The University of Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Game Notes
1/6/2003 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2003
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Date: January 8, 2003
Time: 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Site: The Carolina Center * Columbia, S.C.
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 |
| 23 | Justin Reed (Jr.) | F | 6-8 | 240 | 14.1/6.4 | Jackson, Miss. | |
| 34 | Shaun Holtz (Sr.) | F | 6-8 | 250 | 1.7/1.4 | Crystal Springs, Miss. | |
| 2 | Trey Pearson (Fr.) | G | 6-4 | 165 | 5.3/3.7 | South Fulton, Tenn. | |
| 15 | David Sanders (Sr.) | G | 6-3 | 185 | 9.7/3.5 | Jackson, Miss. | |
| 32 | Emmanuel Wade (Sr.) | G | 6-3 | 185 | 8.9/3.3 | Marianna, Ark. |
| No. | Player (Yr.) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG/RPG | Hometown | Notes |
| 1 | Aaron Harper (Jr.) | F | 6-7 | 217 | 12.4/4.3 | Jackson, Miss. | |
| 12 | Justin Johnson (So.) | G | 6-0 | 200 | 3.3/0.7 | Fayetteville, N.C. | |
| 40 | Derrick Allen (Sr.) | F | 6-8 | 238 | 8.7/4.6 | Gadsden, Ala. |
SOUTH CAROLINA PROBABLES
(Based on previous game's starters)
| No. | Player (Yr.) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG/RPG | Hometown | Notes |
| 15 | Carlos Powell (So.) | F | 6-7 | 220 | 16.3/5.3 | Florence, S.C. | |
| 32 | Kerbrell Brown (Jr.) | F | 6-8 | 220 | 8.2/2.9 | New Orleans, La. | |
| 55 | Rolando Howell (Jr.) | F | 6-9 | 220 | 11.2/6.7 | Columbia, S.C. | |
| 30 | Michael Boynton (Jr.) | G | 6-2 | 180 | 3.2/1.1 | Brooklyn, N.Y. | |
| 31 | Chuck Eidson (Sr.) | G/F | 6-7 | 205 | 11.7/6.9 | Summerville, S.C. |
| No. | Player (Yr.) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG/RPG* | Hometown | Notes |
| 4 | Ivan Howell (Jr.) | F | 6-7 | 215 | 4.3/1.7 | Columbia, S.C. | |
| 23 | Marcus Morrison (Fr.) | F | 6-6 | 190 | 2.3/0.9 | St. Petersburg, Fla. | |
| 50 | Tony Kitchings (Sr.) | C | 6-10 | 260 | 4.5/5.5 | Aiken, S.C. |
OLE MISS/SOUTH CAROLINA TEAM COMPARISONS
| Ole Miss | Statistical Category | South Carolina |
| 68.5 | Scoring Offense | 67.9 |
| 55.4 | Scoring Defense | 64.4 |
| 34.6 | Rebound Avg. | 36.3 |
| 30.4 | Opponent Rebound Avg. | 34.5 |
| +4.2 | Rebound Margin | +1.8 |
| 47.6 | Field Goal Percentage | 41.8 |
| 38.6 | Opponent Field Goal Percentage | 42.9 |
| 37.7 | Three-Point Field Goal Percentage | 30.4 |
| 30.2 | Opp. Three-Point Field Goal Percentage | 30.2 |
| 69.7 | Free Throw Percentage | 68.2 |
| 149 | Turnovers | 151 |
| 172 | Opponent Turnovers | 178 |
| 161 | Assists | 138 |
| 31 | Blocks | 27 |
| 80 | Steals | 107 |
REBEL GAME NOTES
OLE MISS TO OPEN LEAGUE PLAY AT SOUTH CAROLINA WEDNESDAY: The Rebels open the Southeastern Conference portion of their 2002-03 schedule Wednesday, Jan. 8 in Columbia, S.C., against the Gamecocks.
