The University of Mississippi Athletics
Excitement Surrounds Rebel Hoops
10/30/2019 | Men's Basketball
Ole Miss Men's Basketball 2019-20 Season Preview
When Kermit Davis was introduced as the 22nd head coach in Ole Miss men's basketball history (March 19, 2018), he mentioned the type of brand he wanted fans to see when the Rebels stepped onto the court.
"I hope it's toughness, hope it's passion, hope it's great body language, and I hope it's winning. I hope it's high-tempo, high-action play," Davis said.
It was a vision of basketball that most didn't see coming in his first year at Ole Miss. The Rebels were picked to finish last in the SEC, but the head coach mentioned in his first team meeting that it wouldn't be fair to "rebuild" for seniors like Terence Davis. From the get-go, the team bought in to Kermit Davis' system. It paid off as Ole Miss posted a 20-13 record, finished sixth in the SEC and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four seasons.
After exceeding expectations in Davis' first season in Oxford, the buzz around Ole Miss Basketball is on another level. With four of the top six scorers back from a season ago, there's reason for that excitement.
"Compared to last year's team, I was very proud of that team, but we're deeper and more athletic (now). We look more like an SEC team, and we're excited about getting going," Davis said.
There is one extremely athletic player that the Rebels will be missing this season. Terence Davis went out with a bang, earning second team All-SEC honors as a senior by averaging 15.2 points per game and leading the team in rebounds (5.8 per game) and assists (3.5 per game). He finished his Ole Miss career with 1,512 points, ranking 12th in program history. After turning heads at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Davis earned a multi-year contract with the reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors. With Terence Davis in the NBA, a media member asked Kermit Davis where to look in terms of replacing that kind of production.
"It's hard," he said. "You have to look at, No. 1, the veteran backcourt we have that's back. You hope to have that same Breein Tyree that made the jump from 10 points to 18 (points per game). Devontae (Shuler) made a jump too. Both of those guys have to step up. It might not be production in points scored, but their leadership, which has been better. How they defend, how they share the ball, you've got to start there."
Starting with that veteran backcourt, Tyree returns as the team's lone senior. After averaging 17.9 points per game last season to collect first team All-SEC accolades, the Somerset, New Jersey, native is the SEC's leading returning scorer heading into the 2019-20 campaign. He has played in 99 games as a Rebel and already has 1,187 points in the Red and Blue. While Tyree may have flown under the radar entering his junior season, that won't be the case this year. He is one of 20 guards named to the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Award, an honor bestowed to the best shooting guard in the country. Tyree knows opposing teams will focus on stopping him from scoring, and he's preparing to showcase his versatility.
"I'm just going to play my hardest and do what the team needs me to do to win," Tyree said. "I'm not focusing on scoring too many points, going for 30 a game every night. Whether it's scoring 10 points or 30 points, I'm going to do what the team needs me to do to win and that's what I'm focusing on. I want to work on my play-making ability and getting my assists higher to at least five a game. With the additions we have to this team, they'll help me do that."
As Davis mentioned, alongside Tyree in the veteran backcourt is Devontae Shuler. Moving to point guard as a sophomore, Shuler shined in his new position. He averaged 10.3 points per game and ranked eighth in the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (1.7). On the other side of the floor, Shuler showcased quick and active hands. His 56 steals were the most ever by an Ole Miss sophomore, while ranking seventh in a single season in program history. Shuler's shooting improved drastically as well, leading the team in three-point field goal percentage (.402). With two years of experience under his belt, Davis sees continued improvement from his point guard.
"Devontae is playing more like a point guard, and he has settled into that role," Davis said. "He really can be one of the best on-ball defenders in the SEC."
Other returners feature a trio of sophomores. As a freshman last year, Blake Hinson made 31 starts and averaged 8.3 points per game. His athleticism allows him to play a variety of positions in Davis' system, and he will be relied upon to fill some of the production and leadership lost from the graduation of Terence Davis.
"Even as a young freshman, his voice was the best in our gym," head coach Kermit Davis said.
KJ Buffen will see an increased role as a sophomore. During his freshman season, the 6-foot-7 forward led the team in minutes off the bench (20.9 per game) and appeared in every game. Playing the four, Buffen has worked on stretching his game during the offseason. Knocking down shots from beyond the arc could create problems for the opposition.
