Men's Hoops Brooklyn Bound for NIT Tip-Off

			OLE MISS (4-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. PENN STATE (5-0, 0-0 B1G) Wednesday, November 27 • 4 PM • Brooklyn, N.Y. Barclays Center (19,000)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Penn State Game Notes • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

GAME 6 - NIT TIP-OFF
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019
Time: 4 p.m. CT
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Arena: Barclays Center (19,000)
Television: ESPN2
   Doug Sherman, play-by-play
   Fran Fraschilla, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM-386, Sirius/XM Internet - 976)
   Eli Savoie, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 3-0
Last Meeting: Ole Miss won 79-76
   Nov. 30, 2013
   Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclays Center Classic)

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss is making its first appearance in the NIT Tip-Off but second appearance in Brooklyn; the Rebels won the 2013 Barclays Center Classic.
- Wednesday's contest is a rematch of the 2013 Barclays Center Classic championship game in which the Rebels defeated the Nittany Lions 79-76.
- Ole Miss has made 12 postseason NIT appearances, including a pair of trips to the final four in New York (2008, 2010).
- The Rebels are playing their second of three straight games in an NBA arena.
- Ole Miss is coming off an 87-86 setback to No. 16 Memphis at FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies.
- The Rebels rank sixth in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense (23.0) and 22nd nationally in steals per game (10.8).
- Ole Miss is playing in a regular season tournament for the 16th consecutive season.
- Sophomore KJ Buffen is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor to lead the SEC and rank 14th in the nation.
- The veteran trio of Breein Tyree (16.2 ppg), KJ Buffen (14.0 ppg) and Devontae Shuler (12.6 ppg) has accounted for 57.1 percent of the Rebels' scoring this season.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,264 career points, which also ranks 25th in Ole Miss history.
- A native of Somerset, New Jersey, 50 miles from Brooklyn, senior Breein Tyree makes his return to the northeast.
- Ole Miss is one of only 27 teams to have one senior or less; the Rebels also have the fifth-most freshmen on a roster in the country, one of eight programs to have at least seven freshmen.
- Blake Hinson made his season debut against No. 16 Memphis, scoring 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench.
- Kermit Davis is in his 25th season as a collegiate head coach, the 22nd as a NCAA Division I head coach.
- Keith Carter, an All-American for the Rebels in the late 1990s, was named Ole Miss Athletics Director on Friday.
- Ole Miss has produced 14 All-SEC guards over the past 13 seasons.
- Breein Tyree is one of 20 guards named to the Jerry West Award Watch List (shooting guard of the year).

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage defense (23.0).
- The Rebels rank third in the conference in assists per game (16.0) and steals per game (10.2).
- KJ Buffen leads the SEC in field goal percentage (66.7).
- Devontae Shuler ranks second in the SEC averaging 2.4 steals per game.
- Buffen ranks fourth in defensive rebounds per game (6.2).

IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
- The Rebels rank sixth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (23.0).
- Ole Miss ranks 22nd nationally with 10.2 steals per game.
- Sophomore KJ Buffen ranks 14th in the country, shooting 66.7 percent from the floor.

SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State enters Wednesday's matchup with a perfect 5-0 record, receiving votes in both the AP Poll and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. Four of the Nittany Lions' five wins have come on their home floor, but they do boast an impressive 15-point victory at Georgetown. PSU is coming off a narrow 58-56 win versus Yale (Nov. 23), scoring less than 80 points for the first time this season. The Nittany Lions have balanced scoring led by Lamar Stevens (16.8 ppg). Myles Dread (12.6 ppg), Myreon Jones (11.8 ppg), Izaiah Brockington (10.4 ppg) and Mike Watkins (10.0 ppg) average double figures as well. On the defensive side of the floor, Watkins ranks 12th nationally with 3.2 blocks per game. Jamari Wheeler tallies 3.4 steals per game to lead the Big Ten and sit eighth best in the country. Patrick Chambers is in his ninth season as Penn State's head coach.

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss owns a 3-0 in the all-time series against Penn State. All three matchups have occurred over the past decade. Along with beating Penn State in the 2013 Barclays Center Classic championship game, the Rebels also swept a home-and-home series in consecutive seasons (2010-11, 2011-12). The first all-time meeting was an 84-71 win in Oxford, while the rematch in Happy Valley went 72-70 in favor of Ole Miss.

