From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – In their final home game of the 2022-23 season, the Ole Miss men's basketball team will host Texas A&M on Tuesday, February 28 in the SJB Pavilion and on ESPNU.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (11-18, 3-13 SEC)
Acting Head Coach: Win Case • 1st Season at Ole Miss (1-0) • 393-169 career record as head coach across all NCAA divisions, NAIA, and NJCAA (17th Season)
Texas A&M Aggies (21-8, 13-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Buzz Williams • 4th Season at Texas A&M (70-45) • 323-200 career record (16th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPNU
Play-by-Play: Kevin Fitzgerald
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. TEXAS A&M
Facing off once before the Aggies joined the SEC back in 1972, this will be just the 14th meeting between Ole Miss and Texas A&M on the basketball court, with the Rebels trailing 9-4. While Ole Miss has yet to win in College Station, they hold a 4-2 lead when playing in Oxford. Their first matchup in 1972 occurred at a tournament in Oklahoma City.
LAST MEETING: FEBRUARY 26, 2022 (L, 66-76, OXFORD, MISS.)
• Texas A&M took an early lead in the first half, shooting 67.9 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes of action to go up 46-23 at the half.
• Ole Miss was able to cut into their deficit, but would eventually fall by 10 after outscoring the Aggies in the second half by 13.
• Matthew Murrell led the Rebels with a game-high 20 points, while Tye Fagan nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points and a career-best eight assists.
• Texas A&M was led by Tyrece Radford with 19 points.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
Currently second in the SEC standings with an overall record of 21-8 and 13-3 in conference, Texas A&M is coming off a loss to Mississippi State following a six-game winning streak. The Aggies began their regular season with a pair of wins before falling to Murray State at the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Entering their SEC schedule with a record of 8-5, they won their first five conference games against Florida, LSU, No. 20 Missouri, South Carolina, and Florida once more. After a loss at Kentucky, A&M took down No. 15 Auburn on the road and Vanderbilt at home before dropping a matchup at Arkansas.
The team is led by sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV, who ranks sixth in the SEC with an average of 16.1 points per game this season. He's been a force recently, scoring over 20 points in five of their last six games, averaging 21.7 over that span. Taylor also ranks highly within the SEC in free throw percentage (1st, 86.6%), made three-pointers (3rd, 68), assists per game (6th, 4.1), and total steals (6th, 52). They're led on the boards by Dexter Dennis who averages 5.7 rebounds per game.
Texas A&M is tops in the nation in reaching the free throw line, leading the NCAA in both free throw attempts per game at 25.5 and makes per game at 19.3. They're team free throw percentage of 75.6 leads the SEC and ranks No. 40 in the country. The Aggies have one of the best defensive units in college basketball as well, as they average 65.9 points allowed per game, ranking fourth in the SEC, and are No. 25 in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense at 40.4 percent.
IT'S MISTER STEAL-YOUR-PASS
Fifth-year transfer Myles Burns has been a defensive powerhouse this season for the Rebels, collecting 67 steals. He stepped into the top-10 for most in a single season at Ole Miss in style on February 18, recording seven steals to tie for the third-most in a single game in school history. Combined with six steals at Auburn, his 13 steals in back-to-back games are the most ever in school history in a two-game stretch.
Entering Tuesday's game against Texas A&M, Burns currently ranks fourth in program history for the most steals in a single season at Ole Miss.
