The University of Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Game Notes
12/31/2002 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2002
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: December 31, 2002
Time: 3:00 p.m. (CT)
Site: Tad Smith Coliseum * Oxford, Miss.
REBELS ON TELEVISION & RADIO
Television: None
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Gary Darby, color analyst)
OLE MISS PROBABLES
(Based on previous game's starters)
| No. | Player (Yr.) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG/RPG* | Hometown | Notes |
| 1 | Aaron Harper (Jr.) | F | 6-7 | 217 | 13.2/4.3 | Jackson, Miss. | |
| 23 | Justin Reed (Jr.) | F | 6-8 | 240 | 14.0/6.3 | Jackson, Miss. | |
| 40 | Derrick Allen (Sr.) | F | 6-8 | 238 | 8.8/4.9 | Gadsden, Ala. | |
| 2 | Trey Pearson (Fr.) | G | 6-4 | 165 | 5.2/3.7 | South Fulton, Tenn. | |
| 15 | David Sanders (Sr.) | G | 6-3 | 185 | 10.2/3.8 | Jackson, Miss. |
| No. | Player (Yr.) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG/RPG* | Hometown | Notes |
| 12 | Justin Johnson (So.) | G | 6-0 | 200 | 3.0/0.7 | Fayetteville, N.C. | |
| 31 | John Gunn (RJr.) | F/C | 6-10 | 260 | 4.8/2.9 | Oxford, Miss. | |
| 32 | Emmanuel Wade (Sr.) | G | 6-3 | 185 | 8.8/3.2 | Marianna, Ark. |
SAMFORD PROBABLES
(Based on previous game's starters)
| No. | Player (Yr.) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG/RPG* | Hometown | Notes |
| 44 | Phillip Ramelli (Jr.) | F | 6-10 | 230 | 12.8/4.8 | New Orleans, La. | |
| 52 | Sebastian Sachse (Jr.) | C | 6-8 | 235 | 2.6/2.8 | Chemnitz, Germany | |
| 5 | Eddie Harper (Jr.) | G | 6-5 | 200 | 7.4/2.7 | Laurel, Miss. | |
| 32 | Cornell Felton (Sr.) | G | 5-11 | 195 | 8.6/2.7 | Alexandria, Va. | |
| 33 | Tyson Dorsey (Jr.) | G | 6-3 | 180 | 10.8/1.9 | Brantford, Ontario |
| No. | Player (Yr.) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG/RPG* | Hometown | Notes |
| 4 | J. Robert Merritt (Fr.) | F | 6-6 | 190 | 8.9/3.5 | Oklahoma City, Okla. | |
| 14 | Jon Mills (So.) | F | 6-6 | 225 | 6.0/3.0 | Winfield, Ala. | |
| 42 | Josh Hare (So.) | F | 6-6 | 220 | 4.6/3.3 | Cleveland, Tenn. |
OLE MISS/SAMFORD TEAM COMPARISONS
| Ole Miss | Statistical Category | Samford |
| 69.6 | Scoring Offense | 65.0 |
| 56.0 | Scoring Defense | 72.2 |
| 35.1 | Rebound Avg. | 29.4 |
| 31.2 | Opponent Rebound Avg. | 32.2 |
| +3.9 | Rebound Margin | -2.8 |
| 48.1 | Field Goal Percentage | 46.1 |
| 38.0 | Opponent Field Goal Percentage | 45.7 |
| 39.5 | Three-Point Field Goal Percentage | 38.1 |
| 28.7 | Opp. Three-Point Field Goal Percentage | 35.9 |
| 70.6 | Free Throw Percentage | 76.7 |
| 134 | Turnovers | 168 |
| 154 | Opponent Turnovers | 110 |
| 151 | Assists | 169 |
| 31 | Blocks | 10 |
| 70 | Steals | 40 |
REBEL GAME NOTES
OLE MISS TO CONCLUDE FOUR-GAME HOMESTAND VERSUS SAMFORD: The Rebels wrap up their four-game home-stand in Tad Smith Coliseum Tuesday, Dec. 31 when they host Samford. Game time is 3:00 p.m. (CT).
