From UM Media Relations:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ole Miss men’s basketball is looking for a season sweep as well as its third straight win when the Rebels head to the Sunshine State to take on the Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (12-10, 3-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 4th Season at Ole Miss (63-52) • 532-315 career record (27th Season)
Florida Gators (14-8, 4-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Mike White • 7th Season at Florida (137-82) • 238-121 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Color: Joe Kleine
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: John Stroud
SiriusXM
XM: 386
SiriusXM App: 976
SERIES HISTORY VS. FLORIDA
Saturday marks the 117th all-time meeting between the Rebels and Gators, a series that stretches back to 1940. Florida owns a 68-48 edge in the series, and is 6-4 in the previous 10 matchups with Ole Miss. The Rebels hold the upper hand in Oxford by a 31-23 margin, while the Gators hold a sizeable 41-12 lead in the series in Gainesville. The teams are tied 4-4 on neutral sites, with Florida leading 4-3 in the postseason. One of those three Rebel postseason ones was a monumental one, with Ole Miss taking down the Gators, 66-63, in the SEC title game to win the 2013 SEC Tournament on March 17, 2013. The Rebels and Gators have gone to overtime six total times in 116 prior meetings, with Florida holding a 5-1 advantage in extra time. Those six OT games rank tied for the fifth-most among Rebel opponents, tied with Georgia (4-2) and only trailing Mississippi State (5-6), LSU (3-6), Vanderbilt (4-4), Tennessee (5-2), and Auburn (4-3).
LOOKING FOR THE SEASON SWEEP
Ole Miss will look for its first season sweep over the Gators since 2014-15 when it travels to Gainesville on Saturday. During that season, the Rebels claimed two narrow one-point wins against Florida, a 72-71 contest in Oxford on Jan. 24 and a 62-61 game in Gainesville on Feb. 12 -- the last Rebel win at Florida. This year, the Rebels defeated Florida, 70-54, at home on Jan. 24.
GATOR CONNECTION
The Gators are led by former Ole Miss letterwinner Mike White. A point guard for the Rebels from 1996-99, White helped Ole Miss to 74 wins, two SEC West titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances in his four years in Oxford. A co-captain as a senior, White ranks seventh in Ole Miss history with 370 career assists. After his playing career, White served as an Ole Miss assistant coach for seven seasons, including five under Andy Kennedy.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
Florida enters Saturday at 14-8 overall and 4-5 in SEC play, and are coming off back-to-back wins against Oklahoma State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge (81-72) and at Missouri (66-65). The Gators currently sit at No. 49 in the NET, with ranked losses against No. 15 Alabama (83-70), No. 9 Auburn (85-73), No. 12 LSU (64-58) and No. 18 Tennessee (78-71). Florida holds a combined 4-7 record against Quad 1 (1-5) and Quad 2 (3-2), and a combined 10-1 record against Quad 3 (4-0) and Quad 4 (6-1). In non-conference play, the Gators notched a ranked win over No. 20 Florida State on Nov. 14 (71-55) and additional Power-5 wins over Cal (80-60) and Ohio State (71-68), with its non-con losses coming to Oklahoma (74-67), Texas Southern (69-54) and Maryland (70-68).
Florida has ridden a lockdown defense to success this season, ranking in the upper echelon of the NCAA in several defensive categories. Florida owns the SEC’s third-best scoring defense at 64.2 points allowed per game, helped greatly by the NCAA’s 12th-most blocks per game with 5.6 (No. 2 SEC) and 21st-most steals per game at 9.2 (No. 4 SEC). The Gators also own NCAA top-10 marks in free throws made (9th, 343) and attempted (10th, 472), and rank 28th nationally in total three-pointers attempted (572).
The Gators have been without star Colin Castleton since Jan. 15 at South Carolina, who scored 21 points alongside 10 boards and seven blocks against the Rebels last season. Prior to his injury, Castleton was a one-man wrecking crew for the Gators, at the time averaging 15.4 PPG (8th SEC), 9.1 rebounds (2nd SEC, 29th NCAA) and 2.8 blocks (2nd SEC, 20th NCAA) while shooting 53.6 percent overall (3rd SEC) with six double-doubles.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 24, 2022 (W, 70-54, in Oxford)
• Ole Miss: 73.9 percent (17-23) second-half shooting percentage the best overall in the second half since Dec. 23, 2009 vs. Centenary (.750, 21-28), best vs. SEC opponent since March 1, 2008 vs. Alabama (.750, 18-24)
• Forced Florida to SEC opp. season-low 13.8 3PT (4-29)
• Ole Miss: 14 turnovers forced into SEC season-high 23 points
• Rebels tied SEC season-high with 17 assists (25 FG made)
• Four Rebels in double-digits
• Daeshun Ruffin: career-high 21 pts, 9-of-10 FT, 6 ast, 4 stl
• Matthew Murrell: 20 pts, 8-of-12 FG, 3-of-6 FT
• Nysier Brooks: 11 pts, 7 reb, 2 stl, 1 st, 1 blk
• Luis Rodriguez: 10 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast
LAST MEETING IN GAINESVILLE: Jan. 12, 2021 (L, 72-63)
• Florida closed on a 14-0 run
• UF’s Colin Castleton: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 blocks
LAST WIN IN GAINESVILLE: Feb. 12, 2015 (W, 62-61)
• Stefan Moody hit game-winning three with 2.7 seconds to play
• Rebels trailed 61-59, called timeout with 17 seconds left
• Florida missed its final three shots
