From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men’s basketball will welcome in the Chattanooga Mocs, fresh off an NCAA Tournament run last season, to SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (66-61) • 535-324 career record (28th Season)
Chattanooga Mocs (1-1, 0-0 SoCon)
Head Coach: Dan Earl • 1st Season at Chattanooga (1-1) • 74-140 career record (8th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: John Stroud
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SiriusXM
SiriusXM: 381
SiriusXM App: 971
SERIES HISTORY VS. CHATTANOOGA
Tuesday marks the seventh all-time meeting between the Rebels and Mocs, and the first since Chattanooga came to Oxford back on Dec. 16, 2018 during head coach Kermit Davis’ first season at Ole Miss (W, 90-70). The series dates back to the 1946-47 season, which featured an in-season home-and-home on Jan. 20 (W, 64-36, in Oxford) and Feb. 11 (W, 56-49, in Chattanooga) of 1947. The two teams did the same thing in the 1959-60 season, with a 94-76 Rebel win in Oxford on Dec. 7, 1959, and a narrow loss at Chattanooga, 76-74, on Feb. 9, 1960. Between 1960 and 2018, the Rebels and Mocs met just once, a neutral site loss to the Mocs, 89-78, in Birmingham on Dec. 20, 1985.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 16, 2018 (W, 90-70, in Oxford)
• 28-0 second half run helped Ole Miss separate
• Ole Miss: 61.5 percent overall shooting (still-standing SJB Pavilion record)
• Rebels shot 56.3 percent from three, scored 27 points off turnovers
• Forced 22 Chattanooga turnovers with 11 steals
• Breein Tyree: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-of-12 FG, 3-of-4 3PT
• Terence Davis: 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 9-of-11 FG, 2-of-2 3PT
• Bruce Stevens: 15 points, 6-of-7 FG
LAST TIME OUT: vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC (W, 80-67)
• Ole Miss: 50.8 percent shooting
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 17 points, 8 rebounds (career-high), 6-of-6 FG
• Matthew Murrell: 10 points, career-high 7 rebounds
• Robert Allen: 10 points, 4 rebounds
• Josh Mballa: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
YEAR FIVE FOR COACH DAVIS
Kermit Davis enters his fifth season at the helm of Ole Miss basketball. Over his first four seasons, Davis has led the Rebels to a pair of postseason appearances, going to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and the NIT in 2021 (2020 postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19). With 66 victories as head coach of the Rebels, Davis is one of only four coaches in Ole Miss history to rack up at least 50 wins over their first three seasons. A nine-time conference coach of the year, Davis has 469 career Division I wins over 25 seasons, including stints at Middle Tennessee, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 28 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 535 wins.
NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK
Ole Miss welcomes in eight new faces for the 2022-23 season, with an even split of four impressive freshmen signees and four seasoned senior transfers from the portal.
Freshmen Signees:
G Amaree Abram, G TJ Caldwell, G Robert Cowherd, F Malique Ewin
Transfers:
F Theo Akwuba, F Myles Burns, F Josh Mballa, F Jayveous McKinnis,
COACH DAVIS ON REBEL NEWCOMERS
#00 Jayveous McKinnis: “Jayveous had a fantastic career at Jackson State. He is an elite-level athlete. He was second in the nation in rebounding two years ago, and against us two seasons ago he had 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. I think Jay will continue to make great strides facing-up and shooting the ball. He comes from a great family, and he is truly Mississippi Made.”
#1 Amaree Abram: “Amaree is one of the very best two-way players in the ’22 class. He plays with great pace, he’s super competitive, and he can score at all three levels.”
#2 TJ Caldwell: “TJ Caldwell we feel is one of the most athletic players in the class of 2022. He comes from an unbelievable family. We watched him a bunch on the EYBL circuit this summer. He can shoot from three, he has a great pull-up game, he can be an elite defender, he can play the one and the two. TJ is going to be a great addition to Ole Miss basketball.”
#3 Myles Burns: “Some have thought Myles was the most impactful player in NAIA basketball since Dennis Rodman. Myles has an unbelievable motor and is super athletic in the open floor. He led the NAIA with 151 offensive rebounds and had the most steals by a player at any collegiate level during the 21-22 season. Myles is a fantastic student, a terrific teammate, and has been coached at a very high level by Stacy Hollowell.”
#10 Theo Akwuba: “Theo has tremendous presence with a 7-6 wingspan, and he has ranked in the top-10 of college basketball in blocks and offensive rebounds. He is a fantastic rim runner, he has great hands and possesses an unbelievable work ethic. Theo has made great strides offensively at Louisiana, and we feel he will continue to make a huge jump in expanding his offensive game in the SEC.”
#12 Malique Ewin: “We watched Malique, and what we loved was his size and his skill. He can drive it, he can make a three, he can really pass it. He’s got real good footwork around the post.”
#13 Robert Cowherd: “Robert is one of the toughest guys in the class of ’22. He’s like TJ, he’s an elite shooter. He can really shoot it from three. He’s got great size at 6-5, and he’s really tough. He’s one of those guys you go watch in practice and in games and he’s the first on the floor. He understands basketball, he has a good IQ and comes from an unbelievable family. (He played) for a really good team in California, and we think Robert will have a great year.”
