The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Set to Host Eastern Kentucky Monday Night
11/12/2017 | Men's Basketball
GAME 2
Matchup: Eastern Kentucky (1-0) vs. Ole Miss (1-0)
Tickets: OleMissTix.com
Date: Monday, November 13, 2017
Time: 5:30 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Television: SECN+
Richard Cross, play-by-play
Marc Dukes, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss IMG Sports Network
David Kellum, play-by-play
Keith Carter, analyst
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Live Video: WatchESPN.com
Live Stats:
Series: Ole Miss leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 16, 1955
Ole Miss won 95-92
Oxford, Miss.
PROMOTIONS
- Deandre Burnett poster to the first 2,000 fans.
TIPOFF
- Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky are meeting for the first time in 62 years.
- The matchup between the Rebels and Colonels is an "Undercard Game" for the MGM Grand Main Event, which will take place in Las Vegas Nov. 20-22. Ole Miss is playing in the "Heavyweight Bracket" with Utah, Rice and UNLV, while Eastern Kentucky is in the "Middleweight Bracket" with Prairie View A&M, Georgia State and Eastern Washington.
- The Rebels are coming off a 94-76 victory over Louisiana in their season opener Friday night (Nov. 10).
- The crowd of 8,302 Friday night was the largest for an Ole Miss home opener since the 1989-90 season.
- The Rebels are in the midst of a three-game homestand to start the season.
- Ole Miss scored 94 points in its exhibition as well as its season opener.
- The 94 points versus Louisiana was the most by the Rebels in a season opener since scoring 97 vs. Mississippi Valley State, exactly 10 years to the day (Nov. 10, 2007).
- Ole Miss is 1,282-1,282 all-time and is looking to hold a program record over .500 for the first time since Jan. 12, 1959.
- The Rebels are looking to improve to 2-0 for the 11th time in 12 seasons under Andy Kennedy.
- Ole Miss is in the 12th season of the Andy Kennedy era; Kennedy, the Dean of the SEC, is the winningest coach in school history with 235 victories.
- Only one game into this season, Kennedy already has the sixth-most wins in SEC history by a coach in his first 12 years in the league at one school.
- Scoring a team-high 21 points in the season opener, junior Terence Davis has 592 career points to rank 10th among active players in the SEC.
- With 12 points and team-high 13 rebounds versus Louisiana, senior Marcanvis Hymon became one of only six SEC players to record a double-double so far this season. He is also tied for the conference lead in rebounds.
- The Rebels made 33 field goals in the season opener, tying an Ole Miss record in The Pavilion.
- Tallying 14 points in his Ole Miss debut, Devontae Shuler scored the most points by a freshman in a season opener since Trevor Gaskins recorded 21 versus Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 10, 2007).
OLE MISS REACHES .500 MARK AS A PROGRAM
With a 1,282-1,282 all-time record, Ole Miss has a chance to hold a winning percentage over .500 for the first time since Jan. 12, 1959 when the Rebels were 441-440 overall. As a program, Ole Miss was 95 games under .500 when Andy Kennedy took over in Oxford.
SCOUTING COLONELS
Eastern Kentucky enters Monday night's matchup 1-0 after a season-opening 73-72 victory at Rice. The Colonels went 17-of-19 from the charity stripe, including three from freshman Dedric Boyd with five seconds left in the contest that gave EKU the win. Boyd finished with 20 points in his collegiate debut, and junior forward Nick Mayo added a team-high 25 points. Mayo, a Preseason All-OVC honoree who is on the watch list for the Karl Malone Award (nation's best power forward) and Lou Henson Award (nation's top mid-major player) as well, added 12 rebounds and knocked down 9-of-10 free throws throughout the contest. In the third season under head coach Dan McHale, Eastern Kentucky returns three starters from a team that went 12-19 during the 2016-17 campaign.