Ole Miss (8-2) enters Tuesday's contest with a 3-game win streak with victories over Nicholls State 63-52, Evansville 87-69 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff 71-38. The Samford Bulldogs (4-6) come into Tuesday's encounter having lost 4 straight, with all being on the road. Samford fell at South Alabama 74-51 in its last outing Dec. 28. The Bulldogs' last victory came on Dec. 7, a 64-54 win over Florida International.
BARNES IN FIFTH SEASON AS REBEL MENTOR: Rod Barnes is in his fifth season at the helm of the Ole Miss Rebel basketball program. The 2001 Naismith and CollegeInsider.com National Coach of the Year, Barnes has a 94-48 record (.662 winning percentage). He is 8-2 in 2002-03. The 86 wins in his first four seasons were the most by a Rebel coach in that span of time in Ole Miss history. Last year, Barnes, the 2001 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, guided Ole Miss to a 20-11 overall record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The winning season and postseason tournament both were the sixth straight for the Ole Miss program.
Barnes was hired as the Rebel head coach on April 9, 1998. A 1988 graduate of Ole Miss, Barnes served as an assistant under Evans from 1993-98. During his time as an assistant coach, the Rebels compiled a record of 76-63 and won back-to-back Southeastern Conference Western Division titles and received consecutive NCAA Tournament berths in 1997 and 1998. Barnes played at Ole Miss from 1984-88 and was named All-SEC his senior season. He still ranks on the Ole Miss career charts in scoring (17th; 1,201 points), assists (2nd; 456) and steals (7th; 154).
OLE MISS-SAMFORD SERIES: Tuesday's game will be the 8th meeting between the two schools. Ole Miss holds an all-time series lead of 7-0 over the Bulldogs. The last time the two schools played was the 1984-85 campaign when Ole Miss posted an 80-66 victory over Samford in Oxford (Dec. 8, 1984). The Rebels have won all 5 previous encounters that have been played in Oxford.
SCOUTING SAMFORD: The Bulldogs bring a 4-6 record into Tuesday's game. Samford has lost 4 straight games, with all being on the road. The Bulldogs' last win was a 64-54 victory over Florida International Dec. 7. The junior tandem of Phillip Ramelli and Tyson Dorsey leads the Samford offense. Ramelli is tops on the team in scoring with a 12.8 average, while Dorsey is second at 10.8 points per game. Ramelli also leads the Bulldogs on the boards with a 4.8 rebounding average. Ramelli shoots 63.8 percent from the floor, which is tops on the team, and J. Robert Merritt is Samford's top threat from the arc, hitting 51.3 percent of his attempts. The Bulldogs are shooting 46.1 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent from the three-point line and 76.7 percent from the charity stripe. Opponents are out-rebounding the Bulldogs by an average of 2.8 boards per game (32.2-29.4).
1000 AND COUNTING: The Ole Miss Rebel basketball program reached a milestone Dec. 28 when it recorded the 1000th win in its 93-year history with a 71-38 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Ole Miss entered the season with 992 all-time victories, needing only 8 to reach 1,000. The Rebels' all-time record is now 1000-1082.
REBELS VERSUS THE ATLANTIC SUN: The Rebels have an all-time record of 24-1 (.960 winning percentage) against current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Ole Miss is 7-0 versus Samford, 5-0 versus Mercer, 4-0 versus Troy State, 2-0 versus Belmont and Stetson, 1-0 versus Campbell and Florida Atlantic and 2-1 versus Jacksonville. The last time the Rebels faced an Atlantic Sun foe was the 2000-01 season when they defeated Troy State 92-65 in Oxford.
REED RETURNS!!: Junior Wooden Award candidate Justin Reed (Jackson, Miss.) returned to the Rebel starting lineup Dec. 23 versus Evansville, after missing the first game of his collegiate career Dec. 21 when he did not play against Nicholls State. The 6-foot-8 forward suffered an injury to his right eye in the first half of the Dec. 19 game at Memphis.
