From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men’s basketball gears up for its third game in five days and hopes to carry over momentum from a strong win over Florida when the Arkansas Razorbacks come to town for a Wednesday night tilt at SJB Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT live on SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (10-9, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 4th Season at Ole Miss (61-51) • 530-314 career record (27th Season)
Arkansas Razorbacks (14-5, 4-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Eric Musselman • 3rd Season at Arkansas (59-24) • 169-58 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Color: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SiriusXM
XM: 191
SiriusXM App: 962
SERIES HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS
Wednesday night marks the 84th all-time meeting between the Rebels and Razorbacks, the 56th since Arkansas joined the SEC. Overall, Arkansas owns a 50-33 advantage in the series, but the Rebels hold a large 20-8 spread at home while the Razorbacks lead 19-11 in Fayetteville. Arkansas holds a wide disparity on neutral sites, owning a 23-2 record in such games. The first 16 games of the all-time series from 1950 until 1964 were all held at neutral sites, with the first on-campus meeting coming in Fayetteville on Dec. 9, 1967 (L, 64-62). The series moved to Oxford for the first time the following year on Dec. 7, 1968, when the Rebels won in overtime, 65-61. The Razorbacks would not win their first game in Oxford until they joined the SEC, winning 114-93 on Jan. 18, 1992. Arkansas won 15 of the first 17 games of the series from 1950 to 1967, as well as 30 of 36 until 1997 when the Rebel run began. From 1997 onwards, Ole Miss is 27-18 against the Razorbacks, which includes a 26-11 stretch from 1997-2016. The tide has turned back toward Arkansas lately, as the Razorbacks seven of the last eight matchups since 2017, with the lone Rebel win coming in Oxford on Jan. 19, 2019 (84-67).
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
Arkansas comes to Oxford at 14-5 overall and 4-3 in SEC play, and are currently on a four-game winning streak after dropping its first three games of conference play. The Razorbacks ranked as high as No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the Coaches poll as recently as Dec. 4 after starting off the season on a nine-game winning streak. A two-game skid to Oklahoma (88-66) and Hofstra (89-81) knocked them out of both polls, as Arkansas lost five of six from Dec. 11 to Jan. 8. Since, the Razorbacks have turned it back on, clipping off four straight wins vs. Missouri (87-43), No. 12 LSU (65-58), South Carolina (75-59) and Texas A&M (76-73/OT). Arkansas currently ranks No. 55 in the NET ratings, owning a 4-3 combined record against Quad 1 (1-3) and Quad 2 (3-0), and a 10-2 mark against Quad 3 (2-2) and Quad 4 (8-0).
Arkansas enters Wednesday as the best free throw shooting team in the SEC and the most prolific in the nation this season, owning a 74.3 percent clip in addition to the NCAA’s most free throws made (332) and second-most attempted (447) this season. JD Notae leads Arkansas with his SEC-leading 18.6 points per game, with Au’Diese Toney (10.0), Stanley Umude (10.4) and Chris Lykes (10.1) also joining him in double-digits. Notae also leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally at 2.5 steals per game.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 27, 2021 (L, 74-59, in Fayetteville)
• Arkansas: 34 points in the paint, won rebounding 37-29
• Arkansas’ JD Notae: 19 points off the bench (14 in second half)
• Ole Miss: 44 percent shooting
• Devontae Shuler: 19 points, 9-of-12 FG
• Jarkel Joiner scored 1,000th career point (11 points)
LAST MEETING IN OXFORD: Jan. 11, 2020 (L, 76-72)
• Rebel led at halftime (33-27), Arkansas used two 8-0 runs in second half to gain the lead
• Ole Miss shot 25-of-26 from free throw line (.962), won rebounding 40-28
• Both teams were combined 47-of-53 (.887) from free throw line
• Arkansas: 14-of-14 from free throw line in the second half
• Arkansas: 27 percent overall in first half, 58 percent overall in second half
• Breein Tyree: 27 points
• Two Rebel double-doubles: KJ Buffen (12 points, 10 rebounds), Devontae Shuler (10 points, 11 rebounds)
• Arkansas’ Isaiah Joe: 34 points
LAST WIN: Jan. 19, 2019 (W, 84-67, in Oxford)
• Rebels ranked No. 18
• Wire-to-wire win for the Rebels
• Moved to 4-1 in SEC play for first time since 2013-14
• First win as a ranked team since beating Mississippi State on Feb. 6, 2013 (93-75)
• Sixth sellout in SJB Pavilion history
• Ole Miss: 17 turnovers forced (13 steals) that turned into 22 points, won points in the paint 44-28
• Arkansas: 36.7 percent second half shooting, 6-of-23 from three all game
• Four Rebels in double-digits: Breein Tyree (22), Terence Davis (18), Bruce Stevens (14), Dominik Olejniczak (13)
• Olejniczak: scored nine of first 19 Rebel points of the game
LAST WIN IN FAYETTEVILLE: Jan. 17, 2015 (W, 96-82)
• Win over No. 19 Razorbacks
• Ole Miss shot a season-high 56.4 percent overall, 74.1 percent in the first half
• Stefan Moody: 18 points
• Five total Rebels in double-digits: Moody, Jarvis Summers (17), Sebastian Saiz (12), LaDarius White (10), Swight Coleby (12)
LAST TIME OUT (vs. Florida: W, 70-54)
• 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
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.
