Men's Hoops Set to Face Missouri at The Pavilion Saturday

			OLE MISS (17-7, 7-4 SEC) vs. MISSOURI (12-11, 3-8 SEC) Saturday, Feb. 16 • 2:30 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
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GAME 25
Matchup: Missouri (12-11, 3-8 SEC) at NR/RV Ole Miss (17-7, 7-4 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Television: SEC Network
   Taylor Zarzour, play-by-play
   Dane Bradshaw, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (Sirius-105; XM-191)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   John Stroud, analyst
Live Video: WatchESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 10-2
Last Meeting: Ole Miss won 90-87
   Feb. 20, 2018
   Columbia, Mo.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- The Rebels are receiving votes in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll for the third consecutive week.
- Ole Miss and Missouri begin a home-and-home series for the fourth straight season.
- Ole Miss has won nine of the last 10 games against Missouri.
- The Rebels are riding a three-game winning streak following a 60-55 road win at Auburn Wednesday.
- Ole Miss is allowing only 63.3 ppg during the current three-game winning streak.
- Ole Miss swept the season series over Auburn, beating the Tigers for the 12th time in the last 14 meetings; in both wins, the Rebels held Auburn to its two lowest point totals and field goal percentages of the season.
- The 55 points were the fewest given up in a SEC victory since Ole Miss beat Missouri 67-47 (Jan. 31, 2015).
- Devontae Shuler scored 17 points against Auburn, a personal best in an SEC game, with the help of a career-high four made three-pointers.
- Ole Miss enters Saturday's game ranked No. 32 in the NET with four Quadrant 1 victories.
- The Rebels lead the SEC and rank ninth nationally in free throw percentage (76.8); Ole Miss has shot over 85.0 percent from the free throw line in eight games this season, including 93.0 percent-or-better in three games.
- Breein Tyree leads the SEC in scoring during conference play, averaging 19.6 ppg in SEC games.
- Breein Tyree is averaging 23.3 ppg over the last six games, reaching the 20-point plateau in each game.
- With 35.9 ppg in conference play, Breein Tyree and Terence Davis make up the highest scoring duo in the SEC.
- Terence Davis and Breein Tyree account for 44.6 percent of the Rebels' scoring on the season.
- Terence Davis and Breein Tyree are the first two teammates to score 1,000 career points for Ole Miss since Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers took the court as 1,000-point scorers (2013-14).
- Breein Tyree is the only player in the SEC to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring (2nd-18.6 ppg), free throw percentage (3rd-85.1), field goal percentage (6th-48.4) and three-pointers made (6th-2.3 per game).
- Kermit Davis has the second-best all-time record of Ole Miss first year coaches through his first 24 games as head coach (17-7); only Homer Hazel (1926-27) posted a better record (21-3).

MAKING THE MARCH TOWARDS MARCH MADNESS
In the first year under head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels are making their presence known in conversations regarding the NCAA Tournament. In the new NET, a metric the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee looks at to determine at-large berths, Ole Miss is ranked 32nd with four Quadrant 1 victories and three Quadrant 2 wins. The Rebels have played 11 Quadrant 1 games thus far. According to ESPN Bracketlogoist Joe Lunardi, Ole Miss is a No. 8 seed (Feb. 14). CBS Sports Bracketologist Jerry Palm has the Rebels as a No. 8 seed in his current NCAA Tournament projections (Feb. 15). Andy Katz of NCAA.com has Ole Miss projected to be a No. 11 seed come March (Feb. 9). The Rebels will look to remain on the right side of the bubble as March nears.

OLE MISS TO HONOR 2019 SEC LEGEND JUSTIN REED SATURDAY
The late Justin Reed, the first Rebel to earn All-SEC honors all four years and the first two-time Wooden Award candidate from a college in Mississippi, will be honored during Saturday's game. Family members and former teammates will join Rebel Nation to remember Reed, Ole Miss' 2019 SEC Legend. Reed will also be recognized at the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, March 13-17, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Featuring former greats from all 14 Southeastern Conference member institutions, the Allstate® SEC Basketball Legends will be honored at halftime of his institution's first game at the tournament. A four-year starter during his time at Ole Miss (2001-04), Reed etched his name in the school record books. Along with becoming the first Rebel to be named All-SEC all four seasons, he ranks sixth all-time in scoring (1,785 points) and ninth in rebounds (766). After four decorated seasons as a Rebel, Reed took his talents to the professional level. The forward from Jackson, Mississippi was the 40th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, selected by the Boston Celtics with the 11th pick of the second round. He was the first SEC player drafted that season.

