From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men’s basketball will again square off against Texas A&M, this time playing host to the Aggies on its own turf on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT inside The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss and live on SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (13-15, 4-11 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 4th Season at Ole Miss (64-57) • 533-320 career record (27th Season)
Texas A&M Aggies (17-11, 6-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Buzz Williams • 3rd Season at Texas A&M (41-35) • 294-189 career record (15th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Roy Philpott
Color: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: John Stroud
SiriusXM
XM: 190
SiriusXM App: 961
SERIES HISTORY VS. TEXAS A&M
Saturday marks just the 13th all-time meeting between the Rebels and the Aggies, their 12th since Texas A&M joined the SEC in the 2012-13 season. Ole Miss and A&M first met at a neutral site matchup in Oklahoma City on Dec. 29, 1972, with the Aggies emerging victorious, 100-83. It wouldn’t be until A&M’s first season in the SEC that the two teams would meet again on Feb. 13, 2013, a narrow 69-67 loss in College Station. Ole Miss got its first win of the series in Oxford later that month on Feb. 27 to the tune of an 82-73 final score. In Oxford, the Rebels lead all-time, 4-1, but Ole Miss has yet to notch a victory at Texas A&M, with the Aggies holding a 6-0 all-time edge on their turf. Under Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis, the series is tied 2-2 against Texas A&M, with the most recent result being a 67-51 loss in College Station back on Jan. 11 this season.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M enters Saturday at 17-11 overall and 6-9 in SEC play. The Aggies started off 4-0 in conference action and 14-2 overall, but since a Jan. 15 win at Missouri (67-64), Texas A&M has lost nine of its last 11 games -- including eight in a row. The Aggies hold a NET ranking of 72, and hold notable non-conference wins over Butler (57-50), Notre Dame (73-67) and Oregon State (83-73), with Power-5 losses to Wisconsin (69-58) and TCU (69-64).
The Aggies possess a strong on-ball defense, ranking second in the SEC and top-10 in the NCAA in both steals per game (10.4, 5th) and turnovers forced (17.8, 17.8), helping Texas A&M to the SEC’s best turnover margin at +4.4 per game (No. 8 NCAA). Texas A&M also is strong on the offensive glass, ranking fourth in the SEC and 17th in the NCAA at 12.8 offensive rebounds per game.
Leading the way for the Aggies is Quenton Jackson, who has come off the bench in 25 of 28 games played. He leads Texas A&M with 14.1 points per game and an 85 percent clip from the free throw line. Five Aggies have hit 25 or more threes this season, with Andre Gordon (7.9 PPG) leading with 37.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 11, 2022 (L, 67-51, at College Station)
• Rebels trailed by four at halftime, but 9-0 Aggie run that ended up as a 19-3 streak helped Texas A&M pull away
• A&M: 62.5 percent shooting overall, 42-24 points in the paint
• Matthew Murrell: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist
• Daeshun Ruffin: 10 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound
• Nysier Brooks: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 1 assist
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
• Luis Rodriguez: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals
LAST MEETING IN OXFORD: Jan. 23, 2021 (W, 61-50)
• Ole Miss: 44 percent shooting overall, 18 turnovers forced (25 points off turnovers)
• Jarkel Joiner: 21 points, 7-of-11 FG, 7 rebounds
• Devontae Shuler: 17 points
• Combined with holding Mississippi State to 46 points in previous game, this constituted the first consecutive games holding SEC opponents to 50 points or fewer since 1982
• Fourth time up to that point holding an opponent to 50 or fewer (first time with four such games since 2011-12)
LAST TIME OUT (at #3 Auburn: L, 77-64)
• Rebels nearly fought even in second half, but three first-half runs of at least 7-0 helped Tigers separate
• Auburn: 45.8 percent overall
• Ole Miss: 37.9 percent overall, 31.6 from three
• Jarkel Joiner: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
• Luis Rodriguez: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2-3 3PT
• Nysier Brooks: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
LAST RANKED WIN (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
JOINER NAMED HOWELL TROPHY FINALIST
Ole Miss senior guard Jarkel Joiner has been named a finalist for the Howell Trophy, which is given out annually to the top player in the state of Mississippi.