LAST TIME WE MET
Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers both scored 19 points, combining for 11 of Ole Miss' last 12 points, as the undefeated Rebels knocked off Penn State 79-76 in the championship game of the Barclays Center Classic (Nov. 30, 2013). Henderson gave the Rebels the lead for good at 69-68 on a drive with 5:36 to play. That was the start of the run by he and Summers. D.J. Newbill had 23 points to lead Penn State, which had a five-game winning streak snapped. Ross Travis had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Nittany Lions, but Tim Frazier, who had 29 points in the 89-82 semifinal win over St. John's, was held to nine points on 3 of 13 shooting. Both teams had strong efforts from 3-point range. Ole Miss, which came in shooting 37.6 percent from beyond the arc, was 11 of 24 (45.8 percent), making 8 of 12 in the first half when it took a 44-39 lead. The Nittany Lions were 9 of 22 (40.9 percent) from 3-point range, over the 38.6 percent they were shooting entering the game.

AGAINST THE REST OF THE FIELD
The Rebels are a combined 1-2 against the other two teams in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Ole Miss lost both matchups to Oklahoma State, once in 1948 and the other in 1953 when the Cowboys were known as Oklahoma A&M. In their lone meeting, the second round of the 2017 Postseason NIT, Ole Miss knocked off Syracuse 85-80 in the Carrier Dome.

BATTLING THE B1G
Ole Miss is 10-9 all-time against current members of the Big Ten Conference, having faced 11 current members of the 14-team league. Along with a 3-0 record against Penn State, the Rebels have squared off against Illinois (0-2), Indiana (1-0), Maryland (1-1), Michigan (1-0), Michigan State (0-1), Minnesota (0-2), Nebraska (2-1), Ohio State (0-2), Rutgers (1-0) and Wisconsin (1-0). The 2013 Barclays Center Classic championship game, a victory over Penn State, was the last time Ole Miss played a B1G team.

REBELS IN REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENTS
Ole Miss is playing in a regular season tournament (SEC Tournament not included) for the 16th consecutive season. The Rebels have traveled all over the Western Hemisphere for these tournaments, including destinations outside the continental U.S. such as Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ole Miss has won three tournament during that stretch (2007 San Juan Shootout, 2013 Barclays Center Classic, 2014 Emerald Coast Classic). Last year, the Rebels went down to Destin, Florida to compete in the Emerald Coast Classic. Ole Miss finished runner-up to Cincinnati after defeating Baylor in the semifinals.

BACK IN BROOKLYN
The Rebels are back in Brooklyn, competing in a tournament at the Barclays Center for the second time. The first occurrence was a successful one, as Ole Miss defeated Georgia Tech and Penn State to capture the 2013 Barclays Center Classic.

OLE MISS IN THE NIT
While the Rebels are making their first appearance in the NIT Tip-Off, they are no strangers to the postseason NIT. Ole Miss has made the postseason NIT 12 times, compiling a 15-12 record (.556) in the tournament. Two of those trips (2008, 2010) ended in runs to the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden. The last time the Rebels played in the NIT (2016-17), they upset Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on their way to the quarterfinals.

RETURNING TO THE NORTHEAST
- Senior guard Breein Tyree is a native of Somerset, New Jersey, located just 50 miles from Brooklyn. Tyree attended St. Joseph's High School alongside NBA players Karl-Anthony Towns and Wade Baldwin IV.
- Despite being a native of Los Angeles, California, sophomore Luis Rodriguez attended Woodstock Academy in Connecticut (162 miles from Brooklyn).

DROPPING A HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE TO NO. 16 MEMPHIS
In the first road game of the 2019-20 season, Ole Miss suffered a narrow 87-86 defeat to No. 16 Memphis in a rowdy atmosphere in FedExForum (Nov. 23). The Rebels nearly overcame a 16-point second half deficit, but the nationally-ranked Tigers escaped with a win on their home floor. Memphis controlled the paint 52-20, while Ole Miss knocked down 12 threes throughout the contest. Senior guard Breein Tyree scored 24 points with four assists and four rebounds, while Blake Hinson added 15 points in his first action of the season. KJ Buffen added 13 points and six rebounds before fouling out with 10 minutes left in the second half. After suffering foul trouble of his own in the first half, Khadim Sy bounced back with nine points in the final frame to set a new career high as a Rebel. The Tigers were led by their frontcourt, as Precious Achiuwa (25 points) and D.J. Jeffries (23) combined for 48 points. Sophomore guard Alex Lomax added 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Memphis shot 51.7 percent from the floor against the fourth-best field goal percentage defense in the nation, heading into the contest.

