Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis and guard Daeshun Ruffin met with the media Friday. The Rebels open a five-game home stand today at 2 p.m. versus Valparaiso (4-6).
From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men's basketball returns back to Oxford to tip off a five-game homestand when it welcomes in the Valparaiso Beacons on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT inside The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss and live on SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (6-2, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (70-63) • 539-326 career record (28th Season)
Valparaiso Beacons (4-6, 0-2 Missouri Valley)
Head Coach: Matt Lottich • 6th Season at Valpo (100-101) • 100-101 career record (6th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Color: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. VALPARAISO
This will be the third meeting between Ole Miss and Valparaiso, and the first game not played at a neutral location. The two programs first met back in 1969 on December 29 in Mobile, Ala., with the Rebels taking the victory 80-77. The two teams matched up in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, where Valparaiso won 70-69 on a buzzer-beater three-point shot to advance.
LAST MEETING: March 13, 1998 (L, 69-70, IN Oklahoma City, NCAA Tournament First Round)
• Ole Miss earned their third-ever invite to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the 1997-98 season, entering as a four seed and matching up in the opening round with Valparaiso.
• The Rebels were upset by Valparaiso after guard Bryce Drew hit a last-second three pointer.
• Keith Carter, the current Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics at Ole Miss, led the team in scoring with 22 points and rebounds with 11.
• Earning SEC Player of the Year honors that season, Ansu Sesay added 11 points with five rebounds, while leading the charge on defense with four steals and a block.
ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL RECAP
Game 1 (First Round) • vs. Stanford • Nov. 24 • W, 72-68
• Ole Miss never trailed, led by 37:36
• Rebels shot 50 percent overall, 60.7 percent in the second half
• Amaree Abram: career-high, team season-high 26 points, 12-18 FG, 2-2 3PT
• Most points by Rebel freshman since Jan. 12, 2019 (26, Blake Hinson, at MSU)
• Abram three-pointer with 27 seconds to go helped keep Cardinal at bay
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-6 FG, 2-2 3PT
• Jayveous McKinnis: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 7-10 FG
Game 2 (Semifinal) • vs. Siena • Nov. 25 • W, 74-62
• Improved to 6-0 for first time since 2013-14 season
• Trailed at half, 27-26; outscored Saints in second half, 48-35
• First half featured 10 of 11 total lead changes, as well as both ties
• Ole Miss shot season-high 62.5 percent in the second half; ended at 50 percent for second straight game
• Amaree Abram: 19 points (16 2H), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-8 FG, 3-3 3PT, 4-4 FT
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 8-14 FG
• Matthew Murrell: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
• Myles Burns: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists
• Abram, Brakefield, Murrell: combined for 50 points, 37 in the second half
Game 3 (Final) • vs. Oklahoma • Nov. 27 • L, 59-55
• Ole Miss: shot 50 percent in first half, but Oklahoma shut down Rebels to 39 percent overall
• Rebels led at halftime, but 10-0 Sooner run in second half stole momentum
• Amaree Abram: 17 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 7-13 FG
• TJ Caldwell: 10 points, 2-3 3PT
• Jaemyn Brakefield: career-high 10 rebounds
BY THE NUMBERS: OLE MISS IN THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL
• 63.0 PPG defense
• FG%: 81-of-167 (.485)
• 3PT%: 16-of-47 (.340) / 3PM/Game: 5.3
• FT%: 23-of-32 (.719) / FTM/Game: 7.7 / FTA/Game: 10.7
• Rebounds/Game: 31.7 / Rebounding Margin: +4.0
• Assists/Game: 12.3
• Turnovers Forced/Game: 12.7 / Steals/Game: 9.7 / Blocks/Game: 3.7
• Average Time Led: 29:29
BY THE NUMBERS: OLE MISS INDIVIDUAL STANDOUTS IN THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL
• Amaree Abram: 20.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, .641 FG (25-39), .750 3PT (6-8), 1.000 FT (6-6)
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 13.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, .556 FG (15-27), .444 3PT (4-9), .714 FT (5-7)
• Matthew Murrell: 9.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, .714 FT (5-7)
• Jayveous McKinnis: 8.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.0 SPG, .706 FG (12-17)
• Myles Burns: 4.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 SPG, 2.3 APG
AN OLE MISS WIN WOULD...
