Men's Hoops Hosts Tennessee Tech to End Best Decade in Program History

			OLE MISS (8-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. TENNESSEE TECH (3-9, 0-0 OVC) Sunday, December 29 • 3 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Tennessee Tech Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

GAME 12
Date: Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Television: SEC Network+
   Will Kollmeyer, play-by-play
   John Stroud, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (Sirius/XM Internet - 980)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 6-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 22, 2006
   Ole Miss won 86-77
   Oxford, Miss.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss is 6-3 in the final games of each calendar year this decade.
- The Rebels hold a record of 203-135 (.601) this decade, the most wins in a decade in Ole Miss Basketball history; the decade featured three NCAA Tournament berths and four NIT appearances.
- Ole Miss has won five straight matchups against Tennessee Tech, dating back to 1979.
- The Rebels are 27-5 all-time against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
- During the current three-game winning streak, the Rebels have scored either 82 or 83 points in each victory.
- Ole Miss is coming off an 83-76 win over Southeastern Louisiana in Jackson (Dec. 21) behind a career-high 20 points from Khadim Sy.
- Blake Hinson celebrated his 20th birthday on Thursday (Dec. 26).
- Devontae Shuler has a 5.4 assist/turnover ratio over the past four games, dishing out 27 assists and only committing five turnovers; Shuler's 2.0 assist/turnover ratio ranks fourth in the SEC.
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in assists per game (16.3).
- The Rebels are 9-1 in the month of December under head coach Kermit Davis.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,383 career points, which also ranks 18th on the Ole Miss all-time scoring list; Tyree also ranks eighth in Ole Miss history with 166 made three-pointers.
- Khadim Sy, the leading scorer as it pertains to newcomers (8.9 ppg), has averaged 13.0 ppg and 6.3 rpg over the past four games.
- Veterans Breein Tyree (17.8 ppg), Blake Hinson (13.0 ppg), KJ Buffen (10.0 ppg) and Devontae Shuler (9.9 ppg) have accounted for 63.9 percent of the team's scoring this season.
- In the last game in The Pavilion, Dec. 21 versus Middle Tennessee, the Rebels made 14 three-pointers, the third-most in school history.
- Ole Miss is holding the opposition to only 58.0 ppg and a 25.0 three-point field goal shooting percentage in The Pavilion.

BEST DECADE IN OLE MISS BASKETBALL HISTORY
As the 2010s come to a close, we look back on the most successful decade in Ole Miss Basketball history. The Rebels are 203-135 (.601) during the span, the most wins ever by the program over a decade. It started off with the 2010 team capturing the SEC West Division title before advancing to the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden. That was the first of four NIT appearances throughout the decade, including twice advancing to the NIT Final Four. The Rebels earned three NCAA Tournament berths this decade, starting with 2013 SEC Tournament champions that tied a school record with 27 wins. The 2014-15 team had a historic comeback over BYU in a First Four game, while the 2018-19 Rebels exceeded expectations to make the Big Dance in the first year under Kermit Davis.

SEC LEADERS
- The Rebels lead the SEC in assists per game (16.3).
- Ole Miss ranks third assist/turnover ratio (1.2).
- Breein Tyree ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring (17.8 ppg) and Devontae Shuler ranks fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.0).

SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH
Tennessee Tech enters Sunday's matchup with a 3-9 record and riding a three-game losing streak. The Golden Eagles fell to Western Carolina 89-76 before the break (Dec. 21). As a team, Tennessee Tech does not commit many fouls. Their 14.3 fouls per game are the fewest in the OVC and ranked 20th nationally. Sophomore Jr. Clay lead the team in scoring as the only Golden Eagle averaging double figures (10.2 ppg). He also leads the team in steals (1.5 per game) and ranks second in assists (3.3 per game). John Pelphrey is in his first season as Tennessee Tech head coach after spending four seasons as associate head coach at Alabama. Pelphrey is no stranger to the SEC, playing at Kentucky before coaching in the conference for 21 years with stops at Florida and Arkansas as well.

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss leads the all-time series with Tennessee Tech 6-1, winning the previous five contests over the past 40 years. The two teams have met four times in Oxford with the Rebels emerging victorious each game. The first contest was in Johnson City, Tennessee, and Ole Miss took it 37-36 in overtime (Dec. 22, 1959). The Golden Eagles picked up their only victory in the series in 1962. The last time the two teams met was 13 years ago, a nine-point win for the Rebels at Tad Smith Coliseum.