#33 Josh Mballa: “Josh Mballa has an unbelievable motor and a fantastic work ethic, and he brings great talent, character and experience to Ole Miss. He’s already a 1,000-point scorer with nearly 800 rebounds and 29 career double-doubles. I’m impressed with Josh’s skill level and feel he will make a great jump playmaking this season in the SEC.”
HIGHLY-TOUTED FRESHMAN CLASS
Ole Miss’ freshman class isn’t just highly thought of by the Rebel coaches, but by the national recruiting services as well. This Ole Miss class ended up No. 12 in ESPN’s final rankings, with three top-100 players and all four owning a four-star rating.
#1 Amaree Abram • G • 6-4, 190 • Port Arthur, Texas • Southern California Academy
ESPN No. 98 overall, 4-star prospect ... No. 20 PG nationally, No. 11 player from Texas ... Avg 16 pts, 7 ast in senior season at Southern California Academy ... 2022 McDonald’s All-America nominee (West Region) ... Played with Robert Cowherd.
#2 TJ Caldwell • G • 6-4, 190 • Dallas, Texas • Faith Family Academy
ESPN No. 97 overall, 4-star prospect ... No. 19 SG nationally, No. 10 player from Texas ... 3x UIL Class 4A state champ ... 2022 TABC Class 4A PotY ... 24K Showcase ... All-State, All-Region, First-Team All-District.
#12 Malique Ewin • F • 6-10, 220 • Lawrenceville, Ga. • Berkmar
ESPN No. 81 overall, 4-star center ... No. 19 C nationally, No. 4 player from Georgia ... GA Region 7-AAAAAAA Player of the Year ... All-State, All-Metro, All-County ... 2x Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six.
#13 Robert Cowherd • G • 6-5, 195 • Grayson, Ga. • Southern California Academy
4-star SG ... No. 29 SG nationally, No. 24 player from California ... GA Region 4-AAAAAAA 1st-Team All-Region ... 2nd-Team All-State in GA ... Played with fellow Rebel Amaree Abram ... 2022 McDonald’s All-America nominee (West Region).
WELCOME TO THE ‘SIP
The pipeline hasn’t shut off for the Rebels yet, though, as just this week Ole Miss added four more highly-ranked recruits for the 2023-24 class. Included in that are three four-star prospects and two ESPN 100 signees, helping push Ole Miss to No. 13 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC. in the current ESPN top recruiting classes for next year.
Jordan Burks • G/F •6-8, 200 • Decatur, Ala. • Southern California Academy
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN No. 11 forward in Florida (ranking prior to transferring to SCA) ... ESPN No. 20 forward nationally.
Coach Davis: “At 6-8 and 200 pounds, he’s a big wing who is really athletic in the open floor. He’s a good shooter, has great length, has unbelievable upside, and he’s off to a great start with an outstanding Southern California Academy program.”
Jacob Gazzo • F •6-8, 210 • McComb, Miss. • Briarcrest Christian School
ESPN 3-star rated prospect ... ESPN No. 3 player in Mississippi ... ESPN No. 52 forward nationally
Coach Davis: “Jacob has been committed to us now for a couple of years. He’s an athletic 6-8, 210 pounds. He’s an excellent shooter as a power forward. He’s transferred to Briarcrest. He had a significant injury in the summer, and now he’s about to get cleared pretty soon to go back to 5-on-5. An unbelievable family, a great guy, and we think Jacob has great upside at Ole Miss.”
Josh Hubbard • PG •6-0, 185 • Madison, Miss. • Madison-Ridgeland Academy
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (93 grade) ... ESPN Top-100 (No. 74) ... ESPN No. 1 player in Mississippi ... ESPN No. 18 point guard nationally ... 247Composite 4-star rated prospect (0.9609 grade) ... 247Compsotie No. 1 player in Mississippi ... 247Composite No. 14 point guard nationally ... 247Composite No. 92 player nationally.
Coach Davis: “Josh Hubbard is the No. 1 rated player in Mississippi. We’ve been involved with Josh for a long time. I think he’s as explosive of an athlete at his position as a point guard as anybody in his class. He’s a phenomenal shooter, and a fantastic guy. He comes from an unbelievable family, and a really successful and winning program at MRA.”
Rashaud Marshall • F •6-8, 235 • Blytheville, Ark. • Blytheville HS
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN Top-100 (No. 96) ... ESPN No. 2 player in Arkansas ... ESPN No. 15 center nationally ... 247/247Composite 4-star rated prospect (92/0.9642 grade) ... 247/247Composite No. 1 player in Arkansas ... 247/247Composite No. 11 center nationally ... 247 No. 79 player nationally.
Coach Davis: “He’s rated as the No. 1 player in Arkansas, and at 6-9, 235 pounds he is an explosive, tough and physical player with a great motor. Rashaud is going to have an unbelievable senior year, and he plays for a really good Blytheville program.”
