There was no media opportunity today. Here's the pregame media notes package from UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men's basketball team returns home to the SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night, hosting the Kentucky Wildcats at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (9-12, 1-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (73-73) • 542-336 career record (28th Season)
Kentucky Wildcats (14-7, 5-3 SEC)
Head Coach: John Calipari • 14th Season at Kentucky (379-108) • 782-246 career record (31st Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. KENTUCKY
Over the span of 98 years, the Rebels and Wildcats have met 123 times, with Kentucky topping Ole Miss in 109 of those matchups. After the two teams first met on January 9, 1925, with the Cats topping the Rebs 26-23, Ole Miss won the next two games in 1927 (37-17 in Lexington), and 1928 (41-28 in the SoCon Tournament). The latest victory for the Rebels in the series came just recently in 2021, when Ole Miss defeated the Wildcats 70-62 in the SJB Pavilion. The Rebels took a three-point lead at halftime and held on through the end for the eight-point victory, with 17 points from Devontae Shuler and 16 from KJ Buffen giving Ole Miss their 14th win ever in the series.
LAST MEETING: MARCH 1, 2022 (L, 72-83, LEXINGTON, KY.)
• Ole Miss was unable to overcome a nine-point deficit at the half, falling by 11 on the road against Kentucky.
• Matthew Murrell had his second game of the season in which he made five three pointers, pacing the Rebels with 25 points while adding four assists.
• Oscar Tshiebwe led the Wildcats with 18 points, picking up a double-double as well with 15 rebounds.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Entering with a 14-7 overall record, Kentucky began the season with a pair of wins before falling to Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic. Before their SEC opener on December 28th, the Wildcats picked up wins over South Carolina State, North Florida, Bellarmine, Michigan, Yale, and Florida A&M. In conference play Kentucky has picked up five wins, defeating LSU, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt, while falling to Missouri, Alabama, and South Carolina.
Four Wildcats enter Tuesday night's game averaging double figures on the year, led by Oscar Tshiebwe at 16.6. The senior forward leads the nation in rebounding as well, averaging 13.7 per game on the year, grabbing an SEC-best 15.0 per contest in conference play. Sahvir Wheeler helps run the offense for Kentucky, ranking in the top-30 nation wide in assists per game (5.5, No. 22) and assist to turnover ratio (2.76, No. 26).
As a team, Kentucky ranks highly among college basketball in rebounding margin (+7.9, No. 7), offensive rebounds per game (13.5, No. 11), assists per game (16.3, No. 23), assist to turnover ratio (1.41, No. 26), and rebounds per game (38.9, No. 32). They lead the conference in three-point shooting percentage as well at 36.2 percent.
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 67.4 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points five times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 29th in the country and fourth in the SEC in blocks per game (4.8). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (26 total blocks, 1.24 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (25 total blocks, 1.25 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 208). He and McKinnis (257 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.
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 43 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
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 sixth in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 277-155 (0.641), they have taken on 11 foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100, including eight in the top-50 and two in the top-10.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.1 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 46th in the nation. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 46 offensive rebounds (2.2 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 85 this season (230-145). The Rebels has recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 16 of their 21 games so far.
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 20
Junior guard Matthew Murrell has scored 20 or more points six times this season, and averages 14.9 per game. A large part of his offense has come from deep, as he has made 38 threes on the year. Over a four-game stretch against Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia, and South Carolina, 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 to begin the season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through their first 21 games (36.3%, 512 of 1,410 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 14 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 135 on the year (512 to 377). Their 24.4 points per game off the bench rank 63rd across college basketball and fourth in the SEC.
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: 52.2% (2,191 of 4,200)
Scoring: 45.7% (644 of 1,410)
Rebounding: 52.7% (407 of 772)
Assists: 46.0% (122 of 265)
Steals: 59.7% (89 of 149)
Blocks: 79.2% (80 of 101)
They've also accounted for at least half the scoring in six 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%)
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 returners in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,097), fifth in total blocks (257), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 10th in rebounds per game (8.8), 12th in blocks per game (2.1) and 27th in field goal shooting (.611). McKinnis is one of just 11 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel (1,247), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (1,229), Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe (1,140), Nicholls' Manny Littles (1,123), Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah (1,066), LSU's KJ Williams (1,043), Iowa's Filip Rebraca (1,032), San Diego's Eric Williams Jr. (1,022), Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor (1,020), and Virginia's Jayden Gardner (1,018). He is also just one of ten, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., and Gardner with 1,000 career points (1,185) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 257 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 208. 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 (36) at 77.
* 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 1,198 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,504 boards between Burns (1,198), McKinnis (1,097), Mballa (827), Akwuba (694) and Robert Allen (688). Burns' combined career total of 1,987 points would also rank No. 28 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 offensive glass. Burns ranks 22nd in the NCAA with 46 steals, while also ranking 10th in the conference at 2.2 offensive boards per game.
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.