THE LONE MATCHUP VS. EASTERN KENTUCKY
Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky will meet for only the second time in history. The two teams first faced off against one another 62 years ago in the Blue-Gray Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama. In a high-scoring affair before the shot clock/three-point era, the Rebels emerged with a 95-92 victory (Dec. 26, 1955). Ole Miss spent all game at the free throw line, making 39-of-51 attempts. The 39 free throws made still rank as the fourth-most in a single game for Ole Miss, while the 51 attempts rank fifth all-time. Senior guard Jerry Bynum led the way with 25 points, including converting 13-of-14 from the charity stripe. Big man Wayland Inman recorded 21 points with the help of going 17-of-19 at the line. All-SEC forward Joe Gibbon, who would go on to become an All-American in 1957, added 20 points. Ole Miss was coached by B.L. "Country" Graham at the time, who ranks second in school history behind Andy Kennedy with 144 wins over 13 seasons.
REBELS RALLY PAST RAGIN' CAJUNS
Trailing by as many as 10 in the first half, Ole Miss cut the deficit to two at the break before outscoring Louisiana by 20 in the second half en route to a 94-76 victory to begin the season. Terence Davis scored 21 points and dished out four assists, both team highs, to lead the Rebels. Senior forward Marcanvis Hymon may have played his best game as a Rebel, recording 12 points and a team-high 13 rebounds for his third career double-double. First team Preseason All-SEC honoree Deandre Burnett added 17 points off the bench, while freshman Devontae Shuler hit four three-pointers to lead to 14 points in his Ole Miss debut. Breein Tyree was the fifth Rebel to reach double figures, tallying 10 points.
SUCCESS IN SEASON OPENERS
Ole Miss has gotten off to strong starts by winning 13 of the last 14 openers. Throughout the program's history, the Rebels post a record of 71-37 (.657) in season openers. With a win Monday versus Eastern Kentucky, Ole Miss would improve to 2-0 for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons, all under Andy Kennedy.
PACKED PAVILION
Rebel Nation came out in full force for the season opener. With 8,302 in attendance to watch the Rebels defeat Louisiana, it was the largest crowd for an Ole Miss home opener since the 1989-90 season. No. 8 Illinois invaded Tad Smith Coliseum and held on to defeat the upset-minded Rebels 83-72 in front of 8,439 (Nov. 28, 1989).
HYMON PICKS UP WHERE SAIZ LEFT OFF
Heading into the season, a big question mark for Ole Miss was who would fill the void left by Sebastian Saiz. With the help of a school-record 409 rebounds, Saiz recorded 23 double-doubles a season ago. Seeing the stat line of 12 points and 13 rebounds Friday night, one may have thought that Saiz returned for a fifth-year reunion tour. However, it was Marcanvis Hymon who produced the double-double in the season-opening win over Louisiana. In a team-high 32 minutes, Hymon notched his third career double-double and the first since his sophomore season (Feb. 13, 2016 vs. Arkansas). The Memphis, Tennessee, native has gotten his season off to a strong start and leads the SEC in rebounds.
BURNETT AND DAVIS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC
Ole Miss guards Deandre Burnett and Terence Davis were tabbed Preseason All-SEC by the conference's coaches. In the conference's 14th annual men's basketball coaches Preseasons All-SEC selections, Burnett earned a spot on the first team while Davis collected second team accolades. Ole Miss is one of six SEC teams to have multiple players on the lists. Both Rebels earned Preseason All-SEC distinction for the second time this season. At SEC Media Days in October, the media had Burnett and Davis as second team Preseason All-SEC honorees. Averaging a combined 31.4 points per game last season, Burnett and Davis return as the highest scoring duo in the SEC and the 13th-highest scoring tandem in the country.
TD SCORING
Terence Davis burst onto the scene as a sophomore last year, averaging 14.9 points per game after only providing 1.8 points per game as a freshman. It was the largest increase in scoring among any returning player in the conference. Shooting 48.2 percent from the field, the Southaven, Mississippi, native ranked fourth in the league in field goal percentage and recorded 20+ points in six different games. He quickly became a playmaker on both sides of the floor, leading the Rebels with 50 steals as well. Davis showcased his scoring ability in Friday's season opener, scoring a team-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT DRE
Not often does a first team preseason all-conference selection come off the bench, but senior Deandre Burnett is embracing the role. The guard averaged a team-high 16.5 points per game and finished fifth in the SEC in both free-throw percentage (88.1) and three-point percentage (37.6) during the 2016-17 campaign. Finishing eighth in the league in scoring, Burnett reached double figures in 26 of 33 games, including 10 20-plus performances and a career-high 41-point output (Nov. 18 vs. Oral Roberts). He also shared the rock, providing 104 assists throughout the season (3.2 apg). Being the first off the bench, Burnett provided a spark Friday night for the Rebels by scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
SHULER'S STATEMENT
A 4-star guard out of perennial powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, there was a lot of hype surrounding Devontae Shuler entering the season. The freshman did not disappoint in his debut, recording 14 points in 16 minutes off the bench. The Irmo, South Carolina, native knocked down four shots from beyond the arc, which ties for the SEC lead. Shuler's offensive output was the most points by a freshman in a season opener since Trevor Gaskins recorded 21 versus Mississippi Valley State, exactly 10 years ago (Nov. 10, 2007).