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 (prior to Ole Miss):
• 426 games played
• 343 games started
• 4,700 points
• 3,508 rebounds
• 611 steals
• 601 blocks
#00 Jayveous McKinnis • F • 6-7, 225 • Pearl, Miss. • Jackson State
38 dbl-dbls ... 104 games, 98 starts at Jackson St. ... JSU top-10 in reb. (2nd, 1,010), reb/gm (2nd, 9.7), blks (3rd, 232), blks/gm (3rd, 2.2) ... 1,080 career pts ... 2x HBCU All-American ... 3x SWAC Def. PotY ... 4x All-SWAC.
#3 Myles Burns • F • 6-6, 210 • Houston, Texas • Loyola New Orleans
120 games, 111 starts at Loyola New Orleans ... 1,852 pts, 1,069 reb, 358 stl, 298 ast, 116 blk ... 4x NAIA All-American ... 4x First-Team All-SSAC ... 3x SSAC Def. PotY ... 2022 Marques Haynes Award (most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division) ... Led Loyola to 2022 NAIA title.
#10 Theo Akwuba • F • 6-11, 225 • Montgomery, Ala. • Portland / Louisiana
103 games, 70 starts, 710 pts, 639 reb, 182 blk at Portland & Louisiana ... 2021 Sun Belt Def. PotY, 2nd-Team All-Conf. ... At La.: No. 3 all-time in blk/gm (2.3), No. 6 in reb/gm (8.6) ... 2020-21: only NCAA player top-10 in blks and o-reb.
#33 Josh Mballa • F • 6-7, 220 • Bordeaux, France • Texas Tech / Buffalo
99 games, 64 starts, 1,058 pts, 790 reb, 71 blk at Texas Tech & Buffalo ... 2x All-MAC ... 2021 MAC Def. PotY ... Buffalo No. 2 in reb/gm (9.6), o-reb (461), No. 5 reb (785) ... 29 career double-doubles.
BEST OF THE BEST
Among those four transfers are some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands alone as one of the best returners in the nation this year, currently second in total rebounds (1,016), fourth in total blocks (234), fifth in career double-doubles (38), sixth in rebounds per game (9.6), ninth in blocks per game (2.2) and 15th in field goal shooting (.606). McKinnis is one of just three active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama’s Kevin Samuel (1,066) and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot (1,016).
Ole Miss is one of three schools with multiple top-20 rebounders on the active career list alongside Virginia and Texas Tech. McKinnis (1,016) and Josh Mballa (799; No. 16) combine for 1,815 career rebounds, the second-most among teammates behind Texas Tech’s 1,818 from Fardaws Almaq (918) and Kevin Obanor (900). Of the 17,749 combined career rebounds among the NCAA’s top-20 active leaders, Ole Miss accounts for 10.2 percent from McKinnis and Mballa alone. When adding in Theo Akwuba (651, No. 48), Ole Miss stands as the lone school in all divisions with more than two top-50 rebounders on the active career list.
Ole Miss also ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries at the moment. McKinnis ranks fourth at 234 swats, while Akwuba sits eighth at 184. Combined at 418 career rejections, the Rebel duo accounts for a whopping 17.9 percent of the 2,341 career blocks among the active top-10. Ole Miss stands as one of just two schools with multiple top-25 active blockers alongside Gardner-Webb, but the Rebels are the only school with two within the top-10.
The Rebel trio of McKinnis (38, No. 5), Mballa (29, No. 13) and Akwuba (17, No. 39) combine for 84 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates with 67 behind Texas Tech’s Almaq (41) and Obanor (35) at 76.
* Note: Myles Burns’ 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but would lead the nation if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,188 boards between Akwuba, Burns, Mballa, McKinnis and Robert Allen (642). Burns’ combined career total of 1,867 points would also rank No. 7 among all NCAA divisions at the moment.
WHAT’S BACK?
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/8
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
3-Pointers: 127 of 222 (57.2%) - 26.6% from Matthew Murrell
Points: 1,116 of 2,180 (51.2%) - 17.1% from Matthew Murrell
Assists: 198 of 422 (46.9%)
Steals: 104 of 227 (45.8%)
Rebounds: 403 of 1,070 (37.7%)
Blocks: 27 of 89 (30.3%)
MURRELL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC
Ole Miss junior Matthew Murrell was honored by the league head coaches, earning Second-Team Preseason All-SEC in recognition of his sharp-shooting prowess last season. Murrell – a native of Memphis, Tennessee – is among the best three-point shooters and all-around guards returning from SEC action last year after ending the 2021-22 conference season ranked second in three-point shooting (.426), third in threes per game (2.5), sixth in minutes per game (34.1), eighth in field goal shooting (.466) and ninth in scoring (15.5). Murrell accounted for 26.6 percent of all three-pointers made by the Rebels last season, and he especially turned it on late, averaging 20.0 points and 3.0 threes over his final three games, as well as 16.3 points and 2.5 threes over his final eight games.
Sparking that SEC season stretch for Murrell was a historic outing versus in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, where he was nearly perfect in a bombastic 31-point outing against the Bulldogs. Murrell that day became only the third Rebel to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, and he is the only Rebel to do so against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line, with his lone blemish coming from within the arc in the closing minutes to end 10-of-11 overall from the field.
Murrell was also big when the spotlight was on against ranked opponents, averaging 15.0 points while shooting 42.9 percent overall and 45 percent from three in six games against AP Top-25 schools. Included in those six were two Ole Miss victories over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4 and No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, during which Murrell averaged 14.0 points for the Rebels.