"He shot the ball a lot better this summer. He's a more confident shooter," Davis said. "I've been on him for shooting more, but you don't want a 6-foot-7 guy just running around the three-point line. He's got to go back and rebound the ball. He's got skill driving the ball and passing it, but he'll make plenty of threes this year."
The other sophomore, Luis Rodriguez, saw limited action as a freshman (6.1 minutes per game). However, he flashed potential and seems ready to take the next step.
"If we started today, he would start," Davis said. "He's physical and when the ball goes up, he's a natural instinctive rebounder. He's playing more confident. He feels good in the system. He's not thinking so much, he's just playing. Sometimes when guys are trying to grasp a system defensively and offensively, it paralyzes them and they don't move freely. He's moving freely now, and he's going to do really good things this year. He's the best on-ball defender we have."
After redshirting last season, forward Carlos Curry and guard Franco Miller Jr. look to find a spot in the rotation.
Along with the returners, a plethora of talented newcomers join the squad. Davis' first full recruiting class ranked 22nd nationally by Rivals.com. Four-star prospects include guard Austin Crowley, guard Bryce Williams, forward Antavion Collum and forward Khadim Sy. Williams and Sy are junior college transfers from Daytona State, where Sy became one of the most sought-after JUCO prospects in the country. Sy spent his freshman season at Virginia Tech, so he already brings Division I experience. Sammy Hunter, one of the top prospects out of The Bahamas, is another newcomer who could make an immediate impact after a successful prep career in Canada.
The combination of veterans and young talent will provide an increase in the team's depth this season. Guys battling it out in practice will help make the Rebels better individually and as a whole.
"The competition, fans see it in games, but coaches see it and appreciate it in practice," Davis said. "That's where your team grows. It grows also when a guy knows he's got to give his very best effort because there's a guy right behind him to get into the game. When you have two or three at every single position, when everyone's got to be on edge every single day, the competition to get better grows."
Competition creates excitement, and last season's competitive Rebels saw fans rally behind them. Ole Miss led the SEC in increased average attendance during conference games. Five games at The Pavilion were sold out, a record for the arena, and the average attendance set a new high as well. With Rebel Nation itching for the return of Ole Miss Basketball this year, they'll have a chance to pack The Pavilion right at the start of the season. An exhibition against Mississippi College, a Hurricane Dorian relief game, is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Monday (Nov. 4) on Craddock Court. Four home games tip off the 2019-20 regular season, beginning with a Nov. 8 matchup versus Arkansas State.
The season is right around the corner. Are you ready?
"I hope it's toughness, hope it's passion, hope it's great body language, and I hope it's winning. I hope it's high-tempo, high-action play," Davis said.
It was a vision of basketball that most didn't see coming in his first year at Ole Miss. The Rebels were picked to finish last in the SEC, but the head coach mentioned in his first team meeting that it wouldn't be fair to "rebuild" for seniors like Terence Davis. From the get-go, the team bought in to Kermit Davis' system. It paid off as Ole Miss posted a 20-13 record, finished sixth in the SEC and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four seasons.
After exceeding expectations in Davis' first season in Oxford, the buzz around Ole Miss Basketball is on another level. With four of the top six scorers back from a season ago, there's reason for that excitement.
"Compared to last year's team, I was very proud of that team, but we're deeper and more athletic (now). We look more like an SEC team, and we're excited about getting going," Davis said.
There is one extremely athletic player that the Rebels will be missing this season. Terence Davis went out with a bang, earning second team All-SEC honors as a senior by averaging 15.2 points per game and leading the team in rebounds (5.8 per game) and assists (3.5 per game). He finished his Ole Miss career with 1,512 points, ranking 12th in program history. After turning heads at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Davis earned a multi-year contract with the reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors. With Terence Davis in the NBA, a media member asked Kermit Davis where to look in terms of replacing that kind of production.
"It's hard," he said. "You have to look at, No. 1, the veteran backcourt we have that's back. You hope to have that same Breein Tyree that made the jump from 10 points to 18 (points per game). Devontae (Shuler) made a jump too. Both of those guys have to step up. It might not be production in points scored, but their leadership, which has been better. How they defend, how they share the ball, you've got to start there."
Starting with that veteran backcourt, Tyree returns as the team's lone senior. After averaging 17.9 points per game last season to collect first team All-SEC accolades, the Somerset, New Jersey, native is the SEC's leading returning scorer heading into the 2019-20 campaign. He has played in 99 games as a Rebel and already has 1,187 points in the Red and Blue. While Tyree may have flown under the radar entering his junior season, that won't be the case this year. He is one of 20 guards named to the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Award, an honor bestowed to the best shooting guard in the country. Tyree knows opposing teams will focus on stopping him from scoring, and he's preparing to showcase his versatility.
