgetown, Presbyterian, Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, and Kentucky. They come to Oxford on an eight-game losing streak, having recently fallen to Arkansas by just two on February 4, and Missouri 83-74 on February 7. Their lone victory in SEC play against Kentucky came on the road, as they defeated the Wildcats 71-68 in Rupp Arena.
The Gamecocks rank sixth in the conference and 30th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 12.4 per outing. They also rank in the top-100 in three-point attempts per game, averaging 23.9 shots from deep per game, the 88th-most in college basketball.
Their offense runs through highly touted freshman Gregory "GG" Jackson, as he ranks fifth in the SEC in points per game at a 16.1 average. He also ranks among the top-10 in conference in field goal attempts (358, No. 1 SEC and No. 33 NCAA), made field goals (141, No. 4 SEC), rebounds per game (6.5, No. 9 SEC), field goal percentage (39.4%, No. 9 SEC), and minutes per game (No. 9 SEC, 32:43).
20-20 VISION
On February 7 at Georgia, Jaemyn Brakefield and Myles Burns each hit the 20-point mark in the Rebels' 78-74 road victory. Coming off the first double-double of his career at Vanderbilt, Brakefield led Ole Miss with a career-high 24 points on 11-15 shooting, adding seven rebounds and tying his season-best with four assists. Burns loaded the box score with a season-high 20 points as well as six rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a block. This was the first game Ole Miss had two hit the 20-point threshold since January 24, 2022, when Matthew Murrell (20 points) and Daeshun Ruffin (21 points) did so in a 70-54 win over Florida.
A DEFENSIVE GOAT
Recording a steal in the closing moments of the first half against Missouri, senior transfer Myles Burns collected the 400th steal of his collegiate career. Joining the Ole Miss program from Loyola New Orleans of the NAIA, Burns brought 358 steals from his four-time NAIA All-American career and has collected 50 since coming to Oxford. Counting his stats from the NAIA, Burns would become just the sixth person in NCAA men's basketball history across all divisions to collect 400 career steals. He is currently on pace to surpass 60 steals this season, and would become the first Rebel to hit that mark since Jason Smith had 73 in 1999.
400 Career NCAA Steals List
1. Calvin Cheek, New England Col. (III), 2017-22: 580 steals
2. Jacob Gilyard, Richmond (I), 2017-22: 466 steals
3. Tennyson Whitted, Ramapo (III), 1999-2003: 448 steals
4. Jonte Flowers, Winona St. (II), 2004-08: 414 steals
5. John Gallogly, Salve Regina (III), 1994-98: 413 steals
*Myles Burns - 408 steals (including stats from NAIA)
MB2K
Myles Burns scored 1,852 points during his career at Loyola New Orleans, and surpassed the 2,000-career points mark on February 4 at Vanderbilt with a dunk on an alley-oop. If his NAIA stats transferred to the NCAA, he would be one of just five active players across all divisions in college basketball with at least 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Other active student-athletes with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds are Jayden Gardner (Virginia), KJ Williams (LSU), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), and Jordan Janssen (Wayne St. (NE)).
Burns would also be just one of three active players across all divisions with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in their career. Janssen of Wayne St. (NE) and Williams of LSU would be the only other active members of that club.
Myles Burns Collegiate Career Totals
Games Played: 144
Games Started: 132
Points: 2,026 (14.1/game)
Rebounds: 1,220 (8.5/game)
Steals: 408 (2.8/game)
Assists: 328 (2.3/game)
Blocks: 128 (0.9/game)
THROUGH THE FIRE
Ole Miss has faced off with some of the best competition college basketball has to offer, as the Rebels current strength of schedule ranks 18th in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 341-213 (0.616), they have taken on 13 foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100, including 10 in the top-50 and two in the top-five.
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 68.2 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points eight times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 36th in the country in blocks per game (4.6). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (30 total blocks, 1.3 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (27 total blocks, 1.2 per game).