DYNAMIC DUO
Murrell and sophomore Daeshun Ruffin -- the top two recruits in program history -- were a potent combo when on the court together last season, giving Ole Miss two of the SEC’s top returning guards for 2022-23. Last year, the duo combined for 24.7 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.1 SPG, shot a combined .408 from the field and .343 from 3PT.
RUFFIN OUT
Ruffin missed the final month of the season last year, and he will have to wait a bit longer to make his 2022-23 debut after suffering a minor bone bruise has forced him out of the first two games of the season. Ruffin tore his ACL at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1 last season following an incredible effort to help the Rebels earn their second AP Top-25 win of the year. Against the Tigers, Ruffin led Ole Miss with 19 points, three assists and two steals alongside a 6-of-11 line from the field, a 2-of-4 clip from three and a perfect 5-of-5 streak from the free throw line in 20 minutes of game action. Ruffin had been electric since returning to the team following an eight-game absence due to a broken right hand suffered in last year’s season opener against New Orleans on Nov. 9. On the season, Ruffin averaged a team-high 2.3 steals per game and led the Rebels with a 52-of-69 (.754) clip from the charity stripe, to go along with 12.6 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. In SEC season he was just as impressive against some of the best teams in the nation, ranking at the time of his injury second in the conference in SEC-only action in steals (2.7/game), ninth in free throw shooting (.833) and 10th in assists (3.9/game).
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday (Jan. 31) – the first such honor by a Rebel since Jarvis Summers on Dec. 5, 2011. His honor came courtesy of an excellent three-game stretch from Jan. 24-29, during which he averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals with a 19-of-24 (.792) mark from the free throw line – at one point hitting 14 in a row during those three games. Included in there is a career-high 21 points vs. Florida on Jan. 24, with 15 of those points coming in the second half. In just 14 career games played, Ruffin has scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and has had multiple steals in nine games. Ruffin was on pace to break Elston Turner’s 1978 record for steals by a freshman of 47, but will end his season at 32 swipes. Ruffin came to Ole Miss following a superb high school career at Callaway High School in Jackson, Mississippi, joining as the first McDonald’s All-American signee in program history.
HITTING HIS STRIDE
The injury to Daeshun Ruffin was made even more devastating by the fact that he was truly starting to hit his stride as a leader on the court. Over his final four games played, Ole Miss went 3-1 with wins against Florida (70-54), Kansas State (67-56) and LSU (76-72), and in those games Ruffin averaged 16.8 points, 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and shot .828 from the free throw line with an average of 6.0 free throws made (24-of-29).
Jan. 24 - vs. Florida (W, 70-54) - 21 points, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 rebounds, 6-13 FG, 9-10 FT
Jan. 26 - vs. Arkansas (L, 64-55) - 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5-5 FT
Jan. 29 - vs. Kansas State (W, 67-56) - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Feb. 1 - at No. 25 LSU (W, 76-72) - 19 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound, 5-5 FT
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the 19 months after a 76-72 victory over No. 25 LSU -- Ole Miss’ first win in Baton Rouge since 2013. Since a 52-50 win at home vs. No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021, Ole Miss has gone 5-3 against ranked squads. Under Kermit Davis, the Rebels have beaten seven top-25 opponents. Following its 67-63 upset over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4, Ole Miss notched its fourth consecutive Top-25 win for just the second time in school history. The other such occurrence came across the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, when Ole Miss ripped off four in a row against No. 6 Florida on Feb. 16, 2002 (68-51), No. 6 Alabama on March 3, 2002 (84-56), at No. 23 LSU the following season on Jan. 18, 2003 (67-57), and three days later vs. No. 15 Alabama on Jan. 21, 2003 (76-57). The latest streak came against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021 (52-50), No. 10 Missouri on Feb. 10, 2021 (80-59) and at No. 24 Missouri on Feb. 23, 2021 before the win vs. Memphis. This was also the first time since 2001 that Ole Miss won against four ranked teams within the same calendar year. That season the Rebels did so five times against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 10 (87-71), No. 20 Alabama on March 3 (105-71), No. 5 Florida in the SEC Tournament (74-69), No. 19 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament (59-56) and the following season against No. 22 Memphis on Dec. 7 (71-67).