The awards will be presented at a luncheon held at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame at 11:30 a.m. CT on March 7. Statewide media members who cover basketball voted for the top three for both the men and women, and the top players receiving votes will be asked to appear at the banquet. The media will then vote for the Most Outstanding Player from the three remaining players.
Oxford native Joiner was named a finalist alongside Mississippi State’s Iverson Molinar and Southern Miss’ Tyler Stevenson. These players and their respective coaches will be at the luncheon. Featured guest Van Chancellor, the former Ole Miss and WNBA head coach, will speak to the gathering.
Joiner leads the Ole Miss men’s team at 14.5 points per game in 18 games played, despite missing 10 total games due to injury and illness. Joiner is shooting 42.8 percent on the year, as well as 35.1 percent from three and a team-leading 81.5 percent from the free throw line. His best game of the year came in an offensive slugfest against Alabama on Feb. 9, when he dropped an Ole Miss career-high 33 points – tied for the most by any SEC player this season.
SHOT FOR SHOT
Ole Miss senior guard Jarkel Joiner helped the Rebel offense go toe-to-toe with a prolific Alabama scoring machine on Feb. 9, leading the Rebels to a season-high 12 threes made in the 97-83 shootout loss to the Crimson Tide -- the most treys made by Ole Miss since Dec. 14, 2019 vs. Middle Tennessee (14). Joiner accounted for half of those threes, a career-high six amidst a demonstrative 33-point outing, which is still tied for the most points scored in a game by any SEC player this season. Those 33 points stand as an Ole Miss career-high for Joiner and just one point shy of his overall best of 34 against Cal Baptist on Jan. 24, 2019 during his time at CSU Bakersfield. It also stands as the most points scored by a Rebel since Breein Tyree’s 40 points against Mississippi State on Feb. 11, 2020.
HE’S BACK
Ole Miss senior guard Jarkel Joiner returned to the Rebel lineup at Florida on Feb. 5 and has jumped right back in to being a leader on the court. Joiner missed three weeks after needing back surgery for an injury suffered in between the Dec. 21 game vs. Samford and the SEC opener at No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 5. In his five games back, Joiner is averaging 33.4 minutes played and 16.8 points per game. His return came on the road at Florida on Feb. 5, and immediately he was right back in the thick of it, playing 40 minutes in the overtime loss to the Gators while tallying seven points, four rebounds and one assist in the effort. Joiner played minimally against Mississippi State on Jan. 8 prior to having a minor procedure done the following week, but Florida’s 40 minutes constituted his first full game of action since Dec. 21 vs. Samford and his first 40-minute outing since ending the 2020-21 season with consecutive 40-minute games against LSU in the SEC Tournament and Louisiana Tech in the first round of the NIT. Joiner followed that up with an Ole Miss career-high 33 points in 33 minutes against Alabama on Feb. 9, the most scored by a Rebel in two years. Joiner has since tallied three additional double-digit scoring games, a 13-point outing in 34 minutes at Missouri, an 18-point effort in 32 minutes in the OT loss to South Carolina, and a 13-point effort at No. 3 Auburn after missing the trip to Georgia due to the flu. At the time of his last game prior to injury on Dec. 21, Joiner ranked second in the SEC and 18th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (3.0), ninth in the SEC in minutes (31:33), fifth in free throw shooting (.846) and 13th in scoring (13.6 PPG). Joiner has scored in double-digits in 21 of his last 25 games played.
RODRIGUEZ ON THE BOARDS
Junior Luis Rodriguez has stuffed the stat sheet as of late, turning into a rebounding machine over the last several games for the Rebels. Rodriguez is averaging 8.9 rebounds over his last seven outings in contrast to his season average of 7.1, helped greatly by four double-digit rebound games at No. 25 LSU (12), at Florida (11), at Missouri (10) and a season-high 13 vs. South Carolina at home. In his career entering this season, Rodriguez had three total double-digit rebound games. In that same six-game stretch, he has recorded his third and fourth career double-doubles, tying his career high with 15 points to go along with his 12 boards at LSU, and tallying 12 points on top of his 10 boards at Missouri. In those same six games, Rodriguez is averaging 8.7 points, and it also includes a massive career-best nine assists at home vs. Alabama on Feb. 9.
