Men's Hoops Returns to the State Capital Saturday

			OLE MISS (7-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (3-7, 0-1 SOUTHLAND) Saturday, December 21 • 1 PM • Jackson, Miss. Mississippi Coliseum (6,500)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • SLU Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

GAME 11
Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Location: Jackson, Miss.
Arena: Mississippi Coliseum (6,500)
Television: SEC Network+
   Graham Doty, play-by-play
   John Stroud, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (Sirius/XM Internet - 977)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 18-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 12, 2018
   Ole Miss won 69-47
   Jackson, Miss. (Mississippi Coliseum)

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- The Rebels and Lions square off for the second consecutive season at Mississippi Coliseum.
- Ole Miss won last season's matchup 69-47, playing in Jackson, Mississippi for the first time in 11 seasons.
- Devontae Shuler scored a team-high 19 points to lead the Rebels to victory in last year's contest.
- The Rebels have played 12 neutral site games in Jackson, Mississippi dating back to 1959, holding an 8-4 record in the state capital.
- Ole Miss enters Saturday's matchup ranked No. 48 in the NET with all three losses coming against Quadrant 1 teams.
- The Rebels rank 10th in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense (25.9).
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in assists per game (16.0).
- The Rebels are 8-1 in the month of December under head coach Kermit Davis.
- Ole Miss is 58-3 all-time against current members of the Southland Conference.
- Breein Tyree is averaging 25.3 ppg over the past three games, including a career-high 34 points in last week's win over Middle Tennessee; Tyree became the sixth Rebel in school history to make eight three-pointers in a game.
- Ole Miss made 14 three-pointers in the 82-64 victory over Middle Tennessee, the third-most in a single game in school history, just one off the school record.
- With 11 points Saturday, freshman Austin Crowley set a career high and matched his scoring output over the previous five games.
- Sophomore KJ Buffen leads the team in steals (2.0 per game), ranking fourth in the SEC.
- Devontae Shuler has recorded a 4.2 assist/turnover ratio over the past three games, while averaging 7.0 apg.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,369 career points, which also ranks 19th on the Ole Miss all-time scoring list; Tyree also ranks eighth in Ole Miss history with 164 made three-pointers.
- Khadim Sy, the leading scorer as it pertains to newcomers (7.8 ppg), has averaged 10.7 ppg and 6.0 rpg over the past three games.

REBELS IN THE NET
The first versions of the NET were released this week, and the Rebels enter Satuday's contest ranked No. 48. Ole Miss is one of 15 teams in the NET's top 50 to have already played four Quadrant 1 games. All three of the Rebels' losses have been from Quadrant 1, and the other contest was the comeback victory over Penn State (18). Last season, Ole Miss earned an at-large berth at No. 36 in the NET.

SEC LEADERS
- The Rebels lead the SEC in assists per game (16.0).
- Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage defense (25.9) and assist/turnover ratio (1.1).
- The Rebels rank third in the conference in steals per game (8.5).
- Breein Tyree ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring (18.2 ppg) and KJ Buffen ranks fourth averaging 2.0 steals per game.

HOOPS IN THE STATE CAPITAL
Playing in Jackson for the second consecutive season, Ole Miss Basketball does have a history playing in the state capital. Last season, the Rebels made their first trip to the state capital in 11 years, and Saturday's game will be the fourth there over the last three decades. The Rebels are 8-4 in neutral site games in Jackson, dating back to 1959 against then-No. 1 Kentucky. Ole Miss defeated Southeastern Louisiana 69-47 in last season's contest (Dec. 12, 2018). In 2007, Andy Kennedy and the Rebels defeated Winthrop 76-71 (Dec. 13, 2007) en route to ending the season in the NIT Final Four. Dwayne Curtis produced an impressive double-double (22 points, 11 rebounds). Prior to that, Ed Murphy took the Rebels to Jackson in back-to-back seasons, winning the opener of the 1988-89 season against Christian Brothers (101-60) before dropping the lid lifter to Louisiana (formerly Southwest Louisiana) 94-83 the following year.