• Moody: 18 points, 5-10 FG, 4-7 3PT
• LaDarius White: 16 points
LAST TIME OUT (at #25 LSU: W, 76-72)
• First win vs. ranked LSU since Jan. 18, 2003 against 23rd-ranked Tigers (67-57, in Baton Rouge)
• Second ranked win of the season
• First win in Baton Rouge since March 9, 2013
• Ole Miss led by 24 in first half (largest lead vs. LSU since 2012, largest in Baton Rouge since 2011)
• Led by 13 at halftime, first halftime lead vs. LSU since 2016, largest since 2013
• Shot 65.4 percent in the first half
• Daeshun Ruffin: 19 points, 3 assists, 2 steals (left game with season-ending knee injury)
• Luis Rodriguez: 15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals (third career double-double)
• Nysier Brooks: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams lately, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the last calendar year 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 5-2 against ranked squads, with the lone losses by a combined 15 points at No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 5 of this year (66-60/OT), and against No. 4 Auburn at home on Jan. 15 (80-71). The Rebels held double-digit first half leads in both of those losses, leading by as many as 12 with 8:22 to go in the first half against the Vols and by as many as 14 with 6:04 to go in the first half against Auburn. Under head coach 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)
REBEL RESUME
Ole Miss sits at 105 in the latest NET ratings, with the 51st-best strength of schedule and the 66th-best future schedule strength. The Rebels have won three of their last four against top-75 teams Florida (49), Kansas State (75) and LSU (15), with their only loss in that stretch to current NET No. 37 Arkansas.
Ole Miss NET Splits (Using Current Ratings)
vs. Quad 1: 1-6
vs. Quad 2: 5-1
vs. Quad 3: 1-2
vs. Quad 4: 5-1
vs. NET Top-100: 6-6
vs. NET Top-50: 3-5
vs. NET Top-25: 1-3
Top NET Win: LSU (15)
Top NET Loss: Auburn (4)
Other NET Top-50 Losses: Tennessee (13; 66-60/OT), Marquette (25; 78-72), Boise State (31; 60-50), Arkansas (37; 64-55), Mississippi State (47; 78-60)
Average Margin of Defeat vs. NET Top-50: 9.7 PPG
RUFFIN OUT
Ole Miss suffered a devastating blow in its upset win at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, as freshman point guard Daeshun Ruffin tore his ACL late in the second half and will miss the remainder of the season. 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.
“Daeshun was just hitting his stride and was establishing himself as one of the best point guards in the SEC,” said Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis. “I feel badly for Daeshun, but I know he will attack rehab with a great maturity and will return stronger than ever next season. Our team has been very resilient all season long, and we expect no difference against a really good Florida team on Saturday.”
Ruffin has been electric since returning to the team following an eight-game absence due to a broken right hand suffered in the 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’s been just as impressive against some of the best teams in the nation, ranking 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). Furthermore, his five steals at No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 5 ranks tied for the second-most in an SEC game this season.
He was particularly effective for the Rebels stepping up for the injured Jarkel Joiner, averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 assists, 2.5 steals and shooting 36 percent overall and 77.8 percent from the free throw line in Joiner’s absence since Dec. 21.
Most recently, 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.
BIG SHOES TO FILL
Ole Miss will have some work to do with Ruffin now joining fellow Rebels Jarkel Joiner and Robert Allen on the injury list. Combined this season, that trio accounts for 20.8 percent of all minutes played, 27.2 percent of all scoring, 30.5 percent of all assists, 31.5 percent of all steals, and 37.7 percent of all free throws made for the Rebels. Allen, like Ruffin, is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL against Memphis on Dec. 4. Joiner, meanwhile is in week three of a 4-6 week absence due to a back injury that required minor surgery and has forced him off the court since his last game vs. Samford on Dec. 21.
STEPPING UP
Ole Miss has been without senior stalwart Jarkel Joiner since Dec. 21 vs. Samford, and in the nine succeeding games several Rebels have stepped up to fill in for his sorely-missed presence and production. In that nine-game stretch, Matthew Murrell is leading with 14.4 points per game in addition to a 48 percent clip from the field, a 44.4 percent effort from beyond the arc, 2.4 threes, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Murrell has also hit multiple threes in seven of those 10 games, hitting three or more four times, four or more twice and a perfect 5-of-5 line vs. Mississippi State in a career-high 31-point outing on Jan. 8. Freshman Daeshun Ruffin, who had recorded all 10 of his career starts in place of Joiner at the point guard position since his injury, was crucial in Joiner’s absence prior to his own injury, averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 assists, 2.5 steals alongside a 77.8 percent clip from the free throw line. Nysier Brooks is also averaging double figures at 10.1 points and 8.2 boards per game, in addition to 1.5 blocks per contest.