On January 3 at No. 7 Alabama, Akwuba and McKinnis combined for seven blocks, with Akwuba's four bringing his collegiate career total to 200 (now at 212). He and McKinnis (259 career blocks) are the only two teammates in college basketball with over 200 swats in their careers, and each rank among the top-10 in active career leaders.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.2 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 38th in the nation. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 54 offensive rebounds (2.3 per game).
THEM REBS MOVE FAST
Ole Miss has been quick to react on defensive rebounds and turnovers, outscoring their opponents on fast-break opportunities by 82 this season (243-161). The Rebels has recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 17 of their 24 games.
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 20
Junior guard Matthew Murrell has scored 20 or more points six times this season, and averages 14.6 per game. A large part of his offense has come from deep, as he has made 41 threes on the year. Over a four-game stretch against Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia, and South Carolina from Jan. 7-17, Murrell averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field and connecting on 10 threes.
DEEP POCKETS
The Rebels' depth has been on full display this season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through 24 games (34.5%, 560 of 1,625 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 16 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 121 on the year (560 to 439).
AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
With eight new faces for Ole Miss this season, the Rebel newcomers have been seeing serious minutes and contributing in all major stat categories.
Newcomer Splits:
Minutes: 52.4% (2,516 of 4,800)
Scoring: 46.8% (761 of 1,625)
Rebounding: 51.7% (453 of 877)
Assists: 43.5% (136 of 313)
Steals: 59.3% (96 of 162)
Blocks: 78.4% (87 of 111)
They've also accounted for at least half the scoring in eight games this season.
vs. Stanford: 48 of 72 (66.7%)
vs. Siena: 37 of 74 (50.0%)
vs. Stanford: 39 of 55 (70.1%)
at Memphis: 32 of 57 (56.1%)
vs. UCF: 38 of 61 (62.3%)
vs. Georgia: 31 of 58 (53.5%)
vs. Kentucky: 48 of 66 (72.7%)
at Vanderbilt: 39 of 71 (54.9%)
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,106), fifth in total blocks (259), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 12th in rebounds per game (8.7), 13th in blocks per game (2.0) and 27th in field goal shooting (.612). McKinnis is one of just 12 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel, North Carolina's Armando Bacot, Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, Nicholls' Manny Littles, Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah, LSU's KJ Williams, Iowa's Filip Rebraca, San Diego's Eric Williams Jr., Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor, Virginia's Jayden Gardner, and Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis. He is also just one of ten, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., and Gardner with 1,000 career points (1,205) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 259 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 212. Ole Miss stands as the only school with multiple top-10 active blockers and is the only school with two within the top-25. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (39, No. 8), Mballa (29, No. 17) and Akwuba (17) combine for 85 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 68 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (37) at 78.
* Note: Myles Burns' 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but he would rank third in the nation at 1,220 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,552 boards between Burns (1,220), McKinnis (1,106), Mballa (827), Akwuba (699) and Robert Allen (700). Burns' combined career total of 2,026 points would also rank No. 27 among all NCAA divisions.
RENAISSANCE MAN
Senior transfer Myles Burns has made an immediate impact for the Rebels on both ends of the floor with a unique talent blend as a defensive force and a go-getter on the glass. Burns ranks 26th in the nation with 50 steals, while also ranking 9th in the conference with 151 total rebounds.
Prior to Ole Miss, Burns had an extraordinary career at Loyola New Orleans, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. With the Wolf Pack, Burns played in 120 career games with 111 starts, while setting career averages of 15.3 points (1,852), 8.8 rebounds (1,069), 3.0 steals (358), 2.5 assists (298) and 1.0 blocks (116). In Loyola's record book, Burns ranks No. 1 in steals (358), No. 2 all-time in points (1,852), No. 2 in rebounds (1,069), No. 4 in blocks (116) and No. 7 in assists (298), with his 358 steals resting 163 more than any other player in Loyola history.
Burns helped lead Loyola to the 2022 NAIA National Championship title, the first in school history since 1945, as the tournament MVP at 19.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals with four double-doubles in six tournament games.