STEPPING UP
Ole Miss has been without senior stalwart Jarkel Joiner since Dec. 21 vs. Samford, and in the seven succeeding games several Rebels have stepped up to fill in for his sorely-missed presence and production. In that seven-game stretch, Matthew Murrell is leading with 16.0 points per game in addition to a 53.5 percent clip from the field, a 51.3 percent effort from beyond the arc, 2.9 threes, 3.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Murrell has also hit multiple threes in six of those seven 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 has tallied all seven of his career starts in place of Joiner at the point guard position since his injury, has tallied 11.3 points, 4.6 assists, 3.0 steals and has shot 76.9 percent from the free throw line. Nysier Brooks is also averaging double figures at 10.7 points and 8.4 boards per game, in addition to 1.9 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 10.3 points and 2.1 threes made while shooting lights-out clips of 61.9 percent overall, 62.5 from three and 71.4 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 34.4 minutes per contest, while Brooks comes in at No. 6 at 33.5. In non-conference action, the duo combined for only 24 minutes per game, with Brooks averaging 25.9 and Murrell averaging 22.1.
OFF THE LINE
It’s been difficult to damage the Rebels from distance this season, as Ole Miss has held eight of its last 13 opponents to 30 percent or lower from beyond the arc -- including four of seven SEC foes. In six 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). The Rebels rank 16th nationally and second in the SEC with a season opposing three-point clip of 28.5 percent, and Ole Miss also ranks second in the conference in SEC-only three-point defense at 27.2. In the Kermit Davis era, Ole Miss is 31-17 when holding opponents to 30 percent or lower and 49-27 when holding opponents below 40 percent from deep.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Doubling-down on that lockdown three-point defense, Ole Miss currently stands as the only school in the SEC to be ranked within the top-three of the SEC-only three-point shooting (No. 1, .368) and three-point defense (No. 2, .272) 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 7.6 threes per game and a total 53-of-144 line. 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.
SEC CHECK-IN • INDIVIDUAL
Beyond the halfway mark of the season and seven games into the 18-game SEC slate, the Rebels hold several strong positions within the overall SEC single-game highs for individuals, both in overall play this season and within conference-only action.
Single-Game High • Points
1. Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt) - 32 (vs. Kentucky)
2. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 31 (vs. MSU)