FURIOUS STARTS FOR MURRELL
Sophomore Matthew Murrell has been a prolific scorer as of late for the Rebels, but he has been even more lethal from the jump in SEC play. In the first half during conference play, Murrell is averaging 8.9 points and 1.7 threes made while shooting lights-out clips of 58.3 percent overall, 57.7 from three and 81.8 from the free throw line. Murrell put together an absurd first half against Mississippi State on Jan. 8, dropping 23 of his eventual 31 points in the opening 20 minutes. That first half performance was the best by a Rebel against an SEC opponent since Stefan Moody poured in 24 in the opening frame against State on March 2, 2016.
SERIOUS MINUTES IN SEC PLAY
Ole Miss has received tremendous effort out of both Matthew Murrell and Nysier Brooks in SEC play, with both ranking within the top-10 in SEC-only minutes played. Murrell ranks second at 35.2 minutes per contest, while Brooks comes in at No. 7 at 33.1. Prior to SEC play starting, the duo combined for only 24 minutes per game, with Brooks averaging 25.9 and Murrell averaging 22.1.
HISTORIC SHOWINGS AT THE FREE THROW LINE
Ole Miss has now recorded half of its perfect free throw shooting games with at least 10 attempts in this season alone following a perfect 15-of-15 showing against No. 4 Auburn on Jan. 15 and a follow-up 13-of-13 clip against Arkansas on Jan. 26. Those constitute just the third and fourth games in Ole Miss history to not miss a free throw attempt with at least 10 tries, joining a school record 22-of-22 effort against South Alabama on Nov. 18, 2008 and a 10-of-10 performance against Mississippi State on Feb. 28, 1959. Both games stand as the best free throw performances in the SEC this season, and the 15-of-15 outing against Auburn ranks among just 11 perfect performances in the NCAA this season with at least 15 made free throws:
1. Villanova - 26-26 (vs. Howard, Nov. 16)
2. Long Beach State - 17-17 (vs. UC Santa Barbara, Jan. 13)
2. Montana - 17-17 (vs. Air Force, Dec. 8)
2. Detroit Mercy - 17-17 (vs. Hofstra, Nov. 27)
5. Villanova - 16-16 (vs. Georgetown, Jan. 22)
5. Grambling - 16-16 (vs. MVSU, Jan. 22)
5. Valparaiso - 16-16 (vs. Illinois State, Jan. 2)
5. Purdue Fort Wayne - 16-16 (vs. Wright State, Dec. 2)
9. Ole Miss - 15-15 (vs. Auburn, Jan. 15)
9. Miami (Ohio) - 15-15 (vs. Western Michigan, Jan. 15)
9. Charleston Southern - 15-15 (vs. Clemson, Nov. 26)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
After not getting to the line very often to start the season, the Rebels have been getting to the charity stripe and using it to great effect in the process. After starting the season just 17-of-31 (.548) from the free throw line amid three straight single-digit performances, Ole Miss has only been held to single digits five times in the succeeding 18 games at a combined line of 248-of-336 (.738) since playing Elon on Nov. 19 -- averaging 13.1 free throws made per game in that stretch. During its three-game winning streak that started on Nov. 26 vs. MVSU, Ole Miss went 54-of-76 (.711) -- which accounted for 25 percent of all Rebel scoring during the streak. Over its last four games since Jan. 24, Ole Miss is 67-of-84 (.798) -- again accounting for 25 percent of all Rebel scoring in that stretch. At one point across those three games, Ole Miss had hit 25 straight free throws from 1:52 in the second half vs. Florida to 6:57 in the second half against K-State. Over its last six wins over Middle Tennessee (13-20), Dayton (16-21), Mississippi State (13-18), Florida (16-20), Kansas State (15-20), and No. 25 LSU (23-31), the Rebels have shot 96-of-130 (.738). In SEC play, Ole Miss ranks second in the conference at a clip of .763.
OLE MISS CAN’T MISS
The Rebels were absolutely on fire in the second half against Florida on Jan. 22, going 17-of-23 in the latter 20 minutes for a second-half clip of 73.9 percent. That stands as the first 70 percent second half by a Rebel team since shooting 72 percent (18-25) vs. San Diego on Nov. 28, 2018 and first vs. an SEC opponent since shooting 71.4 percent (15-21) vs. Auburn on Feb. 7, 2015. Furthermore, that stands as the best second-half percentage by a Rebel team since shooting 75 percent (21-28) vs. Centenary on Dec. 23, 2009, and the best in conference play since shooting 75 percent (18-24) vs. Alabama on March 1, 2008. The second half vs. Florida was the best back half by Ole Miss this season by more than 16 percentage points over its previous best of 57.5 vs. Charleston Southern on Nov. 12.