Against Evansville, Reed netted 17 points (7-of-10 FG, 2-of-3 3-point FG, 1-4 FT). He followed that with a double-double performance of 15 points and 11 boards in the Rebels' victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Dec. 28. Reed hit a career-high tying 11 free throws in the victory. Prior to missing the Nicholls State contest, Reed had played in 73-consecutive games.
WADE'S ON FIRE: After getting off to a slow start, senior Emmanuel Wade (Marianna, Ark.) is settling back into his role as the Rebels' 6th man. Last year, Wade took over that role and thrived, giving the Rebels a spark off the bench. And, he has done the same in Ole Miss' last 8 games.
In those games, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 9.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. He shot 53.8 percent from the field, 45 percent from the arc and 75 percent from the free throw line in the 8 games.
In the last 4 games, Wade averaged 12.5 points and 3.5 boards, and scored in double figures in 3 games, including a season-high 17 points versus Evansville. The following shows how Wade has done in the last 4 games:
| Opp. | FG | 3PT | FT | Pts | Reb |
| Memphis | 5-10 | 1-3 | 2-3 | 13 | 2 |
| Nicholls St. | 3-7 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 8 | 1 |
| Evansville | 6-9 | 2-3 | 3-3 | 17 | 3 |
| Ark.-PB | 4-9 | 0-2 | 4-6 | 12 | 8 |
| Totals | 18-35 | 5-10 | 9-12 | 50 | 14 |
| Pct/Avg. | 51.4 | 50.0 | 75.0 | 12.5 | 3.5 |
REBELS TOUGH ON NON-CONFERENCE FOES IN RECENT YEARS: In the last 10 years (including 2002-03), the Rebels have posted a 93-30 record (.756 winning percentage) versus non-conference opponents. Non-conference foes have found Ole Miss especially tough the last eight seasons (1995-96 through 2002-03), as the Rebels have an impressive 81-22 mark (.786 winning percentage) against out-of-conference teams. The following shows Ole Miss' non-conference record the last 10 years:
Year Record 1993-94 7-3 1994-95 5-5 1995-96 6-4 1996-97 8-3 1997-98 9-2 1998-99* 11-4 1999-2000* 14-2 2000-01* 14-2 2001-02* 11-3 2002-03* 8-2 Totals 93-30 *Totals Under Barnes 58-13
"TAD PAD" SWEET "TAD PAD": Yes, most of the home win streaks are over, but Tad Smith Coliseum (a.k.a. the "Tad Pad") is still one of the toughest arenas in the nation for opposing teams to play. Ole Miss has won 98 of its last 107 games (.916 winning percentage) at home, including homecourt winning streaks of 29, 19 (current) and 15 games. Ole Miss is 7-0 at home this year, and was 13-1 at the "Tad Pad" in 2001-02. In the past 11 seasons (1992-93 through 2002-03), Ole Miss has an overall home record of 126-30 (.808 winning percentage).
In head coach Rod Barnes' era, the Rebels have a home record of 61-8 (.884 winning percentage). The following shows Ole Miss' home record under Barnes:
Year Record 1998-99 13-3 1999-2000 13-3 2000-01 15-1 2001-02 13-1 2002-03 7-0 Totals 61-8
REBELS ALL-TIME AT THE "TAD PAD": The Rebels posted their 300th victory in Tad Smith Coliseum in 2000-01, and have kept on winning at home. Ole Miss has an all-time record of 331-156 (.680 winning percentage) at the "Tad Pad.". Tad Smith Coliseum opened in the 1965-66 season.
STARTING ANOTHER STREAK?: Don't look now but the Ole Miss Rebels are beginning another homecourt win streak. Entering Tuesday's game versus Samford, Ole Miss has a homecourt win streak of 19, which is the second longest in Rebel basketball history. The following shows the longest homecourt win streaks in Rebel history:
Win Streak Years 29 1996-97 to 1998-99 19 2001-02 to present 16 1925-26 to 1927-28 15 1995-96 to 1996-97 14 1935-36 to 1937-38
BARNES BECOMES SECOND WINNINGEST COACH IN REBEL HISTORY: With the Rebels' 56-49 victory over George Mason Nov. 30, Rod Barnes became the second-winningest head coach in Ole Miss basketball history. That win gave him 88 for his career, and his record now stands at 94-48. The 94 victories are second most in Ole Miss history, trailing only B.L. "Country" Graham's (1950-62) 145 wins.