2020-21 / 2021-22
Feb. 2, 2021 - vs. #10 Tennessee (52-50)
Feb. 10, 2021 - vs. #10 Missouri (80-59)
Feb. 23, 2021 - at #24 Missouri (60-53)
Dec. 4, 2021 - vs. #18 Memphis (67-63)
2001-02 / 2002-03
Feb. 16, 2002 - vs. #6 Florida (68-51)
March 3, 2002 - vs. #6 Alabama (84-56)
Jan. 18, 2003 - at #23 LSU (67-57)
Jan. 21, 2003 - vs. #15 Alabama (76-57)
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 56-20 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 29-4 when scoring 80+, 50-22 when scoring 70+
• 45-19 when winning the rebounding battle
• 30-5 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 20-8 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 63-34 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (36-6 when below 40 percent)
| OLE MISS (2-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. CHATTANOOGA (1-1, 0-0 SoCon) Tuesday, Nov. 15 • 6:30 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) 
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| Watch • Live Stats • Listen • Gameday Info • Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes • Chattanooga Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (66-61) • 535-324 career record (28th Season)
Chattanooga Mocs (1-1, 0-0 SoCon)
Head Coach: Dan Earl • 1st Season at Chattanooga (1-1) • 74-140 career record (8th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: John Stroud
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SiriusXM
SiriusXM: 381
SiriusXM App: 971
SERIES HISTORY VS. CHATTANOOGA
Tuesday marks the seventh all-time meeting between the Rebels and Mocs, and the first since Chattanooga came to Oxford back on Dec. 16, 2018 during head coach Kermit Davis’ first season at Ole Miss (W, 90-70). The series dates back to the 1946-47 season, which featured an in-season home-and-home on Jan. 20 (W, 64-36, in Oxford) and Feb. 11 (W, 56-49, in Chattanooga) of 1947. The two teams did the same thing in the 1959-60 season, with a 94-76 Rebel win in Oxford on Dec. 7, 1959, and a narrow loss at Chattanooga, 76-74, on Feb. 9, 1960. Between 1960 and 2018, the Rebels and Mocs met just once, a neutral site loss to the Mocs, 89-78, in Birmingham on Dec. 20, 1985.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 16, 2018 (W, 90-70, in Oxford)
• 28-0 second half run helped Ole Miss separate
• Ole Miss: 61.5 percent overall shooting (still-standing SJB Pavilion record)
• Rebels shot 56.3 percent from three, scored 27 points off turnovers
• Forced 22 Chattanooga turnovers with 11 steals
• Breein Tyree: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-of-12 FG, 3-of-4 3PT
• Terence Davis: 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 9-of-11 FG, 2-of-2 3PT
• Bruce Stevens: 15 points, 6-of-7 FG
LAST TIME OUT: vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC (W, 80-67)
• Ole Miss: 50.8 percent shooting
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 17 points, 8 rebounds (career-high), 6-of-6 FG
• Matthew Murrell: 10 points, career-high 7 rebounds
• Robert Allen: 10 points, 4 rebounds
• Josh Mballa: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
YEAR FIVE FOR COACH DAVIS
Kermit Davis enters his fifth season at the helm of Ole Miss basketball. Over his first four seasons, Davis has led the Rebels to a pair of postseason appearances, going to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and the NIT in 2021 (2020 postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19). With 66 victories as head coach of the Rebels, Davis is one of only four coaches in Ole Miss history to rack up at least 50 wins over their first three seasons. A nine-time conference coach of the year, Davis has 469 career Division I wins over 25 seasons, including stints at Middle Tennessee, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 28 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 535 wins.
NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK
Ole Miss welcomes in eight new faces for the 2022-23 season, with an even split of four impressive freshmen signees and four seasoned senior transfers from the portal.
Freshmen Signees:
G Amaree Abram, G TJ Caldwell, G Robert Cowherd, F Malique Ewin
Transfers:
F Theo Akwuba, F Myles Burns, F Josh Mballa, F Jayveous McKinnis,
COACH DAVIS ON REBEL NEWCOMERS
#00 Jayveous McKinnis: “Jayveous had a fantastic career at Jackson State. He is an elite-level athlete. He was second in the nation in rebounding two years ago, and against us two seasons ago he had 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. I think Jay will continue to make great strides facing-up and shooting the ball. He comes from a great family, and he is truly Mississippi Made.”
#1 Amaree Abram: “Amaree is one of the very best two-way players in the ’22 class. He plays with great pace, he’s super competitive, and he can score at all three levels.”
#2 TJ Caldwell: “TJ Caldwell we feel is one of the most athletic players in the class of 2022. He comes from an unbelievable family. We watched him a bunch on the EYBL circuit this summer. He can shoot from three, he has a great pull-up game, he can be an elite defender, he can play the one and the two. TJ is going to be a great addition to Ole Miss basketball.”
#3 Myles Burns: “Some have thought Myles was the most impactful player in NAIA basketball since Dennis Rodman. Myles has an unbelievable motor and is super athletic in the open floor. He led the NAIA with 151 offensive rebounds and had the most steals by a player at any collegiate level during the 21-22 season. Myles is a fantastic student, a terrific teammate, and has been coached at a very high level by Stacy Hollowell.”
#10 Theo Akwuba: “Theo has tremendous presence with a 7-6 wingspan, and he has ranked in the top-10 of college basketball in blocks and offensive rebounds. He is a fantastic rim runner, he has great hands and possesses an unbelievable work ethic. Theo has made great strides offensively at Louisiana, and we feel he will continue to make a huge jump in expanding his offensive game in the SEC.”
#12 Malique Ewin: “We watched Malique, and what we loved was his size and his skill. He can drive it, he can make a three, he can really pass it. He’s got real good footwork around the post.”
#13 Robert Cowherd: “Robert is one of the toughest guys in the class of ’22. He’s like TJ, he’s an elite shooter. He can really shoot it from three. He’s got great size at 6-5, and he’s really tough. He’s one of those guys you go watch in practice and in games and he’s the first on the floor. He understands basketball, he has a good IQ and comes from an unbelievable family. (He played) for a really good team in California, and we think Robert will have a great year.”