Ole Miss (9-2) enters Wednesday's contest on a 4-game win streak with victories over Nicholls State 63-52, Evansville 87-69, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 71-38 and Samford 57-49. The Gamecocks (6-4) come into the league opener having ended a 2-game skid with a 66-50 victory over The Citadel Jan. 2. South Carolina's 4 setbacks have all come on the road at Georgetown, N.C. State, Wyoming and Colorado State.
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 95-48 record (.664 winning percentage). He is 9-2 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-SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES: Wednesday's game will be the 17th time the two schools have faced each other on the hardwood. The series is tied at 8-all, but the Rebels have won 4 of the last 5 meetings. Last season, the teams split their two encounters, with Ole Miss winning 71-53 in Oxford and South Carolina winning 69-67 in the first round of the 2002 SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
Prior to last year's win in the tournament, the Gamecocks' last victory in the series was a 67-66 win in Columbia in the 1998-99 campaign (Jan. 27, 1999). Ole Miss posted a 67-61 victory over South Carolina in its last trip to Columbia in the 2000-01 season.
The two schools met only once prior to South Carolina joining the Southeastern Conference in the 1991-92 season. The two teams played in the Gulf-South Tournament in the 1960-61 season, with the Gamecocks taking an 85-79 decision. Ole Miss head coach Rod Barnes is 4-2 versus South Carolina and 1-1 against the Gamecocks in Columbia.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks enter Wednesday's game with a 6-4 record. South Carolina won its last contest, a 66-50 victory over The Citadel Jan. 2. Prior to that win, the Gamecocks had lost 2 straight. All 4 Gamecock setbacks have been on the road at Georgetown, N.C. State, Wyoming and Colorado State.
South Carolina comes into the SEC play a little short-handed as a result of injuries. Senior Marius Petravicius (knee) and senior Chris Warren (foot) will be out for the game. Senior Tony Kitchings, who broke his hand Nov. 29, is scheduled to return for Wednesday's contest.
Sophomore Carlos Powell leads three Gamecocks in double figures with a 16.3 average. Chuck Eidson (11.7 ppg) and Rolando Howell (11.2 ppg) are averaging double digits. Powell is the squad's top three-point threat at 37 percent, while Eidson leads the team in free throw percentage (82.4), rebounding (6.9 rpg), assists (52) and steals (28). South Carolina is hitting 41.8 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from the three-point line and 68.2 percent from the charity stripe.
STILL A HOMECOURT SERIES: Despite the Rebels winning in Columbia on their last trip in 2000-01, the Ole Miss-South Carolina series is still a homecourt one. The Gamecocks hold a 4-1 lead over Ole Miss in Columbia. On the other hand, the Rebels have defeated the Gamecocks in all 6 meetings in Oxford.
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 1001-1082.
BATTLE BEYOND THE ARC: Wednesday's game may come down to which team can be more productive from the three-point line. Both defenses have been tremendous against the three-point shot, holding the opposition to only 30.2 percent from beyond the arc. South Carolina is ranked No. 2 in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage defense, while Ole Miss is third.
THE LAST TIME THAT... The last time that Ole Miss and South Carolina met in a Southeastern Conference opener was the 1997-98 campaign. The Rebels won that encounter, a 73-54 victory in Oxford. That game was a contest that had the defending SEC Eastern and Western Division champions playing each other. It was the first time that defending divisional champions met in following season's league opener since the SEC went to the 2-division format in 1991-92.
THE THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM?: The Rebels hope so. Ole Miss will be the first league opponent to play in South Carolina's new home, The Carolina Center. It will be the third time that the Rebels have been the first league foe in an opponent's arena (current facility) since the 1987-88 season.