•...move the Rebels to 2-0 against Missouri Valley Conference teams under head coach Kermit Davis, after defeating Illinois State 81-74 on Dec. 8, 2018 in his inaugural season in Oxford.
DIAPER DANDY!
Amaree Abram came into the ESPN Events Invitational as a skilled but inexperienced freshman point guard filling in for the injured Daeshun Ruffin, but came out of it as a serious scoring threat for the Rebels. Abram was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week for his efforts in Orlando, leading the Rebels to a 2-1 record and a trip to the title game against Oklahoma. All told, Abram accounted for 30.1 percent of all Rebel scoring in the tournament, averaging 20.7 points per game across three contests against Stanford (26 points; W, 72-68), Siena (19 points; W, 74-62) and Oklahoma (17 points; L, 59-55). He also averaged 3.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals, while shooting .641 overall (25-39), .750 from three (6-8) and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Abram scored a career and Ole Miss team season-high 26 points against Stanford in the opener, the most points scored by a Rebel freshman since 2018-19 (26, Blake Hinson, at Mississippi State, Jan. 12, 2019) and the most by a Rebel freshman in a non-conference game since 2011-12 (27, Jarvis Summers, at Penn State, Dec. 4, 2011). He scored 43 of his 62 total points in the second halves of games at the Invitational, averaging 14.3 points in the back half while shooting .696 overall (16-23), .833 from three (5-6) and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Abram entered play averaging just 7.0 points per game with a career-high eight points vs. Florida Atlantic on Nov. 11, but scored at least 17 points in all three games this past week.
Abram -- a native of Port Arthur, Texas -- came to Ole Miss from Southern California Academy, where he was a four-star ESPN Top-100 prospect (No. 98 overall).
RENAISSANCE MAN
Senior transfer Myles Burns has made an immediate impact for the Rebels on both ends of the floor with a unique talent blend as a defensive force and a go-getter on the offensive glass. Burns currently leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in the NCAA at 3.0 steals per game, while also ranking eighth in the conference at 2.62 offensive boards per game.
Prior to Ole Miss, Burns had an extraordinary career at Loyola New Orleans, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. With the Wolf Pack, Burns played in 120 career games with 111 starts, while setting career averages of 15.3 points (1,852), 8.8 rebounds (1,069), 3.0 steals (358), 2.5 assists (298) and 1.0 blocks (116). In Loyola's record book, Burns ranks No. 1 in steals (358), No. 2 all-time in points (1,852), No. 2 in rebounds (1,069), No. 4 in blocks (116) and No. 7 in assists (298), with his 358 steals resting 163 more than any other player in Loyola history. Burns helped lead Loyola to the 2022 NAIA National Championship title, the first in school history since 1945, as the tournament MVP at 19.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals with four double-doubles in six tournament games.
Burns is no stranger to dominating these two distinct statistical categories, though, as his 151 offensive rebounds and 152 steals in 2021-22 had no rival in all of college basketball, with the nearest Division I comparison being defending national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, who had 179 offensive rebounds and 60 steals last season. Furthermore, Burns' 152 steals last season earned him the 2022 Marques Haynes Award, which is given annually to the player with the most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division.
CONSISTENCY KEY FOR BRAKEFIELD
Junior Jaemyn Brakefield has been a rock for the Rebels throughout their 6-2 start, currently leading the team with a 59.1 percent clip from the field (min. 40 attempts) and ranking third on the team at 8.9 points per game. Brakefield was even more steady in Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational, averaging 13.0 points and leading the team with 8.3 rebounds, while also shooting 55.6 percent overall and 44.4 percent from three. Brakefield is one of three players in the SEC this season to go at least 6-of-6 from the field, tallying a 6-of-6 game against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 11 -- his first of three season-high 17-point games this year.
LIGHTS OUT
Ole Miss has lit the net on fire, shooting at least 50 percent overall in three games and at least 45 percent in five of eight games played. The Rebels were especially hot in Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational, shooting 48.5 percent overall -- thanked greatly by two 50 percent outings against Stanford and Siena, the first two-game stretch at or above 50 percent since the opening of the 2021-22 season against New Orleans (.531) and Charleston Southern (.507). Under head coach Kermit Davis, Ole Miss is 32-5 overall when shooting 50 percent or better.
