Ole Miss Returns Home to Host No. 24 Butler Tuesday

			OLE MISS (5-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. #24 BUTLER (7-0, 0-0 Big East) Tuesday, December 3 • 6 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Butler Game Notes • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

GAME 8
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Television: SEC Network
   Richard Cross, play-by-play
   Barry Booker, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM - 374)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Butler leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Butler won 83-76
   Nov. 16, 2018
   Indianapolis, Ind.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Tuesday's game will be Johnny Neumann Night, honoring one of the most exciting Rebels in Ole Miss basketball history; as a sophomore, Neumann led the nation in scoring by averaging a school record 40.1 point per game.
- After three games away from home, the Rebels play three straight games inside The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
- With a 4-0 record at home this season, Ole Miss has outscored visitors by an average of 20.3 points per game.
- Ole Miss is 6-0 in the month of December under Kermit Davis, posting the perfect month last year.
- The Rebels are 3-3 hosting ranked non-conference opponents over the past 30 years.
- Butler is the second ranked non-SEC team to play a game in The Pavilion at Ole Miss; Baylor was the first time, ranked No. 5 when coming to Oxford for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge (Jan 28, 2017).
- Rallying from 21 points down with 16 minutes to go to beat Penn State 74-72 in the NIT Tip-Off was the largest Ole Miss second half comeback since overcoming a 23-point deficit at home against Auburn (Feb. 11, 2017).
- Breein Tyree and KJ Buffen were named to NIT Tip-Off All-Tournament Team after leading the Rebels to a spot in the championship game.
- The Rebels rank seventh in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense (24.7).
- Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC with 9.4 steals per game.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,293 career points, which also ranks 21st in Ole Miss history; the 1,293 points are tied with Marshall Henderson on the program's all-time scoring list.
- Sophomore KJ Buffen leads the team in steals (2.1 per game) and rebounding (7.4 per game) with those marks ranking third and eighth in the SEC, respectively.
- Ole Miss is one of only 27 teams to have one senior or less on the roster; the Rebels also have the fifth-most freshmen on a roster in the country, one of eight programs to have at least seven freshmen.
- Since returning, sophomore Blake Hinson has averaged 12.3 ppg over three games.
- Becoming the first Rebel to play in the NBA in more than a decade, Terence Davis has played in all 19 games for the reigning champion Toronto Raptors averaging 7.0 points per game.

JOHNNY NEUMANN NIGHT
Tuesday's game will be Johnny Neumann Night, honoring one of the most exciting Rebels in program history. A 6-foot-6 prodigy from Memphis often compared to LSU superstar Pete Maravich, Neumann electrified crowds in Oxford and across the Southeast in his one season with the Rebels and left his marks in the record books that might never be touched. Neumann led the nation in scoring as a sophomore at 40.1 points per game and was named to several 1971 All-America squads. He still has the three highest-scoring games by a Rebel in school history, including a pair of 60-point games. In a memorable battle against LSU, Neumann's 63 points propelled the Rebels to a 113-90 victory over the Tigers. The 1971 SEC Player of the Year, Neumann holds the Ole Miss single-season scoring record with 923 points. Off the court, he received Academic All-America and Academic All-SEC accolades. He left Ole Miss after the 1971 season to play for the ABA Memphis Tams. His professional career also included stints in Indiana, Los Angeles and Utah. He played and coached overseas, including serving as a head coach in China, Greece, Israel and Japan. In 2016, 45 years after he first stepped onto campus, a 65-year old Neumann walked across the stage at the Manning Center during Commencement activities to celebrate earning his bachelor's degree in general studies with minors in journalism, recreation administration and legal studies. The same year, he was honored as an SEC Basketball Legend at the conference tournament. Earlier this year (April 23, 2019), Neumann passed away at the age of 68 following a lengthy illness.

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage defense (24.7).
- The Rebels rank second in the conference in steals per game (9.4).
- KJ Buffen ranks third in the SEC averaging 2.1 steals per game apiece.