Ole Miss christened - SEC style - Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena as the facility's first conference opponent on Jan. 6, 1988. The Volunteers defeated the Rebels 77-68 in overtime. Arkansas opened Bud Walton Arena in the 1993-94 season, and hosted Ole Miss as the first league opponent in the Razorbacks' new home. Arkansas posted an 87-61 victory in that contest.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR COACH: Ole Miss head coach Rod Barnes will be celebrating his 37th birthday Jan. 8. The Rebels have been rather successful when playing on or around Barnes' birthday. Ole Miss has a 5-2 record when playing on or within 2 days (Jan. 6-10) of his birthday. Here's wishing Coach Barnes a happy birthday.
OLE MISS IN SEC OPENERS: The Rebels have an overall record of 25-44 (.362 winning percentage) in Southeastern Conference openers in their previous 69 years of play in the league. In the last 10 years, Ole Miss has a 4-6 record in SEC openers, and has won 3 of its last 6 season openers. Last year, the Rebels dropped a narrow 82-76 decision at Tennessee in their SEC opener in Knoxville. In the last 10 years, Ole Miss' SEC-opening victories came in 1994-95 (Arkansas, 76-71), 1996-97 (Arkansas, 91-74), 1997-98 (South Carolina, 73-54) and 2000-01 (Vanderbilt, 81-68). Head coach Rod Barnes is 1-3 in SEC openers.
REBELS IN CONFERENCE ROAD OPENERS: Ole Miss has an all-time record of 8-61 in Southeastern Conference road openers. The past 10 seasons, the Rebels are 3-7 in SEC road openers. Ole Miss, however, has posted victories in 3 of its last 6 SEC road openers. In 1997-98, the Rebels defeated Alabama 74-63 in Tuscaloosa in their first conference road game, and in 1996-97, Ole Miss won its conference road opener with a 91-74 victory over Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Rebels dropped conference road openers in 1998-99 (Vanderbilt, 79-64) and 1999-2000 (Arkansas, 71-64), but bounced back with a win in their SEC road opener in 2000-01 (Vanderbilt, 81-68). Ole Miss lost its SEC road opener at Tennessee 82-76 last season. Head coach Rod Barnes is 1-3 in SEC road openers.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN...PART I: For the 5th-consecutive year, the Ole Miss Rebel basketball begins its Southeastern Conference schedule on the road.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN...PART II: Since the 1990-91 season (and including the 2002-03 campaign), the Rebels have opened the Southeastern Conference portion of their schedule on the road 10 times compared to only 3 league openers in Oxford.
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 11 games, Ole Miss is holding opponents to 38.6 percent shooting from the field (5th in SEC) and 30.2 percent from the three-point arc (3rd in SEC). The Rebels are also holding the opposition to 55.4 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. South Carolina finished 2001-02 with the league's top scoring defense, allowing opponents 61.6 points per contest.
"BIG-GAME" JUSTIN: Since his eye injury Dec. 19, junior Wooden Award candidate Justin Reed (Jackson, Miss.) has been wearing protective goggles similar to those that former Los Angeles Lakers' standout "Big-Game" James Worthy wore. And they must be working.
Since his return to the Rebel lineup Dec. 23, Reed has averaged 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals in the 3 games. The 6-foot-8 forward is also hitting 50 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the three-point arc.
Reed missed the Dec. 21 contest versus Nicholls State with the injury. Prior to missing the Nicholls State contest, Reed had played in 73-consecutive games. The following shows how Reed has performed since the injury:
| Opp. | FG | 3PT | FT | Pts | Reb |
| Evansville | 7-10 | 2-3 | 1-4 | 17 | 3 |
| Ark.-PB | 2-9 | 0-0 | *11-12 | 15 | 11 |
| Samford | 4-7 | 0-0 | 7-12 | 15 | 7 |
| Totals | 13-26 | 2-3 | 19-28 | 47 | 21 |
| Pct/Avg. | 50.0 | 66.7 | 67.9 | 15.7 | 7.0 |
REED CLOSING IN ON 1,000... Junior Wooden Award candidate Justin Reed enters Southeastern Conference play nearing a milestone. Reed comes into the Jan. 8 game at South Carolina with 979 career points, needing only 21 to reach the 1,000 plateau. When he reaches the milestone, he will be the the 27th player in Rebel history to do so.