OFF THE LINE
It’s been difficult to damage the Rebels from distance this season, as Ole Miss has held 12 of its last 16 opponents to 35 percent or lower from beyond the arc -- including six of nine SEC foes. In six of those eight wins of that stretch against Rider (2-of-13), No. 18 Memphis (2-of-11), Middle Tennessee (3-of-27), Dayton (4-18), Mississippi State (3-16) and Florida (4-29), Rebel opponents shot a combined 18-of-114 (.158), with the lone outliers a 30.6 percent outing from K-State on an 11-of-36 line and a 36.4 showing at No. 25 LSU on an 8-of-22 line. The Rebels rank 31st nationally and second in the SEC with a season opposing three-point clip of 29.6 percent, and Ole Miss also ranks third in the conference in SEC-only three-point defense at 29.9. In the Kermit Davis era, Ole Miss is 31-17 when holding opponents to 30 percent or lower and 51-27 when holding opponents below 40 percent from deep.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Doubling-down on that lockdown three-point defense, Ole Miss currently stands as one of two schools in the SEC to be ranked within the top-three of the SEC-only three-point shooting (No. 3, .361) and three-point defense (No. 3, .299) categories. Ole Miss has found its stroke from three-ball land again just in time for conference play, as their SEC-only three-point percentage has been helped greatly by 7.3 threes per game (No. 5 SEC). Ole Miss hit double-digit threes in each of its first two games of SEC season, going 11-of-22 at No. 18 Tennessee in a near-upset thriller that went into overtime before an 11-of-23 performance against in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8. On the season, Ole Miss has hit double-digit threes made three times when including an 11-of-29 performance against Charleston Southern back on Nov. 12, the most such games since the Rebels tallied seven double-digit games during head coach Kermit Davis’ first season in 2018-19.
MURRELL GOES UNCONSCIOUS
Sophomore Matthew Murrell absolutely lit the net on fire against in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, dropping a career-high 31 points on an absurd 10-of-11 shooting performance that included a perfect 5-of-5 line from beyond the arc and a 6-of-6 clip from the free throw line. Murrell actually started the game 10-of-10 from the field before a late miss with 2:32 to play gave him his lone blemish on the night. Murrell stands as one of only three Rebels all-time to have gone 5-of-5 from three, joining Devontae Shuler’s performance vs. Jackson State on Dec. 10, 2020, and Joe Harvell’s 5-of-5 outing against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament on March 9, 1990 -- making Murrell’s the only such performance against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was unconscious in the first half, scoring 23 points in the opening frame alone, which had already beat his previous career-high of 19 points scored against No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4. His 23 first-half points stands as the most scored by a Rebel against an SEC opponent since Stefan Moody dropped 24 against Mississippi State on March 2, 2016. To anyone paying attention lately, though, this was just the latest and greatest output from Murrell. Over his last 10 games since SEC play began Jan. 5 at Tennessee, he is 23-of-50 (.460) from three and 46-of-94 (.489) overall, averaging 15.0 points per game in that stretch. Murrell started the season 2-of-10 (.200) from three across his first six games, but a 3-of-6 three-point performance against Rider and a 4-of-9 rip against the nationally-ranked Tigers helped spark a three-point line of 35-of-86 (.407) since across his last 16 games played since Nov. 30 against Rider.
Murrell is the program’s highest rated recruit ever nationally, signing with Ole Miss ranked No. 39 overall by both ESPN and the 247Sports Composite in 2019-20.
CLEANING UP THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
Graduate transfer Nysier Brooks has been a beast on the offensive glass to start SEC play, ranking second in conference action at 3.6 offensive boards per game. Brooks hauled in a whopping eight offensive boards against Mississippi State to help lead to a career-high 16 rebounds, the most total boards by a Rebel since Sebastian Saiz hauled in 17 vs. Georgia Tech in the 2017 NIT. Brooks has had five or more offensive boards in four games this season, and he has had at least six rebounds in all but two games this season. Furthermore, Brooks has hit double-digit rebounds six times, including three in SEC play to average an SEC fourth-best average of 8.1 per game in conference play. Overall, Brooks ranks fourth in the SEC at 8.0 rebounds per game, and his overall offensive rebounding average of 3.0 per game ranks second in the conference behind Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe. Brooks most recently recorded his third Rebel double-double and eighth of his career following a 15-point, 16 rebound performance against Mississippi State on Jan. 8.
PROTECT THE BALL
Ole Miss has forced double-digit turnovers in all but two of their 22 contests so far this season, and have only turned the ball over more than its opponent six times this season. In the Kermit Davis era, the Rebels are 48-21 when having fewer turnovers than their opponents, and are 37-14 when forcing 15 turnovers or more.
HOMETOWN HERO
Senior Jarkel Joiner was named one of 60 men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes nationally named as candidates for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award on Dec. 7. Ole Miss women’s basketball senior Shakira Austin was also named a candidate, making Ole Miss the only SEC school to be represented on both lists and one of just four nationally alongside BYU, Michigan and Virginia Tech. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
In the classroom, Joiner holds a 3.13 GPA in multi-disciplinary studies, and is a staple in his hometown community. Joiner was named to the 2020-21 SEC Community Service Team, working closely with the Reading with the Rebels program in addition to the Stronger Together Mississippi initiative and Adopt-A-Basket, which helps feed local families during the holiday season.
The men’s and women’s candidates will be narrowed to two fields of ten finalists later in the season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will then select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C’s of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four® and NCAA Women’s Final Four® this spring.