2. JD Notae (Arkansas) - 31 (vs. Texas A&M)
2. Quenton Jackson (Texas A&M) - 31 (vs. Cent. Ark.)
Single-Game High • 3PT Percentage
1. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 1.000 (5-5), vs. MSU
1. Justin Powell (Tennessee) - 1.000 (5-5), vs. Presbyterian
3. Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee) - 1.000 (4-4), vs. UT Martin
SEC-Only Single-Game High • FG Percentage
1. Amari Davis (Missouri) - 1.000 (10-10), at Ole Miss
2. Jason Jitobog (Florida) - 1.000 (6-6), at Ole Miss
3. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 1.000 (5-5), at MSU
Four others with 5-5
SEC-Only Single-Game High • 3PT Made
1. Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt) - 6 (vs. Kentucky)
2. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 5 (vs. MSU)
2. Tye Fagan (Ole Miss) - 5 (vs. Tennessee)
Seven others with 5
SEC-Only Single-Game High • 3PT Percentage
1. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 1.000 (5-5), vs. MSU
Nine others tied at 2-2
SEC-Only • 3PT Percentage
1. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - .513
2. Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee) - .429
3. Jarron Coleman (Missouri) - .395
SEC-Only • 3PT/Game
1. Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee) - 3.4
2. Noah Baumann (Georgia) - 3.0
3. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 2.9
SEC-Only • Minutes/Game
1. Kellan Grady (Kentucky) - 35.3
2. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 34.4
3. Jaden Shackelford (Alabama) - 34.3
Overall • Offensive Rebounds
1. Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) - 5.2
2. Colin Castleton (Florida) - 3.3
3. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 2.9
SEC-Only • Rebounding
1. Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) - 14.7
2. Jaylin Williams (Arkansas) - 10.1
3. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 8.4
SEC-Only • Offensive Rebounds
1. Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) - 4.4
2. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 3.4
3. Garrison Brooks (MSU) - 3.3
SEC-Only Single-Game High • Steals
1. Jaylin Williams (Arkansas) - 6 (vs. Texas A&M)
2. Daeshun Ruffin (Ole Miss) - 5 (vs. Tennessee)
Six others with 5
SEC-Only • Steals
1. Daeshun Ruffin (Ole Miss) - 3.0
1. Keon Ellis (Alabama) - 3.0
3. Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee) - 2.8
SEC CHECK-IN • TEAM
Likewise, the Rebels as an overall unit hold several impressive marks worth considering through 19 games played and seven within SEC play.
Overall 3PT Defense
1. LSU - .265
2. Ole Miss - .285
3. Florida - .296
Overall Single-Game High • FT Percentage
1. Ole Miss - 1.000 (15-15), vs. Auburn
2. Tennessee - 1.000 (10-10), vs. Tennessee Tech
3. Kentucky - 1.000 (8-8), vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Overall Single-Game High • Rebounds
1. South Carolina - 59, vs. Allen
2. Ole Miss - 57, Rider
SEC-Only 3PT Shooting
1. Ole Miss - .368
1. Kentucky - .367
3. Georgia - .338
SEC-Only 3PT Defense
1. Vanderbilt - .269
2. Ole Miss - .368
3. LSU - .276
SEC-Only Single-Game High • 3PT Made
1. Vanderbilt - 12 (vs. Kentucky)
2. Ole Miss - 11 (vs. MSU)
2. Ole Miss - 11 (vs. Tennessee)
Four others
SEC-Only Single-Game High • FT Percentage
1. Ole Miss - 1.000 (15-15), vs. Auburn
2. Kentucky - .952 (20-21), vs. Tennessee
HISTORIC SHOWING AT THE FREE THROW LINE
Ole Miss did not miss any of its free attempts against No. 4 Auburn on Jan. 15, going a perfect 15-of-15 from the charity stripe to notch one of the best free throw performances in school history. The Rebels’ outing against the Tigers stands as just the third perfect free throw effort in Ole Miss history of at least 10 attempts alongside 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. This also stands as the best in the SEC this season, and the only perfect performance in conference play. Furthermore, the 15-of-15 outing 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 15 games at a combined line of 197-of-272 (.724) 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 -- and over its last four wins over Middle Tennessee (13-20), Dayton (16-21), Mississippi State (13-18) and Florida (16-20), the Rebels have shot 58-of-79 (.734).
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 seven games since SEC play began Jan. 5 at Tennessee, he is 20-of-39 (.513) from three and 38-of-71 (.535) overall, averaging 16.0 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 31-of-71 (.437) since across his last 13 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 3.4 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 third-best average of 8.4 per game in conference play. Over his last nine games since a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double vs. Dayton on Dec. 18, Brooks has grabbed an average of 8.6 boards per game to go along with 11.0 points and 1.7 blocks. Overall, Brooks ranks fifth in the SEC at 8.0 rebounds per game, and his overall offensive rebounding average of 2.9 per game ranks third in the conference. 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.
WATCH YOUR BACK
Freshman guard Daeshun Ruffin has quickly become a force to reckon with defensively, averaging 2.5 steals per game in just 11 career contests. Ruffin has been particularly proficient at picking pockets lately, averaging an SEC-best 3.0 steals per game in SEC play after a career-high five steal performance at No. 18 Tennessee and four more against Mississippi State, Missouri and Florida. At his current pace of 2.5 steals per game, Ruffin is on pace to break the Ole Miss freshman record for total steals of 47 set by Elston Turner in 27 games played in 1978. Ruffin missed eight games while sitting out one month due to breaking his right hand in the season opener vs. New Orleans on Nov. 9.