REBEL DEBUTS
Four Rebels made their Ole Miss debut in the season opener versus Louisiana: graduate transfer Markel Crawford, sophomore transfer Domink Olejniczak, freshman Devontae Shuler and junior college transfer Bruce Stevens. The newcomers provided a combined 34 points in the Rebels' 94-76 victory.
94 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
So far this season, the Rebels' seem to like the number 94 when it comes to points. In the team's only exhibition contest, Ole Miss defeated North Alabama 94-53. Five days later, the Rebels officially began the 2017-18 campaign with a 94-76 victory over Louisiana.
12TH YEAR OF THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION
Beginning the 12th season under Mississippi native Andy Kennedy, Ole Miss has a 235-140 record, one SEC Tournament championship, two SEC West championships, nine 20-win campaigns and eight postseason berths, which includes two NCAA Tournament appearances and pair of trips to the NIT Final Four. The all-time winningest coach in school history, Kennedy has averaged more than 21 wins per season in his 11 years in Oxford after the Rebels posted just three 21-win seasons in the 96 years before his arrival.
KENNEDY MOVING UP SEC COACHING WINS LIST
Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy is climbing the SEC coaching wins chart, ranking 18th with 235 career victories. See complete list below:
1. Adolph Rupp (Kentucky) - 875
2. Billy Donovan (Florida) - 467
3. Dale Brown (LSU) - 448
4. C.M. Newtown (UA/VU) - 340
Harry Rabenhorst (LSU) - 340
6. Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt) - 332
7. Tubby Smith (UGA/UK) - 308
8. Joe B. Hall (Kentucky) - 297
Hugh Durhman (Georgia) - 297
10. Rick Stansbury (MSU) - 293
11. Ray Mears (Tennessee) - 278
Roy Skinner (Vanderbilt) - 278
13. Wimp Sanderson (Alabama) - 265
John Mauer (UK/UT/UF) - 265
15. Hank Crisp (Alabama) - 264
16. Nolan Richardson (Arkansas) - 249
17. John Calipari (Kentucky) - 248
18. Andy Kennedy (Ole Miss) - 235
19. Norm Sloan (Florida) - 232
20. Rick Pitino (Kentucky) - 219
21. Joel Eaves (Auburn) - 214
KENNEDY'S FIRST 12 YEARS RANK AMONG ALL-TIME SEC GREATS
Andy Kennedy is also fourth on the list for most wins by a coach in their first 12 years in the league after taking over an SEC program. See the list below:
1. Bill Donovan (Florida) - 285
2. Joe B. Hall (Kentucky) - 279
3. Wimp Sanderson (Alabama) - 265
4. Rick Stansbury (Mississippi State) - 255
5. Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt) - 236
6. Andy Kennedy (Ole Miss) - 235
7. Hugh Durham (Georgia) - 219
8. Ray Mears (Tennessee) - 218
9. Dale Brown (LSU) - 212
10. C.M. Newton (Alabama) - 211
11. Roy Skinner (Vanderbilt) - 204
11. Adolph Rupp (Kentucky) - 204
DEFENDING HOME COURT
Winning at home has been a trademark of Andy Kennedy's squads since he took the reins in 2006-07. Ole Miss is 134-34 (.798 win pct.) in games played homes during Kennedy's tenure. In two seasons playing in the $96.5 million Pavilion at Ole Miss, the Rebels hold a 21-8 (.724) advantage against the opposition. Ole Miss has won 259 of its last 325 games (.797 win pct.) in Oxford dating back to the 1996-97 campaign.