Ole Miss Basketball - Most Steals in a Single Season
1. 89 Gerald Glass (30 games, 1989)
2. 73 Jason Smith (33 games, 1999)
3. 70 Gerald Glass (30 games, 1990)
4. 67 Myles Burns (29 games, 2023)
5. 58 Murphy Holloway (36 games, 2013)
Rod Barnes (29 games, 1988)
7. 57 Stefan Moody (34 games, 2015)
8. 56 Devontae Shuler (33 games, 2019)
9. 55 Rahim Lockhart (33 games, 2000)
Ervin Garnes (27 games, 1994)
Eric Laird (28 games, 1984)
A DEFENSIVE GOAT
Recording a steal in the closing moments of the first half against Missouri on Jan. 24, senior transfer Myles Burns collected the 400th steal of his collegiate career. Joining the Ole Miss program from Loyola New Orleans of the NAIA, Burns brought 358 steals from his four-time NAIA All-American career and has collected 67 since coming to Oxford. Counting his stats from the NAIA, Burns would become just the sixth person in NCAA men's basketball history across all divisions to collect 400 career steals, and would rank fourth all time.
400 Career NCAA Steals List
1. Calvin Cheek, New England Col. (III), 2017-22: 580 steals
2. Jacob Gilyard, Richmond (I), 2017-22: 466 steals
3. Tennyson Whitted, Ramapo (III), 1999-2003: 448 steals
4. Jonte Flowers, Winona St. (II), 2004-08: 414 steals
5. John Gallogly, Salve Regina (III), 1994-98: 413 steals
*Myles Burns - 425 steals (including stats from NAIA)
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 68.9 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points 10 times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 61st in the country in blocks per game (4.1). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (30 total blocks, 1.1 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (30 total blocks, 1.1 per game).
On January 3 at No. 7 Alabama, Akwuba and McKinnis combined for seven blocks, with Akwuba's four bringing his collegiate career total to 200 (now at 212). He and McKinnis (262 career blocks) are the only two teammates in college basketball with over 200 swats in their careers, and each rank among the top-25 in active career leaders.
MB2K
Myles Burns scored 1,852 points during his career at Loyola New Orleans, and surpassed the 2,000-career points mark on February 4 at Vanderbilt with a dunk on an alley-oop. If his NAIA stats transferred to the NCAA, he would be one of just five active players across all divisions in college basketball with at least 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Other active student-athletes with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds are Jayden Gardner (Virginia), KJ Williams (LSU), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), and Jordan Janssen (Wayne St. (NE)).
Burns would also be just one of three active players across all divisions with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in their career. Janssen of Wayne St. (NE) and Williams of LSU would be the only other active members of that club.
Myles Burns Collegiate Career Totals
Games Played: 149
Games Started: 137
Points: 2,077 (13.9/game)
Rebounds: 1,242 (8.3/game)
Steals: 425 (2.9/game)
Assists: 334 (2.2/game)
Blocks: 129 (0.9/game)
THROUGH THE FIRE
Ole Miss has faced off with some of the best competition college basketball has to offer, as the Rebels current cumulative strength of schedule ranks 28th in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 509-357 (0.588), they have already played against foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100 16 times, including 12 games against a foe in the top-50 and two in the top-five.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.2 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 29th in the nation. The team is led by senior Myles Burns with 68 offensive rebounds (2.3 per game). On the season, Ole Miss is outscoring their opponents by 54 in second chance points 360 to 306.
THEM REBS MOVE FAST
Ole Miss has been quick to react on defensive rebounds and turnovers, outscoring their opponents on fast-break opportunities by 112 this season (303-191). The Rebels have recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 21 of their 29 games.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,123), sixth in total blocks (262), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 14th in blocks per game (2.0), 17th in rebounds per game (8.5), and 30th in field goal shooting (.607). McKinnis is one of just 14 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel, North Carolina's Armando Bacot, Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, Nicholls' Manny Littles, Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah, LSU's KJ Williams, Iowa's Filip Rebraca, San Diego's Eric Williams Jr., Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor, Virginia's Jayden Gardner, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis, Youngstown St.'s Adrian Nelson and Iowa State's Osun Osunniyi. He is also just one of 12, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., Gardner, Nelson and Osunniyi with 1,000 career points (1,224) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-25 entries. McKinnis ranks sixth at 262 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 11th at 212. Ole Miss stands as the only school with multiple top-25 active blockers. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (39, No. 8), Josh Mballa (29, No. 24) and Akwuba (17) combine for 85 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 68 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (37) at 78.