THE FLU GAME
The situation looked dire when Ole Miss rolled into Georgia on Feb. 19. The Rebels were already down their two top-scorers in Jarkel Joiner and Matthew Murrell due to the flu, with fellow starters Nysier Brooks and Luis Rodriguez battling symptoms of their own. Ole Miss would not accept that as an excuse, as the Rebel trio of Tye Fagan (20 points), Jaemyn Brakefield (19 points) and Austin Crowley (18 points) combined for 57 points alongside two gutsy efforts from Nysier Brooks (10 points) and Luis Rodriguez (6 points) in an 85-68 victory over the Bulldogs.
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis postgame: “Austin Crowley really ran our team and was great from the point guard spot, that was the best Jaemyn Brakefield has played this year because he confidently made shots, and it was just great for Tye Fagan to come home and have 20 and five tonight. I’m really proud of our team. It’s a much-needed road win for us.”
HOMECOMING FOR TYE FAGAN
Last Saturday at Georgia marked the return to Athens for Ole Miss senior Tye Fagan, who dropped 20 points in his old gym to help lead Ole Miss to an 85-68 victory over the Bulldogs. Fagan spent his previous three seasons at Georgia. During his time with the Bulldogs, Fagan played in 89 games and scored 450 points while shooting 56.4 percent overall. Last season, Fagan started 25 of 26 games played for the Bulldogs, averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds with a team-high 58.7 field goal percentage. Fagan was the first SEC Player of the Week for the 2020-21 season following a then-career day of 21 points and 10 rebounds against Florida A&M, his first career double-double. Fagan scored in double-digits in 11 games last season, including twice against Ole Miss: a 19-point outing on 9-of-9 shooting in Oxford on Jan. 16, and a 13-point effort on Jan. 30 in Athens. Fagan was also instrumental for Georgia in two upset wins last season against LSU (18 points) and Auburn (16 points). Fagan is a native of Logtown, Georgia, and was the No. 10 prospect in the state and the nation’s No. 18 combo guard coming out of Upson-Lee. Fagan was a two-time Class 4A Player of the Year as a junior and senior after leading the Knights to back-to-back state titles on consecutive undefeated seasons, ultimately charting the third-longest winning streak in Georgia boys high school history in that stretch at 63-0. In his high school career, Fagan scored a school record 2,038 points total and averaged 25.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals as a senior.
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 third at 34.8 minutes per contest, while Brooks comes in at No. 10 at 32.6. Prior to SEC play starting, the duo combined for only 24 minutes per game, with Brooks averaging 25.9 and Murrell averaging 22.1.
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 8.8 points and 1.5 threes made while shooting lights-out clips of 53.7 percent overall and 46.7 from three. 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.
OLE MISS CAN’T MISS
The Rebels were 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 57.5 percent 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 15 of its last 22 opponents to 35 percent or lower from beyond the arc -- including nine of 15 SEC foes. In seven of those nine 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), Florida (4-29) and Georgia (3-10), Rebel opponents shot a combined 21-of-124 (.169), 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. In the Kermit Davis era, Ole Miss is 32-18 when holding opponents to 30 percent or lower and 52-30 when holding opponents below 40 percent from deep.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Ole Miss has found its stroke from three-ball land again just in time for conference play, as their SEC-only three-point percentage of .348 (No. 4 SEC) has been helped greatly by 7.5 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. The Rebels went toe-to-toe with one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation in Alabama, knocking down 12 trifectas in the process -- the most by Ole Miss since hitting 14 against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 14, 2019. On the season, Ole Miss has hit double-digit threes made four times when including an 11-of-29 performance against Charleston Southern back on Nov. 12 and a season-high 12-of-28 performance vs. Alabama on Feb. 9, the most such games since the Rebels tallied seven double-digit games during head coach Kermit Davis’ first season in 2018-19.