RUFFIN RETURNS IN A BIG SPOT
Ole Miss freshman Daeshun Ruffin returned from a four-week absence in dynamic fashion and has taken a prominent leadership role, averaging 12.7 points, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals since returning from injury vs. Middle Tennessee on Dec. 15. His first three games back were a revelation, as Ruffin averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.6 steals and shot 41.7 percent overall and 70.8 percent from the free throw line against Middle Tennessee (Dec. 15), Dayton (Dec. 18) and Samford (Dec. 21). Ruffin is coming off his best game as a Rebel, a career-high 21 points vs. Florida that included a 9-of-10 free throw performance in addition to six assists and four steals. Ruffin suffered a fractured hand in the second half of the season opener against New Orleans, and missed the next four weeks of action. Ruffin first saw the floor again against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 15, scoring 12 points in just 12 minutes of action -- nine of which came in the first half as he came off the bench. Ruffin followed that up with a splendid showing against Dayton, scoring a career-high 19 points after a powerful 17-point second half to help lift the Rebels to victory. Ruffin hit 9-of-12 from the free throw line against the Flyers, and in his first two games back from injury his 13 free throws made accounted for 44.8 percent of all Rebel free throws made (29) in that stretch. Recently, Ruffin found success running the Rebel offense as well with a career-high eight assists against Mississippi State on Jan. 8 to go along with 17 points and a career-high three trifectas made. Ruffin is the first McDonald’s All-American signee in program history following a storied career at Callaway High School in his native Jackson, Mississippi.
PROTECT THE BALL
Ole Miss has forced double-digit turnovers in all but one of their 19 of their contests so far this season, and have only turned the ball over more than its opponent four times this season. In the Kermit Davis era, the Rebels are 48-21 when having fewer turnovers than their opponents, and are 36-14 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 61 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 464 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 530 wins.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 51-17 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 27-3 when scoring 80+, 47-20 when scoring 70+
• 42-17 when winning the rebounding battle
• 27-3 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 17-7 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 58-29 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (34-6 when below 40 percent)
| OLE MISS (10-9, 2-5 SEC) vs. ARKANSAS (14-5, 4-3 SEC) Wednesday, January 26 • 6 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) 
| 
|
| Watch • Live Stats • Listen • Gameday Info • Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes • Arkansas Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (10-9, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 4th Season at Ole Miss (61-51) • 530-314 career record (27th Season)
Arkansas Razorbacks (14-5, 4-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Eric Musselman • 3rd Season at Arkansas (59-24) • 169-58 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Color: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SiriusXM
XM: 191
SiriusXM App: 962
SERIES HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS
Wednesday night marks the 84th all-time meeting between the Rebels and Razorbacks, the 56th since Arkansas joined the SEC. Overall, Arkansas owns a 50-33 advantage in the series, but the Rebels hold a large 20-8 spread at home while the Razorbacks lead 19-11 in Fayetteville. Arkansas holds a wide disparity on neutral sites, owning a 23-2 record in such games. The first 16 games of the all-time series from 1950 until 1964 were all held at neutral sites, with the first on-campus meeting coming in Fayetteville on Dec. 9, 1967 (L, 64-62). The series moved to Oxford for the first time the following year on Dec. 7, 1968, when the Rebels won in overtime, 65-61. The Razorbacks would not win their first game in Oxford until they joined the SEC, winning 114-93 on Jan. 18, 1992. Arkansas won 15 of the first 17 games of the series from 1950 to 1967, as well as 30 of 36 until 1997 when the Rebel run began. From 1997 onwards, Ole Miss is 27-18 against the Razorbacks, which includes a 26-11 stretch from 1997-2016. The tide has turned back toward Arkansas lately, as the Razorbacks seven of the last eight matchups since 2017, with the lone Rebel win coming in Oxford on Jan. 19, 2019 (84-67).
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
Arkansas comes to Oxford at 14-5 overall and 4-3 in SEC play, and are currently on a four-game winning streak after dropping its first three games of conference play. The Razorbacks ranked as high as No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the Coaches poll as recently as Dec. 4 after starting off the season on a nine-game winning streak. A two-game skid to Oklahoma (88-66) and Hofstra (89-81) knocked them out of both polls, as Arkansas lost five of six from Dec. 11 to Jan. 8. Since, the Razorbacks have turned it back on, clipping off four straight wins vs. Missouri (87-43), No. 12 LSU (65-58), South Carolina (75-59) and Texas A&M (76-73/OT). Arkansas currently ranks No. 55 in the NET ratings, owning a 4-3 combined record against Quad 1 (1-3) and Quad 2 (3-0), and a 10-2 mark against Quad 3 (2-2) and Quad 4 (8-0).