* Note: Myles Burns' 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but he would rank third in the nation at 1,242 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,625 boards between Burns (1,242), McKinnis (1,123), Mballa (827), Robert Allen (724), and Akwuba (709). Burns' combined career total of 2,077 points would also rank No. 36 among all NCAA divisions.
DEEP POCKETS
The Rebels' depth has been on full display this season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for just under a third of the team's scoring through 28 games (32.9%, 647 of 1,967 points) and rank in the top-100 in bench points per game. The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 19 contests, and are outscoring their foes' reserves by 144 on the year (647 to 503).
20-20 VISION
On February 7 at Georgia, Jaemyn Brakefield and Myles Burns each hit the 20-point mark in the Rebels' 78-74 road victory. Coming off the first double-double of his career at Vanderbilt, Brakefield led Ole Miss with a career-high 24 points on 11-15 shooting, adding seven rebounds and tying his season-best with four assists. Burns loaded the box score with a season-high 20 points as well as six rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a block. This was the first game Ole Miss had two hit the 20-point threshold since January 24, 2022, when Matthew Murrell (20 points) and Daeshun Ruffin (21 points) did so in a 70-54 win over Florida.
EXPERIENCE FROM THE PORTAL
Ole Miss went into the portal looking for experienced big men, and came away with four of the most well-seasoned options available. Those four senior transfers -- F Theo Akwuba, F Myles Burns, F Josh Mballa and F Jayveous McKinnis -- hold an incredible combined career stat lines across their respective careers prior to Ole Miss:
Combined Career Stats (NAIA included for Burns):
• 527 games played
• 390 games started
• 5,197 points
• 3,901 rebounds
• 701 steals (425 from Burns alone)
• 678 blocks
| OLE MISS (11-18, 3-13 SEC) vs. #24/21 Texas A&M (21-8, 13-3 SEC) Tuesday, Feb. 28 • 8:00 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. SJB Pavilion (9,500) 
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| Watch • Live Stats • Listen Ole Miss Game Notes • Texas A&M Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
OXFORD, Miss. – In their final home game of the 2022-23 season, the Ole Miss men's basketball team will host Texas A&M on Tuesday, February 28 in the SJB Pavilion and on ESPNU.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (11-18, 3-13 SEC)
Acting Head Coach: Win Case • 1st Season at Ole Miss (1-0) • 393-169 career record as head coach across all NCAA divisions, NAIA, and NJCAA (17th Season)
Texas A&M Aggies (21-8, 13-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Buzz Williams • 4th Season at Texas A&M (70-45) • 323-200 career record (16th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPNU
Play-by-Play: Kevin Fitzgerald
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. TEXAS A&M
Facing off once before the Aggies joined the SEC back in 1972, this will be just the 14th meeting between Ole Miss and Texas A&M on the basketball court, with the Rebels trailing 9-4. While Ole Miss has yet to win in College Station, they hold a 4-2 lead when playing in Oxford. Their first matchup in 1972 occurred at a tournament in Oklahoma City.
LAST MEETING: FEBRUARY 26, 2022 (L, 66-76, OXFORD, MISS.)
• Texas A&M took an early lead in the first half, shooting 67.9 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes of action to go up 46-23 at the half.
• Ole Miss was able to cut into their deficit, but would eventually fall by 10 after outscoring the Aggies in the second half by 13.
• Matthew Murrell led the Rebels with a game-high 20 points, while Tye Fagan nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points and a career-best eight assists.
• Texas A&M was led by Tyrece Radford with 19 points.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
Currently second in the SEC standings with an overall record of 21-8 and 13-3 in conference, Texas A&M is coming off a loss to Mississippi State following a six-game winning streak. The Aggies began their regular season with a pair of wins before falling to Murray State at the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Entering their SEC schedule with a record of 8-5, they won their first five conference games against Florida, LSU, No. 20 Missouri, South Carolina, and Florida once more. After a loss at Kentucky, A&M took down No. 15 Auburn on the road and Vanderbilt at home before dropping a matchup at Arkansas.