YEAR FOUR OF THE DAVIS ERA
Kermit Davis enters his fourth season at the helm of Ole Miss Basketball. Over his first three seasons, Davis led the Rebels to a pair of postseason appearances (2020 postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19). With 63 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 is 38th among active Division I head coaches with 466 career wins over 24 seasons, including stints at Middle Tennessee, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 27 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 532 wins.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 53-17 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 27-3 when scoring 80+, 48-20 when scoring 70+
• 43-18 when winning the rebounding battle
• 28-3 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 18-7 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 60-30 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (35-6 when below 40 percent)
| OLE MISS (12-10, 3-6 SEC) at FLORIDA (14-8, 4-5 SEC) Saturday, February 5 • 2:30 p.m. CT • Gainesville, Fla. Exactech Arena (10,151) 
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| Watch • Live Stats • Listen Ole Miss Game Notes • Florida Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (12-10, 3-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 4th Season at Ole Miss (63-52) • 532-315 career record (27th Season)
Florida Gators (14-8, 4-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Mike White • 7th Season at Florida (137-82) • 238-121 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Color: Joe Kleine
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: John Stroud
SiriusXM
XM: 386
SiriusXM App: 976
SERIES HISTORY VS. FLORIDA
Saturday marks the 117th all-time meeting between the Rebels and Gators, a series that stretches back to 1940. Florida owns a 68-48 edge in the series, and is 6-4 in the previous 10 matchups with Ole Miss. The Rebels hold the upper hand in Oxford by a 31-23 margin, while the Gators hold a sizeable 41-12 lead in the series in Gainesville. The teams are tied 4-4 on neutral sites, with Florida leading 4-3 in the postseason. One of those three Rebel postseason ones was a monumental one, with Ole Miss taking down the Gators, 66-63, in the SEC title game to win the 2013 SEC Tournament on March 17, 2013. The Rebels and Gators have gone to overtime six total times in 116 prior meetings, with Florida holding a 5-1 advantage in extra time. Those six OT games rank tied for the fifth-most among Rebel opponents, tied with Georgia (4-2) and only trailing Mississippi State (5-6), LSU (3-6), Vanderbilt (4-4), Tennessee (5-2), and Auburn (4-3).
LOOKING FOR THE SEASON SWEEP
Ole Miss will look for its first season sweep over the Gators since 2014-15 when it travels to Gainesville on Saturday. During that season, the Rebels claimed two narrow one-point wins against Florida, a 72-71 contest in Oxford on Jan. 24 and a 62-61 game in Gainesville on Feb. 12 -- the last Rebel win at Florida. This year, the Rebels defeated Florida, 70-54, at home on Jan. 24.
GATOR CONNECTION
The Gators are led by former Ole Miss letterwinner Mike White. A point guard for the Rebels from 1996-99, White helped Ole Miss to 74 wins, two SEC West titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances in his four years in Oxford. A co-captain as a senior, White ranks seventh in Ole Miss history with 370 career assists. After his playing career, White served as an Ole Miss assistant coach for seven seasons, including five under Andy Kennedy.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
Florida enters Saturday at 14-8 overall and 4-5 in SEC play, and are coming off back-to-back wins against Oklahoma State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge (81-72) and at Missouri (66-65). The Gators currently sit at No. 49 in the NET, with ranked losses against No. 15 Alabama (83-70), No. 9 Auburn (85-73), No. 12 LSU (64-58) and No. 18 Tennessee (78-71). Florida holds a combined 4-7 record against Quad 1 (1-5) and Quad 2 (3-2), and a combined 10-1 record against Quad 3 (4-0) and Quad 4 (6-1). In non-conference play, the Gators notched a ranked win over No. 20 Florida State on Nov. 14 (71-55) and additional Power-5 wins over Cal (80-60) and Ohio State (71-68), with its non-con losses coming to Oklahoma (74-67), Texas Southern (69-54) and Maryland (70-68).
Florida has ridden a lockdown defense to success this season, ranking in the upper echelon of the NCAA in several defensive categories. Florida owns the SEC’s third-best scoring defense at 64.2 points allowed per game, helped greatly by the NCAA’s 12th-most blocks per game with 5.6 (No. 2 SEC) and 21st-most steals per game at 9.2 (No. 4 SEC). The Gators also own NCAA top-10 marks in free throws made (9th, 343) and attempted (10th, 472), and rank 28th nationally in total three-pointers attempted (572).