Up next for Barnes is the 100-win milestone, and with 6 more victories, he will reach that. If Barnes is successful in reaching 100 victories, he would be only the second Rebel mentor to do so. Barnes is the only coach in the program's history to average 20 or more wins per season entering the 2002-03 campaign. The following lists the winningest coaches in Rebel history:
| Coach | CoachYears | Wins |
| B.L. Graham | 1950-62 | 145 |
| Rod Barnes | 1999-present | 94 |
| Cob Jarvis | 1969-76 | 87 |
| Rob Evans | 1993-98 | 86 |
| Bob Weltlich | 1977-82 | 83 |
| Ed Murphy | 1987-92 | 76 |
REED DOUBLES HIS PLEASURE: Justin Reed doubled his pleasure for the first time this year when he posted 15 points and 11 rebounds in the Rebels' victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Dec. 28. Reed now has 11 double-doubles for his career, including six versus SEC opponents. The following lists Reed's career double-double performances:
| 2002-03 Season | Pts | Rebs |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 15 | 11 |
| 2001-02 Season | Pts | Rebs |
| Mississippi State | 12 | 11 |
| Florida | 15 | 10 |
| Auburn | 17 | 10 |
| Alabama | 19 | 12 |
| Lipscomb | 12 | 10 |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 16 | 10 |
| Kansas State | 15 | 11 |
| 2000-01 Season | Pts | Rebs |
| South Carolina | 18 | 11 |
| Georgia | 21 | 12 |
| VCU | 16 | 13 |
DECEMBER'S NOT SO BAD: While the Rebels are nearly unbeatable in the month of November (31-5 record) since 1990-91, their record in the month of December in that same span of time isn't so bad either. Ole Miss has a 64-28 record (.696 winning percentage) in December games since 1990-91. The Rebels are 26-4 (.867 winning percentage) in December the last four years (6-1 in 1999-2000; 8-1 in 2000-01; 6-1 in 2001-02; 6-1 in 2002-03).
JJ'S DYNAMITE: Sophomore Justin Johnson (Fayetteville, N.C.) had his best offensive game of the 2002-03 season against Evansville Dec. 23. The 6-foot guard scored a season-best 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field (all three-pointers) and 2-of-2 from the foul line. The 11 points were one shy of his career high of 12, which he scored last year in a Rebel victory over Tennessee-Martin. The 3 treys were a career high.
In the Rebels' 4 games prior to Arkansas-Pine Bluff Dec. 28, Johnson averaged 5.3 points and shot 58.3 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from the three-point arc and 75 percent from the charity stripe.
HARPER MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Junior Aaron Harper (Jackson, Miss.) has expanded his game in 2002-03 with more drives to the basket and mid-range jumpers. However, that doesn't mean the Rebels' sharp-shooter has given up on the three-point shot.
After 10 games, Harper is 23-of-46 from the arc (50 percent) and leads the team in three-pointers made. With the 23 treys, Harper is moving up the career three-pointers made list, and the following shows that:
Career Three-Pointers Made
| 1. Keith Carter (1996-99) | 249 |
| 2. Joe Harvell (1990-93) | 214 |
| 3. Aaron Harper (2001-present) | 169 |
| 4. Jason Harrison (1999-2002) | 163 |
| 5. Joezon Darby (1996-98) | 131 |
IS HE REALLY A FRESHMAN?: The roster has Trey Pearson (South Fulton, Tenn.) listed as a true freshman, but he is sure not playing like one. The 6-foot-4 guard is only averaging 5.2 points per game, but it's his total floor game that has been impressive. In his first 10 games (all starts), Pearson has only 12 turnovers while averaging nearly 28 minutes per contest. He is second on the team with 36 assists, and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3-to-1.