#33 Josh Mballa: “Josh Mballa has an unbelievable motor and a fantastic work ethic, and he brings great talent, character and experience to Ole Miss. He’s already a 1,000-point scorer with nearly 800 rebounds and 29 career double-doubles. I’m impressed with Josh’s skill level and feel he will make a great jump playmaking this season in the SEC.”
HIGHLY-TOUTED FRESHMAN CLASS
Ole Miss’ freshman class isn’t just highly thought of by the Rebel coaches, but by the national recruiting services as well. This Ole Miss class ended up No. 12 in ESPN’s final rankings, with three top-100 players and all four owning a four-star rating.
#1 Amaree Abram • G • 6-4, 190 • Port Arthur, Texas • Southern California Academy
ESPN No. 98 overall, 4-star prospect ... No. 20 PG nationally, No. 11 player from Texas ... Avg 16 pts, 7 ast in senior season at Southern California Academy ... 2022 McDonald’s All-America nominee (West Region) ... Played with Robert Cowherd.
#2 TJ Caldwell • G • 6-4, 190 • Dallas, Texas • Faith Family Academy
ESPN No. 97 overall, 4-star prospect ... No. 19 SG nationally, No. 10 player from Texas ... 3x UIL Class 4A state champ ... 2022 TABC Class 4A PotY ... 24K Showcase ... All-State, All-Region, First-Team All-District.
#12 Malique Ewin • F • 6-10, 220 • Lawrenceville, Ga. • Berkmar
ESPN No. 81 overall, 4-star center ... No. 19 C nationally, No. 4 player from Georgia ... GA Region 7-AAAAAAA Player of the Year ... All-State, All-Metro, All-County ... 2x Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six.
#13 Robert Cowherd • G • 6-5, 195 • Grayson, Ga. • Southern California Academy
4-star SG ... No. 29 SG nationally, No. 24 player from California ... GA Region 4-AAAAAAA 1st-Team All-Region ... 2nd-Team All-State in GA ... Played with fellow Rebel Amaree Abram ... 2022 McDonald’s All-America nominee (West Region).
WELCOME TO THE ‘SIP
The pipeline hasn’t shut off for the Rebels yet, though, as just this week Ole Miss added four more highly-ranked recruits for the 2023-24 class. Included in that are three four-star prospects and two ESPN 100 signees, helping push Ole Miss to No. 13 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC. in the current ESPN top recruiting classes for next year.
Jordan Burks • G/F •6-8, 200 • Decatur, Ala. • Southern California Academy
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN No. 11 forward in Florida (ranking prior to transferring to SCA) ... ESPN No. 20 forward nationally.
Coach Davis: “At 6-8 and 200 pounds, he’s a big wing who is really athletic in the open floor. He’s a good shooter, has great length, has unbelievable upside, and he’s off to a great start with an outstanding Southern California Academy program.”
Jacob Gazzo • F •6-8, 210 • McComb, Miss. • Briarcrest Christian School
ESPN 3-star rated prospect ... ESPN No. 3 player in Mississippi ... ESPN No. 52 forward nationally
Coach Davis: “Jacob has been committed to us now for a couple of years. He’s an athletic 6-8, 210 pounds. He’s an excellent shooter as a power forward. He’s transferred to Briarcrest. He had a significant injury in the summer, and now he’s about to get cleared pretty soon to go back to 5-on-5. An unbelievable family, a great guy, and we think Jacob has great upside at Ole Miss.”
Josh Hubbard • PG •6-0, 185 • Madison, Miss. • Madison-Ridgeland Academy
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (93 grade) ... ESPN Top-100 (No. 74) ... ESPN No. 1 player in Mississippi ... ESPN No. 18 point guard nationally ... 247Composite 4-star rated prospect (0.9609 grade) ... 247Compsotie No. 1 player in Mississippi ... 247Composite No. 14 point guard nationally ... 247Composite No. 92 player nationally.
Coach Davis: “Josh Hubbard is the No. 1 rated player in Mississippi. We’ve been involved with Josh for a long time. I think he’s as explosive of an athlete at his position as a point guard as anybody in his class. He’s a phenomenal shooter, and a fantastic guy. He comes from an unbelievable family, and a really successful and winning program at MRA.”
Rashaud Marshall • F •6-8, 235 • Blytheville, Ark. • Blytheville HS
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN Top-100 (No. 96) ... ESPN No. 2 player in Arkansas ... ESPN No. 15 center nationally ... 247/247Composite 4-star rated prospect (92/0.9642 grade) ... 247/247Composite No. 1 player in Arkansas ... 247/247Composite No. 11 center nationally ... 247 No. 79 player nationally.
Coach Davis: “He’s rated as the No. 1 player in Arkansas, and at 6-9, 235 pounds he is an explosive, tough and physical player with a great motor. Rashaud is going to have an unbelievable senior year, and he plays for a really good Blytheville program.”