The Gators have been without star Colin Castleton since Jan. 15 at South Carolina, who scored 21 points alongside 10 boards and seven blocks against the Rebels last season. Prior to his injury, Castleton was a one-man wrecking crew for the Gators, at the time averaging 15.4 PPG (8th SEC), 9.1 rebounds (2nd SEC, 29th NCAA) and 2.8 blocks (2nd SEC, 20th NCAA) while shooting 53.6 percent overall (3rd SEC) with six double-doubles.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 24, 2022 (W, 70-54, in Oxford)
• Ole Miss: 73.9 percent (17-23) second-half shooting percentage the best overall in the second half since Dec. 23, 2009 vs. Centenary (.750, 21-28), best vs. SEC opponent since March 1, 2008 vs. Alabama (.750, 18-24)
• Forced Florida to SEC opp. season-low 13.8 3PT (4-29)
• Ole Miss: 14 turnovers forced into SEC season-high 23 points
• Rebels tied SEC season-high with 17 assists (25 FG made)
• Four Rebels in double-digits
• Daeshun Ruffin: career-high 21 pts, 9-of-10 FT, 6 ast, 4 stl
• Matthew Murrell: 20 pts, 8-of-12 FG, 3-of-6 FT
• Nysier Brooks: 11 pts, 7 reb, 2 stl, 1 st, 1 blk
• Luis Rodriguez: 10 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast
LAST MEETING IN GAINESVILLE: Jan. 12, 2021 (L, 72-63)
• Florida closed on a 14-0 run
• UF’s Colin Castleton: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 blocks
LAST WIN IN GAINESVILLE: Feb. 12, 2015 (W, 62-61)
• Stefan Moody hit game-winning three with 2.7 seconds to play
• Rebels trailed 61-59, called timeout with 17 seconds left
• Florida missed its final three shots
• Moody: 18 points, 5-10 FG, 4-7 3PT
• LaDarius White: 16 points
LAST TIME OUT (at #25 LSU: W, 76-72)
• First win vs. ranked LSU since Jan. 18, 2003 against 23rd-ranked Tigers (67-57, in Baton Rouge)
• Second ranked win of the season
• First win in Baton Rouge since March 9, 2013
• Ole Miss led by 24 in first half (largest lead vs. LSU since 2012, largest in Baton Rouge since 2011)
• Led by 13 at halftime, first halftime lead vs. LSU since 2016, largest since 2013
• Shot 65.4 percent in the first half
• Daeshun Ruffin: 19 points, 3 assists, 2 steals (left game with season-ending knee injury)
• Luis Rodriguez: 15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals (third career double-double)
• Nysier Brooks: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams lately, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the last calendar year 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 5-2 against ranked squads, with the lone losses by a combined 15 points at No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 5 of this year (66-60/OT), and against No. 4 Auburn at home on Jan. 15 (80-71). The Rebels held double-digit first half leads in both of those losses, leading by as many as 12 with 8:22 to go in the first half against the Vols and by as many as 14 with 6:04 to go in the first half against Auburn. Under head coach 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)
REBEL RESUME
Ole Miss sits at 105 in the latest NET ratings, with the 51st-best strength of schedule and the 66th-best future schedule strength. The Rebels have won three of their last four against top-75 teams Florida (49), Kansas State (75) and LSU (15), with their only loss in that stretch to current NET No. 37 Arkansas.
Ole Miss NET Splits (Using Current Ratings)
vs. Quad 1: 1-6
vs. Quad 2: 5-1
vs. Quad 3: 1-2
vs. Quad 4: 5-1
vs. NET Top-100: 6-6
vs. NET Top-50: 3-5
vs. NET Top-25: 1-3
Top NET Win: LSU (15)
Top NET Loss: Auburn (4)
Other NET Top-50 Losses: Tennessee (13; 66-60/OT), Marquette (25; 78-72), Boise State (31; 60-50), Arkansas (37; 64-55), Mississippi State (47; 78-60)
Average Margin of Defeat vs. NET Top-50: 9.7 PPG
RUFFIN OUT
Ole Miss suffered a devastating blow in its upset win at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, as freshman point guard Daeshun Ruffin tore his ACL late in the second half and will miss the remainder of the season. 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.
“Daeshun was just hitting his stride and was establishing himself as one of the best point guards in the SEC,” said Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis. “I feel badly for Daeshun, but I know he will attack rehab with a great maturity and will return stronger than ever next season. Our team has been very resilient all season long, and we expect no difference against a really good Florida team on Saturday.”
Ruffin has been electric since returning to the team following an eight-game absence due to a broken right hand suffered in the 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’s been just as impressive against some of the best teams in the nation, ranking 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). Furthermore, his five steals at No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 5 ranks tied for the second-most in an SEC game this season.
He was particularly effective for the Rebels stepping up for the injured Jarkel Joiner, averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 assists, 2.5 steals and shooting 36 percent overall and 77.8 percent from the free throw line in Joiner’s absence since Dec. 21.
Most recently, 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.
BIG SHOES TO FILL
Ole Miss will have some work to do with Ruffin now joining fellow Rebels Jarkel Joiner and Robert Allen on the injury list. Combined this season, that trio accounts for 20.8 percent of all minutes played, 27.2 percent of all scoring, 30.5 percent of all assists, 31.5 percent of all steals, and 37.7 percent of all free throws made for the Rebels. Allen, like Ruffin, is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL against Memphis on Dec. 4. Joiner, meanwhile is in week three of a 4-6 week absence due to a back injury that required minor surgery and has forced him off the court since his last game vs. Samford on Dec. 21.
STEPPING UP
Ole Miss has been without senior stalwart Jarkel Joiner since Dec. 21 vs. Samford, and in the nine succeeding games several Rebels have stepped up to fill in for his sorely-missed presence and production. In that nine-game stretch, Matthew Murrell is leading with 14.4 points per game in addition to a 48 percent clip from the field, a 44.4 percent effort from beyond the arc, 2.4 threes, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Murrell has also hit multiple threes in seven of those 10 games, hitting three or more four times, four or more twice and a perfect 5-of-5 line vs. Mississippi State in a career-high 31-point outing on Jan. 8. Freshman Daeshun Ruffin, who had recorded all 10 of his career starts in place of Joiner at the point guard position since his injury, was crucial in Joiner’s absence prior to his own injury, averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 assists, 2.5 steals alongside a 77.8 percent clip from the free throw line. Nysier Brooks is also averaging double figures at 10.1 points and 8.2 boards per game, in addition to 1.5 blocks per contest.