REBELS RECEIVING VOTES
Ole Miss is receiving votes in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll for the third consecutive week. The Rebels were ranked 20th in both polls Jan. 21, appearing in the top 20 for consecutive weeks for the first time since exactly 11 years ago during the 2007-08 season (Jan. 14, Jan. 21). With 10 straight wins, including back-to-back wins over top 15 teams, the Rebels found themselves back in the national rankings for the first time in six years (Jan. 14). Prior to that, Ole Miss last cracked the top 25 in 2013 (AP-Jan. 28; Coaches-Feb. 4).

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in free throw shooting (76.8 percent).
- Breein Tyree ranks second in scoring (18.6 ppg), third in playing time (33.5 minutes per game) and free throw percentage (85.1 percent) as well as sixth in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and three-pointers made (2.3 per game).
- Tyree is the only player in the SEC to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring, free throw percentage, field goal percentage and threes made.
- Tyree also leads the SEC in scoring in conference play, averaging 19.6 ppg.
- Tyree is one of three SEC players (Grant Williams-Tennessee, Quinndary Weatherspoon-MSU) to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
- In SEC games only, Tyree leads the conference in playing time (35.5 minutes per game).
- Terence Davis ranks fifth in steals (1.7), seventh in scoring (15.9 ppg) and field goal shooting (47.4 percent) as well as 10th in defensive rebounds (4.8 rpg) and assists (3.5 per game).
- Averaging 35.9 ppg in conference games, Tyree (19.6 ppg) and Davis (16.3 ppg) combine for the highest scoring duo in SEC play.
- Devontae Shuler ranks fourth in steals (1.8 per game), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.8) and eighth in playing time (31.9 minutes per game).

SCOUTING MISSOURI
Missouri enters Saturday's matchup with a 12-11 record, including a 3-8 mark in SEC after a home win versus Arkansas Tuesday. Three Tigers average double figures with Jordan Geist leading the way at 13.8 ppg. Geist also paces Missouri in assists (3.2 per game) and steals (1.0 per game). Mark Smith (12.6 ppg) and Jeremiah Tilmon (11.2 ppg) are close behind, while Tilmon pulls down a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per game. Cuonzo Martin is in his second season as Missouri's head coach after spending three years at California. Prior to heading out west, Martin coached in the SEC by guiding Tennessee for three seasons (2012-14). He began his head coaching career at Missouri State (2009-11).

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss and Missouri have met just 12 times with all 12 meetings coming since the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012-13. The Rebels lead the all-time series 10-2 and have won nine of the last 10 after splitting the home-and home series last season. Ole Miss and Mizzou have squared off five times in Oxford, with the Rebels holding a 4-1 advantage. Missouri's lone victory over Ole Miss in Oxford occurred last year (Feb. 6, 2018). The two teams will play a home-and-home series for the fourth consecutive season.

LAST TIME WE MET
Ole Miss pulled off a victory in Columbia the last time these two teams met on the hardwood, almost exactly one year ago (Feb. 20, 2018). Breein Tyree scored 25 points, including a game-tying basket in regulation, and Ole Miss defeated Missouri 90-87. The Rebels took the lead with 4:14 left in overtime and managed to hold on the rest of the way despite a series of fouls and turnovers. With 15 seconds left and Ole Miss up one, the Rebels turned it over, but Terence Davis picked up a mammoth block on the other end with seven seconds left. Ole Miss closed it out with free throws. The Rebels led for over 36 minutes, but had to shield a Missouri comeback attempt throughout the second half. The Tigers built a six-point lead with 2:38 remaining, but they allowed Ole Miss to climb back. Tyree drilled a floater with three seconds left to send the game into overtime. Jontay Porter led Missouri with 17 points and contributed nine rebounds. Six different Tigers scored in double-digits, but Missouri turned the ball over 21 times, limiting its offensive flow for much of the game. Jeremiah Tilmon picked up a double-double, scoring 12 points and adding 12 rebounds.