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 (prior to Ole Miss):
• 426 games played
• 343 games started
• 4,700 points
• 3,508 rebounds
• 611 steals
• 601 blocks
#00 Jayveous McKinnis • F • 6-7, 225 • Pearl, Miss. • Jackson State
38 dbl-dbls ... 104 games, 98 starts at Jackson St. ... JSU top-10 in reb. (2nd, 1,010), reb/gm (2nd, 9.7), blks (3rd, 232), blks/gm (3rd, 2.2) ... 1,080 career pts ... 2x HBCU All-American ... 3x SWAC Def. PotY ... 4x All-SWAC.
#3 Myles Burns • F • 6-6, 210 • Houston, Texas • Loyola New Orleans
120 games, 111 starts at Loyola New Orleans ... 1,852 pts, 1,069 reb, 358 stl, 298 ast, 116 blk ... 4x NAIA All-American ... 4x First-Team All-SSAC ... 3x SSAC Def. PotY ... 2022 Marques Haynes Award (most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division) ... Led Loyola to 2022 NAIA title.
#10 Theo Akwuba • F • 6-11, 225 • Montgomery, Ala. • Portland / Louisiana
103 games, 70 starts, 710 pts, 639 reb, 182 blk at Portland & Louisiana ... 2021 Sun Belt Def. PotY, 2nd-Team All-Conf. ... At La.: No. 3 all-time in blk/gm (2.3), No. 6 in reb/gm (8.6) ... 2020-21: only NCAA player top-10 in blks and o-reb.
#33 Josh Mballa • F • 6-7, 220 • Bordeaux, France • Texas Tech / Buffalo
99 games, 64 starts, 1,058 pts, 790 reb, 71 blk at Texas Tech & Buffalo ... 2x All-MAC ... 2021 MAC Def. PotY ... Buffalo No. 2 in reb/gm (9.6), o-reb (461), No. 5 reb (785) ... 29 career double-doubles.
BEST OF THE BEST
Among those four transfers are some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands alone as one of the best returners in the nation this year, currently second in total rebounds (1,016), fourth in total blocks (234), fifth in career double-doubles (38), sixth in rebounds per game (9.6), ninth in blocks per game (2.2) and 15th in field goal shooting (.606). McKinnis is one of just three active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama’s Kevin Samuel (1,066) and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot (1,016).
Ole Miss is one of three schools with multiple top-20 rebounders on the active career list alongside Virginia and Texas Tech. McKinnis (1,016) and Josh Mballa (799; No. 16) combine for 1,815 career rebounds, the second-most among teammates behind Texas Tech’s 1,818 from Fardaws Almaq (918) and Kevin Obanor (900). Of the 17,749 combined career rebounds among the NCAA’s top-20 active leaders, Ole Miss accounts for 10.2 percent from McKinnis and Mballa alone. When adding in Theo Akwuba (651, No. 48), Ole Miss stands as the lone school in all divisions with more than two top-50 rebounders on the active career list.
Ole Miss also ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries at the moment. McKinnis ranks fourth at 234 swats, while Akwuba sits eighth at 184. Combined at 418 career rejections, the Rebel duo accounts for a whopping 17.9 percent of the 2,341 career blocks among the active top-10. Ole Miss stands as one of just two schools with multiple top-25 active blockers alongside Gardner-Webb, but the Rebels are the only school with two within the top-10.
The Rebel trio of McKinnis (38, No. 5), Mballa (29, No. 13) and Akwuba (17, No. 39) combine for 84 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates with 67 behind Texas Tech’s Almaq (41) and Obanor (35) at 76.
* Note: Myles Burns’ 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but would lead the nation if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,188 boards between Akwuba, Burns, Mballa, McKinnis and Robert Allen (642). Burns’ combined career total of 1,867 points would also rank No. 7 among all NCAA divisions at the moment.
WHAT’S BACK?
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/8
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
3-Pointers: 127 of 222 (57.2%) - 26.6% from Matthew Murrell
Points: 1,116 of 2,180 (51.2%) - 17.1% from Matthew Murrell
Assists: 198 of 422 (46.9%)
Steals: 104 of 227 (45.8%)
Rebounds: 403 of 1,070 (37.7%)
Blocks: 27 of 89 (30.3%)
MURRELL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC
Ole Miss junior Matthew Murrell was honored by the league head coaches, earning Second-Team Preseason All-SEC in recognition of his sharp-shooting prowess last season. Murrell – a native of Memphis, Tennessee – is among the best three-point shooters and all-around guards returning from SEC action last year after ending the 2021-22 conference season ranked second in three-point shooting (.426), third in threes per game (2.5), sixth in minutes per game (34.1), eighth in field goal shooting (.466) and ninth in scoring (15.5). Murrell accounted for 26.6 percent of all three-pointers made by the Rebels last season, and he especially turned it on late, averaging 20.0 points and 3.0 threes over his final three games, as well as 16.3 points and 2.5 threes over his final eight games.
Sparking that SEC season stretch for Murrell was a historic outing versus in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, where he was nearly perfect in a bombastic 31-point outing against the Bulldogs. Murrell that day became only the third Rebel to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, and he is the only Rebel to do so against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line, with his lone blemish coming from within the arc in the closing minutes to end 10-of-11 overall from the field.