Arkansas enters Wednesday as the best free throw shooting team in the SEC and the most prolific in the nation this season, owning a 74.3 percent clip in addition to the NCAA’s most free throws made (332) and second-most attempted (447) this season. JD Notae leads Arkansas with his SEC-leading 18.6 points per game, with Au’Diese Toney (10.0), Stanley Umude (10.4) and Chris Lykes (10.1) also joining him in double-digits. Notae also leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally at 2.5 steals per game.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 27, 2021 (L, 74-59, in Fayetteville)
• Arkansas: 34 points in the paint, won rebounding 37-29
• Arkansas’ JD Notae: 19 points off the bench (14 in second half)
• Ole Miss: 44 percent shooting
• Devontae Shuler: 19 points, 9-of-12 FG
• Jarkel Joiner scored 1,000th career point (11 points)
LAST MEETING IN OXFORD: Jan. 11, 2020 (L, 76-72)
• Rebel led at halftime (33-27), Arkansas used two 8-0 runs in second half to gain the lead
• Ole Miss shot 25-of-26 from free throw line (.962), won rebounding 40-28
• Both teams were combined 47-of-53 (.887) from free throw line
• Arkansas: 14-of-14 from free throw line in the second half
• Arkansas: 27 percent overall in first half, 58 percent overall in second half
• Breein Tyree: 27 points
• Two Rebel double-doubles: KJ Buffen (12 points, 10 rebounds), Devontae Shuler (10 points, 11 rebounds)
• Arkansas’ Isaiah Joe: 34 points
LAST WIN: Jan. 19, 2019 (W, 84-67, in Oxford)
• Rebels ranked No. 18
• Wire-to-wire win for the Rebels
• Moved to 4-1 in SEC play for first time since 2013-14
• First win as a ranked team since beating Mississippi State on Feb. 6, 2013 (93-75)
• Sixth sellout in SJB Pavilion history
• Ole Miss: 17 turnovers forced (13 steals) that turned into 22 points, won points in the paint 44-28
• Arkansas: 36.7 percent second half shooting, 6-of-23 from three all game
• Four Rebels in double-digits: Breein Tyree (22), Terence Davis (18), Bruce Stevens (14), Dominik Olejniczak (13)
• Olejniczak: scored nine of first 19 Rebel points of the game
LAST WIN IN FAYETTEVILLE: Jan. 17, 2015 (W, 96-82)
• Win over No. 19 Razorbacks
• Ole Miss shot a season-high 56.4 percent overall, 74.1 percent in the first half
• Stefan Moody: 18 points
• Five total Rebels in double-digits: Moody, Jarvis Summers (17), Sebastian Saiz (12), LaDarius White (10), Swight Coleby (12)
LAST TIME OUT (vs. Florida: W, 70-54)
• 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
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.
STEPPING UP
Ole Miss has been without senior stalwart Jarkel Joiner since Dec. 21 vs. Samford, and in the seven succeeding games several Rebels have stepped up to fill in for his sorely-missed presence and production. In that seven-game stretch, Matthew Murrell is leading with 16.0 points per game in addition to a 53.5 percent clip from the field, a 51.3 percent effort from beyond the arc, 2.9 threes, 3.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Murrell has also hit multiple threes in six of those seven 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 has tallied all seven of his career starts in place of Joiner at the point guard position since his injury, has tallied 11.3 points, 4.6 assists, 3.0 steals and has shot 76.9 percent from the free throw line. Nysier Brooks is also averaging double figures at 10.7 points and 8.4 boards per game, in addition to 1.9 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 10.3 points and 2.1 threes made while shooting lights-out clips of 61.9 percent overall, 62.5 from three and 71.4 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 34.4 minutes per contest, while Brooks comes in at No. 6 at 33.5. In non-conference action, the duo combined for only 24 minutes per game, with Brooks averaging 25.9 and Murrell averaging 22.1.