AND MOVING UP REBOUNDING CHART: Justin Reed is also close to breaking into the top 15 on the Rebel career rebounding chart. He enters SEC action with 474 career boards and needs 11 to move into the No. 15 spot on the Ole Miss all-time list. Former standout Gerald Glass (1989-90) is in the No. 15 spot with 484 career rebounds.
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 |
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 9 games.
In those games, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 9.7 points and 3.2 rebounds. He shot 50.8 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from the arc and 72 percent from the free throw line in the 9 games.
In the last 5 games, Wade averaged 12.0 points and 3.6 boards, and scored in double figures in 4 games, including a season-high 17 points versus Evansville. He also grabbed a career-high 8 rebounds versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The following shows how Wade has done in the last 5 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 |
| Samford | 2-7 | 0-2 | 6-9 | 10 | 4 |
| Totals | 20-42 | 5-12 | 15-21 | 60 | 18 |
| Pct/Avg. | 47.6 | 41.7 | 71.4 | 12.0 | 3.6 |
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 95-48. The 95 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 5 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 | Years | Wins |
| B.L. Graham | 1950-62 | 145 |
| Rod Barnes | 1999-present | 95 |
| Cob Jarvis | 1969-76 | 87 |
| Rob Evans | 1993-98 | 86 |
| Bob Weltlich | 1977-82 | 83 |
| Ed Murphy | 1987-92 | 76 |
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 11 games, Harper is 23-of-48 from the arc (47.9 percent) and leads the team in three-pointers made. He is also ranked among the SEC leaders in three-point field goal percentage and three-pointers made per game. 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 |
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' last 3 games, Johnson averaged 6.7 points. He shot 66.7 percent from the field, 62.5 percent from the three-point line and 75 percent from the charity stripe.
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 5.3 points per game, but it's his total floor game that has been impressive. In his first 11 games (all starts), Pearson has only 14 turnovers while averaging over 28 minutes per contest. He is tied for the team lead with 40 assists, and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 3-to-1. Pearson is ranked 4th among the SEC leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio.
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 |
| Samford | 34 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
* 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.
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 also held Samford to below 50 points Dec. 31 in a 57-49 Rebel victory. In the Rod Barnes' era, Ole Miss has held the opposition to less than 50 points 19 times.
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 Samford Dec. 31, the 2002-03 senior class now has 75 victories, the third most by a senior class. 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 75 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 137 games (overall games) since 1996-97, the most by any team in the SEC Western Division. The 137 victories are also second among all league teams, only trailing Kentucky's 176 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 | 137 | 56 |
| Auburn | 126 | 47 |
| Arkansas | 123 | 51 |
| Alabama | 121 | 44 |
| Mississippi State | 115 | 40 |
| LSU | 100 | 29 |
Most Overall/SEC Wins By SEC Teams (Top 6)
(1996-97 to present)
| Team | Overall Wins | SEC Wins |
| Kentucky | 176 | 72 |
| Ole Miss | 137 | 56 |
| Florida | 135 | 55 |
| Auburn | 126 | 47 |
| Arkansas | 123 | 51 |
| Tennessee | 122 | 52 |
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 825 points.
...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 Wednesday's game versus South Carolina, Sanders has 736 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. 31 game against Samford, Reed has 979 points, Sanders 736 and Harper 825.
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. He now has 755 points. The last time Ole Miss had multiple players reach 1,000 points in the same season was 1997-98 when Ansu Sesay and Keith Carter did so.
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) |
REBEL RAMBLINGS... Senior Shaun Holtz made his 1st start at Ole Miss vs. Samford Dec. 31 ... Ole Miss finished its non-SEC slate with a 9-2 mark. The Rebels are 94-30 vs. non-league opponents the last 10 years ... Chris Rhodes had career highs for points (6), rebounds (4) and field goals (2) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Dec. 28. He tied a career high with 2 free throws.