OLE MISS NET SPLITS (USING CURRENT RATINGS)
vs. Quad 1: 1-10
vs. Quad 2: 5-0
vs. Quad 3: 2-4
vs. Quad 4: 5-1
vs. NET Top-100: 7-11
vs. NET Top-50: 3-7
vs. NET Top-25: 1-5
Top NET Win: LSU (17; 76-72)
Top NET Loss: Tennessee (9), 66-60/OT
Other NET Top-50 Losses: Auburn (11; 80-71/77-64), Alabama (22; 97-83), Arkansas (23; 64-55), Boise State (32; 60-50), Marquette (34; 78-72)
Average Margin of Defeat vs. NET Top-50: 9.6 PPG
HISTORIC SHOWINGS AT THE FREE THROW LINE
Ole Miss has recorded half of its all-time 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 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 two of the three best free throw performances in the SEC this season, and the 15-of-15 outing against Auburn ranks among just 16 perfect performances in the NCAA this season with at least 15 made free throws:
1. Villanova - 26-26 (vs. Howard, Nov. 16)
2. Stony Brook - 19-19 (vs. New Hampshire, Feb. 7)
3. Saint Mary’s - 18-18 (vs. Loyola Marymount, Feb. 5)
4. Jacksonville - 17-17 (vs. EKU, Feb. 9)
4. Incarnate Word - 17-17 (vs. Nicholls, Feb. 3)
4. Long Beach State - 17-17 (vs. UC Santa Barbara, Jan. 13)
4. Montana - 17-17 (vs. Air Force, Dec. 8)
4. Detroit Mercy - 17-17 (vs. Hofstra, Nov. 27)
9. Texas A&M - 16-16 (vs. Florida, Feb. 15)
9. Villanova - 16-16 (vs. Georgetown, Jan. 22)
9. Grambling - 16-16 (vs. MVSU, Jan. 22)
9. Valparaiso - 16-16 (vs. Illinois State, Jan. 2)
9. Purdue Fort Wayne - 16-16 (vs. Wright State, Dec. 2)
14. Ole Miss - 15-15 (vs. Auburn, Jan. 15)
14. Miami (Ohio) - 15-15 (vs. Western Michigan, Jan. 15)
14. Charleston Southern - 15-15 (vs. Clemson, Nov. 26)
MURRELL LIGHTS IT UP
Sophomore Matthew Murrell lit the net on fire against 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, though, this was just the latest and greatest output from Murrell. Over his last 14 games since SEC play began Jan. 5 at Tennessee, he is 34-of-83 (.410) from three, .451 overall, averaging 14.6 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 46-of-119 (.387) at 2.2 threes per game across his last 21 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 third in conference action at 3.0 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 three 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 7.7 per game in conference play. Overall, Brooks ranks seventh in the SEC at 7.7 rebounds per game, and his overall offensive rebounding average of 2.8 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.
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.
Ruffin had 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 at the time of his injury second in the conference in SEC-only action in steals (2.7/game), ninth in free throw shooting (.833) and 10th in assists (3.9/game). 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.
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday (Jan. 31) – the first such honor by a Rebel since Jarvis Summers on Dec. 5, 2011. His honor came courtesy of an excellent three-game stretch from Jan. 24-29, during which he averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals with a 19-of-24 (.792) mark from the free throw line – at one point hitting 14 in a row during those three games. Included in there is a career-high 21 points vs. Florida on Jan. 24, with 15 of those points coming in the second half. In just 14 career games played, Ruffin has scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and has had multiple steals in nine games. Ruffin was on pace to break Elston Turner’s 1978 record for steals by a freshman of 47, but will end his season at 32 swipes.
Ruffin came to Ole Miss following a superb high school career at Callaway High School in Jackson, Mississippi, joining as the first McDonald’s All-American signee in program history.
HITTING HIS STRIDE
The injury to Daeshun Ruffin was made even more devastating by the fact that he was truly starting to hit his stride as a leader on the court. Over his final four games played, Ole Miss went 3-1 with wins against Florida (70-54), Kansas State (67-56) and LSU (76-72), and in those games Ruffin averaged 16.8 points, 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and shot .828 from the free throw line with an average of 6.0 free throws made (24-of-29).