OFF THE LINE
It’s been difficult to damage the Rebels from distance this season, as Ole Miss has held eight of its last 13 opponents to 30 percent or lower from beyond the arc -- including four of seven SEC foes. In six 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). The Rebels rank 16th nationally and second in the SEC with a season opposing three-point clip of 28.5 percent, and Ole Miss also ranks second in the conference in SEC-only three-point defense at 27.2. In the Kermit Davis era, Ole Miss is 31-17 when holding opponents to 30 percent or lower and 49-27 when holding opponents below 40 percent from deep.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Doubling-down on that lockdown three-point defense, Ole Miss currently stands as the only school in the SEC to be ranked within the top-three of the SEC-only three-point shooting (No. 1, .368) and three-point defense (No. 2, .272) 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 7.6 threes per game and a total 53-of-144 line. 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.
SEC CHECK-IN • INDIVIDUAL
Beyond the halfway mark of the season and seven games into the 18-game SEC slate, the Rebels hold several strong positions within the overall SEC single-game highs for individuals, both in overall play this season and within conference-only action.
Single-Game High • Points
1. Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt) - 32 (vs. Kentucky)
2. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 31 (vs. MSU)
2. JD Notae (Arkansas) - 31 (vs. Texas A&M)
2. Quenton Jackson (Texas A&M) - 31 (vs. Cent. Ark.)
Single-Game High • 3PT Percentage
1. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 1.000 (5-5), vs. MSU
1. Justin Powell (Tennessee) - 1.000 (5-5), vs. Presbyterian
3. Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee) - 1.000 (4-4), vs. UT Martin
SEC-Only Single-Game High • FG Percentage
1. Amari Davis (Missouri) - 1.000 (10-10), at Ole Miss
2. Jason Jitobog (Florida) - 1.000 (6-6), at Ole Miss
3. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 1.000 (5-5), at MSU
Four others with 5-5
SEC-Only Single-Game High • 3PT Made
1. Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt) - 6 (vs. Kentucky)
2. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 5 (vs. MSU)
2. Tye Fagan (Ole Miss) - 5 (vs. Tennessee)
Seven others with 5
SEC-Only Single-Game High • 3PT Percentage
1. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 1.000 (5-5), vs. MSU
Nine others tied at 2-2
SEC-Only • 3PT Percentage
1. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - .513
2. Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee) - .429
3. Jarron Coleman (Missouri) - .395
SEC-Only • 3PT/Game
1. Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee) - 3.4
2. Noah Baumann (Georgia) - 3.0
3. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 2.9
SEC-Only • Minutes/Game
1. Kellan Grady (Kentucky) - 35.3
2. Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) - 34.4
3. Jaden Shackelford (Alabama) - 34.3
Overall • Offensive Rebounds
1. Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) - 5.2
2. Colin Castleton (Florida) - 3.3
3. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 2.9
SEC-Only • Rebounding
1. Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) - 14.7
2. Jaylin Williams (Arkansas) - 10.1
3. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 8.4
SEC-Only • Offensive Rebounds
1. Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) - 4.4
2. Nysier Brooks (Ole Miss) - 3.4
3. Garrison Brooks (MSU) - 3.3
SEC-Only Single-Game High • Steals
1. Jaylin Williams (Arkansas) - 6 (vs. Texas A&M)
2. Daeshun Ruffin (Ole Miss) - 5 (vs. Tennessee)
Six others with 5
SEC-Only • Steals
1. Daeshun Ruffin (Ole Miss) - 3.0
1. Keon Ellis (Alabama) - 3.0
3. Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee) - 2.8
SEC CHECK-IN • TEAM
Likewise, the Rebels as an overall unit hold several impressive marks worth considering through 19 games played and seven within SEC play.