SCOUTING BUTLER
With a 7-0 start, the Bulldogs find themselves ranked for the first time this season. Both national polls have Butler as the No. 24 team in the country after winning the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City with victories over Missouri (62-52) and Stanford (68-67). Butler is a team that takes care of the basketball, ranking third nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.4) as well as ninth in the country with a 1.55 assist/turnover ratio. Holding opponents to 55.1 ppg, the Bulldogs have the nation's ninth-best scoring defense. Leading the way is senior guard Kamar Baldwin, averaging 15.6 ppg. Shooting 66.7 percent from the floor (13th in the nation), Bryce Nze scores 12.7 ppg to go along with a team-high 7.6 rpg. Aaron Thompson does the dishing by averaging 6.4 assists per game, and his 3.75 assist/turnover ratio ranks 10th nationally. LaVall Jordan is in his third season as the head coach of his alma mater.

LAST SEASON'S MEETING
Last year's matchup was the first time Ole Miss and Butler battled on the hardwood. The Rebels dropped a hard-fought contest at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse as the Bulldogs came away with a 83-76 victory (Nov. 16, 2018). It was a back-and-forth contest from the get go. Terence Davis had a season-high 30 points on 10 of 16 shooting, three points shy of his career high. The senior had 21 of his points in the first half and matched his career high with six threes made in a game. Breein Tyree added 17 points of his own. Butler's Paul Jorgensen stole the night for the hometown team, going off for a career-high 27 points. Kamar Baldwin added 23, including a perfect 12 of 12 from the charity stripe. As a team, Butler made 18 of 18 free throws in the second half to pull away.

BATTLING THE BIG EAST
Although this is the second meeting between the Rebels and Bulldogs, Ole Miss is no stranger to facing the Big East. The Rebels have played eight of the 10 current members of the Big East Conference, holding a 5-8 all-time record. Along with Butler (0-1), the Rebels have squared off against Creighton (1-1), DePaul (2-1), Georgetown (1-0), Marquette (0-1), Seton Hall (0-1), St. John's (0-1), Villanova (1-1) and Xavier (0-1).

HOSTING RANKED NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
No. 24 Butler will be only the second ranked non-SEC team to play in The Pavilion at Ole Miss (opened January 2016) joining the 2016-17 Baylor team that was ranked No. 5 when arriving in Oxford for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Over the past 30 seasons, the Rebels have only hosted six ranked non-conference opponents, posting a 3-3 mark against them.

Opponent	Date	Outcome
#5 Baylor	Jan. 28, 2017	L, 75-78
#5 Memphis	Dec. 17, 2005	L, 49-72
#22 Memphis	Dec. 7, 2001	W, 71-67
#14 Oklahoma	Dec. 2, 2000	W, 60-55
#18 Temple	Nov. 22, 1997	W, 87-74
#8 Illinois	Nov. 28, 1989	L, 72-83

LONG DISTANCE DEFENSE
Ole Miss is one of the nation's best in defending the long ball, holding its opposition to a 24.7 percent clip from three-point land. That mark ranks second in the SEC as well as seventh in the nation. The Rebels have limited opponents to shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc in six straight games.

PAVILION PROTECTED
The Rebels protected their home to begin the season, winning all four games inside The Pavilion at Ole Miss in comfortable fashion. Ole Miss outscored the visitors by an average of 20.3 ppg, while holding them to a 31.9 field goal percentage and 52.0 ppg.

DEFENDING HOME COURT
Winning at home has been a trademark at Ole Miss. Over the past 14 seasons, the Rebels are 158-47 (.770 win pct.) in home games. In four-plus seasons (opened January 2016) playing in the $96.5 million Pavilion at Ole Miss, the Rebels hold a 45-21 (.682) advantage against the opposition. Ole Miss has won 283 of its last 362 games (.782 win pct.) in Oxford dating back to the 1996-97 campaign. Under second year head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels are 15-5 (.750 win pct.) at home.

