Men's Hoops Begins East Road Trip at Georgia Saturday

			OLE MISS (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at GEORGIA (10-12, 1-8 SEC) Saturday, Feb. 9 • 12 PM CT • Athens, Ga. Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
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GAME 23
Matchup: NR/RV Ole Miss (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at Georgia (10-12, 1-8 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Athens, Ga.
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Television: SEC Network
   Richard Cross, play-by-play
   Deb Antonelli, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (Sirius-99, XM-192)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: WatchESPN.com/ESPN App
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn App
Series: Georgia leads 73-42
Last Meeting: Jan. 3, 2018
   Georgia won 71-60
   Athens, Georgia

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- The Rebels are receiving votes in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
- Ole Miss is off to its best start through 22 games in five years (15-7 during the 2013-14 season).
- The Rebels are over .500 through the first half of SEC play for the first time since the 2014-15 season (6-3), the last time they made the NCAA Tournament.
- Ole Miss is coming off a 75-71 home victory over Texas A&M.
- Trailing the Aggies by one with 2:51 to go, the Rebels went 12 for 12 at the free throw line for the remainder of the game to claim the win.
- The Rebels begin a stretch playing three of their next four games on the road.
- Saturday's game features a battle between the two newest coaches in the SEC; Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis and Georgia head coach Tom Crean are in their first season with their respective programs.
- The Rebels lead the SEC and rank eighth nationally in free throw percentage (76.9); 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 is averaging 22.3 ppg over the last four games, reaching the 20-point plateau in each game.
- The duo of Terence Davis and Breein Tyree account for 44.2 percent of the Rebels' scoring, the second-highest scoring pair in the SEC; they have combined for 54.4 percent of the scoring over the last three games.
- Breein Tyree is one of two SEC players to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring (3rd-18.0 ppg), free throw percentage (5th-84.5), field goal percentage (6th-48.1) and three-pointers made (8th-2.1 per game).
- Breein Tyree is nine points away from becoming the 40th Rebel to score 1,000 career points.
- Senior guard Terence Davis ranks ninth in school history in three-pointers made (153) and 18th in scoring (1,372 points); he is also fifth among active SEC players in career points and career steals (122).
- Devontae Shuler is averaging 3.3 spg over the past four contests.
- Freshmen KJ Buffen and Carlos Curry hail from the state of Georgia.
- With 484 career wins, Kermit Davis ranks 135th all-time and 31st among active Division I head coaches.

MAKING THE MARCH TOWARDS MARCH MADNESS
In the first year under head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels are making their presence known in early 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 41st with three Quadrant 1 victories and two Quadrant 2 wins. The Rebels have played 10 Quadrant 1 games thus far, ranking second in the SEC behind Texas A&M (11). According to ESPN Bracketlogoist Joe Lunardi, Ole Miss is a No. 8 seed (Feb. 8). CBS Sports Bracketologist Jerry Palm has the Rebels as a No. 9 seed in his current NCAA Tournament projections (Feb. 8). Andy Katz of NCAA.com has Ole Miss projected to be a No. 8 seed come March (Jan. 26). 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 (76.9 percent).
- Breein Tyree ranks third in scoring (18.0 ppg) and playing time (33.3 minutes per game), fifth in free throw percentage (84.5 percent), sixth in field goal percentage (48.1 percent) and eighth in three-pointers made (2.2 per game).
- Tyree joins Bryce Brown of Auburn as the only players to rank in the SEC's top 10 in scoring, free throw percentage, field goal percentage and threes made.
- Tyree is one of four SEC players (Bryce Brown-Auburn, Grant Williams-Tennessee, Quinndary Weatherspoon-MSU) to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
- Terence Davis ranks fifth in field goal shooting (48.3 percent), seventh in scoring (16.4 ppg) and steals, ninth in defensive rebounds (4.9 rpg) and 10th in assists (3.6 per game).
- Averaging 8.0 rpg in SEC games, Davis ranks fifth in the conference; his 6.3 defensive rebounds per game in SEC play rank second.
- Devontae Shuler ranks fourth in steals (1.8 per game), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.8) and ninth in playing time (31.6 minutes per game).

REBELS RECEIVING VOTES
Ole Miss is receiving votes in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll for the second 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 GEORGIA
Georgia enters Saturday's game with a 10-12 record. After defeating Texas at home in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, the Bulldogs lost three straight conference games to fall to 1-8 in SEC play. Georgia has used its size to become one of the best rebounding and shot-blocking teams in the nation. The Bulldogs rank ninth in the country with 5.3 blocks per game, while their 40.8 rebounds per game rank 14th nationally. Sophomore Nicolas Claxton is the SEC's leader in blocks at 2.7 per game, a mark that places him eighth in the country. Claxton also paces the conference with 9.3 boards per game. He is the team's second-leading scorer at 12.6 ppg behind fellow sophomore forward Rayshaun Hammonds (12.9 ppg). Tom Crean is in his first season as Georgia's head coach. Crean replaced Mark Fox, who spent six seasons at the helm of the program. Crean's previous stops include nine seasons at Indiana (2009-17) and nine seasons at Marquette (2000-08).

