Ole Miss Hoops Travels to Arkansas for Weekend Matchup

			OLE MISS (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at ARKANSAS (14-14, 5-10 SEC) Saturday, March 2 • 12 PM CT • Fayetteville, Ark. Bud Walton Arena (19,368)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes • Arkansas Game Notes • SEC Game Notes

GAME 29
Matchup: Ole Miss (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Arkansas (14-14, 5-10 SEC)
Date: Saturday, March 2, 2019
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Arena: Bud Walton Arena (19,368)
Television: SEC Network
   Richard Cross, play-by-play
   Barry Booker, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM-389)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: WatchESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Arkansas leads 47-33
Last Meeting: #18 Ole Miss won 84-67
   Jan. 19, 2019
   Oxford, Miss.

TIP-INS
- Ole Miss is looking to sweep a season series with Arkansas for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
- The Rebels won the first matchup of the year 84-67, snapping a four-game skid against the Razorbacks.
- The 17-point win was the Rebels' largest margin of victory in an SEC game this season; it was the largest in a conference game since Ole Miss beat LSU by 20 (Feb. 14, 2017).
- Dominik Olejniczak and Bruce Stevens combined for 27 points and 12 rebounds in the January meeting.
- Ole Miss enters Saturday's game ranked No. 38 in the NET with four Quadrant 1 victories.
- The Rebels are coming off a heartbreaking 73-71 loss to No. 7 Tennessee.
- Against the Volunteers, Bruce Stevens recorded his first double-double of the season and third of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
- Terence Davis averages 27.0 ppg in two career games in Bud Walton Arena, scoring 24 points as a sophomore before a season-high 30 last year.
- Ole Miss has won five of its past seven games, averaging 8.7 steals per game and 19.9 points off turnovers.
- With 34.5 ppg in conference play, Breein Tyree and Terence Davis make up the highest scoring duo in the SEC.
- Ole Miss has secured a conference record of .500-or-better for the seventh time in the last eight years; looking ahead to the SEC Tournament, the Rebels can finish anywhere from the No. 4 seed to the No. 9 seed.
- The Rebels lead the SEC and rank seventh nationally in free throw percentage (77.4); Ole Miss has shot over 85.0 percent from the free throw line in 10 games this season, including 93.0 percent-or-better in four games.
- Terence Davis and Breein Tyree account for 44.5 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 (3rd-18.3 ppg), free throw percentage (4th-83.0), field goal percentage (6th-48.0) and three-pointers made (6th-2.2 per game).
- Kermit Davis is only the second coach in Ole Miss history to win at least 19 of his first 28 games as head coach.
- Senior guard Terence Davis ranks seventh in school history in three-pointers made (165), 10th in steals (134) and 14th in scoring (1,448 points).

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 38th with four Quadrant 1 victories and three Quadrant 2 wins. The Rebels have played 12 Quadrant 1 games thus far. CBS Sports Bracketologist Jerry Palm has the Rebels as a No. 7 seed in his current NCAA Tournament projections (March 1). Andy Katz of NCAA.com has Ole Miss projected to be a No. 8 seed come March (Feb. 26). According to ESPN Bracketlogoist Joe Lunardi, Ole Miss is a No. 9 seed (March 1). The Rebels will look to remain on the right side of the bubble as March begins.

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in free throw shooting (77.4 percent).
- Breein Tyree ranks third in scoring (18.4 ppg) and playing time (33.7 minutes per game), fourth in free throw percentage (83.0 percent) as well as sixth in field goal percentage (48.0 percent) and three-pointers made (2.2 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 four SEC players (Grant Williams-Tennessee, Tremont Waters-LSU, 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 ranks third in scoring (18.8 ppg).
- Terence Davis ranks fifth in steals (1.7), eighth in scoring (15.6 ppg), eighth in field goal shooting (45.8 percent) as well as 10th in assists (3.4 per game).
- Averaging 34.6 ppg in conference games, Tyree (18.8 ppg) and Davis (15.7 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 (1.7) and ninth in playing time (32.2 minutes per game).