OLE MISS SWEEPS AUBURN BEHIND LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
The Rebels completed the regular season sweep of Auburn behind a dominant defensive effort at Auburn Arena (Feb. 13). Ole Miss held the Tigers to a season-low field goal percentage (32.7 percent) and point total in a 60-55 victory. The Rebels were led by stellar guard play led by Breein Tyree and Devontae Shuler. Tyree scored 20 points for the sixth straight game behind four three-pointers. Devontae Shuler added 17 of his own with a career-high tying four three-pointers, three coming when the shot clock was expiring. Terence Davis fought through foul trouble to add eight points on 3 of 3 shooting, all in the second half. Ole Miss got production off the bench with Blake Hinson out. Zach Naylor scored a career-high tying five points, playing crucial minutes in the second half. The Rebels shot 39 percent from the three-point line, making a season-high 13 three-pointers, the eighth-most in school history; the 33 attempts were the fifth-most in school history. Both were two away from tying school records

TAMING THE TIGERS
In Wednesday's win over Auburn, the Rebels swept the season series and won for the 12th time over the last 14 matchups between the conference foes. Auburn only led for 21 seconds during the two games. Ole Miss produced a wire-to-wire victory at The Pavilion (Jan. 9), and the Tigers held an early 4-3 lead for 21 seconds on Wednesday. The Rebels held Auburn to their lowest point total (55) and field goal percentage (32.7) this season, besting their previous low (67 points, 32.8 field goal percentage) from the first matchup. Auburn entered Wednesday's game leading the SEC in three-point percentage (37.7 percent) and ranking fourth nationally with 11.3 three made per game. Ole Miss stretched its defense and limited the Tigers to going 5 of 20 (25.0 percent) from long distance.

TYREE ON A TEAR
Junior guard Breein Tyree is one the veteran leaders on the floor for Ole Miss. His consistency has allowed him to become the team's leading scorer, averaging 18.6 ppg to rank second in the SEC. Tyree is the SEC leader in scoring during conference play (19.6 ppg). He also ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage (85.1 percent) as well as sixth in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and three-pointers made (2.5 per game), the only conference player to crack the SEC top 10 in scoring and those three shooting categories. The Somerset, New Jersey, native has scored at least 20 points in a team-high 14 games. Over the past six games, Tyree has broken the 20-point plateau each time and is averaging 23.3 ppg. He was the first Rebel to score 20 points in five consecutive games since Stefan Moody had 14 straight 20-point games from Nov. 25, 2015 to Jan. 28, 2016. Opening conference play, he exploded for a career-high 31 points against Vanderbilt (Jan. 5) to earn SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. He matched his career high in the win at Georgia (Feb. 9), while eclipsing 1,000 points for his career.

TYREE REACHES 1,000
Although he didn't need all of his career-high 31 points Saturday to reach the milestone, junior guard Breein Tyree became the 40th Rebel to score 1,000 points at Ole Miss over Georgia (Feb. 9). Tyree now has 1,042 career points through 90 games, passing Todd Abernethy (1,036) and Denver Brackeen (1,040) to rank 38th on the all-time list. Teammate Terence Davis has already reached the historical mark, ranking 16th all-time with 1,392 points. Tyree and Davis are the first Ole Miss duo to take the court as 1,000-point scorers since Jarvis Summers (1,629) and Marshall Henderson (1,293) played together during the 2013-14 season. Last season, Markel Crawford surpassed 1,000 points for his career. However, he recorded the majority of his scoring at Memphis and joined Ole Miss as a graduate transfer for the 2017-18 season.

STEALS STAT
During the three-game winning streak, the Rebels have averaged 10.7 steals per game, leading to 20.7 ppg off turnovers. Ole Miss recorded 14 steals in the win over the Aggies (Feb. 6), the most by the Rebels in an SEC game since Feb. 14, 2017 versus LSU. Senior Terence Davis led the way with a career-high seven steals, the first Rebel to reach that mark since Rasheed Brooks accomplished the feat during the 2017 Valentine's Day win over the Tigers. At Georgia (Feb. 9), Ole Miss forced 20 turnovers with the help of 10 steals, all of the swipes coming in the first half. Davis once again led the way with four steals. Devontae Shuler (1.8 steals per game) and Terence Davis (1.7 steals per game) lead the Rebels in steals this year, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively in the SEC.