A LOOK AT THE LIONS
Southeastern Louisiana enters the Saturday's matchup with a 3-7 record following an overtime loss at Lamar to begin Southland Conference play (Dec. 18). The Lions started the season 2-2, but they have dropped five of their last six games. SLU has already faced an SEC opponent, falling to Vanderbilt 78-70 (Nov. 25). Sophomore forward Ty Brewer leads the Lions in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 per game), putting together four double-doubles through the first 10 games of the season. Junior Pape Diop adds 10.8 ppg, while senior guard Von Julien leads the conference with 4.9 assists per game. As a team, the Lions have forced 17.9 turnovers per game to rank 23rd nationally. Southeastern Louisiana is coached by David Kiefer, who is in his first season as the Lions' head coach. Kiefer has been at SLU for the past four seasons under Jay Ladner, the current coach at Southern Miss.

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss leads the all-time series with Southeastern Louisiana 18-0. Saturday's game will be the second neutral site battle in the series, following last year's matchup at Mississippi Coliseum (Jackson). The Rebels hold a 15-0 advantage in Oxford along with winning a pair of games in Hammond. Ole Miss has outscored SLU by an average of 74.2-55.9 for the series. Thirteen of the 18 matchups have been decided by double figures, but two of the last three meetings were single-digit victories by the Rebels.

LAST TIME WE MET
Playing in the state capital for the first time in 11 years, Ole Miss made sure it was a victorious return to Mississippi Coliseum with a 69-47 win over Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 12, 2018). The Rebels won their fourth straight game behind their best defensive performance in four seasons. Limiting the Lions to 47 points, Ole Miss allowed its fewest number of points since the 2014-15 campaign. On the offensive side of the floor, the Rebels shot over 50 percent for the fourth consecutive contest. Behind 7 of 10 shooting from Devontae Shuler, Ole Miss converted 28 of 53 (52.8 percent) from the field. Shuler scored a team-high 19 points in the wire-to-wire victory with 14 of them coming in the first half. Terence Davis added 15 points, while Blake Hinson contributed nine points. For SLU, Moses Greenwood scored a game-high 20 points by going 9 of 10 from the floor.

REBELS VS. THE SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
Ole Miss is 58-3 all-time against the current members of the Southland Conference. Along with going 18-0 against Southeastern Louisiana throughout history, the Rebels have also faced Abilene Christian (1-0), Central Arkansas (3-0), Houston Baptist (2-0), Lamar (2-1), McNeese (8-1), New Orleans (4-1), Nicholls (9-0), Northwestern State (3-0), Sam Houston State (6-0) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2-0).

LONG DISTANCE DEFENSE
Ole Miss is one of the nation's best in defending the long ball, holding its opposition to a 25.9 percent clip from three-point land. That mark ranks second in the SEC as well as 10th in the nation. The Rebels have limited opponents to shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc in eight of their 10 games. In their last game, the Red and Blue kept Middle Tennessee to 3 of 18 from long distance (16.7 percent).

SHARING THE ROCK
As the SEC leaders in assists, averaging 16.0 per game, Ole Miss shared the basketball in the win over Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14). The Rebels tallied a season high in assists with 23 on 28 made buckets. One week earlier against CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7), Ole Miss recorded 18 assists and only six turnovers. Leading the way for the Rebels has been junior point guard Devontae Shuler. The Irmo, South Carolina, native produced a career-high nine assists against the Blue Raiders, while dishing out six assists without committing a turnover versus the Roadrunners. Over the past three games, Shuler has averaged 7.0 assists per game to go along with a 4.2 assist/turnover ratio.

RAINING THREES
The Rebels made it rain inside The Pavilion during the matchup against Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14). Ole Miss went 14 of 22 from long distance, good enough to set a new Pavilion three-point field goal percentage record (63.6 percent). The 14 made threes tied for the third-most ever by the Rebels in a single game and just one off the school record.

Made Threes	Opponent	Date
15	at Syracuse	March 18, 2017 (NIT Second Round)
15	vs. Oregon	Dec. 8, 2013
14	vs. Middle Tennessee	Dec. 14, 2019
14	vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	Dec. 19, 2017
14	at Missouri	Feb. 3, 2016
14	vs. Missouri	Feb. 8, 2014
14	vs. Arkansas	March 5, 2011
14	vs. Jacksonville State	Dec. 29, 2009

TYREE'S BIRTHDAY GIFT TO COACH
As the lone senior on the team, Breein Tyree made sure that head coach Kermit Davis had a happy 60th birthday (Dec. 14). With the Ole Miss head coach going up against his former team, Middle Tennessee, the Rebel guard exploded for the best game of his career. He tallied a career-high 34 points, besting his previous high of 31 (twice), to eclipse the 30-point plateau for the third time. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored 25 of his points in the opening half to make sure the game was never in doubt. Tyree was on fire from beyond the arc, making 8 of his 11 attempts to set a Pavilion record for made threes. He also became the sixth Rebel to make at least eight threes in a single game, joining a list of Rebel greats: Marshall Henderson (10), Deandre Burnett (9), Stefan Moody (8), Chris Warren (8) and Keith Carter (8). Henderson's school record of 10 three-pointers occurred in an overtime thriller versus Oregon (Dec. 8, 2013).