Jan. 24 - vs. Florida (W, 70-54) - 21 points, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 rebounds, 6-13 FG, 9-10 FT
Jan. 26 - vs. Arkansas (L, 64-55) - 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5-5 FT
Jan. 29 - vs. Kansas State (W, 67-56) - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Feb. 1 - at No. 25 LSU (W, 76-72) - 19 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound, 5-5 FT
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the 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 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)
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 64 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 467 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 533 wins.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 54-19 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 28-4 when scoring 80+, 49-21 when scoring 70+
• 43-19 when winning the rebounding battle
• 29-4 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 19-8 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 61-33 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (35-6 when below 40 percent)
| OLE MISS (13-15, 4-11 SEC) vs. TEXAS A&M (17-11, 6-9 SEC) Saturday, February 26 • 2:30 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) 
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| Watch • Live Stats • Listen • Gameday Info • Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes • Texas A&M Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (13-15, 4-11 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 4th Season at Ole Miss (64-57) • 533-320 career record (27th Season)
Texas A&M Aggies (17-11, 6-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Buzz Williams • 3rd Season at Texas A&M (41-35) • 294-189 career record (15th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Roy Philpott
Color: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: John Stroud
SiriusXM
XM: 190
SiriusXM App: 961
SERIES HISTORY VS. TEXAS A&M
Saturday marks just the 13th all-time meeting between the Rebels and the Aggies, their 12th since Texas A&M joined the SEC in the 2012-13 season. Ole Miss and A&M first met at a neutral site matchup in Oklahoma City on Dec. 29, 1972, with the Aggies emerging victorious, 100-83. It wouldn’t be until A&M’s first season in the SEC that the two teams would meet again on Feb. 13, 2013, a narrow 69-67 loss in College Station. Ole Miss got its first win of the series in Oxford later that month on Feb. 27 to the tune of an 82-73 final score. In Oxford, the Rebels lead all-time, 4-1, but Ole Miss has yet to notch a victory at Texas A&M, with the Aggies holding a 6-0 all-time edge on their turf. Under Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis, the series is tied 2-2 against Texas A&M, with the most recent result being a 67-51 loss in College Station back on Jan. 11 this season.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M enters Saturday at 17-11 overall and 6-9 in SEC play. The Aggies started off 4-0 in conference action and 14-2 overall, but since a Jan. 15 win at Missouri (67-64), Texas A&M has lost nine of its last 11 games -- including eight in a row. The Aggies hold a NET ranking of 72, and hold notable non-conference wins over Butler (57-50), Notre Dame (73-67) and Oregon State (83-73), with Power-5 losses to Wisconsin (69-58) and TCU (69-64).
The Aggies possess a strong on-ball defense, ranking second in the SEC and top-10 in the NCAA in both steals per game (10.4, 5th) and turnovers forced (17.8, 17.8), helping Texas A&M to the SEC’s best turnover margin at +4.4 per game (No. 8 NCAA). Texas A&M also is strong on the offensive glass, ranking fourth in the SEC and 17th in the NCAA at 12.8 offensive rebounds per game.
Leading the way for the Aggies is Quenton Jackson, who has come off the bench in 25 of 28 games played. He leads Texas A&M with 14.1 points per game and an 85 percent clip from the free throw line. Five Aggies have hit 25 or more threes this season, with Andre Gordon (7.9 PPG) leading with 37.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 11, 2022 (L, 67-51, at College Station)
• Rebels trailed by four at halftime, but 9-0 Aggie run that ended up as a 19-3 streak helped Texas A&M pull away
• A&M: 62.5 percent shooting overall, 42-24 points in the paint
• Matthew Murrell: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist
• Daeshun Ruffin: 10 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound
• Nysier Brooks: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 1 assist
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
• Luis Rodriguez: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals
LAST MEETING IN OXFORD: Jan. 23, 2021 (W, 61-50)
• Ole Miss: 44 percent shooting overall, 18 turnovers forced (25 points off turnovers)
• Jarkel Joiner: 21 points, 7-of-11 FG, 7 rebounds
• Devontae Shuler: 17 points
• Combined with holding Mississippi State to 46 points in previous game, this constituted the first consecutive games holding SEC opponents to 50 points or fewer since 1982
• Fourth time up to that point holding an opponent to 50 or fewer (first time with four such games since 2011-12)
LAST TIME OUT (at #3 Auburn: L, 77-64)
• Rebels nearly fought even in second half, but three first-half runs of at least 7-0 helped Tigers separate
• Auburn: 45.8 percent overall
• Ole Miss: 37.9 percent overall, 31.6 from three
• Jarkel Joiner: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
• Luis Rodriguez: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2-3 3PT
• Nysier Brooks: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
LAST RANKED WIN (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
JOINER NAMED HOWELL TROPHY FINALIST
Ole Miss senior guard Jarkel Joiner has been named a finalist for the Howell Trophy, which is given out annually to the top player in the state of Mississippi.