The team is led by sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV, who ranks sixth in the SEC with an average of 16.1 points per game this season. He's been a force recently, scoring over 20 points in five of their last six games, averaging 21.7 over that span. Taylor also ranks highly within the SEC in free throw percentage (1st, 86.6%), made three-pointers (3rd, 68), assists per game (6th, 4.1), and total steals (6th, 52). They're led on the boards by Dexter Dennis who averages 5.7 rebounds per game.
Texas A&M is tops in the nation in reaching the free throw line, leading the NCAA in both free throw attempts per game at 25.5 and makes per game at 19.3. They're team free throw percentage of 75.6 leads the SEC and ranks No. 40 in the country. The Aggies have one of the best defensive units in college basketball as well, as they average 65.9 points allowed per game, ranking fourth in the SEC, and are No. 25 in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense at 40.4 percent.
IT'S MISTER STEAL-YOUR-PASS
Fifth-year transfer Myles Burns has been a defensive powerhouse this season for the Rebels, collecting 67 steals. He stepped into the top-10 for most in a single season at Ole Miss in style on February 18, recording seven steals to tie for the third-most in a single game in school history. Combined with six steals at Auburn, his 13 steals in back-to-back games are the most ever in school history in a two-game stretch.
Entering Tuesday's game against Texas A&M, Burns currently ranks fourth in program history for the most steals in a single season at Ole Miss.
Ole Miss Basketball - Most Steals in a Single Season
1. 89 Gerald Glass (30 games, 1989)
2. 73 Jason Smith (33 games, 1999)
3. 70 Gerald Glass (30 games, 1990)
4. 67 Myles Burns (29 games, 2023)
5. 58 Murphy Holloway (36 games, 2013)
Rod Barnes (29 games, 1988)
7. 57 Stefan Moody (34 games, 2015)
8. 56 Devontae Shuler (33 games, 2019)
9. 55 Rahim Lockhart (33 games, 2000)
Ervin Garnes (27 games, 1994)
Eric Laird (28 games, 1984)
A DEFENSIVE GOAT
Recording a steal in the closing moments of the first half against Missouri on Jan. 24, senior transfer Myles Burns collected the 400th steal of his collegiate career. Joining the Ole Miss program from Loyola New Orleans of the NAIA, Burns brought 358 steals from his four-time NAIA All-American career and has collected 67 since coming to Oxford. Counting his stats from the NAIA, Burns would become just the sixth person in NCAA men's basketball history across all divisions to collect 400 career steals, and would rank fourth all time.
400 Career NCAA Steals List
1. Calvin Cheek, New England Col. (III), 2017-22: 580 steals
2. Jacob Gilyard, Richmond (I), 2017-22: 466 steals
3. Tennyson Whitted, Ramapo (III), 1999-2003: 448 steals
4. Jonte Flowers, Winona St. (II), 2004-08: 414 steals
5. John Gallogly, Salve Regina (III), 1994-98: 413 steals
*Myles Burns - 425 steals (including stats from NAIA)
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 68.9 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points 10 times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 61st in the country in blocks per game (4.1). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (30 total blocks, 1.1 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (30 total blocks, 1.1 per game).
On January 3 at No. 7 Alabama, Akwuba and McKinnis combined for seven blocks, with Akwuba's four bringing his collegiate career total to 200 (now at 212). He and McKinnis (262 career blocks) are the only two teammates in college basketball with over 200 swats in their careers, and each rank among the top-25 in active career leaders.
MB2K
Myles Burns scored 1,852 points during his career at Loyola New Orleans, and surpassed the 2,000-career points mark on February 4 at Vanderbilt with a dunk on an alley-oop. If his NAIA stats transferred to the NCAA, he would be one of just five active players across all divisions in college basketball with at least 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Other active student-athletes with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds are Jayden Gardner (Virginia), KJ Williams (LSU), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), and Jordan Janssen (Wayne St. (NE)).