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will be the 116th meeting between the two schools, with Georgia holding a 73-42 lead in the series. The series has been close as of late with the Bulldogs having a slight 10-8 edge over the last 18 meetings. Georgia also has a 41-12 advantage when facing Ole Miss in Athens. The Rebels are looking for their first win in Athens since Jan. 21, 2012.

LAST TIME WE MET
In last year's matchup, Georgia protected its home floor with a 71-60 victory (Jan. 3, 2018). Juwan Parker produced a double-double with team highs in points (18) and rebounds (11) to lead the Bulldogs to a win. Yante Maten and Derek Ogbeide combined for 29 points and 15 rebounds. For the Rebels, Breein Tyree scored a team-high 17 points off the bench, while Devontae Shuler added 11 points to go along with a career-high four steals. Ole Miss shot just 35.7 percent from the floor, including 6 of 26 (23.1 percent) from beyond the arc.

GEORGIA REBELS
A pair of Ole Miss freshmen are from the Peach State. KJ Buffen hails from Gainesville, Georgia and Carlos Curry is a native of Albany, Georgia. Buffen will be playing in his home state for the first time as a Rebel, while Curry is redshirting this season.

OLD SCHOOL AT NEW SCHOOLS
A pair of veterans head coaches will pace the sidelines on Saturday, but both are the newest coaches in the SEC. Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis and Georgia head coach Tom Crean are in their first season as SEC head coaches. However, the two have combined for 850 wins over 43 seasons. Davis has 484 career wins with the majority coming in his 16 seasons at Middle Tennessee, where he is the winningest coach in school history. Crean compiled his victories in stops at Marquette and Indiana.

TYREE NEARS 1,000
With 991 points in 88 games, junior guard Breein Tyree is only nine points away from becoming the 40th Rebel to score 1,000 points at Ole Miss. Teammate Terence Davis has already reached the historical mark, ranking 18th all-time with 1,372 points. Tyree and Davis could become 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.

REBELS GET BACK ON TRACK
Taking advantage of steals and converting at the free throw line, Ole Miss got back on the winning track with a 75-71 victory over Texas A&M (Feb. 6) at The Pavilion. The Rebels recorded 14 steals and produced 31 points off turnovers, while shooting 94.7 percent (18 of 19) from the charity stripe, to rally from a nine-point second half deficit and earn a hard-fought win. Ole Miss knocked down 17 of 18 free throw attempts in the second half behind the duo of Terence Davis and Breein Tyree. Davis made all six of his free throws, while Tyree sank all five of his own. The pair of Rebels combined for 41 of the team's 75 points with Tyree's 22 leading the way. Davis was a stat machine throughout the night, scoring 19 points with team highs in rebounds (8), steals (7) and assists (5). His seven steals were a career-high and the most by a Rebel in two seasons. Blake Hinson added 11 points and a pair of steals, while Devontae Shuler tallied at least three steals for the fourth consecutive game. Dominik Olejniczak scored six points that including a crucial pair of free throws late as well as a big-time block with 1:05 remaining in the game.

CLUTCH FREE THROWS
Despite going the final 5:32 without making a field goal, while only attempting three shots during the span, the Rebels put Texas A&M away by converting at the free throw line. Starting with Breein Tyree's free throws with 4:50 to go, Ole Miss made its final 12 free throws to put the game on ice. Four Rebels contributed to the perfection from the stripe. Tyree went 4 for 4, while Blake Hinson and Dominik Olejniczak made two apiece. With his team up by three, Terence Davis kept the Aggies out of reach by making all six of his free throws over the final 31 seconds of the contest to lock up the victory.

STEALS STAT
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.

CONVERTING AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Shooting 76.9 percent as a team, Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in free throw percentage. Ten of the 11 Rebels that have attempted free throws this season are shooting over 70 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 four games, Ole Miss is 88.2 percent from the line. In Wednesday's win over Texas A&M, 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 84.5 percent free throw shooter (87 of 103) to rank fifth in the SEC among qualifiers, while Devontae Shuler boasts an 84.4 percent clip (38 of 45).