BLAKE IS BACK
In the Rebels' narrow 87-86 loss at No. 16 Memphis (Nov. 23), sophomore Blake Hinson made his 2019-20 season debut after missing the first four games due to a blood abnormality discovered during the offseason. The Deltona, Florida, native provided a spark off the bench, scoring 15 points over 21 minutes. Hinson knocked down five of his nine attempts from the field, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. He brings experience and added depth to the Rebels after starting 31 games as freshman (third most by an Ole Miss freshman over the past two decades). In his first year as a Rebel, Hinson averaged 8.3 ppg and 2.9 rpg. He reached double figures in 10 games and shot 40.6 percent from the floor. His 26 points in last season's win at No. 14 Mississippi State was the most by an Ole Miss freshman since 2011.

BEYOND THE ARC
Ole Miss is one of the nation's best in defending the long ball, holding its opposition to a 23.0 percent clip from three-point land. That mark ranks second in the SEC as well as sixth in the nation. Opponents are 23 of 100 from beyond the arc, while the Rebels have gone 34 of 100. Twelve of those 34 made 3-pointers came against No. 16 Memphis, as Ole Miss went 12 of 27 (44.4 percent) from long distance.

THREE-HEADED MONSTER
While several newcomers have made immediate impacts to expand Ole Miss' depth, the Rebels are led by a veteran trio. Senior guard Breein Tyree (16.2 ppg) Sophomore forward KJ Buffen (14.0 ppg) and junior guard Devontae Shuler (12.6 ppg) have accounted for 57.1 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks 13th in the league in scoring, while Buffen is the team's leading rebounder. All three Rebels rank top 10 in the conference in steals. Shuler leads the way, averaging 2.4 per game (2nd) with Buffen and Tyree in seventh at 1.8 apiece per game.

FORMER REBEL BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICAN KEITH CARTER NAMED OLE MISS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
Rebel Basketball now has one of its own leading the Ole Miss Athletic Department. Keith Carter was named as the new Ole Miss Athletics Director (Nov. 22), 20 years after leading Ole Miss Basketball to the top of the Southeastern Conference. A four-year starter at Ole Miss, Carter helped the Rebels to a pair of SEC Western Division titles in 1997 and 1998 and earned All-America honors after his senior season in 1999. The four-year starter received All-SEC first and second team honors in 1998 and 1999. His 1,682 career points ranks seventh all-time, and his 249 three-pointers set a school record at the time and still ranks fourth in the Rebel record book. He also won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. national team at the 1998 Goodwill Games and played professional basketball in Italy from 2001 until 2008. Following his playing career, Carter returned to his alma mater to work for the University Foundation before moving to the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.

BUFFEN BREAKS OUT
KJ Buffen was a primary bench player during his freshman campaign, but the 6-foot-7 forward is to off to superb start to his sophomore season. Starting all five games, already surpassing his amount of starts as a freshman (2), Buffen is averaging 14.0 ppg along with a team-best 7.6 rpg. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is shooting lights out from the field as his 66.7 field goal percentage leads the SEC and ranks 14th in the nation. His 7.6 rebounding average is eighth in the conference. Buffen tallied a career-high 23 points in a win over Norfolk State (Nov. 12). After averaging only 6.0 ppg and 4.4 rpg in his first season as a Rebel, Buffen has emerged as one of the team's best players to begin the 2019-20 season.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks 25th on the all-time scoring list with 1,268 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored 24 points against No. 16 Memphis (Nov. 23) to pass B.L. "Country" Graham (1,259) on the all-time scoring list. Next on the list is the trio of Sebastian Saiz (1,273), Zach Graham (1,274) and Jason Smith (1,286). If he matches his scoring output from a season ago, he'll end his career in the top 10. Through 104 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 149 three-pointers to sit 11th in the program's rankings.