Pearson is only the fourth true freshman since 1995-96 to start his first college game at Ole Miss. Jason Smith did so in the 1995-96 season opener, and current Rebels Aaron Harper and Justin Reed also started their first collegiate game in Ole Miss' 2000-01 opener. The following shows how solid Pearson has been:
| Game | Min | Pts | Rebs | Asts | TO |
| ECU | 32 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Ala. St. | 24 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| GMU* | 19 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Austin Peay | 26 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| VCU | 26 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| La.-Monroe | 29 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Memphis | 35 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Nicholls St. | 34 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| Evansville | 28 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Ark.-PB | 24 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
* hit 3-of-4 FTs in final :09 to seal the win
FOUR PLUS DOUBLE FIGURES EQUALS WINS: It's a rather odd equation, but it is adding up for Ole Miss again in 2002-03. The Rebels have had 4 games this year in which four or more players have scored in double figures. Ole Miss is 4-0 in those games. Last year, the Rebels had 19 games in which four or more players netted double digits. Ole Miss was 16-3 in those games, including an 8-1 mark in SEC action.
HARPER'S OVER 800... In the Nicholls State game Dec. 21, junior Aaron Harper moved not only up the three-point chart but also closer to 1,000-point milestone for his career. Entering the game against the Colonels, the 6-foot-7 forward had 784 career points, and scored 21 points to go over 800 for his career. He now has 821 points.
REED OVER 900... Junior Wooden Award candidate Justin Reed entered the Dec. 14 VCU contest needing 18 points to reach the 900-point milestone. Well, the 6-foot-8 forward wasted no time in getting there with a 22-point performance in the 82-68 win over the Rams. Reed now has 964 points and needs 36 to become the 27th player in Rebel history to reach 1,000.
...AND SANDERS OVER 700: Senior David Sanders (Jackson, Miss.) had 12 points in Ole Miss' victory over Louisiana-Monroe Dec. 17, and with that, he went over the 700-point plateau for his career. Entering Tuesday's game versus Samford, Sanders has 731 career points.
THRICE WOULD BE NICE: Entering the 2002-03 season, the Rebels have three players - Justin Reed, David Sanders and Aaron Harper - who could top 1,000 points for their careers. If all three reach the milestone this year, it would be the first time in Ole Miss basketball history that three Rebels hit the 1,000-point plateau in the same season. After the Rebels' Dec. 23 game against Evansville, Reed has 964 points, Sanders 731 and Harper 821.
Although he scored most of his points at Towson University, senior transfer Shaun Holtz (Crystal Springs, Miss.) - who saw his first action of the year versus VCU Dec. 14 after sitting out with a back injury - could also reach 1,000 points for his collegiate career.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Defense has always been a trademark of the Ole Miss Rebel basketball program, and it is continuing in the early part of the 2002-03 campaign. After 7 games, Ole Miss is holding opponents to 38 percent shooting from the field (5th in SEC) and 28.7 percent from the three-point arc (1st in SEC). The Rebels are also holding the opposition to 56.0 points per game (1st in SEC).
Last year, Ole Miss finished third in the league in scoring defense, allowing only 64.3 points per contest.