CONVERTING AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Shooting 76.8 percent as a team, Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally in free throw percentage. Seven of the 11 Rebels that have attempted free throws this season are shooting over 75 percent from the stripe. Ole Miss has shot over 85 percent in eight different games this season, including three games of 93 percent-or-better. Throughout the last six games, Ole Miss is 86.1 percent from the line. In the win over Texas A&M (Feb. 6), Ole Miss went 18 of 19 at the line (94.7 percent). It was the Rebels' best free throw percentage in a game since going 22 of 23 (95.7 percent) versus Baylor during the 2016-17 campaign (Jan. 28, 2017). In the Emerald Coast Classic championship game against Cincinnati (Nov. 24), Ole Miss converted 16 of 17 at the line for a 94.1 percent clip. After going 0 for 1 in the first half at Illinois State (Dec. 8), the Rebels went a perfect 14 of 14 over the final 20 minutes to finish the game at 93.3 percent. In the win at Vanderbilt (Jan. 5), Ole Miss went 14 of 15 in the second half to remain in front down the stretch. Breein Tyree is an 85.1 percent free throw shooter (97 of 114) to rank third in the SEC among qualifiers, while Devontae Shuler boasts an 83.7 percent clip (41 of 49).

DYNAMIC DUO
Senior Terence Davis and junior Breein Tyree have become a dynamic duo in the Ole Miss backcourt, averaging 44.7 percent of the Rebels' scoring this season. Tyree leads the way at 18.6 ppg to rank second in the SEC, while Davis' 15.9 ppg rank seventh. Combining for 35.9 ppg, the two Rebels are the highest scoring duo in SEC play. The pair have recorded for 22 20-point games so far this season, including four games in which they both reached the 20-point plateau. They also have three 30-point games to their credit this season, all occurring away from home. Tyree scored a career-high 31 in SEC road victories at Vanderbilt (Jan. 5) and Georgia (Feb. 9), while Davis tallied his season high of 30 at Butler (Nov. 16). Both Rebels also crack the SEC's top 10 in field goal percentage. Tyree leads Ole Miss and is sixth in the conference at 48.4 percent, while Davis ranks seventh at 47.4 percent.

UNDERRATED REBELS
Coming off a season in which they finished 12-20 (5-13 SEC) and last in the conference, the Rebels were predicted to finish 14th in the SEC this year by the media. However, Ole Miss is used to being underrated before the season begins and only took 15 games to surpass last season's win total. With a record of 17-7, the Rebels are off to their best start in six seasons. The 2012-13 team, which went on to win the SEC Tournament, went 18-6 through the first 24 games. With a 7-4 mark, Ole Miss has its best record through 11 SEC games for the first time since 2014-15 (8-3), the last time the Rebels made the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels have finished above their preseason projection six of the last seven seasons since the league moved away from a divisional format, the outlier being the 2017-18 campaign.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Through 112 career games, senior Terence Davis has 1,392 points to rank 16th in Ole Miss history. With a strong finish to the season, he could find himself in the top 10 to end his Rebel career. In his final year on campus, Davis is averaging 15.9 ppg to rank seventh in the conference and shooting at a 47.4 percent clip (seventh in the SEC). The Southaven, Mississippi, native also paces the team in assists (3.5 per game) and rebounding (6.2 per game). With eight points at Auburn (Feb. 13), Davis broke a tie with Jack Waters (1,384) at 17th. Next on his chase up the Ole Miss scoring chart are Eric Laird (1,421) and Ansu Sesay (1,428). John Stroud, one of the analyst for select games on the Ole Miss Sports Network (radio), is the Rebels' all-time scoring leader with 2,328 points. Davis also ranks seventh all-time in three-pointers attempted (462) and ninth in three-pointers made (156). He is seven steals away from cracking the Ole Miss top 10 list.

STEPPING UP IN SEC PLAY
Several Rebels have stepped up their games at the beginning of conference action. Four Rebels in the regular rotation are scoring at their average or more in SEC play compared non-conference games.

Rebel	Non-Conference	SEC	Season
Breein Tyree	17.7 ppg	19.6 ppg	18.6 ppg
Terence Davis	15.5 ppg	16.3 ppg	15.9 ppg
Blake Hinson	8.8 ppg	9.0 ppg	8.9 ppg
KJ Buffen	5.6 ppg	6.1 ppg	5.8 ppg

Tyree has played better in SEC games in all three seasons as a Rebel. This year, he leads the SEC in scoring during conference play, averaging 19.6 ppg. Last year, he improved his scoring for the second straight year in conference action, going from 8.3 ppg in non-conference to 12.3 ppg in SEC play. As a freshman, Tyree emerged to rank fourth on the team in scoring at 9.3 ppg in SEC contests, up from his 2.1 ppg before the start of conference play.

With Tyree at the top, Davis ranks seventh in scoring during SEC play (16.3 ppg). Pulling down 5.8 defensive boards per SEC game, the senior ranks second in the conference and is ninth in the SEC with 7.4 rpg. He is also fourth with 1.9 steals per conference game, while Devontae Shuler is fifth at 1.7 spg. Tyree is an 89.1 percent free throw shooter and makes an average of 2.5 three-pointers in SEC games, ranking fourth in both conference categories. He also leads the conference in playing time, averaging 35.5 minutes per game in SEC play.

