Ole Miss and South Carolina Battle Near Top of the SEC

			OLE MISS (18-7, 8-4 SEC) at SOUTH CAROLINA (18-7, 8-4 SEC) Tuesday, Feb. 19 • 6 PM CT • Columbia, S.C. Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
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GAME 26
Matchup: RV/RV Ole Miss (18-7, 8-4 SEC) at South Carolina (13-12, 8-4 SEC)
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Television: SEC Network
   Tom Hart, play-by-play
   Dane Bradshaw, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM-383)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: WatchESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 20-19
Last Meeting: South Carolina won 85-84
   March 7, 2018
   St. Louis, Mo. (SEC Tournament - 1st round)

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss enters Tuesday's game ranked No. 30 in the NET with four Quadrant 1 victories.
- The Rebels are receiving votes in both polls, including the USA TODAY Coaches Poll for the fourth consecutive week.
- Ole Miss and South Carolina are tied at fourth place in the SEC.
- Devontae Shuler, a native of Irmo, South Carolina, will be playing in his home state for the first time as a Rebel.
- Shuler recorded a career-high five steals in the win over Missouri and ranks fourth in the SEC with 1.9 spg.
- Freshman Blake Hinson will be facing his brother Evan, who is a junior for the Gamecocks.
- At 18-7, Ole Miss has its best record through 25 games since going 19-6 during the 2012-13 season (SEC Tournament champions).
- The Rebels are 8-4 in SEC play for first time since 2014-15 season, the last time they made the NCAA Tournament.
- Ole Miss is riding a four-game winning streak, allowing only 63.8 ppg during the streak.
- During the winning streak, the Rebels are averaging 11.3 steals per game and 23.5 points off turnovers.
- The Rebels forced 25 Missouri turnovers in Saturday's win over Missouri, the most they have forced in a game since Nov. 28, 2015 versus Bradley and the most in an SEC game since Feb. 3, 2007 at Auburn.
- With 17 points from Bruce Stevens and 14 points by KJ Buffen, Ole Miss got 31 points from its bench; it was the most points by the bench since the season opener (32).
- The Rebels lead the SEC and rank eighth nationally in free throw percentage (77.3); Ole Miss has shot over 85.0 percent from the free throw line in nine games this season, including 93.0 percent-or-better in three games.
- Breein Tyree is averaging 22.0 ppg over the last seven games, reaching the 20-point plateau in six of them.
- With 34.8 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 44.1 percent of the Rebels' scoring on the season.
- Tyree is the only player in the SEC to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring (2nd-18.4 ppg), free throw percentage (3rd-84.4), field goal percentage (5th-48.4) and three-pointers made (7th-2.3 per game).
- Kermit Davis is only the second coach in Ole Miss history to win at least 18 of his first 25 games as head coach.

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 30th with four Quadrant 1 victories and three Quadrant 2 wins. The Rebels have played 11 Quadrant 1 games thus far. CBS Sports Bracketologist Jerry Palm has the Rebels as a No. 7 seed in his current NCAA Tournament projections (Feb. 18). According to ESPN Bracketlogoist Joe Lunardi, Ole Miss is a No. 8 seed (Feb. 14). 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.

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in free throw shooting (77.3 percent).
- Breein Tyree ranks second in scoring (18.4 ppg), third in playing time (33.6 minutes per game) and free throw percentage (84.4 percent) as well as fifth in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and seventh in 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 is one of three SEC players (Grant Williams-Tennessee, Quinndary Weatherspoon-MSU) to rank in the conference's top five in scoring, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
- In SEC games only, Tyree leads the SEC in playing time (35.7 minutes per game) and ranks second in scoring (19.2 ppg).
- Terence Davis ranks seventh in steals (1.7) and field goal shooting (46.8 percent), eighth in scoring (15.6 ppg) as well as 10th in assists (3.5 per game).
- Averaging 34.9 ppg in conference games, Tyree (19.2 ppg) and Davis (15.7 ppg) combine for the highest scoring duo in SEC play.
- Devontae Shuler ranks fourth in steals (1.9 per game), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and eighth in playing time (32.0 minutes per game).

REBELS RECEIVING VOTES
Ole Miss is receiving votes in both polls, including the USA TODAY Coaches Poll for the fourth 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).

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina enters Tuesday's matchup with a 13-12 record, including an 8-4 mark in SEC play to tie with the Rebels for fourth in the conference standings. The Gamecocks started conference action 4-0, but have alternated wins and losses over the past six games. South Carolina is coming off an 84-77 victory over Texas A&M at home Saturday. Chris Silva leads the Gamecocks in several categories such as scoring (14.2 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg) and blocks (2.0 bpg). A.J. Lawson averages 13.8 ppg to go along with team highs in assists (2.8 per game) and steals (1.2 per game). Off the bench, Hassani Gravett is shooting at a 42.4 percent clip from beyond the arc, helping towards his scoring average (11.1 ppg). Frank Martin in is his seventh season as South Carolina's head coach. He guided the Gamecocks to a school-record 26 wins and their first ever Final Four appearance during the 2016-17 campaign.

SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday's game will be the 40th meeting on the hardwood between the two schools, with Ole Miss holding a slight 20-19 advantage in the all-time series by winning two of the last three matchups. Overall, the Rebels have won seven of the last 12 contests against the Gamecocks. South Carolina leads the series 11-2 in games played in Columbia with the Rebels only earning road victories in 2001 (67-61) and 2014 (75-74).

LAST TIME WE MET
Chris Silva had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and South Carolina rallied from five points down in the second half to defeat Ole Miss 85-84 in the opening round of the SEC Tournament (March 7, 2018). Silva was one of five players to score in double figures for the 11th-seeded Gamecocks. He was only 4 of 14 from the field, but he set career highs in free throw makes (13) and attempts (20). Frank Booker also scored 21 points for South Carolina, and Justin Minaya had 16. Breein Tyree scored 18 points to lead the 14th-seeded Rebels. Terence Davis added 16 points, while Bruce Stevens had 15 and Deandre Burnett 13 for Ole Miss. Booker put South Carolina up 85-81 with a free throw with 13.4 seconds remaining. Stevens answered with a 3-pointer on the other end for the Rebels, but it came at the buzzer.

SEC TOURNAMENT IMPLICATIONS
With only three weeks left in the regular season, Tuesday's game could be a major factor in determining seeds for the SEC Tournament. Ole Miss and South Carolina are currently tied for fourth, and the top four seeds earn a double bye to the conference tournament quarterfinals. The winner of Tuesday's contest will have a one-game lead on the loser, including the tiebreaker from the only matchup of the season. The winner will also have at least a two-game advantage on the rest of the conference.

SHULER RETURNS HOME
Sophomore guard Devontae Shuler returns to his home state, playing in the Palmetto State for the first time as a Rebel. Shuler is a native of Irmo, South Carolina, located only 11 miles outside of Columbia.

HINSON FAMILY BATTLE
When the Rebels and Gamecocks square off Tuesday night, the Hinson brothers will be opponents as well. Ole Miss freshman Blake Hinson is the brother of South Carolina junior guard Evan Hinson, who also plays football for the Gamecocks.

WHAT A WIN WOULD DO
- Ole Miss would claim sole possession of fourth place in the SEC standings, one game ahead of South Carolina and at least two games ahead of the rest of the league.
- The Rebels would win five straight conference games since winning six straight during the 2014-15 season, the last time they made the NCAA Tournament.
- Ole Miss would improve to 19-7, its best record through 26 games since going 19-7 in 2012-13 (SEC Tournament champions).
- The Rebels would move to 9-4 in SEC play, their best record through 13 conference games since going 9-4 during the 2000-01 season (SEC Western Division champions and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance).
- Ole Miss would secure a conference record of .500-or-better for the seventh time in the last eight years.

REBELS BEAT MIZZOU FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN
Converting 25 turnovers into 32 points on the other end of the floor, Ole Miss won its fourth straight game with a 75-65 victory over Missouri at The Pavilion (Feb. 16). The Rebels tallied 13 steals in the defensive effort, including a career-high five by sophomore Devontae Shuler. Ole Miss was led in scoring by a pair of Rebels coming off the bench. Senior forward Bruce Stevens scored a team-high 17 points, matching his season best, to go along with a trio of three-pointers. Freshman KJ Buffen added 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting with career highs in assists (4) and steals (3) through 32 minutes on the floor. The 31 points from Stevens and Buffen were the most points scored by the Ole Miss bench since tallying 32 in the season-opening win over Western Michigan (Nov. 10). The Rebels knocked down their free throws, a common theme throughout the season, going 20 of 23 (87.0 percent) from the stripe. Breein Tyree went to the line the most, making six of his eight attempts as part of his 14-point afternoon. Shuler added 12 points as the fourth Rebel to reach double figures. Jordan Geist tallied a game-high 23 points to pace Missouri in the loss.

TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE
Perhaps the biggest key to Ole Miss' current four-game winning streak is the team's pressure defense that has forced a plethora of turnovers. Throughout the four victories, the Rebels forced 19.3 turnovers per game. They converted them into an average of 23.5 points off turnovers per game. Ole Miss began the winning streak by turning 12 Texas A&M miscues into 31 points. The Rebels forced 20 turnovers at Georgia (Feb. 9) and 14 more at Auburn (Feb. 13) to earn back-to-back road victories. In Saturday's win over Missouri, Ole Miss scored 32 points off 25 Tiger turnovers. It was the most turnovers forced by Ole Miss in a game since causing 25 turnovers in win over Bradley (Nov. 28, 2015). The last time the Rebels forced 25 turnovers in an SEC game was 12 years ago in an 82-59 win at Auburn (Feb. 3, 2007).