PACK THE PAVILION
After a new average attendance record (7,816) was broken during the 2018-19 campaign, a 13 percent increase from the previous season, another record was set this season with 5,100 season ticket holders and counting. Last season, the Rebels had the highest increased home attendance in the SEC for conference games (23.75 percent). For SEC games, the 8,791 average attendance was up significantly from the 7,104 average during the 2017-18 campaign. Five sellouts in 2018-19 also broke another Pavilion record. The Pavilion has nine sellouts in its history (opened in January 2016).

REBELS RALLY FROM 21 DOWN TO BEAT PENN STATE
Trailing by 21 in the second half, the Rebels rallied to knock off unbeaten Penn State 74-72 (Nov. 27) in the NIT Tip-Off semifinals. Junior guard Bryce Williams had ice in his veins, making two free throws with 13 seconds left, and the Rebels came up with one more big defensive stop to complete the come-from-behind victory. A steal in the backcourt by sophomore KJ Buffen led to a Williams offensive rebound and foul by Penn State. Prior to that, senior Breein Tyree scored five points to tie the contest on two occasions with less than 66 seconds to go. After going scoreless in the first half, Tyree exploded for 18 second half points to lead Ole Miss in scoring. Blake Hinson added 17 points, sparking the comeback alongside Williams. Buffen stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points to go along with career highs in rebounds (9), assists (6) and steals (4). Khadim Sy added eight points and a career-high eight rebounds. On the defensive side of the floor, Ole Miss kept up as one of the nation's best teams in defending the 3-pointer as Penn State finished 5 of 19 (26.3 percent) from long distance. Outscoring PSU 47-29 in the second half, the Rebels held the opposition to a 35.7 field goal percentage (10 of 28) and only committed one turnover of their own over the final 20 minutes.

AN EPIC COMEBACK
With 16:23 to go in the game, Ole Miss trailed Penn State 53-32. However, the Rebels continued to fight and climbed all the way back to tie the contest with one minute to go. The two free throws by Bryce Williams with 13 seconds left gave Ole Miss its first lead of the game, one they would not let slip away. The 21-point comeback was the largest second half rally since the Rebels overcame a 23-point deficit at home against Auburn (Feb. 11, 2017).

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.

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 has provided a spark since his return, averaging 12.3 over the three games. He tallied 15 points against the Tigers before helping rally the Rebels in the win over Penn State. The sophomore tallied 17 points over 30 minutes before fouling out. Hinson 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.

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 (15.1 ppg), sophomore forward KJ Buffen (12.4 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (12.3 ppg), and junior Devontae Shuler (9.4 ppg) have accounted for 60.9 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks 12th in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (7.4 per game) and steals (2.1 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (2.9 per game). Since returning from injury, Hinson has put together a pair of double-digit scoring performances while shooting 41.2 percent (7 of 17) from beyond the arc.

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 seven games, already surpassing his amount of starts as a freshman (2), Buffen is averaging 12.4 ppg along with a team-best 7.4 rpg. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in steals (2.1), which ranks third in the SEC. His 7.4 rebounding average is eighth in the conference. Buffen tallied a career-high 23 points in a win over Norfolk State (Nov. 12). He added career highs in rebounds (9), assists (6) and steals (4) in the incredible comeback win over Penn State (Nov. 27). 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 21st on the all-time scoring list with 1,293 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored 25 points in the NIT Tip-Off (Nov. 27-29) to pass Sebastian Saiz (1,273), Zach Graham (1,274,) Jason Smith (1,286) and tie Marshall Henderson (1,293) on the all-time scoring list. Next on the list is Stefan Moody (1,294) and Cob Jarvis (1,313). If he matches his scoring output from a season ago, he'll end his career in the top 10. Through 106 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 151 three-pointers to sit 11th in the program's rankings. He is just one three-pointer away from cracking the top 10.

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.

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 428 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 494 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 five Raptors to play in all 19 of the team's games.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Up next, Ole Miss remains at home by hosting a former Rebel head coach. CSU Bakersfield and Rod Barnes, Ole Miss head coach for eight seasons (1999-2006), make the trek across the country for the non-conference matchup (Dec. 7). Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

RebelsCalendar

Next Event

Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

Bryce Williams

The University of Mississippi Athletics