The awards will be presented at a luncheon held at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame at 11:30 a.m. CT on March 7. Statewide media members who cover basketball voted for the top three for both the men and women, and the top players receiving votes will be asked to appear at the banquet. The media will then vote for the Most Outstanding Player from the three remaining players.
Oxford native Joiner was named a finalist alongside Mississippi State’s Iverson Molinar and Southern Miss’ Tyler Stevenson. These players and their respective coaches will be at the luncheon. Featured guest Van Chancellor, the former Ole Miss and WNBA head coach, will speak to the gathering.
Joiner leads the Ole Miss men’s team at 14.5 points per game in 18 games played, despite missing 10 total games due to injury and illness. Joiner is shooting 42.8 percent on the year, as well as 35.1 percent from three and a team-leading 81.5 percent from the free throw line. His best game of the year came in an offensive slugfest against Alabama on Feb. 9, when he dropped an Ole Miss career-high 33 points – tied for the most by any SEC player this season.
SHOT FOR SHOT
Ole Miss senior guard Jarkel Joiner helped the Rebel offense go toe-to-toe with a prolific Alabama scoring machine on Feb. 9, leading the Rebels to a season-high 12 threes made in the 97-83 shootout loss to the Crimson Tide -- the most treys made by Ole Miss since Dec. 14, 2019 vs. Middle Tennessee (14). Joiner accounted for half of those threes, a career-high six amidst a demonstrative 33-point outing, which is still tied for the most points scored in a game by any SEC player this season. Those 33 points stand as an Ole Miss career-high for Joiner and just one point shy of his overall best of 34 against Cal Baptist on Jan. 24, 2019 during his time at CSU Bakersfield. It also stands as the most points scored by a Rebel since Breein Tyree’s 40 points against Mississippi State on Feb. 11, 2020.
HE’S BACK
Ole Miss senior guard Jarkel Joiner returned to the Rebel lineup at Florida on Feb. 5 and has jumped right back in to being a leader on the court. Joiner missed three weeks after needing back surgery for an injury suffered in between the Dec. 21 game vs. Samford and the SEC opener at No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 5. In his five games back, Joiner is averaging 33.4 minutes played and 16.8 points per game. His return came on the road at Florida on Feb. 5, and immediately he was right back in the thick of it, playing 40 minutes in the overtime loss to the Gators while tallying seven points, four rebounds and one assist in the effort. Joiner played minimally against Mississippi State on Jan. 8 prior to having a minor procedure done the following week, but Florida’s 40 minutes constituted his first full game of action since Dec. 21 vs. Samford and his first 40-minute outing since ending the 2020-21 season with consecutive 40-minute games against LSU in the SEC Tournament and Louisiana Tech in the first round of the NIT. Joiner followed that up with an Ole Miss career-high 33 points in 33 minutes against Alabama on Feb. 9, the most scored by a Rebel in two years. Joiner has since tallied three additional double-digit scoring games, a 13-point outing in 34 minutes at Missouri, an 18-point effort in 32 minutes in the OT loss to South Carolina, and a 13-point effort at No. 3 Auburn after missing the trip to Georgia due to the flu. At the time of his last game prior to injury on Dec. 21, Joiner ranked second in the SEC and 18th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (3.0), ninth in the SEC in minutes (31:33), fifth in free throw shooting (.846) and 13th in scoring (13.6 PPG). Joiner has scored in double-digits in 21 of his last 25 games played.
RODRIGUEZ ON THE BOARDS
Junior Luis Rodriguez has stuffed the stat sheet as of late, turning into a rebounding machine over the last several games for the Rebels. Rodriguez is averaging 8.9 rebounds over his last seven outings in contrast to his season average of 7.1, helped greatly by four double-digit rebound games at No. 25 LSU (12), at Florida (11), at Missouri (10) and a season-high 13 vs. South Carolina at home. In his career entering this season, Rodriguez had three total double-digit rebound games. In that same six-game stretch, he has recorded his third and fourth career double-doubles, tying his career high with 15 points to go along with his 12 boards at LSU, and tallying 12 points on top of his 10 boards at Missouri. In those same six games, Rodriguez is averaging 8.7 points, and it also includes a massive career-best nine assists at home vs. Alabama on Feb. 9.