WHEN IT COUNTS
Ole Miss has been especially strong in the second half this season, shooting 48.4 percent overall in the back half while outscoring opponents 310-262 (38.8 points per second half, +6.0 scoring margin). Additionally, the Rebels have put up a +5.0 rebounding margin in the second half this season, while junior Matthew Murrell is averaging 8.4 points and 1.4 threes per second half this season. At the ESPN Events Invitational, Ole Miss shot a blistering 55 percent overall, led by 14.3 points per second half by Amaree Abram, who was also 5-of-6 from three and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the back half.
MM11
Junior Matthew Murrell has wasted no time lighting the net on fire this season, picking up right where he left off last season as one of the most feared three-point shooters nationwide. Murrell ranks ninth in the SEC in threes per game (2.5) and tied for seventh in total threes made (20). Against the Mocs, Murrell drained a career-high six three-pointers -- the most by a Rebel since Devontae Shuler nailed six threes against Wichita State on Jan. 2, 2021. His 25-point game against Chattanooga marked his sixth career 20-point outing, which all came within his last 24 games played dating back to last season. In his career, Murrell has hit five or more threes four times, while also notching seven games with at least four, 12 with at least three, 24 with multiple threes, and he had a 25-consecutive game streak with at least one three made snapped against Stanford on Nov. 24. Murrell has been a legit scoring threat since he stepped foot on campus as Ole Miss' highest-rated signee of the Davis era, but he has been especially lights-out since the start of last conference season. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 SEC season, only Tennessee's Santiago Vescovi has more threes made in the conference with 77 trifectas to Murrell's 60. Late last year, Murrell eclipsed 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career over his last three regular season games, averaging 22.5 points and 3.5 threes made across two strong outings vs. Texas A&M (20 points) and at No. 6 Kentucky (25 points) -- a stretch in which he shot 57.7 percent overall and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. All four of Murrell's 20-point games came in SEC play last season, topped by a superb 31-point outing vs. Mississippi State on Jan. 8.
MURRELL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC
Ole Miss junior Matthew Murrell was honored by the league head coaches, earning Second-Team Preseason All-SEC in recognition of his sharp-shooting prowess last season. Murrell – a native of Memphis, Tennessee – is among the best three-point shooters and all-around guards returning from SEC action last year after ending the 2021-22 conference season ranked second in three-point shooting (.426), third in threes per game (2.5), sixth in minutes per game (34.1), eighth in field goal shooting (.466) and ninth in scoring (15.5). Murrell accounted for 26.6 percent of all three-pointers made by the Rebels last season, and he especially turned it on late, averaging 20.0 points and 3.0 threes over his final three games, as well as 16.3 points and 2.5 threes over his final eight games.
Sparking that SEC season stretch for Murrell was a historic outing versus in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, where he was nearly perfect in a bombastic 31-point outing against the Bulldogs. Murrell that day became only the third Rebel to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, and he is the only Rebel to do so against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line, with his lone blemish coming from within the arc in the closing minutes to end 10-of-11 overall from the field.
Murrell was also big when the spotlight was on against ranked opponents, averaging 15.0 points while shooting 42.9 percent overall and 45 percent from three in six games against AP Top-25 schools. Included in those six were two Ole Miss victories over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4 and No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, during which Murrell averaged 14.0 points for the Rebels.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best returners in the nation this year, currently third in total rebounds (1,037), fifth in total blocks (238), sixth in career double-doubles (38), eighth in rebounds per game (9.3), 10th in blocks per game (2.1) and 21st in field goal shooting (.609). McKinnis is one of just four active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel (1,131), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (1,090) and Nicholls' Manny Littles (1,026). He is also just one of three, alongside Samuel and Bacot, with 1,000 career points (1,114) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss is one of two schools with multiple top-20 rebounders on the active career list alongside Texas Tech. McKinnis (1,037) and Josh Mballa (810; No. 20) combine for 1,847 career rebounds, the second-most among teammates behind Texas Tech's 1,853 from Fardaws Almaq (918) and Kevin Obanor (935).
Ole Miss also ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries at the moment. McKinnis ranks fifth at 238 swats, while Theo Akwuba sits in ninth at 190. Ole Miss stands as one of just two schools with multiple top-25 active blockers alongside Gardner-Webb, but the Rebels are the only school with two within the top-10. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (38, No. 6), Mballa (29, t-No. 14) and Akwuba (17, t-No. 50) combine for 84 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 67 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (35) at 76.