AT THE HEAD OF THE CLASS(ES): As a result of the Rebels' success the last six seasons, the recent seniors have taken their places at the top of the charts for the most wins by a senior class. The 2002-03 senior class of Derrick Allen (Gadsden, Ala.), Shaun Holtz, David Sanders and Emmanuel Wade entered the year with 66 victories, which was 22 shy of tying the record of 88. After the Rebels' win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Dec. 28, the 2002-03 senior class now has 74 victories. The record of 88 wins was set by the 2000-01 class of John Engstrom, Jason Flanigan, Jason Holmes and Rahim Lockhart. Last year's senior class of Jason Harrison posted the second-most victories with 86 in a four-year span. The 2002-03 senior class has also been a part of the 2001 SEC Western Division championship squad and has been to three-straight postseasons (2 NCAA, 1 NIT). The following chart lists the most successful classes:
Four-Year Span No. of Wins 1997-98 to 2000-01 88 1998-99 to 2001-02 86 1999-2000 to present 74 1995-96 to 1998-99 74 1979-80 to 1982-83 70 1935-36 to 1938-39 63 1994-95 to 1997-98 62 1978-79 to 1981-82 62 1923-24 to 1926-27 62
OLE MISS SECOND MOST WINS SINCE 1996-97: The Rebels have, indeed, been one of the Southeastern Conference's most successful teams in recent years - especially since 1996-97. Ole Miss has won 136 games (overall games) since 1996-97, the most by any team in the SEC Western Division. The 136 victories are also second among all league teams, only trailing Kentucky's 173 wins. The following charts show the Rebels' success:
Most Overall/SEC Wins By SEC West Teams
(1996-97 to present)
| Team | Overall Wins | SEC Wins |
| Ole Miss | 136 | 56 |
| Auburn | 123 | 47 |
| Arkansas | 123 | 51 |
| Alabama | 120 | 44 |
| Mississippi State | 113 | 40 |
| LSU | 99 | 29 |
Most Overall/SEC Wins By SEC Teams (Top 6)
(1996-97 to present)
| Team | Overall Wins | SEC Wins |
| Kentucky | 173 | 72 |
| Ole Miss | 136 | 56 |
| Florida | 134 | 55 |
| Auburn | 123 | 47 |
| Arkansas | 123 | 51 |
| Tennessee | 120 | 52 |
| Alabama | 120 | 44 |
MORE ON THE REBEL DEFENSE: Ole Miss held Austin Peay Dec. 4 and George Mason Nov. 30 to below 50 points. The Rebels held George Mason to 49 points and Austin Peay to 46 points. The last time the Rebels held opponents to less than 50 points in consecutive games was Ole Miss head coach Rod Barnes' first season in 1998-99. In Barnes' first two games as the Rebel mentor, Ole Miss defeated Alabama State 87-45 Nov. 13, 1998, and Belmont 91-42 Nov. 16, 1998.
OLE MISS PICKED FOURTH IN WEST BY MEDIA: The Ole Miss Rebels were picked to finish in fourth place in the Southeastern Conference Western Division in a vote by media members at the annual conference media day Oct. 30 in Birmingham, Ala. Alabama was picked to win the SEC overall title and the Western Division crown, while Florida was selected to win the Eastern Division championship. The following shows the media's picks for the 2002-03 campaign (first-place votes in parentheses):
| Eastern Division | Western Division |
| 1. Florida (26) | 1. Alabama (30) |
| 2. Georgia (9) | 2. Mississippi St. (8) |
| 3. Kentucky (5) | 3. LSU |
| 4. South Carolina | 4. Ole Miss (1) |
| 5. Tennessee | 5. Arkansas |
| 6. Vanderbilt | 6. Auburn (1) |
REBELS IN GOOD COMPANY: Some say you are judged by the company you keep. If that is true, then the Rebels should be considered among the nation's elite, especially the last six years (1997-2002). Ole Miss is one of only two teams from the Southeastern Conference to post a winning record and participate in postseason play each of the last six seasons. The Rebels played in the NCAA Tournament in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002 and participated in the NIT in 2000. Kentucky is the only other SEC school to have a winning record and play in the postseason (6 NCAA) each of the last six years.
NOT ONLY AN OLE MISS FIRST: When junior forward Justin Reed was named a candidate for the 2002-03 John Wooden Award this past summer, it was the second-consecutive year that his name was on the list for the prestigious honor. The Jackson, Miss., native is first player in Ole Miss history to be a two-time Wooden candidate, and is also the first player among all Mississippi Division I state colleges to be a candidate two-straight years. Reed is Ole Miss' third player to be up for the honor, as John Stroud (1980) and Ansu Sesay (1998) were candidates. Stroud and Sesay both earned Wooden All-America distinction.