THE FLU GAME
The situation looked dire when Ole Miss rolled into Georgia on Feb. 19. The Rebels were already down their two top-scorers in Jarkel Joiner and Matthew Murrell due to the flu, with fellow starters Nysier Brooks and Luis Rodriguez battling symptoms of their own. Ole Miss would not accept that as an excuse, as the Rebel trio of Tye Fagan (20 points), Jaemyn Brakefield (19 points) and Austin Crowley (18 points) combined for 57 points alongside two gutsy efforts from Nysier Brooks (10 points) and Luis Rodriguez (6 points) in an 85-68 victory over the Bulldogs.
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis postgame: “Austin Crowley really ran our team and was great from the point guard spot, that was the best Jaemyn Brakefield has played this year because he confidently made shots, and it was just great for Tye Fagan to come home and have 20 and five tonight. I’m really proud of our team. It’s a much-needed road win for us.”
HOMECOMING FOR TYE FAGAN
Last Saturday at Georgia marked the return to Athens for Ole Miss senior Tye Fagan, who dropped 20 points in his old gym to help lead Ole Miss to an 85-68 victory over the Bulldogs. Fagan spent his previous three seasons at Georgia. During his time with the Bulldogs, Fagan played in 89 games and scored 450 points while shooting 56.4 percent overall. Last season, Fagan started 25 of 26 games played for the Bulldogs, averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds with a team-high 58.7 field goal percentage. Fagan was the first SEC Player of the Week for the 2020-21 season following a then-career day of 21 points and 10 rebounds against Florida A&M, his first career double-double. Fagan scored in double-digits in 11 games last season, including twice against Ole Miss: a 19-point outing on 9-of-9 shooting in Oxford on Jan. 16, and a 13-point effort on Jan. 30 in Athens. Fagan was also instrumental for Georgia in two upset wins last season against LSU (18 points) and Auburn (16 points). Fagan is a native of Logtown, Georgia, and was the No. 10 prospect in the state and the nation’s No. 18 combo guard coming out of Upson-Lee. Fagan was a two-time Class 4A Player of the Year as a junior and senior after leading the Knights to back-to-back state titles on consecutive undefeated seasons, ultimately charting the third-longest winning streak in Georgia boys high school history in that stretch at 63-0. In his high school career, Fagan scored a school record 2,038 points total and averaged 25.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals as a senior.
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 third at 34.8 minutes per contest, while Brooks comes in at No. 10 at 32.6. Prior to SEC play starting, the duo combined for only 24 minutes per game, with Brooks averaging 25.9 and Murrell averaging 22.1.
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 8.8 points and 1.5 threes made while shooting lights-out clips of 53.7 percent overall and 46.7 from three. 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.
OLE MISS CAN’T MISS
The Rebels were 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 57.5 percent 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 15 of its last 22 opponents to 35 percent or lower from beyond the arc -- including nine of 15 SEC foes. In seven of those nine 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), Florida (4-29) and Georgia (3-10), Rebel opponents shot a combined 21-of-124 (.169), 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. In the Kermit Davis era, Ole Miss is 32-18 when holding opponents to 30 percent or lower and 52-30 when holding opponents below 40 percent from deep.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Ole Miss has found its stroke from three-ball land again just in time for conference play, as their SEC-only three-point percentage of .348 (No. 4 SEC) has been helped greatly by 7.5 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. The Rebels went toe-to-toe with one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation in Alabama, knocking down 12 trifectas in the process -- the most by Ole Miss since hitting 14 against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 14, 2019. On the season, Ole Miss has hit double-digit threes made four times when including an 11-of-29 performance against Charleston Southern back on Nov. 12 and a season-high 12-of-28 performance vs. Alabama on Feb. 9, the most such games since the Rebels tallied seven double-digit games during head coach Kermit Davis’ first season in 2018-19.