STAT-STUFFING SHULER
Sometimes the biggest jumps are from one's freshman to sophomore year. After playing in all 32 games last year, primarily coming off the bench, sophomore Devontae Shuler has become an important piece in the Ole Miss lineup. Starting 23 games at point guard, he has stuffed box scores by leading the Rebels in steals (1.8 per game). Shuler ranks in the SEC's top 10 in three categories, sitting at fourth in steals as well as seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.8) and eighth in playing time (31.9 minutes per game). In the Emerald Coast Classic versus Cincinnati (Nov. 24), he tallied a career-high 24 points to best his previous high of 19 last season against South Dakota State. In Jackson, Shuler scored a team-high 19 points to lead the Rebels to a win over Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 12). On Wednesday at Auburn, he tied a career high by making four three-pointers en route to a 17-point night, his most points in an SEC game through this point of his career.

TYREE'S CAREER DAY LEADS REBELS TO ROAD WIN
Breein Tyree broke the 1,000-point threshold en route to a career-high 31 points, leading Ole Miss to an 80-64 victory over Georgia (Feb. 9). The Rebels capped off a perfect week by winning in Athens for the first time in seven years. Ole Miss had three double-figure scorers including Tyree. Freshman Blake Hinson added 13 points of his own with three made three-pointers. Senior Terence Davis was all over the stat sheet for the second straight game, scoring 12 points with five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Bruce Stevens pulled down a season-high nine rebounds to go along with six points, including 4 of 4 from the line. Ole Miss was very active on the defensive end, grabbing 10 steals and forcing 20 turnovers that led to 19 points on the other end. With the help of 13 offensive rebounds, the Rebels held a 21-5 advantage in second chance points.

CRASHING THE GLASS
In the win over Georgia (Feb. 9), Ole Miss controlled the boards against the SEC's best rebounding team. The Rebels out-rebounded Georgia 38-32, including 13-9 on the offensive glass. The 13 offensive rebounds led to a 21-5 advantage in second chance points.

A NEW ERA OF OLE MISS BASKETBALL
The 2018-19 season is the dawn of a new era for Ole Miss Basketball. A new head coach took the reins of the program when Kermit Davis was hired on March 15, 2018. Davis, the winningest coach in Middle Tennessee history, returns to his home state with years of success. A native of Leakesville, Mississippi, Davis guided the Blue Raiders to league titles in seven of his last nine years in Murfreesboro, between Conference USA and the Sun Belt. Middle Tennessee was one of five programs he led to conference championships in 36 years as an assistant and head coach. An eight-time conference coach of the year, Davis is 31st among active Division I head coaches with 486 career wins (420 in Division I), including stints at MT, Idaho and Texas A&M. He ranks 11th nationally in winning percentage over the last three years and 13th over the last seven.

FAST START FOR KERMIT DAVIS
With the victory over No. 14 Mississippi State (Jan. 12), head coach Kermit Davis became the first coach in program history to win his first three SEC games. He was also just the second coach in Ole Miss history to win 13 of his first 15 games guiding the Rebels. The Mississippi native joined the likes of former Ole Miss coach Homer Hazel (1926-30), who won 20 of his first 22 games. Hazel's run extended into his second season as head coach after going 16-2 during the entire 1925-26 campaign. Going 17-7 in his first 24 games as Ole Miss head coach, Davis became to the fourth coach in school history to get off to that good of a start. While Hazel went 21-3 over his first 24 games, R.B. Sullivan (1920), and Rod Barnes (1999) also won 17 of their first 24 games as head coach of the Rebels.

HOT SHOT
Ole Miss has shot over 50 percent in eight games, surpassing last season's total. The Rebels eclipsed 50 percent from the field in five games throughout the entire 2017-18 season. The last time Ole Miss recorded at least eight games shooting better than 50 percent from the field also occurred during the 2012-13 campaign (nine times).

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Following a week against the Tigers of Auburn and Missouri, Ole Miss heads east for its third road contest in a four-game stretch. The Rebels will face South Carolina (Feb. 19) in a matchup that could have a major factor in SEC Tournament seeding. Tipoff from Columbia is slated for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Markel Crawford

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Zach Naylor

Devontae Shuler

Bruce Stevens

Breein Tyree

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