* 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 second in the nation at 1,114 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,284 boards between Burns (1,114), McKinnis (1,037), Mballa (810), Robert Allen (664) and Akwuba (659). Burns' combined career total of 1,908 points would also rank No. 11 among all NCAA divisions.
AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
With eight new faces for Ole Miss this season, the Rebel newcomers are already seeing serious minutes and have contributed to the team's 6-2 start.
Newcomer Splits:
Minutes: 52.4% (838 of 1600)
Scoring: 52.3% (289 of 553)
Rebounding: 48.7% (147 of 302)
Assists: 50.0% (52 of 104)
Steals: 63.8% (44 of 69)
Blocks: 78.1% (25 of 32)
Newcomer Scoring:
vs. Alcorn State: 29 of 73 (39.7%)
vs. Florida Atlantic: 36 of 80 (45.0%)
vs. Chattanooga: 33 of 70 (47.1%)
vs. UT Martin: 35 of 72 (48.6%)
vs. Stanford: 48 of 72 (66.7%)
vs. Siena: 37 of 74 (50.0%)
vs. Stanford: 39 of 55 (70.1%)
at Memphis: 32 of 57 (56.1%)
DYNAMIC DUO
Matthew Murrell and sophomore Daeshun Ruffin were a potent combo when on the court together last season, giving Ole Miss two of the SEC's top returning guards for 2022-23. Last year, the duo combined for 24.7 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.1 SPG, shot a combined .408 from the field and .343 from 3PT.
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
After missing the final month of the season last year and first seven games of the 2022-23 season, Ruffin returned to action on Dec. 3 against Memphis, coming off the bench and playing 14 minutes. Tearing his ACL at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1 last season following an incredible effort to help the Rebels earn their second AP Top-25 win of the year, Ruffin's return this season was delayed due to a minor bone bruise. 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 last year's 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 was 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).
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on 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 had scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and 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 ended 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 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
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):
• 456 games played
• 358 games started
• 4,842 points
• 3,620 rebounds
• 640 steals (382 from Burns alone)
• 622 blocks
From UM Media Relations:
| OLE MISS (6-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. VALPARAISO (4-6, 0-2 MVC) Saturday, Dec. 10 • 2 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 (PDF) • Valparaiso Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Game Notes |
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men's basketball returns back to Oxford to tip off a five-game homestand when it welcomes in the Valparaiso Beacons on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT inside The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss and live on SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (6-2, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (70-63) • 539-326 career record (28th Season)
Valparaiso Beacons (4-6, 0-2 Missouri Valley)
Head Coach: Matt Lottich • 6th Season at Valpo (100-101) • 100-101 career record (6th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Color: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. VALPARAISO
This will be the third meeting between Ole Miss and Valparaiso, and the first game not played at a neutral location. The two programs first met back in 1969 on December 29 in Mobile, Ala., with the Rebels taking the victory 80-77. The two teams matched up in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, where Valparaiso won 70-69 on a buzzer-beater three-point shot to advance.
LAST MEETING: March 13, 1998 (L, 69-70, IN Oklahoma City, NCAA Tournament First Round)
• Ole Miss earned their third-ever invite to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the 1997-98 season, entering as a four seed and matching up in the opening round with Valparaiso.
• The Rebels were upset by Valparaiso after guard Bryce Drew hit a last-second three pointer.
• Keith Carter, the current Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics at Ole Miss, led the team in scoring with 22 points and rebounds with 11.
• Earning SEC Player of the Year honors that season, Ansu Sesay added 11 points with five rebounds, while leading the charge on defense with four steals and a block.
ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL RECAP
Game 1 (First Round) • vs. Stanford • Nov. 24 • W, 72-68
• Ole Miss never trailed, led by 37:36
• Rebels shot 50 percent overall, 60.7 percent in the second half
• Amaree Abram: career-high, team season-high 26 points, 12-18 FG, 2-2 3PT
• Most points by Rebel freshman since Jan. 12, 2019 (26, Blake Hinson, at MSU)
• Abram three-pointer with 27 seconds to go helped keep Cardinal at bay
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-6 FG, 2-2 3PT
• Jayveous McKinnis: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 7-10 FG
Game 2 (Semifinal) • vs. Siena • Nov. 25 • W, 74-62
• Improved to 6-0 for first time since 2013-14 season
• Trailed at half, 27-26; outscored Saints in second half, 48-35
• First half featured 10 of 11 total lead changes, as well as both ties
• Ole Miss shot season-high 62.5 percent in the second half; ended at 50 percent for second straight game
• Amaree Abram: 19 points (16 2H), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-8 FG, 3-3 3PT, 4-4 FT
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 8-14 FG
• Matthew Murrell: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
• Myles Burns: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists
• Abram, Brakefield, Murrell: combined for 50 points, 37 in the second half
Game 3 (Final) • vs. Oklahoma • Nov. 27 • L, 59-55
• Ole Miss: shot 50 percent in first half, but Oklahoma shut down Rebels to 39 percent overall
• Rebels led at halftime, but 10-0 Sooner run in second half stole momentum
• Amaree Abram: 17 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 7-13 FG
• TJ Caldwell: 10 points, 2-3 3PT
• Jaemyn Brakefield: career-high 10 rebounds
BY THE NUMBERS: OLE MISS IN THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL
• 63.0 PPG defense
• FG%: 81-of-167 (.485)
• 3PT%: 16-of-47 (.340) / 3PM/Game: 5.3
• FT%: 23-of-32 (.719) / FTM/Game: 7.7 / FTA/Game: 10.7
• Rebounds/Game: 31.7 / Rebounding Margin: +4.0
• Assists/Game: 12.3
• Turnovers Forced/Game: 12.7 / Steals/Game: 9.7 / Blocks/Game: 3.7
• Average Time Led: 29:29
BY THE NUMBERS: OLE MISS INDIVIDUAL STANDOUTS IN THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL
• Amaree Abram: 20.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, .641 FG (25-39), .750 3PT (6-8), 1.000 FT (6-6)
• Jaemyn Brakefield: 13.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, .556 FG (15-27), .444 3PT (4-9), .714 FT (5-7)
• Matthew Murrell: 9.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, .714 FT (5-7)
• Jayveous McKinnis: 8.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.0 SPG, .706 FG (12-17)
• Myles Burns: 4.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 SPG, 2.3 APG
AN OLE MISS WIN WOULD...
•...move the Rebels to 2-0 against Missouri Valley Conference teams under head coach Kermit Davis, after defeating Illinois State 81-74 on Dec. 8, 2018 in his inaugural season in Oxford.
DIAPER DANDY!
Amaree Abram came into the ESPN Events Invitational as a skilled but inexperienced freshman point guard filling in for the injured Daeshun Ruffin, but came out of it as a serious scoring threat for the Rebels. Abram was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week for his efforts in Orlando, leading the Rebels to a 2-1 record and a trip to the title game against Oklahoma. All told, Abram accounted for 30.1 percent of all Rebel scoring in the tournament, averaging 20.7 points per game across three contests against Stanford (26 points; W, 72-68), Siena (19 points; W, 74-62) and Oklahoma (17 points; L, 59-55). He also averaged 3.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals, while shooting .641 overall (25-39), .750 from three (6-8) and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Abram scored a career and Ole Miss team season-high 26 points against Stanford in the opener, the most points scored by a Rebel freshman since 2018-19 (26, Blake Hinson, at Mississippi State, Jan. 12, 2019) and the most by a Rebel freshman in a non-conference game since 2011-12 (27, Jarvis Summers, at Penn State, Dec. 4, 2011). He scored 43 of his 62 total points in the second halves of games at the Invitational, averaging 14.3 points in the back half while shooting .696 overall (16-23), .833 from three (5-6) and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Abram entered play averaging just 7.0 points per game with a career-high eight points vs. Florida Atlantic on Nov. 11, but scored at least 17 points in all three games this past week.
Abram -- a native of Port Arthur, Texas -- came to Ole Miss from Southern California Academy, where he was a four-star ESPN Top-100 prospect (No. 98 overall).
RENAISSANCE MAN
Senior transfer Myles Burns has made an immediate impact for the Rebels on both ends of the floor with a unique talent blend as a defensive force and a go-getter on the offensive glass. Burns currently leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in the NCAA at 3.0 steals per game, while also ranking eighth in the conference at 2.62 offensive boards per game.