FURIOUS STARTS FOR MURRELL
Sophomore Matthew Murrell has been a prolific scorer as of late for the Rebels, but he has been even more lethal from the jump in SEC play. In the first half during conference play, Murrell is averaging 8.9 points and 1.7 threes made while shooting lights-out clips of 58.3 percent overall, 57.7 from three and 81.8 from the free throw line. Murrell put together an absurd first half against Mississippi State on Jan. 8, dropping 23 of his eventual 31 points in the opening 20 minutes. That first half performance was the best by a Rebel against an SEC opponent since Stefan Moody poured in 24 in the opening frame against State on March 2, 2016.
SERIOUS MINUTES IN SEC PLAY
Ole Miss has received tremendous effort out of both Matthew Murrell and Nysier Brooks in SEC play, with both ranking within the top-10 in SEC-only minutes played. Murrell ranks second at 35.2 minutes per contest, while Brooks comes in at No. 7 at 33.1. Prior to SEC play starting, the duo combined for only 24 minutes per game, with Brooks averaging 25.9 and Murrell averaging 22.1.
HISTORIC SHOWINGS AT THE FREE THROW LINE
Ole Miss has now recorded half of its perfect free throw shooting games with at least 10 attempts in this season alone following a perfect 15-of-15 showing against No. 4 Auburn on Jan. 15 and a follow-up 13-of-13 clip against Arkansas on Jan. 26. Those constitute just the third and fourth games in Ole Miss history to not miss a free throw attempt with at least 10 tries, joining a school record 22-of-22 effort against South Alabama on Nov. 18, 2008 and a 10-of-10 performance against Mississippi State on Feb. 28, 1959. Both games stand as the best free throw performances in the SEC this season, and the 15-of-15 outing against Auburn ranks among just 11 perfect performances in the NCAA this season with at least 15 made free throws:
1. Villanova - 26-26 (vs. Howard, Nov. 16)
2. Long Beach State - 17-17 (vs. UC Santa Barbara, Jan. 13)
2. Montana - 17-17 (vs. Air Force, Dec. 8)
2. Detroit Mercy - 17-17 (vs. Hofstra, Nov. 27)
5. Villanova - 16-16 (vs. Georgetown, Jan. 22)
5. Grambling - 16-16 (vs. MVSU, Jan. 22)
5. Valparaiso - 16-16 (vs. Illinois State, Jan. 2)
5. Purdue Fort Wayne - 16-16 (vs. Wright State, Dec. 2)
9. Ole Miss - 15-15 (vs. Auburn, Jan. 15)
9. Miami (Ohio) - 15-15 (vs. Western Michigan, Jan. 15)
9. Charleston Southern - 15-15 (vs. Clemson, Nov. 26)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
After not getting to the line very often to start the season, the Rebels have been getting to the charity stripe and using it to great effect in the process. After starting the season just 17-of-31 (.548) from the free throw line amid three straight single-digit performances, Ole Miss has only been held to single digits five times in the succeeding 18 games at a combined line of 248-of-336 (.738) since playing Elon on Nov. 19 -- averaging 13.1 free throws made per game in that stretch. During its three-game winning streak that started on Nov. 26 vs. MVSU, Ole Miss went 54-of-76 (.711) -- which accounted for 25 percent of all Rebel scoring during the streak. Over its last four games since Jan. 24, Ole Miss is 67-of-84 (.798) -- again accounting for 25 percent of all Rebel scoring in that stretch. At one point across those three games, Ole Miss had hit 25 straight free throws from 1:52 in the second half vs. Florida to 6:57 in the second half against K-State. Over its last six wins over Middle Tennessee (13-20), Dayton (16-21), Mississippi State (13-18), Florida (16-20), Kansas State (15-20), and No. 25 LSU (23-31), the Rebels have shot 96-of-130 (.738). In SEC play, Ole Miss ranks second in the conference at a clip of .763.
OLE MISS CAN’T MISS
The Rebels were absolutely on fire in the second half against Florida on Jan. 22, going 17-of-23 in the latter 20 minutes for a second-half clip of 73.9 percent. That stands as the first 70 percent second half by a Rebel team since shooting 72 percent (18-25) vs. San Diego on Nov. 28, 2018 and first vs. an SEC opponent since shooting 71.4 percent (15-21) vs. Auburn on Feb. 7, 2015. Furthermore, that stands as the best second-half percentage by a Rebel team since shooting 75 percent (21-28) vs. Centenary on Dec. 23, 2009, and the best in conference play since shooting 75 percent (18-24) vs. Alabama on March 1, 2008. The second half vs. Florida was the best back half by Ole Miss this season by more than 16 percentage points over its previous best of 57.5 vs. Charleston Southern on Nov. 12.