Burns is no stranger to dominating these two distinct statistical categories, as his 151 offensive rebounds and 152 steals in 2021-22 had no rival in all of college basketball, with the nearest Division I comparison being defending national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, who had 179 offensive rebounds and 60 steals last season. Furthermore, Burns' 152 steals last season earned him the 2022 Marques Haynes Award, which is given annually to the player with the most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 60-24 when leading at half
• 6-0 when scoring 90+, 30-4 when scoring 80+, 58-25 when scoring 70+
• 52-22 when winning the rebounding battle
• 33-5 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 21-8 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 40-9 when keeping opponents below 40 percent shooting
EXPERIENCE FROM THE PORTAL
Ole Miss went into the portal looking for experienced big men, and came away with four of the most well-seasoned options available. Those four senior transfers -- F Theo Akwuba, F Myles Burns, F Josh Mballa and F Jayveous McKinnis -- hold an incredible combined career stat lines across their respective careers prior to Ole Miss:
Combined Career Stats (NAIA included for Burns):
• 513 games played
• 385 games started
• 5,123 points
• 3,852 rebounds
• 681 steals (408 from Burns alone)
• 674 blocks
| OLE MISS (10-14, 2-9 SEC) vs. SOUTH CAROLINA (8-16, 1-10 SEC) Saturday, Feb. 11 • 12:00 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. SJB Pavilion (9,500) 
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| Watch • Live Stats • Listen Ole Miss Game Notes • South Carolina Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebels and Gamecocks will face off for the second time this year, as the Ole Miss men's basketball team hosts South Carolina on Saturday, February 11 at noon in the SJB Pavilion and on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (10-14, 2-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (74-75) • 543-338 career record (28th Season)
South Carolina Gamecocks (8-16, 1-10 SEC)
Head Coach: Lamont Paris • 1st Season at South Carolina (8-16) • 95-88 career record (6th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave Neal
Color: Joe Kleine
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
The two programs will meet for the 46th time ever and second time this season, after Ole Miss picked up a 70-58 win in Columbia on January 17. The programs first met in December of 1960, when South Carolina defeated Ole Miss 85-79. After joining the SEC in 1991, the two began regularly meeting with the Rebels defeating the Gamecocks 76-61 in February of 1992. Overall, the Rebels lead the all-time series 24-21, and are 6-4 over the last 10 meetings. Under head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels have won four compared to South Carolina's two.
LAST MEETING: JANUARY 17, 2023 (W, 70-58, COLUMBIA, S.C.)
• The Ole Miss defense held South Carolina to just 20 points on 30.0 percent shooting in the first half to take a 30-20 advantage into the break, before winning by 12.
• For the first time on the season (now one of three), Ole Miss connected on 10 three pointers, led by five from Matthew Murrell who finished with a game-best 23 points and career-high nine rebounds.
• Jayveous McKinnis recorded his 39th career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
South Carolina enters Saturday's game with a record of 8-16 overall and 1-10 in conference. They've picked up wins over South Carolina State, Clemson, USC Upstate, Georgetown, Presbyterian, Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, and Kentucky. They come to Oxford on an eight-game losing streak, having recently fallen to Arkansas by just two on February 4, and Missouri 83-74 on February 7. Their lone victory in SEC play against Kentucky came on the road, as they defeated the Wildcats 71-68 in Rupp Arena.
The Gamecocks rank sixth in the conference and 30th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 12.4 per outing. They also rank in the top-100 in three-point attempts per game, averaging 23.9 shots from deep per game, the 88th-most in college basketball.
Their offense runs through highly touted freshman Gregory "GG" Jackson, as he ranks fifth in the SEC in points per game at a 16.1 average. He also ranks among the top-10 in conference in field goal attempts (358, No. 1 SEC and No. 33 NCAA), made field goals (141, No. 4 SEC), rebounds per game (6.5, No. 9 SEC), field goal percentage (39.4%, No. 9 SEC), and minutes per game (No. 9 SEC, 32:43).