STEALS STAT
The Rebels have averaged 11.3 steals per game during their four-game winning streak, well above their average of 7.3 spg prior to the two-week stretch. 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. After tallying eight steals at Auburn (Feb. 13), the Rebels recorded 13 steals behind a career-high five from Devontae Shuler. Shuler sits fourth in the SEC with 1.9 steals per game, while Davis (1.7 steals per game) ranks seventh.

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 18.4 ppg to rank second in the SEC. Tyree is also second in scoring during conference play (19.2 ppg). He also ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage (84.4 percent) as well as fifth in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and seventh in three-pointers made (2.3 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 seven games, Tyree has broken the 20-point plateau in six of them to average 22.0 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) to eclipse 1,000 points for his career.

ANOTHER 1,000-POINT SCORER
Although he didn't need all of his career-high 31 points to reach the milestone, Breein Tyree became the 40th Rebel to score 1,000 points at Ole Miss over Georgia (Feb. 9). Tyree now has 1,056 career points through 91 games, passing Ron Coleman (1,046) with 14 points versus Missouri (Feb. 16) to rank 37th on the all-time list. Teammate Terence Davis has already reached the historical mark, ranking 16th all-time with 1,401 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.

CONVERTING AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Shooting 77.3 percent as a team, Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks eighth 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 nine different games this season, including three games of 93 percent-or-better. Throughout the last seven games, Ole Miss is 84.7 percent (111 of 131) 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 84.4 percent free throw shooter (103 of 122) to rank third in the SEC among qualifiers, while Devontae Shuler boasts an 84.6 percent clip (44 of 52).

DYNAMIC DUO
Senior Terence Davis and junior Breein Tyree have become a dynamic duo in the Ole Miss backcourt, averaging 44.1 percent of the Rebels' scoring this season. Tyree leads the way at 18.4 ppg to rank second in the SEC, while Davis' 15.6 ppg rank eighth. Combining for 34.8 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 fifth in the conference at 48.4 percent, while Davis ranks seventh at 46.8 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 18-7, the Rebels are off to their best start in six seasons. The 2012-13 team, which went on to win the SEC Tournament, went 19-6 through the first 25 games. With a 8-4 mark, Ole Miss has its best record through 12 SEC games since 2014-15 (8-4), 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 113 career games, senior Terence Davis has 1,401 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 15.6 ppg to rank eighth in the conference and shooting at a 46.8 percent clip (seventh in the SEC). The Southaven, Mississippi, native also paces the team in assists (3.5 per game) and rebounding (6.1 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 (467) and ninth in three-pointers made (157). He is four 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. Three 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	19.2 ppg	18.4 ppg
Terence Davis	15.5 ppg	15.7 ppg	15.6 ppg
KJ Buffen	5.6 ppg	6.8 ppg	6.2 ppg

Tyree has played better in SEC games in all three seasons as a Rebel. This year, he ranks second in the SEC in scoring during conference play, averaging 19.2 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 ninth in scoring during SEC play (15.7 ppg). Pulling down 5.7 defensive boards per SEC game, the senior ranks second in the conference and is 10th in the SEC with 7.1 rpg. He is also fifth with 2.0 steals per conference game alongside teammate Devontae Shuler. Tyree leads the conference in playing time, averaging 35.7 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 24 games at point guard, he has stuffed box scores by leading the Rebels in steals (1.9 per game). Shuler ranks in the SEC's top 10 in three categories, sitting at fourth in steals as well as sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and eighth in playing time (32.0 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). Last week 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. Shuler followed that up with a career-high five steals in the win over Missouri.

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 487 career wins (421 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 and 17 of his first 25 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 and 22 of his first 25 games. Hazel's run extended into his second season as head coach after going 16-2 during the entire 1925-26 campaign.

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
With the win over Auburn (Feb. 13), 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.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Completing a stretch of playing three of four games on the road, Ole Miss returns to The Pavilion for back-to-back SEC battles. First, the Rebels look to complete the season sweep of Georgia as the Bulldogs come to Oxford for a Saturday afternoon matchup (Feb. 23). The two teams will meet for the second time in as many weeks after Ole Miss claimed an 80-64 victory in Athens (Feb. 9). Tipoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. on SEC Network. Then, a sold out Pavilion will see the Rebels square off against No. 5 Tennessee (Feb. 27) at 6 p.m. on SEC Network.

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Deandre Burnett

Markel Crawford

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Zach Naylor

Devontae Shuler

Bruce Stevens

Breein Tyree

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