Overall 3PT Defense
1. LSU - .265
2. Ole Miss - .285
3. Florida - .296
Overall Single-Game High • FT Percentage
1. Ole Miss - 1.000 (15-15), vs. Auburn
2. Tennessee - 1.000 (10-10), vs. Tennessee Tech
3. Kentucky - 1.000 (8-8), vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Overall Single-Game High • Rebounds
1. South Carolina - 59, vs. Allen
2. Ole Miss - 57, Rider
SEC-Only 3PT Shooting
1. Ole Miss - .368
1. Kentucky - .367
3. Georgia - .338
SEC-Only 3PT Defense
1. Vanderbilt - .269
2. Ole Miss - .368
3. LSU - .276
SEC-Only Single-Game High • 3PT Made
1. Vanderbilt - 12 (vs. Kentucky)
2. Ole Miss - 11 (vs. MSU)
2. Ole Miss - 11 (vs. Tennessee)
Four others
SEC-Only Single-Game High • FT Percentage
1. Ole Miss - 1.000 (15-15), vs. Auburn
2. Kentucky - .952 (20-21), vs. Tennessee
HISTORIC SHOWING AT THE FREE THROW LINE
Ole Miss did not miss any of its free attempts against No. 4 Auburn on Jan. 15, going a perfect 15-of-15 from the charity stripe to notch one of the best free throw performances in school history. The Rebels’ outing against the Tigers stands as just the third perfect free throw effort in Ole Miss history of at least 10 attempts alongside 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. This also stands as the best in the SEC this season, and the only perfect performance in conference play. Furthermore, the 15-of-15 outing 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 15 games at a combined line of 197-of-272 (.724) 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 -- and over its last four wins over Middle Tennessee (13-20), Dayton (16-21), Mississippi State (13-18) and Florida (16-20), the Rebels have shot 58-of-79 (.734).
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 seven games since SEC play began Jan. 5 at Tennessee, he is 20-of-39 (.513) from three and 38-of-71 (.535) overall, averaging 16.0 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 31-of-71 (.437) since across his last 13 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 3.4 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 third-best average of 8.4 per game in conference play. Over his last nine games since a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double vs. Dayton on Dec. 18, Brooks has grabbed an average of 8.6 boards per game to go along with 11.0 points and 1.7 blocks. Overall, Brooks ranks fifth in the SEC at 8.0 rebounds per game, and his overall offensive rebounding average of 2.9 per game ranks third in the conference. 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.
WATCH YOUR BACK
Freshman guard Daeshun Ruffin has quickly become a force to reckon with defensively, averaging 2.5 steals per game in just 11 career contests. Ruffin has been particularly proficient at picking pockets lately, averaging an SEC-best 3.0 steals per game in SEC play after a career-high five steal performance at No. 18 Tennessee and four more against Mississippi State, Missouri and Florida. At his current pace of 2.5 steals per game, Ruffin is on pace to break the Ole Miss freshman record for total steals of 47 set by Elston Turner in 27 games played in 1978. Ruffin missed eight games while sitting out one month due to breaking his right hand in the season opener vs. New Orleans on Nov. 9.
RUFFIN RETURNS IN A BIG SPOT
Ole Miss freshman Daeshun Ruffin returned from a four-week absence in dynamic fashion and has taken a prominent leadership role, averaging 12.7 points, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals since returning from injury vs. Middle Tennessee on Dec. 15. His first three games back were a revelation, as Ruffin averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.6 steals and shot 41.7 percent overall and 70.8 percent from the free throw line against Middle Tennessee (Dec. 15), Dayton (Dec. 18) and Samford (Dec. 21). Ruffin is coming off his best game as a Rebel, a career-high 21 points vs. Florida that included a 9-of-10 free throw performance in addition to six assists and four steals. Ruffin suffered a fractured hand in the second half of the season opener against New Orleans, and missed the next four weeks of action. Ruffin first saw the floor again against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 15, scoring 12 points in just 12 minutes of action -- nine of which came in the first half as he came off the bench. Ruffin followed that up with a splendid showing against Dayton, scoring a career-high 19 points after a powerful 17-point second half to help lift the Rebels to victory. Ruffin hit 9-of-12 from the free throw line against the Flyers, and in his first two games back from injury his 13 free throws made accounted for 44.8 percent of all Rebel free throws made (29) in that stretch. Recently, Ruffin found success running the Rebel offense as well with a career-high eight assists against Mississippi State on Jan. 8 to go along with 17 points and a career-high three trifectas made. Ruffin is the first McDonald’s All-American signee in program history following a storied career at Callaway High School in his native Jackson, Mississippi.
PROTECT THE BALL
Ole Miss has forced double-digit turnovers in all but one of their 19 of their contests so far this season, and have only turned the ball over more than its opponent four times this season. In the Kermit Davis era, the Rebels are 48-21 when having fewer turnovers than their opponents, and are 36-14 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 61 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 464 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 530 wins.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 51-17 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 27-3 when scoring 80+, 47-20 when scoring 70+
• 42-17 when winning the rebounding battle
• 27-3 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 17-7 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 58-29 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (34-6 when below 40 percent)