Prior to Ole Miss, Burns had an extraordinary career at Loyola New Orleans, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. With the Wolf Pack, Burns played in 120 career games with 111 starts, while setting career averages of 15.3 points (1,852), 8.8 rebounds (1,069), 3.0 steals (358), 2.5 assists (298) and 1.0 blocks (116). In Loyola's record book, Burns ranks No. 1 in steals (358), No. 2 all-time in points (1,852), No. 2 in rebounds (1,069), No. 4 in blocks (116) and No. 7 in assists (298), with his 358 steals resting 163 more than any other player in Loyola history. Burns helped lead Loyola to the 2022 NAIA National Championship title, the first in school history since 1945, as the tournament MVP at 19.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals with four double-doubles in six tournament games.
Burns is no stranger to dominating these two distinct statistical categories, though, as his 151 offensive rebounds and 152 steals in 2021-22 had no rival in all of college basketball, with the nearest Division I comparison being defending national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, who had 179 offensive rebounds and 60 steals last season. Furthermore, Burns' 152 steals last season earned him the 2022 Marques Haynes Award, which is given annually to the player with the most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division.
CONSISTENCY KEY FOR BRAKEFIELD
Junior Jaemyn Brakefield has been a rock for the Rebels throughout their 6-2 start, currently leading the team with a 59.1 percent clip from the field (min. 40 attempts) and ranking third on the team at 8.9 points per game. Brakefield was even more steady in Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational, averaging 13.0 points and leading the team with 8.3 rebounds, while also shooting 55.6 percent overall and 44.4 percent from three. Brakefield is one of three players in the SEC this season to go at least 6-of-6 from the field, tallying a 6-of-6 game against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 11 -- his first of three season-high 17-point games this year.
LIGHTS OUT
Ole Miss has lit the net on fire, shooting at least 50 percent overall in three games and at least 45 percent in five of eight games played. The Rebels were especially hot in Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational, shooting 48.5 percent overall -- thanked greatly by two 50 percent outings against Stanford and Siena, the first two-game stretch at or above 50 percent since the opening of the 2021-22 season against New Orleans (.531) and Charleston Southern (.507). Under head coach Kermit Davis, Ole Miss is 32-5 overall when shooting 50 percent or better.
WHEN IT COUNTS
Ole Miss has been especially strong in the second half this season, shooting 48.4 percent overall in the back half while outscoring opponents 310-262 (38.8 points per second half, +6.0 scoring margin). Additionally, the Rebels have put up a +5.0 rebounding margin in the second half this season, while junior Matthew Murrell is averaging 8.4 points and 1.4 threes per second half this season. At the ESPN Events Invitational, Ole Miss shot a blistering 55 percent overall, led by 14.3 points per second half by Amaree Abram, who was also 5-of-6 from three and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the back half.
MM11
Junior Matthew Murrell has wasted no time lighting the net on fire this season, picking up right where he left off last season as one of the most feared three-point shooters nationwide. Murrell ranks ninth in the SEC in threes per game (2.5) and tied for seventh in total threes made (20). Against the Mocs, Murrell drained a career-high six three-pointers -- the most by a Rebel since Devontae Shuler nailed six threes against Wichita State on Jan. 2, 2021. His 25-point game against Chattanooga marked his sixth career 20-point outing, which all came within his last 24 games played dating back to last season. In his career, Murrell has hit five or more threes four times, while also notching seven games with at least four, 12 with at least three, 24 with multiple threes, and he had a 25-consecutive game streak with at least one three made snapped against Stanford on Nov. 24. Murrell has been a legit scoring threat since he stepped foot on campus as Ole Miss' highest-rated signee of the Davis era, but he has been especially lights-out since the start of last conference season. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 SEC season, only Tennessee's Santiago Vescovi has more threes made in the conference with 77 trifectas to Murrell's 60. Late last year, Murrell eclipsed 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career over his last three regular season games, averaging 22.5 points and 3.5 threes made across two strong outings vs. Texas A&M (20 points) and at No. 6 Kentucky (25 points) -- a stretch in which he shot 57.7 percent overall and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. All four of Murrell's 20-point games came in SEC play last season, topped by a superb 31-point outing vs. Mississippi State on Jan. 8.