YEAR TWO OF THE DAVIS ERA
Kermit Davis is in his second season at the helm of Ole Miss Basketball. A nine-time conference coach of the year, Davis is 38th among active Division I head coaches with 427 career wins over 22 seasons, including stints at MT, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 25 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 493 wins. Davis wasted no time making an impact in Oxford. With the Rebels coming off a last-place finish in 2017-18, the media picked Ole Miss to land at the bottom of the SEC standings again in 2018-19. However, the Rebels posted a 20-13 record to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. With a return to March Madness for the sixth time in his career, Davis joined a list of 63 coaches in college basketball history to take three different schools to the NCAA Tournament. Davis was named SEC Coach of the Year by his peers and the Associated Press, earning conference coach of the year accolades for the ninth time in his career. He became the sixth Ole Miss coach to earn SEC Coach of the Year honors, while joining Andy Kennedy as the only Rebel coaches to collect the award in their first year in Oxford.

TYREE LEADS THE WAY
After earning First Team All-SEC accolades and leading Ole Miss back to the NCAA Tournament a season ago, Breein Tyree earned several preseason accolades as a senior. Along with being named Preseason First Team All-SEC, the Rebel is one of 20 guards nationwide to be selected to the Jerry West Award Watch List (shooting guard of the year). Sporting News also tabbed him a Preseason Third Team All-American. The SEC's leading returning scorer heading into the season, Tyree averaged 17.9 ppg as a junior to rank third in the conference. He bumped his scoring average to 19.1 ppg in conference play, increasing his output from non-conference to SEC action for the third consecutive year. Last season, Tyree was the only player in the SEC to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring (3rd-17.9 ppg), free throw percentage (3rd-83.1), three-pointers made (7th-2.1 per game) and field goal percentage (10th-45.9).

SHULER TABBED PRESEASON SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC
While Breein Tyree was tabbed Preseason First Team All-SEC, the conference coaches named Devontae Shuler Preseason Second Team All-SEC. Ole Miss was one of five schools to have multiple selections, joining Florida, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee. Shuler had a breakout sophomore season under first year head coach Kermit Davis. Making the transition to point guard, he averaged 10.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 3.0 apg (second on team). The Irmo, South Carolina, native ranked sixth in the SEC with 1.7 steals per game and eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.7). His 56 steals were the most ever by an Ole Miss sophomore, the seventh-most by any Rebel in a single season. Shuler had one of the nation's biggest increases in three-point field goal percentage, going from a 25.9 percent clip as a freshman to a team-best 40.2 percent a season ago. He also knocked down 82.3 percent (51 of 62) of his free throw attempts.

YOUNG SQUAD
With Breein Tyree as the lone senior, Ole Miss is one of 27 teams in the country to have either one or zero seniors on the roster. In contrast, the Rebels have the fifth-most freshmen on a Division I roster. Ole Miss is one of only eight teams nationwide to have at least seven freshmen.

School	Number of Freshmen
Navy	11
Utah	11
Air Force	10
TCU	10
Ole Miss	7
James Madison	7
LMU	7
Nebraska	7

TD TO THE NBA
The Rebels are without Second Team All-SEC guard Terence Davis, who finished his career ranked 12th on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,512 points. After going undrafted, Davis turned heads in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and quickly earned a multi-year deal with the reigning champion Toronto Raptors. Davis has become a regular in the Raptors' rotation to start the NBA season. The Southaven, Mississippi, native matched LeBron James with 13 points in the Raptors' win over the Lakers (Nov. 10). Last week (Nov. 19), Davis recorded NBA career highs in points (19) and rebounds (8) to help Toronto take down the Orlando Magic at home.

MATTHEW MURRELL BECOMES A REBEL
Ole Miss Basketball made a major splash on the first day of the early signing period (Nov. 13), inking the highest ranked recruit in program history. Matthew Murrell, a consensus top-50 prospect in the national recruiting rankings, signed his National Letter of Intent Nov. 13 to join the Rebels for the 2020-21 season. Murrell, a four-star prospect, finds himself rated top 50 nationally by the major recruiting rankings. The combo guard is ranked as high as No. 45 by 247Sports. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Murrell played his first three seasons of high school basketball at Whitehaven High School. As a senior, he moved down to Bradenton, Florida to join defending national champions IMG Academy. ESPN ranks Murrell as the No. 2 player in the state.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
After enjoying Thanksgiving in the Big Apple, Ole Miss will face either Syracuse or Oklahoma State on Friday (Nov. 29). The opponent and tipoff time will be dependent on Wednesday's semifinal matchups. Returning home to begin the month of December, the Rebels' difficult schedule continues by hosting Butler inside The Pavilion at Ole Miss (Dec. 3).

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

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