20-20 VISION
On February 7 at Georgia, Jaemyn Brakefield and Myles Burns each hit the 20-point mark in the Rebels' 78-74 road victory. Coming off the first double-double of his career at Vanderbilt, Brakefield led Ole Miss with a career-high 24 points on 11-15 shooting, adding seven rebounds and tying his season-best with four assists. Burns loaded the box score with a season-high 20 points as well as six rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a block. This was the first game Ole Miss had two hit the 20-point threshold since January 24, 2022, when Matthew Murrell (20 points) and Daeshun Ruffin (21 points) did so in a 70-54 win over Florida.
A DEFENSIVE GOAT
Recording a steal in the closing moments of the first half against Missouri, senior transfer Myles Burns collected the 400th steal of his collegiate career. Joining the Ole Miss program from Loyola New Orleans of the NAIA, Burns brought 358 steals from his four-time NAIA All-American career and has collected 50 since coming to Oxford. Counting his stats from the NAIA, Burns would become just the sixth person in NCAA men's basketball history across all divisions to collect 400 career steals. He is currently on pace to surpass 60 steals this season, and would become the first Rebel to hit that mark since Jason Smith had 73 in 1999.
400 Career NCAA Steals List
1. Calvin Cheek, New England Col. (III), 2017-22: 580 steals
2. Jacob Gilyard, Richmond (I), 2017-22: 466 steals
3. Tennyson Whitted, Ramapo (III), 1999-2003: 448 steals
4. Jonte Flowers, Winona St. (II), 2004-08: 414 steals
5. John Gallogly, Salve Regina (III), 1994-98: 413 steals
*Myles Burns - 408 steals (including stats from NAIA)
MB2K
Myles Burns scored 1,852 points during his career at Loyola New Orleans, and surpassed the 2,000-career points mark on February 4 at Vanderbilt with a dunk on an alley-oop. If his NAIA stats transferred to the NCAA, he would be one of just five active players across all divisions in college basketball with at least 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Other active student-athletes with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds are Jayden Gardner (Virginia), KJ Williams (LSU), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), and Jordan Janssen (Wayne St. (NE)).
Burns would also be just one of three active players across all divisions with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in their career. Janssen of Wayne St. (NE) and Williams of LSU would be the only other active members of that club.
Myles Burns Collegiate Career Totals
Games Played: 144
Games Started: 132
Points: 2,026 (14.1/game)
Rebounds: 1,220 (8.5/game)
Steals: 408 (2.8/game)
Assists: 328 (2.3/game)
Blocks: 128 (0.9/game)
THROUGH THE FIRE
Ole Miss has faced off with some of the best competition college basketball has to offer, as the Rebels current strength of schedule ranks 18th in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 341-213 (0.616), they have taken on 13 foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100, including 10 in the top-50 and two in the top-five.
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 68.2 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points eight times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 36th in the country in blocks per game (4.6). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (30 total blocks, 1.3 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (27 total blocks, 1.2 per game).
On January 3 at No. 7 Alabama, Akwuba and McKinnis combined for seven blocks, with Akwuba's four bringing his collegiate career total to 200 (now at 212). He and McKinnis (259 career blocks) are the only two teammates in college basketball with over 200 swats in their careers, and each rank among the top-10 in active career leaders.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.2 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 38th in the nation. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 54 offensive rebounds (2.3 per game).
THEM REBS MOVE FAST
Ole Miss has been quick to react on defensive rebounds and turnovers, outscoring their opponents on fast-break opportunities by 82 this season (243-161). The Rebels has recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 17 of their 24 games.
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 20
Junior guard Matthew Murrell has scored 20 or more points six times this season, and averages 14.6 per game. A large part of his offense has come from deep, as he has made 41 threes on the year. Over a four-game stretch against Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia, and South Carolina from Jan. 7-17, Murrell averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field and connecting on 10 threes.
DEEP POCKETS
The Rebels' depth has been on full display this season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through 24 games (34.5%, 560 of 1,625 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 16 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 121 on the year (560 to 439).
AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
With eight new faces for Ole Miss this season, the Rebel newcomers have been seeing serious minutes and contributing in all major stat categories.