OFF THE LINE
It’s been difficult to damage the Rebels from distance this season, as Ole Miss has held 12 of its last 16 opponents to 35 percent or lower from beyond the arc -- including six of nine SEC foes. In six of those eight wins of that stretch against Rider (2-of-13), No. 18 Memphis (2-of-11), Middle Tennessee (3-of-27), Dayton (4-18), Mississippi State (3-16) and Florida (4-29), Rebel opponents shot a combined 18-of-114 (.158), with the lone outliers a 30.6 percent outing from K-State on an 11-of-36 line and a 36.4 showing at No. 25 LSU on an 8-of-22 line. The Rebels rank 31st nationally and second in the SEC with a season opposing three-point clip of 29.6 percent, and Ole Miss also ranks third in the conference in SEC-only three-point defense at 29.9. In the Kermit Davis era, Ole Miss is 31-17 when holding opponents to 30 percent or lower and 51-27 when holding opponents below 40 percent from deep.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Doubling-down on that lockdown three-point defense, Ole Miss currently stands as one of two schools in the SEC to be ranked within the top-three of the SEC-only three-point shooting (No. 3, .361) and three-point defense (No. 3, .299) categories. Ole Miss has found its stroke from three-ball land again just in time for conference play, as their SEC-only three-point percentage has been helped greatly by 7.3 threes per game (No. 5 SEC). Ole Miss hit double-digit threes in each of its first two games of SEC season, going 11-of-22 at No. 18 Tennessee in a near-upset thriller that went into overtime before an 11-of-23 performance against in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8. On the season, Ole Miss has hit double-digit threes made three times when including an 11-of-29 performance against Charleston Southern back on Nov. 12, the most such games since the Rebels tallied seven double-digit games during head coach Kermit Davis’ first season in 2018-19.
MURRELL GOES UNCONSCIOUS
Sophomore Matthew Murrell absolutely lit the net on fire against in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, dropping a career-high 31 points on an absurd 10-of-11 shooting performance that included a perfect 5-of-5 line from beyond the arc and a 6-of-6 clip from the free throw line. Murrell actually started the game 10-of-10 from the field before a late miss with 2:32 to play gave him his lone blemish on the night. Murrell stands as one of only three Rebels all-time to have gone 5-of-5 from three, joining Devontae Shuler’s performance vs. Jackson State on Dec. 10, 2020, and Joe Harvell’s 5-of-5 outing against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament on March 9, 1990 -- making Murrell’s the only such performance against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was unconscious in the first half, scoring 23 points in the opening frame alone, which had already beat his previous career-high of 19 points scored against No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4. His 23 first-half points stands as the most scored by a Rebel against an SEC opponent since Stefan Moody dropped 24 against Mississippi State on March 2, 2016. To anyone paying attention lately, though, this was just the latest and greatest output from Murrell. Over his last 10 games since SEC play began Jan. 5 at Tennessee, he is 23-of-50 (.460) from three and 46-of-94 (.489) overall, averaging 15.0 points per game in that stretch. Murrell started the season 2-of-10 (.200) from three across his first six games, but a 3-of-6 three-point performance against Rider and a 4-of-9 rip against the nationally-ranked Tigers helped spark a three-point line of 35-of-86 (.407) since across his last 16 games played since Nov. 30 against Rider.
Murrell is the program’s highest rated recruit ever nationally, signing with Ole Miss ranked No. 39 overall by both ESPN and the 247Sports Composite in 2019-20.
CLEANING UP THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
Graduate transfer Nysier Brooks has been a beast on the offensive glass to start SEC play, ranking second in conference action at 3.6 offensive boards per game. Brooks hauled in a whopping eight offensive boards against Mississippi State to help lead to a career-high 16 rebounds, the most total boards by a Rebel since Sebastian Saiz hauled in 17 vs. Georgia Tech in the 2017 NIT. Brooks has had five or more offensive boards in four games this season, and he has had at least six rebounds in all but two games this season. Furthermore, Brooks has hit double-digit rebounds six times, including three in SEC play to average an SEC fourth-best average of 8.1 per game in conference play. Overall, Brooks ranks fourth in the SEC at 8.0 rebounds per game, and his overall offensive rebounding average of 3.0 per game ranks second in the conference behind Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe. Brooks most recently recorded his third Rebel double-double and eighth of his career following a 15-point, 16 rebound performance against Mississippi State on Jan. 8.
PROTECT THE BALL
Ole Miss has forced double-digit turnovers in all but two of their 22 contests so far this season, and have only turned the ball over more than its opponent six times this season. In the Kermit Davis era, the Rebels are 48-21 when having fewer turnovers than their opponents, and are 37-14 when forcing 15 turnovers or more.
HOMETOWN HERO
Senior Jarkel Joiner was named one of 60 men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes nationally named as candidates for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award on Dec. 7. Ole Miss women’s basketball senior Shakira Austin was also named a candidate, making Ole Miss the only SEC school to be represented on both lists and one of just four nationally alongside BYU, Michigan and Virginia Tech. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
In the classroom, Joiner holds a 3.13 GPA in multi-disciplinary studies, and is a staple in his hometown community. Joiner was named to the 2020-21 SEC Community Service Team, working closely with the Reading with the Rebels program in addition to the Stronger Together Mississippi initiative and Adopt-A-Basket, which helps feed local families during the holiday season.
The men’s and women’s candidates will be narrowed to two fields of ten finalists later in the season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will then select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C’s of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four® and NCAA Women’s Final Four® this spring.
YEAR FOUR OF THE DAVIS ERA
Kermit Davis enters his fourth season at the helm of Ole Miss Basketball. Over his first three seasons, Davis led the Rebels to a pair of postseason appearances (2020 postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19). With 63 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 is 38th among active Division I head coaches with 466 career wins over 24 seasons, including stints at Middle Tennessee, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 27 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 532 wins.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 53-17 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 27-3 when scoring 80+, 48-20 when scoring 70+
• 43-18 when winning the rebounding battle
• 28-3 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 18-7 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 60-30 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (35-6 when below 40 percent)
