The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Host Spring Hill College in Exhibition Friday
11/10/2005 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - Fans can get their first glance of the 2005-06 Ole Miss basketball team Friday night, as the Rebels host Spring Hill College in an exhibition at 7 p.m. CT at Tad Smith Coliseum. General admission is $5, and UM students get in free with a valid student ID.
Ole Miss adds seven new faces in 2005-06 to a Rebel squad that returns six letterwinners. The lone starter among that group is senior forward Londrick Nolen, who finished first on the team in blocks (0.6) last season, tied for first in rebounding (4.4), second in scoring (9.8) and third in steals (0.9).
After earning SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors a year ago, junior guard Todd Abernethy is expected to return to the starting lineup this season. The Carmel, Ind., native boasts career averages of 6.9 points and 2.7 assists with a 2.2/1 assist/turnover ratio.
Sophomore center Dwayne Curtis will see his first action with the Rebels this year after transferring from Auburn, where he played in 19 games starting five for the Tigers in 2003-04. Also joining the Rebels is an incoming class that was ranked as high as third in the nation by recruiting publications.
An NAIA school in Mobile, Ala., Spring Hill College is coming off a 9-24 finish and a last-place finish in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference a year ago. The Badgers suffered an 85-64 setback to No. 15 Alabama Wednesday in Mobile.
Ole Miss is 13-0 in exhibition games under head coach Rod Barnes, with a 23.5 point margin of victory in those games. The Rebels knocked off Spirit Express 80-70 in last year's lone exhibition.
Ole Miss begins the new campaign at the Jim Thorpe Classic, Nov. 18-20 at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M. The Rebels take on Southern Utah in the season opener. The home opener is Nov. 26 against the Centenary.