OLE MISS NET SPLITS (USING CURRENT RATINGS)
vs. Quad 1: 1-10
vs. Quad 2: 5-0
vs. Quad 3: 2-4
vs. Quad 4: 5-1
vs. NET Top-100: 7-11
vs. NET Top-50: 3-7
vs. NET Top-25: 1-5
Top NET Win: LSU (17; 76-72)
Top NET Loss: Tennessee (9), 66-60/OT
Other NET Top-50 Losses: Auburn (11; 80-71/77-64), Alabama (22; 97-83), Arkansas (23; 64-55), Boise State (32; 60-50), Marquette (34; 78-72)
Average Margin of Defeat vs. NET Top-50: 9.6 PPG
HISTORIC SHOWINGS AT THE FREE THROW LINE
Ole Miss has recorded half of its all-time 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 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 two of the three best free throw performances in the SEC this season, and the 15-of-15 outing against Auburn ranks among just 16 perfect performances in the NCAA this season with at least 15 made free throws:
1. Villanova - 26-26 (vs. Howard, Nov. 16)
2. Stony Brook - 19-19 (vs. New Hampshire, Feb. 7)
3. Saint Mary’s - 18-18 (vs. Loyola Marymount, Feb. 5)
4. Jacksonville - 17-17 (vs. EKU, Feb. 9)
4. Incarnate Word - 17-17 (vs. Nicholls, Feb. 3)
4. Long Beach State - 17-17 (vs. UC Santa Barbara, Jan. 13)
4. Montana - 17-17 (vs. Air Force, Dec. 8)
4. Detroit Mercy - 17-17 (vs. Hofstra, Nov. 27)
9. Texas A&M - 16-16 (vs. Florida, Feb. 15)
9. Villanova - 16-16 (vs. Georgetown, Jan. 22)
9. Grambling - 16-16 (vs. MVSU, Jan. 22)
9. Valparaiso - 16-16 (vs. Illinois State, Jan. 2)
9. Purdue Fort Wayne - 16-16 (vs. Wright State, Dec. 2)
14. Ole Miss - 15-15 (vs. Auburn, Jan. 15)
14. Miami (Ohio) - 15-15 (vs. Western Michigan, Jan. 15)
14. Charleston Southern - 15-15 (vs. Clemson, Nov. 26)
MURRELL LIGHTS IT UP
Sophomore Matthew Murrell lit the net on fire against 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, though, this was just the latest and greatest output from Murrell. Over his last 14 games since SEC play began Jan. 5 at Tennessee, he is 34-of-83 (.410) from three, .451 overall, averaging 14.6 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 46-of-119 (.387) at 2.2 threes per game across his last 21 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 third in conference action at 3.0 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 three 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 7.7 per game in conference play. Overall, Brooks ranks seventh in the SEC at 7.7 rebounds per game, and his overall offensive rebounding average of 2.8 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.
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.
Ruffin had 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 at the time of his injury second in the conference in SEC-only action in steals (2.7/game), ninth in free throw shooting (.833) and 10th in assists (3.9/game). 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.
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday (Jan. 31) – the first such honor by a Rebel since Jarvis Summers on Dec. 5, 2011. His honor came courtesy of an excellent three-game stretch from Jan. 24-29, during which he averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals with a 19-of-24 (.792) mark from the free throw line – at one point hitting 14 in a row during those three games. Included in there is a career-high 21 points vs. Florida on Jan. 24, with 15 of those points coming in the second half. In just 14 career games played, Ruffin has scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and has had multiple steals in nine games. Ruffin was on pace to break Elston Turner’s 1978 record for steals by a freshman of 47, but will end his season at 32 swipes.
Ruffin came to Ole Miss following a superb high school career at Callaway High School in Jackson, Mississippi, joining as the first McDonald’s All-American signee in program history.
HITTING HIS STRIDE
The injury to Daeshun Ruffin was made even more devastating by the fact that he was truly starting to hit his stride as a leader on the court. Over his final four games played, Ole Miss went 3-1 with wins against Florida (70-54), Kansas State (67-56) and LSU (76-72), and in those games Ruffin averaged 16.8 points, 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and shot .828 from the free throw line with an average of 6.0 free throws made (24-of-29).
Jan. 24 - vs. Florida (W, 70-54) - 21 points, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 rebounds, 6-13 FG, 9-10 FT
Jan. 26 - vs. Arkansas (L, 64-55) - 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5-5 FT
Jan. 29 - vs. Kansas State (W, 67-56) - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Feb. 1 - at No. 25 LSU (W, 76-72) - 19 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound, 5-5 FT
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the 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 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)
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 64 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 467 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 533 wins.
DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 54-19 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 28-4 when scoring 80+, 49-21 when scoring 70+
• 43-19 when winning the rebounding battle
• 29-4 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 19-8 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 61-33 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (35-6 when below 40 percent)