MURRELL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC
Ole Miss junior Matthew Murrell was honored by the league head coaches, earning Second-Team Preseason All-SEC in recognition of his sharp-shooting prowess last season. Murrell – a native of Memphis, Tennessee – is among the best three-point shooters and all-around guards returning from SEC action last year after ending the 2021-22 conference season ranked second in three-point shooting (.426), third in threes per game (2.5), sixth in minutes per game (34.1), eighth in field goal shooting (.466) and ninth in scoring (15.5). Murrell accounted for 26.6 percent of all three-pointers made by the Rebels last season, and he especially turned it on late, averaging 20.0 points and 3.0 threes over his final three games, as well as 16.3 points and 2.5 threes over his final eight games.
Sparking that SEC season stretch for Murrell was a historic outing versus in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, where he was nearly perfect in a bombastic 31-point outing against the Bulldogs. Murrell that day became only the third Rebel to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, and he is the only Rebel to do so against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line, with his lone blemish coming from within the arc in the closing minutes to end 10-of-11 overall from the field.
Murrell was also big when the spotlight was on against ranked opponents, averaging 15.0 points while shooting 42.9 percent overall and 45 percent from three in six games against AP Top-25 schools. Included in those six were two Ole Miss victories over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4 and No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, during which Murrell averaged 14.0 points for the Rebels.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best returners in the nation this year, currently third in total rebounds (1,037), fifth in total blocks (238), sixth in career double-doubles (38), eighth in rebounds per game (9.3), 10th in blocks per game (2.1) and 21st in field goal shooting (.609). McKinnis is one of just four active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel (1,131), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (1,090) and Nicholls' Manny Littles (1,026). He is also just one of three, alongside Samuel and Bacot, with 1,000 career points (1,114) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss is one of two schools with multiple top-20 rebounders on the active career list alongside Texas Tech. McKinnis (1,037) and Josh Mballa (810; No. 20) combine for 1,847 career rebounds, the second-most among teammates behind Texas Tech's 1,853 from Fardaws Almaq (918) and Kevin Obanor (935).
Ole Miss also ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries at the moment. McKinnis ranks fifth at 238 swats, while Theo Akwuba sits in ninth at 190. Ole Miss stands as one of just two schools with multiple top-25 active blockers alongside Gardner-Webb, but the Rebels are the only school with two within the top-10. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (38, No. 6), Mballa (29, t-No. 14) and Akwuba (17, t-No. 50) combine for 84 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 67 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (35) at 76.
* 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 second in the nation at 1,114 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,284 boards between Burns (1,114), McKinnis (1,037), Mballa (810), Robert Allen (664) and Akwuba (659). Burns' combined career total of 1,908 points would also rank No. 11 among all NCAA divisions.
AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
With eight new faces for Ole Miss this season, the Rebel newcomers are already seeing serious minutes and have contributed to the team's 6-2 start.
Newcomer Splits:
Minutes: 52.4% (838 of 1600)
Scoring: 52.3% (289 of 553)
Rebounding: 48.7% (147 of 302)
Assists: 50.0% (52 of 104)
Steals: 63.8% (44 of 69)
Blocks: 78.1% (25 of 32)
Newcomer Scoring:
vs. Alcorn State: 29 of 73 (39.7%)
vs. Florida Atlantic: 36 of 80 (45.0%)
vs. Chattanooga: 33 of 70 (47.1%)
vs. UT Martin: 35 of 72 (48.6%)
vs. Stanford: 48 of 72 (66.7%)
vs. Siena: 37 of 74 (50.0%)
vs. Stanford: 39 of 55 (70.1%)
at Memphis: 32 of 57 (56.1%)
DYNAMIC DUO
Matthew Murrell and sophomore Daeshun Ruffin were a potent combo when on the court together last season, giving Ole Miss two of the SEC's top returning guards for 2022-23. Last year, the duo combined for 24.7 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.1 SPG, shot a combined .408 from the field and .343 from 3PT.
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
After missing the final month of the season last year and first seven games of the 2022-23 season, Ruffin returned to action on Dec. 3 against Memphis, coming off the bench and playing 14 minutes. Tearing his ACL at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1 last season following an incredible effort to help the Rebels earn their second AP Top-25 win of the year, Ruffin's return this season was delayed due to a minor bone bruise. 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 last year's 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 was 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).
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on 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 had scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and 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 ended 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 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
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):
• 456 games played
• 358 games started
• 4,842 points
• 3,620 rebounds
• 640 steals (382 from Burns alone)
• 622 blocks