DYNAMIC DUO
Senior Terence Davis and junior Breein Tyree have become a dynamic duo in the Ole Miss backcourt, averaging 44.2 percent of the Rebels' scoring this season. Tyree leads the way at 18.0 ppg to rank third in the SEC, while Davis' 16.4 ppg rank seventh. The two Rebels are the second-high scoring duo in the SEC behind No. 1 Tennessee's Grant Williams (20.1 ppg) and Admiral Schofield (16.6 ppg). The pair have combined for 20 20-point games so far this season, including four games in which they both reached the 20-point plateau. Against Florida (Jan. 30), Davis (26) and Tyree (20) combined for 46 of the team's 86 points before tallying 40 of the Rebels' 75 points against No. 21 MSU (Feb. 2). In the victory over Texas A&M, the duo produced 41 of the Ole Miss' 75 points to average 54.4 percent of the scoring over the last three games. They also have one 30-point game to each of their credit this season, both occurring away from home. Tyree scored a career-high 31 in the victory at Vanderbilt (Jan. 5), and Davis tallied his season high of 30 at Butler (Nov. 16). Both Rebels also crack the SEC's top 10 in field goal percentage. Davis leads Ole Miss and is fifth in the conference at 48.3 percent, while Tyree ranks sixth at 48.1 percent.

STEALS BY SHULER
As the team leader in steals, sophomore Devontae Shuler has increased his swipes lately. The Irmo, South Carolina, native is averaging 3.3 steals per game over the last four contests. He tallied his personal best of four steals for the fourth time while pulling down a career-high nine rebounds at Florida (Jan. 30). In games against ranked opponents No. 24 Iowa State and No. 21 Mississippi State (Feb. 2), Shuler recorded three steals in each. In Wednesday's win over Texas A&M, he tallied three swipes in the first half.

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 15-7, the Rebels are off to their best start in five seasons. The 2013-14 team also posted a 15-7 mark through the first 22 games. 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.

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	18.3 ppg	18.0 ppg
Terence Davis	15.5 ppg	17.7 ppg	16.4 ppg
KJ Buffen	5.6 ppg	7.0 ppg	6.2 ppg
Dominik Olejniczak	5.9 ppg	6.8 ppg	6.3 ppg

Tyree has played better in SEC games in all three seasons as a Rebel. 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.

Behind Tyree's fifth-ranked SEC output (18.3 ppg), Davis ranks sixth in scoring (17.7 ppg). Pulling down 6.3 defensive boards per SEC game, the senior ranks second in the conference and is fifth in the SEC with 8.0 rpg. Meanwhile, Tyree is an 88.6 percent free throw shooter in SEC games, ranking sixth in the conference.

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 18.0 ppg to rank third in the SEC. It only took Tyree 20 games to pass his point total (347) from last season. He also ranks fifth in the conference in free throw percentage (84.5 percent) and sixth in field goal percentage (48.1 percent), one of four conference players to crack the SEC top 10 in scoring and those two shooting categories. The Somerset, New Jersey, native has scored at least 20 points in a team-high 12 games. Over the past four games, Tyree has broken the 20-point plateau each time and is averaging 22.3 ppg. 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.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Through 110 career games, senior Terence Davis has 1,372 points to rank 18th 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 16.4 ppg to rank seventh in the conference and shooting at a 48.3 percent clip (fifth in the SEC). The Southaven, Mississippi, native also paces the team in assists (3.6 per game) and rebounding (6.4 per game). With 26 points against Florida (Jan. 30), Davis passed Cob Jarvis (1,313). Next on his chase up the Ole Miss scoring chart are Tim Jumper (1,375) and Jack Waters (1,384). 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 (454) and ninth in three-pointers made (153).

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 21 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 sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.8) and ninth in playing time (31.6 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).

DOUBLE-DOUBLE DAVIS
No Rebel recorded a double-double in any of the first 13 games of the season, but Terence Davis has emerged with three in SEC play thus far. The Southaven, Mississippi, native tallied 27 points and 12 rebounds, both team highs, to lead Ole Miss past No. 10 Auburn 82-67 (Jan. 9). The next time Davis took Craddock Court at The Pavilion, he produced another double-double with 21 points and 10 boards against LSU (Jan. 15). At Florida (Jan. 30), he recorded team highs in points (26) and rebounds (12). Davis now has nine double-doubles for his career to pace the Rebels.

OLEJNICZAK'S OUTPUT
Junior center Dominik Olejniczak has emerged as a pleasant presence in the paint. After averaging 4.3 ppg in his first year on the court for Ole Miss a season ago, the seven-footer matched that scoring output through the first six games of this season. However, he's increased his average to 7.0 ppg over the last 16 contests with 14 of those games being in the starting lineup. The Torun, Poland, native helped Ole Miss get off to a fast start against Arkansas (Jan. 19), scoring the team's first five points en route to a season-high 13.

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 484 career wins (418 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.

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
Up next, the Rebels remain on the road. Ole Miss heads to Auburn (Feb. 13), looking to sweep the season series. The Rebels knocked off then-No. 10 Auburn 82-67 at The Pavilion in one month ago (Jan. 9). Tipoff with the Tigers is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Markel Crawford

Carlos Curry

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Dominik Olejniczak

Devontae Shuler

Breein Tyree

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