Ole Miss Basketball Team Welcomes Football Players, Curtis

OXFORD, Miss. The Ole Miss basketball team welcomed a pair of two-sport athletes and the return of a familiar face to practice on Monday. Rebel football players Greg Hardy and Shay Hodge began workouts with the basketball team, and All-SEC center Dwayne Curtis was back at practice.

Both Hardy and Hodge concluded their true freshman seasons with Ed Orgeron’s Rebels on Saturday. 

A 6-foot-5, 240-pounder from Memphis, Hardy played in all 12 games on the defensive line, tying for the team-lead in sacks (3.0) and ranking fifth in total tackles (49). His four fumble recoveries also tied for third in the SEC, and against MSU, he saw his first action at wide receiver and hauled in a 23-yard touchdown.

During his prep days at Briarcrest Christian, Hardy garnered honorable mention All-State honors on the hardwood as a junior. He was a forward and competed alongside current Rebel sophomore guard Patrick Spach.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Hodge played wide receiver in all 12 games for Ole Miss this year and was third on the club in receptions with 16 for 193 yards. At Morton (Miss.) High School, he earned four letters as a guard on the basketball team, receiving team MVP honors while averaging 25 points per game.

Both Hardy and Hodge could potentially be in uniform as early as Thursday’s New Orleans game, along with the Rebels’ leading scorer from last year.

Curtis returned to the practice floor Monday for the first time since fracturing his left foot in the third day of preseason. The junior from Chicago was medically cleared and participated in some non-contact drills in his first day back. His status is considered day-to-day.

Ole Miss and New Orleans tip off Thursday at 6 p.m. CT at Tad Smith Coliseum, and the game is being televised by CSS.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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