LAST TIME WE MET
Bam Doyne scored 25 points as Ole Miss erased a 10-point second half deficit to defeat Tennessee Tech 86-77 (Nov. 22, 2006). Ole Miss wiped out a 56-46 deficit in the final 14 minutes. Jermey Parnell and Clarence Sanders had 14 points apiece, while Kenny Williams had 13 points for the Rebels. Belton Rivers led Tennessee Tech with 24 points. Anthony Fisher and Amadi McKenzie added 19 and 17 points for the Golden Eagles. The Rebels, who finished 24 of 32 from the free-throw line, shot just 41 percent from the field. However, Ole Miss limited Tennessee Tech to 11 of 40 (27.5 percent) shooting in the second half as it closed the gap.

REBELS VS. THE OVC
Ole Miss is 27-5 all-time against the current members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Along with going 6-1 against Tennessee Tech throughout history, the Rebels have also faced Austin Peay (4-0), Belmont (2-0), Eastern Illinois (1-1), Eastern Kentucky (2-0), Jacksonville State (4-0), Murray State (3-3), Southeast Missouri State (2-0) and UT Martin (3-0). The last time Ole Miss battled an OVC team, it emerged with an 85-75 victory over Eastern Kentucky in The Pavilion (Nov. 13, 2017).

SHARING THE ROCK
As the SEC leaders in assists, averaging 16.3 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. He also added six assists and zero turnovers in the win over Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 21), rising to fourth in the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (2.0). Over the past four games, Shuler has averaged 6.8 assists per game to go along with a 5.4 assist/turnover ratio.

ENDING THE CALENDAR YEAR STRONG
Ole Miss is 9-1 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.

DEFENDING HOME COURT
Winning at home has been a trademark at Ole Miss. Over the past 14 seasons, the Rebels are 160-48 (.769 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 47-22 (.681) advantage against the opposition. Ole Miss has won 285 of its last 365 games (.781 win pct.) in Oxford dating back to the 1996-97 campaign. Under second year head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels are 17-6 (.739 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).

LONG DISTANCE DEFENSE
Ole Miss is one of the nation's best in defending the long ball, holding its opposition to a 28.8 percent clip from three-point land. That mark ranks fourth in the SEC as well as 38th in the nation. The Rebels have limited opponents to shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc in eight of their 11 games. Ole Miss was 10th nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense until Southeastern Louisiana knocked down 10 of 15 (66.7 percent) from long range (Dec. 21).

TYREE'S 20-POINT GAMES
Breein Tyree has been on a scoring tear over the past four games, averaging 22.5 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 10 starts, the 6-foot-10 forward has averaged 8.9 ppg and 5.2 rpg. The Dakar, Senegal, native has scored in double figures in each of the past four games, averaging 13.0 ppg to go along with 6.3 rpg. He started the stretch with 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). Sy had his biggest game as his Ole Miss career Dec. 21, leading the Rebels to a win over Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 21) with a career-high 20 points and recording seven rebounds for the third consecutive game.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks 18th on the all-time scoring list with 1,383 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored 14 points against Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 21) to pass Tim Jumper (1,375) on the all-time scoring list. Next on Tyree's climb up the charts is Jack Waters (1,384), Eric Laird (1,421) and Ansu Sesay (1,428). If he matches his scoring output from a season ago, he'll end his career in the top 10. Through 110 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 166 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 10 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 (17.8 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (13.0 ppg), sophomore forward KJ Buffen (10.0 ppg) and junior Devontae Shuler (9.9 ppg) have accounted for 63.9 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks fourth in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (6.9 per game) and steals (1.8 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (4.3 per game) and ranks fourth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.0). Since returning from injury, Hinson has put together five double-digit scoring performances while starting six 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 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 at the time of injury.

BLAKE IS BACK
After missing the first four games of the season, sophomore Blake Hinson wasted no time making an immediate impact for the Rebels. The Deltona, Florida, native averages 13.0 ppg and is shooting 44.4 percent (16 of 36) from beyond the arc. Hinson has also started all six games following the injury to Luis Rodriguez, filling a void in the Ole Miss lineup. He scored a season-high 23 points in the win over CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7).

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 11 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 10.0 ppg along with a team-best 6.9 rpg. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in steals (1.8), which ranks sixth in the SEC. His 6.9 rebounding average is ninth 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 431 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 497 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 Raptor to play in all 31 of the team's games and is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Ole Miss will begin the 2020 calendar year by closing out the non-conference slate. The Rebels travel to Wichita State (Jan. 4), facing the Shockers for the first time since 2004. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m CT.

RebelsCalendar

Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

The University of Mississippi Athletics