"I'm just going to play my hardest and do what the team needs me to do to win," Tyree said. "I'm not focusing on scoring too many points, going for 30 a game every night. Whether it's scoring 10 points or 30 points, I'm going to do what the team needs me to do to win and that's what I'm focusing on. I want to work on my play-making ability and getting my assists higher to at least five a game. With the additions we have to this team, they'll help me do that."
As Davis mentioned, alongside Tyree in the veteran backcourt is Devontae Shuler. Moving to point guard as a sophomore, Shuler shined in his new position. He averaged 10.3 points per game and ranked eighth in the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (1.7). On the other side of the floor, Shuler showcased quick and active hands. His 56 steals were the most ever by an Ole Miss sophomore, while ranking seventh in a single season in program history. Shuler's shooting improved drastically as well, leading the team in three-point field goal percentage (.402). With two years of experience under his belt, Davis sees continued improvement from his point guard.
"Devontae is playing more like a point guard, and he has settled into that role," Davis said. "He really can be one of the best on-ball defenders in the SEC."
Other returners feature a trio of sophomores. As a freshman last year, Blake Hinson made 31 starts and averaged 8.3 points per game. His athleticism allows him to play a variety of positions in Davis' system, and he will be relied upon to fill some of the production and leadership lost from the graduation of Terence Davis.
"Even as a young freshman, his voice was the best in our gym," head coach Kermit Davis said.
KJ Buffen will see an increased role as a sophomore. During his freshman season, the 6-foot-7 forward led the team in minutes off the bench (20.9 per game) and appeared in every game. Playing the four, Buffen has worked on stretching his game during the offseason. Knocking down shots from beyond the arc could create problems for the opposition.
"He shot the ball a lot better this summer. He's a more confident shooter," Davis said. "I've been on him for shooting more, but you don't want a 6-foot-7 guy just running around the three-point line. He's got to go back and rebound the ball. He's got skill driving the ball and passing it, but he'll make plenty of threes this year."
The other sophomore, Luis Rodriguez, saw limited action as a freshman (6.1 minutes per game). However, he flashed potential and seems ready to take the next step.
"If we started today, he would start," Davis said. "He's physical and when the ball goes up, he's a natural instinctive rebounder. He's playing more confident. He feels good in the system. He's not thinking so much, he's just playing. Sometimes when guys are trying to grasp a system defensively and offensively, it paralyzes them and they don't move freely. He's moving freely now, and he's going to do really good things this year. He's the best on-ball defender we have."
After redshirting last season, forward Carlos Curry and guard Franco Miller Jr. look to find a spot in the rotation.
Along with the returners, a plethora of talented newcomers join the squad. Davis' first full recruiting class ranked 22nd nationally by Rivals.com. Four-star prospects include guard Austin Crowley, guard Bryce Williams, forward Antavion Collum and forward Khadim Sy. Williams and Sy are junior college transfers from Daytona State, where Sy became one of the most sought-after JUCO prospects in the country. Sy spent his freshman season at Virginia Tech, so he already brings Division I experience. Sammy Hunter, one of the top prospects out of The Bahamas, is another newcomer who could make an immediate impact after a successful prep career in Canada.
The combination of veterans and young talent will provide an increase in the team's depth this season. Guys battling it out in practice will help make the Rebels better individually and as a whole.
"The competition, fans see it in games, but coaches see it and appreciate it in practice," Davis said. "That's where your team grows. It grows also when a guy knows he's got to give his very best effort because there's a guy right behind him to get into the game. When you have two or three at every single position, when everyone's got to be on edge every single day, the competition to get better grows."
Competition creates excitement, and last season's competitive Rebels saw fans rally behind them. Ole Miss led the SEC in increased average attendance during conference games. Five games at The Pavilion were sold out, a record for the arena, and the average attendance set a new high as well. With Rebel Nation itching for the return of Ole Miss Basketball this year, they'll have a chance to pack The Pavilion right at the start of the season. An exhibition against Mississippi College, a Hurricane Dorian relief game, is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Monday (Nov. 4) on Craddock Court. Four home games tip off the 2019-20 regular season, beginning with a Nov. 8 matchup versus Arkansas State.
The season is right around the corner. Are you ready?
Players Mentioned
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