ENDING THE CALENDAR YEAR STRONG
Ole Miss is 8-1 in the month of December under second-year coach Kermit Davis. Last season, the Rebels went 6-0 in the final month of the calendar year as part of a 10-game winning streak that extended into SEC play.

TYREE'S 20-POINT GAMES
Breein Tyree has been on a scoring tear over the past three games, averaging 25.3 ppg. Coming off the bench against No. 24 Butler (Dec. 3), he tallied a team-high 22 points to go along with a career-high eight rebounds. In the win over CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7), Tyree scored 20 points with the help of shooting 11 of 14 from the free throw line. He followed that up with his biggest game as a Rebel, tallying a career-high 34 points versus Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14) for his third career 30-point game. Tyree went 8 of 11 from beyond the arc in the victory. He now has six 20-point games on the season and 28 for his career.

SY STEPS UP
After transferring to Ole Miss following an All-American season at junior college Daytona State, Khadim Sy has become a focal point in the Rebels frontcourt. Making eight starts, the 6-foot-10 forward has averaged 7.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg. The Dakar, Senegal, native has scored in double figures in each of the past three games, averaging 10.3 ppg to go along with 6.0 rpg. He had one of his best games as a Rebel when tallying a career-high 12 points, four rebounds, a career-high three assists and zero turnovers versus No. 24 Butler (Dec. 3). He followed that up with 10 points and a team-high seven boards in both of the wins over CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7) and Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14).

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks 19th on the all-time scoring list with 1,369 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored 22 points against No. 24 Butler (Dec. 3) to pass Marshall Henderson (1,293), Stefan Moody (1,294) and Cob Jarvis (1,313) on the all-time scoring list. Next on Tyree's climb up the charts is Tim Jumper (1,375) and Jack Waters (1,384). If he matches his scoring output from a season ago, he'll end his career in the top 10. Through 109 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 164 three-pointers to sit eighth in the program's rankings. He drained a career-high eight three-pointers versus Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14) to leapfrog Todd Abernethy and Jason Harrison into eighth on the school's all-time chart. Tyree is 12 threes away from tying former teammate Terence Davis for seventh.

VETERANS LEAD THE WAY
While several newcomers have made immediate impacts to expand Ole Miss' depth, the Rebels are led by a veteran cast. Senior guard Breein Tyree (18.4 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (13.0 ppg), sophomore forward KJ Buffen (10.1 ppg) and junior Devontae Shuler (9.8 ppg) have accounted for 64.8 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks fourth in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (6.7 per game) and steals (2.0 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (4.1 per game) and ranks seventh in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.8). Since returning from injury, Hinson has put together four double-digit scoring performances while starting five games following the injury to Luis Rodriguez.

LOSING LUIS
Luis Rodriguez suffered a foot injury during the shootaround ahead of the Rebels' game against Penn State in the NIT Tip-Off at the Barclays Center (Nov. 27). Rodriguez had surgery on his left foot Sunday (Dec. 1) and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. After playing in 25 games as a freshman, Rodriguez saw an expanded role to begin his sophomore season. The Los Angeles, California, native started each of the first five games for the Rebels and averaged 5.8 points per game. His 5.2 rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per game ranked second on the team in both categories.

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 10 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 10.1 ppg along with a team-best 6.7 rpg. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in steals (2.0), which ranks fourth in the SEC. His 6.7 rebounding average is 10th 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.

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 430 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 496 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.

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). Davis recorded NBA career highs in points (19) and rebounds (8) to help Toronto take down the Orlando Magic at home (Nov. 19). He is only one of four Raptors to play in all 26 of the team's games and is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Following the holiday break, the Rebels return home to close out the 2019 calendar year. Ole Miss hosts Tennessee Tech in The Pavilion for its first Sunday game of the season (Dec. 29). Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. on SEC Network+.

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Austin Crowley

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

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