Burns would also be just one of three active players across all divisions with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in their career. Janssen of Wayne St. (NE) and Williams of LSU would be the only other active members of that club.
Myles Burns Collegiate Career Totals
Games Played: 149
Games Started: 137
Points: 2,077 (13.9/game)
Rebounds: 1,242 (8.3/game)
Steals: 425 (2.9/game)
Assists: 334 (2.2/game)
Blocks: 129 (0.9/game)
THROUGH THE FIRE
Ole Miss has faced off with some of the best competition college basketball has to offer, as the Rebels current cumulative strength of schedule ranks 28th in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 509-357 (0.588), they have already played against foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100 16 times, including 12 games against a foe in the top-50 and two in the top-five.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.2 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 29th in the nation. The team is led by senior Myles Burns with 68 offensive rebounds (2.3 per game). On the season, Ole Miss is outscoring their opponents by 54 in second chance points 360 to 306.
THEM REBS MOVE FAST
Ole Miss has been quick to react on defensive rebounds and turnovers, outscoring their opponents on fast-break opportunities by 112 this season (303-191). The Rebels have recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 21 of their 29 games.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,123), sixth in total blocks (262), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 14th in blocks per game (2.0), 17th in rebounds per game (8.5), and 30th in field goal shooting (.607). McKinnis is one of just 14 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel, North Carolina's Armando Bacot, Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, Nicholls' Manny Littles, Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah, LSU's KJ Williams, Iowa's Filip Rebraca, San Diego's Eric Williams Jr., Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor, Virginia's Jayden Gardner, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis, Youngstown St.'s Adrian Nelson and Iowa State's Osun Osunniyi. He is also just one of 12, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., Gardner, Nelson and Osunniyi with 1,000 career points (1,224) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-25 entries. McKinnis ranks sixth at 262 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 11th at 212. Ole Miss stands as the only school with multiple top-25 active blockers. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (39, No. 8), Josh Mballa (29, No. 24) and Akwuba (17) combine for 85 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 68 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (37) at 78.
* Note: Myles Burns' 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but he would rank third in the nation at 1,242 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,625 boards between Burns (1,242), McKinnis (1,123), Mballa (827), Robert Allen (724), and Akwuba (709). Burns' combined career total of 2,077 points would also rank No. 36 among all NCAA divisions.
DEEP POCKETS
The Rebels' depth has been on full display this season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for just under a third of the team's scoring through 28 games (32.9%, 647 of 1,967 points) and rank in the top-100 in bench points per game. The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 19 contests, and are outscoring their foes' reserves by 144 on the year (647 to 503).
20-20 VISION
On February 7 at Georgia, Jaemyn Brakefield and Myles Burns each hit the 20-point mark in the Rebels' 78-74 road victory. Coming off the first double-double of his career at Vanderbilt, Brakefield led Ole Miss with a career-high 24 points on 11-15 shooting, adding seven rebounds and tying his season-best with four assists. Burns loaded the box score with a season-high 20 points as well as six rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a block. This was the first game Ole Miss had two hit the 20-point threshold since January 24, 2022, when Matthew Murrell (20 points) and Daeshun Ruffin (21 points) did so in a 70-54 win over Florida.
EXPERIENCE FROM THE PORTAL
Ole Miss went into the portal looking for experienced big men, and came away with four of the most well-seasoned options available. Those four senior transfers -- F Theo Akwuba, F Myles Burns, F Josh Mballa and F Jayveous McKinnis -- hold an incredible combined career stat lines across their respective careers prior to Ole Miss:
Combined Career Stats (NAIA included for Burns):
• 527 games played
• 390 games started
• 5,197 points
• 3,901 rebounds
• 701 steals (425 from Burns alone)
• 678 blocks