Newcomer Splits:
Minutes: 52.4% (2,516 of 4,800)
Scoring: 46.8% (761 of 1,625)
Rebounding: 51.7% (453 of 877)
Assists: 43.5% (136 of 313)
Steals: 59.3% (96 of 162)
Blocks: 78.4% (87 of 111)
They've also accounted for at least half the scoring in eight games this season.
vs. Stanford: 48 of 72 (66.7%)
vs. Siena: 37 of 74 (50.0%)
vs. Stanford: 39 of 55 (70.1%)
at Memphis: 32 of 57 (56.1%)
vs. UCF: 38 of 61 (62.3%)
vs. Georgia: 31 of 58 (53.5%)
vs. Kentucky: 48 of 66 (72.7%)
at Vanderbilt: 39 of 71 (54.9%)
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,106), fifth in total blocks (259), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 12th in rebounds per game (8.7), 13th in blocks per game (2.0) and 27th in field goal shooting (.612). McKinnis is one of just 12 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel, North Carolina's Armando Bacot, Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, Nicholls' Manny Littles, Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah, LSU's KJ Williams, Iowa's Filip Rebraca, San Diego's Eric Williams Jr., Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor, Virginia's Jayden Gardner, and Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis. He is also just one of ten, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., and Gardner with 1,000 career points (1,205) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 259 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 212. Ole Miss stands as the only school with multiple top-10 active blockers and is the only school with two within the top-25. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (39, No. 8), Mballa (29, No. 17) and Akwuba (17) combine for 85 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 68 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (37) at 78.
* Note: Myles Burns' 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but he would rank third in the nation at 1,220 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,552 boards between Burns (1,220), McKinnis (1,106), Mballa (827), Akwuba (699) and Robert Allen (700). Burns' combined career total of 2,026 points would also rank No. 27 among all NCAA divisions.
RENAISSANCE MAN
Senior transfer Myles Burns has made an immediate impact for the Rebels on both ends of the floor with a unique talent blend as a defensive force and a go-getter on the glass. Burns ranks 26th in the nation with 50 steals, while also ranking 9th in the conference with 151 total rebounds.
Prior to Ole Miss, Burns had an extraordinary career at Loyola New Orleans, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. With the Wolf Pack, Burns played in 120 career games with 111 starts, while setting career averages of 15.3 points (1,852), 8.8 rebounds (1,069), 3.0 steals (358), 2.5 assists (298) and 1.0 blocks (116). In Loyola's record book, Burns ranks No. 1 in steals (358), No. 2 all-time in points (1,852), No. 2 in rebounds (1,069), No. 4 in blocks (116) and No. 7 in assists (298), with his 358 steals resting 163 more than any other player in Loyola history.
Burns helped lead Loyola to the 2022 NAIA National Championship title, the first in school history since 1945, as the tournament MVP at 19.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals with four double-doubles in six tournament games.
Burns is no stranger to dominating these two distinct statistical categories, as his 151 offensive rebounds and 152 steals in 2021-22 had no rival in all of college basketball, with the nearest Division I comparison being defending national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, who had 179 offensive rebounds and 60 steals last season. Furthermore, Burns' 152 steals last season earned him the 2022 Marques Haynes Award, which is given annually to the player with the most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 60-24 when leading at half
• 6-0 when scoring 90+, 30-4 when scoring 80+, 58-25 when scoring 70+
• 52-22 when winning the rebounding battle
• 33-5 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 21-8 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 40-9 when keeping opponents below 40 percent shooting
EXPERIENCE FROM THE PORTAL
Ole Miss went into the portal looking for experienced big men, and came away with four of the most well-seasoned options available. Those four senior transfers -- F Theo Akwuba, F Myles Burns, F Josh Mballa and F Jayveous McKinnis -- hold an incredible combined career stat lines across their respective careers prior to Ole Miss:
Combined Career Stats (NAIA included for Burns):
• 513 games played
• 385 games started
• 5,123 points
• 3,852 rebounds
• 681 steals (408 from Burns alone)
• 674 blocks