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):
• 504 games played
• 382 games started
• 5,054 points
• 3,816 rebounds
• 676 steals (404 from Burns alone)
• 667 blocks
WELCOME TO THE 'SIP
The pipeline hasn't shut off for the Rebels yet, as 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 prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN No. 11 forward in Florida (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."
| OLE MISS (9-12, 1-7 SEC) vs. KENTUCKY (14-7, 5-3 SEC) Tuesday, Jan. 31 • 8:00 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. SJB Pavilion (9,500) 
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| Watch • Live Stats • Listen Ole Miss Game Notes • Kentucky Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men's basketball team returns home to the SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night, hosting the Kentucky Wildcats at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (9-12, 1-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (73-73) • 542-336 career record (28th Season)
Kentucky Wildcats (14-7, 5-3 SEC)
Head Coach: John Calipari • 14th Season at Kentucky (379-108) • 782-246 career record (31st Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. KENTUCKY
Over the span of 98 years, the Rebels and Wildcats have met 123 times, with Kentucky topping Ole Miss in 109 of those matchups. After the two teams first met on January 9, 1925, with the Cats topping the Rebs 26-23, Ole Miss won the next two games in 1927 (37-17 in Lexington), and 1928 (41-28 in the SoCon Tournament). The latest victory for the Rebels in the series came just recently in 2021, when Ole Miss defeated the Wildcats 70-62 in the SJB Pavilion. The Rebels took a three-point lead at halftime and held on through the end for the eight-point victory, with 17 points from Devontae Shuler and 16 from KJ Buffen giving Ole Miss their 14th win ever in the series.
LAST MEETING: MARCH 1, 2022 (L, 72-83, LEXINGTON, KY.)
• Ole Miss was unable to overcome a nine-point deficit at the half, falling by 11 on the road against Kentucky.
• Matthew Murrell had his second game of the season in which he made five three pointers, pacing the Rebels with 25 points while adding four assists.
• Oscar Tshiebwe led the Wildcats with 18 points, picking up a double-double as well with 15 rebounds.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Entering with a 14-7 overall record, Kentucky began the season with a pair of wins before falling to Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic. Before their SEC opener on December 28th, the Wildcats picked up wins over South Carolina State, North Florida, Bellarmine, Michigan, Yale, and Florida A&M. In conference play Kentucky has picked up five wins, defeating LSU, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt, while falling to Missouri, Alabama, and South Carolina.
Four Wildcats enter Tuesday night's game averaging double figures on the year, led by Oscar Tshiebwe at 16.6. The senior forward leads the nation in rebounding as well, averaging 13.7 per game on the year, grabbing an SEC-best 15.0 per contest in conference play. Sahvir Wheeler helps run the offense for Kentucky, ranking in the top-30 nation wide in assists per game (5.5, No. 22) and assist to turnover ratio (2.76, No. 26).
As a team, Kentucky ranks highly among college basketball in rebounding margin (+7.9, No. 7), offensive rebounds per game (13.5, No. 11), assists per game (16.3, No. 23), assist to turnover ratio (1.41, No. 26), and rebounds per game (38.9, No. 32). They lead the conference in three-point shooting percentage as well at 36.2 percent.
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 67.4 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points five times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 29th in the country and fourth in the SEC in blocks per game (4.8). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (26 total blocks, 1.24 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (25 total blocks, 1.25 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 208). He and McKinnis (257 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.
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 43 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
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 sixth in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 277-155 (0.641), they have taken on 11 foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100, including eight in the top-50 and two in the top-10.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.1 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 46th in the nation. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 46 offensive rebounds (2.2 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 85 this season (230-145). The Rebels has recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 16 of their 21 games so far.
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 20
Junior guard Matthew Murrell has scored 20 or more points six times this season, and averages 14.9 per game. A large part of his offense has come from deep, as he has made 38 threes on the year. Over a four-game stretch against Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia, and South Carolina, 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 to begin the season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through their first 21 games (36.3%, 512 of 1,410 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 14 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 135 on the year (512 to 377). Their 24.4 points per game off the bench rank 63rd across college basketball and fourth in the SEC.
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: 52.2% (2,191 of 4,200)
Scoring: 45.7% (644 of 1,410)
Rebounding: 52.7% (407 of 772)
Assists: 46.0% (122 of 265)
Steals: 59.7% (89 of 149)
Blocks: 79.2% (80 of 101)
They've also accounted for at least half the scoring in six 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%)
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 returners in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,097), fifth in total blocks (257), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 10th in rebounds per game (8.8), 12th in blocks per game (2.1) and 27th in field goal shooting (.611). McKinnis is one of just 11 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel (1,247), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (1,229), Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe (1,140), Nicholls' Manny Littles (1,123), Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah (1,066), LSU's KJ Williams (1,043), Iowa's Filip Rebraca (1,032), San Diego's Eric Williams Jr. (1,022), Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor (1,020), and Virginia's Jayden Gardner (1,018). He is also just one of ten, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., and Gardner with 1,000 career points (1,185) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 257 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 208. 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 (36) at 77.
* 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 1,198 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,504 boards between Burns (1,198), McKinnis (1,097), Mballa (827), Akwuba (694) and Robert Allen (688). Burns' combined career total of 1,987 points would also rank No. 28 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 offensive glass. Burns ranks 22nd in the NCAA with 46 steals, while also ranking 10th in the conference at 2.2 offensive boards per game.
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.
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):
• 504 games played
• 382 games started
• 5,054 points
• 3,816 rebounds
• 676 steals (404 from Burns alone)
• 667 blocks
WELCOME TO THE 'SIP
The pipeline hasn't shut off for the Rebels yet, as 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 prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN No. 11 forward in Florida (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."