Murrell was also big when the spotlight was on against ranked opponents, averaging 15.0 points while shooting 42.9 percent overall and 45 percent from three in six games against AP Top-25 schools. Included in those six were two Ole Miss victories over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4 and No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, during which Murrell averaged 14.0 points for the Rebels.
DYNAMIC DUO
Murrell and sophomore Daeshun Ruffin -- the top two recruits in program history -- were a potent combo when on the court together last season, giving Ole Miss two of the SEC’s top returning guards for 2022-23. Last year, the duo combined for 24.7 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.1 SPG, shot a combined .408 from the field and .343 from 3PT.
RUFFIN OUT
Ruffin missed the final month of the season last year, and he will have to wait a bit longer to make his 2022-23 debut after suffering a minor bone bruise has forced him out of the first two games of the season. Ruffin tore his ACL at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1 last season following an incredible effort to help the Rebels earn their second AP Top-25 win of the year. Against the Tigers, Ruffin led Ole Miss with 19 points, three assists and two steals alongside a 6-of-11 line from the field, a 2-of-4 clip from three and a perfect 5-of-5 streak from the free throw line in 20 minutes of game action. Ruffin had been electric since returning to the team following an eight-game absence due to a broken right hand suffered in last year’s season opener against New Orleans on Nov. 9. On the season, Ruffin averaged a team-high 2.3 steals per game and led the Rebels with a 52-of-69 (.754) clip from the charity stripe, to go along with 12.6 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. In SEC season he was just as impressive against some of the best teams in the nation, ranking at the time of his injury second in the conference in SEC-only action in steals (2.7/game), ninth in free throw shooting (.833) and 10th in assists (3.9/game).
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday (Jan. 31) – the first such honor by a Rebel since Jarvis Summers on Dec. 5, 2011. His honor came courtesy of an excellent three-game stretch from Jan. 24-29, during which he averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals with a 19-of-24 (.792) mark from the free throw line – at one point hitting 14 in a row during those three games. Included in there is a career-high 21 points vs. Florida on Jan. 24, with 15 of those points coming in the second half. In just 14 career games played, Ruffin has scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and has had multiple steals in nine games. Ruffin was on pace to break Elston Turner’s 1978 record for steals by a freshman of 47, but will end his season at 32 swipes. Ruffin came to Ole Miss following a superb high school career at Callaway High School in Jackson, Mississippi, joining as the first McDonald’s All-American signee in program history.
HITTING HIS STRIDE
The injury to Daeshun Ruffin was made even more devastating by the fact that he was truly starting to hit his stride as a leader on the court. Over his final four games played, Ole Miss went 3-1 with wins against Florida (70-54), Kansas State (67-56) and LSU (76-72), and in those games Ruffin averaged 16.8 points, 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and shot .828 from the free throw line with an average of 6.0 free throws made (24-of-29).
Jan. 24 - vs. Florida (W, 70-54) - 21 points, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 rebounds, 6-13 FG, 9-10 FT
Jan. 26 - vs. Arkansas (L, 64-55) - 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5-5 FT
Jan. 29 - vs. Kansas State (W, 67-56) - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Feb. 1 - at No. 25 LSU (W, 76-72) - 19 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound, 5-5 FT
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the 19 months after a 76-72 victory over No. 25 LSU -- Ole Miss’ first win in Baton Rouge since 2013. Since a 52-50 win at home vs. No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021, Ole Miss has gone 5-3 against ranked squads. Under Kermit Davis, the Rebels have beaten seven top-25 opponents. Following its 67-63 upset over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4, Ole Miss notched its fourth consecutive Top-25 win for just the second time in school history. The other such occurrence came across the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, when Ole Miss ripped off four in a row against No. 6 Florida on Feb. 16, 2002 (68-51), No. 6 Alabama on March 3, 2002 (84-56), at No. 23 LSU the following season on Jan. 18, 2003 (67-57), and three days later vs. No. 15 Alabama on Jan. 21, 2003 (76-57). The latest streak came against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021 (52-50), No. 10 Missouri on Feb. 10, 2021 (80-59) and at No. 24 Missouri on Feb. 23, 2021 before the win vs. Memphis. This was also the first time since 2001 that Ole Miss won against four ranked teams within the same calendar year. That season the Rebels did so five times against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 10 (87-71), No. 20 Alabama on March 3 (105-71), No. 5 Florida in the SEC Tournament (74-69), No. 19 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament (59-56) and the following season against No. 22 Memphis on Dec. 7 (71-67).
2020-21 / 2021-22
Feb. 2, 2021 - vs. #10 Tennessee (52-50)
Feb. 10, 2021 - vs. #10 Missouri (80-59)
Feb. 23, 2021 - at #24 Missouri (60-53)
Dec. 4, 2021 - vs. #18 Memphis (67-63)
2001-02 / 2002-03
Feb. 16, 2002 - vs. #6 Florida (68-51)
March 3, 2002 - vs. #6 Alabama (84-56)
Jan. 18, 2003 - at #23 LSU (67-57)
Jan. 21, 2003 - vs. #15 Alabama (76-57)
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 56-20 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 29-4 when scoring 80+, 50-22 when scoring 70+
• 45-19 when winning the rebounding battle
• 30-5 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 20-8 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 63-34 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (36-6 when below 40 percent)