SCOUTING ARKANSAS
Arkansas enters Saturday's matchup with a 14-14 record, including 5-10 in SEC play. After collecting three straight wins, the Razorbacks have dropped their last six games. On Tuesday, Arkansas took No. 4 Kentucky down to the wire before falling 70-66 at Rupp Arena. Arkansas is one of the nation's best teams in defending the rim and sharing the ball, ranking 18th nationally in blocks per game (4.9) and 26th in assists per game (16.0). Daniel Gafford leads the team in blocks (2.0 per game) as well as scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg) A threat in the post, he leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally in field goal percentage at 65.5 percent (182 of 278, all two-point attempts). Isaiah Joe uses his SEC-best percentage from beyond the arc (42.6 percent) to tally 14.3 ppg, while Mason Jones adds 13.7 ppg. Dishing out 154 assists compared to only 51 turnovers, Jalen Harris leads the SEC and ranks 13th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (3.0). Mike Anderson is in his eighth season as Arkansas head coach. He spent 18 seasons as an assistant for the Razorbacks, then went on to lead UAB (2002-06) and Missouri (2006-11) before returning to Arkansas.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will be the 81st meeting between the two schools, with the Razorbacks holding an all-time series lead of 47-33. The series began in 1937 and Arkansas won 32 of the first 38 meetings, but Ole Miss has won 27 of the last 42 meetings and 12 of the last 19. Arkansas swept last season's series with a victory at home (97-93) before winning for the first time at The Pavilion (75-64). The Rebels won the first game this season, protecting their home floor for an 84-67 victory. The 17-point win was the team's largest margin of victory in SEC play since 2017. Arkansas holds a 17-11 advantage in Fayetteville, but Ole Miss has won five of the last eight contests in Bud Walton Arena.

REBELS ROLL PAST RAZORBACKS IN SOLD OUT PAVILION
No. 18 Ole Miss jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, cruising to an 84-67 wire-to-wire win over Arkansas (Jan. 19). After their 10-game winning streak was snapped to hand them their first SEC loss earlier in the week, the Rebels bounced back with a convincing victory in front of a sellout crowd at The Pavilion. Ole Miss caused havoc on defense, converting 17 turnovers (13 steals) into 22 points. The Razorbacks were limited to a 36.7 percent (11 of 30) clip in the second half, and 6 of 23 (26.1 percent) from three throughout the entire game. The Rebels also controlled the paint 44-28, holding Arkansas leading scorer Daniel Gafford to a then-season-low nine points. Ole Miss had balanced scoring with four Rebels in double figures. Breein Tyree tallied a game-high 22 points, scoring 11 in each half. The junior guard was 7 of 15 from the floor and made all six of his free throw attempts. Senior Terence Davis stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Classmate Bruce Stevens added 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench, going 6 of 7 from the floor. Fellow big man Dominik Olejniczak played his best game of the season, scoring a season-high 13 points going up against Gafford. The Torun, Poland, native also pulled down five rebounds and defended the rim with a pair of blocks.

BIG GAME FOR THE BIG MEN
In the win over Arkansas in January, the five spot came up big on both sides of the court. Dominik Olejniczak and Bruce Stevens combined for 27 points and 12 rebounds, while limiting Arkansas leading scorer Daniel Gafford to nine points (season low at the time). The duo went 11 of 14 from the floor (78.6 percent), helping the Rebels hold a 44-28 advantage in the paint. Olejniczak got the Rebels off to a fast start, scoring nine of the team's first 19 points. The junior center tallied a season-high 13 points, all coming in the first half. Meanwhile, Stevens produced in the second half by scoring 10 straight points for the Rebels late in the game. The Louin, Mississippi, native missed just one shot, going 6 of 7 from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed seven rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.

TD AGAINST THE HOGS
Senior guard Terence Davis has faced Arkansas six times during his career. Take away playing less than a minute against the Razorbacks as a freshman, Davis is averaging 20.8 ppg against the conference foe. Even more impressive is his career average of 27.0 ppg in Bud Walton Arena. During his sophomore season, he scored 24 points in Fayetteville (Feb. 18, 2017) before tallying 26 in the SEC Tournament (March 10, 2017) in Nashville. Last year at Arkansas (Jan. 20, 2018), Davis went 10 of 15 from the floor for a season-high 30 points. In the first contest this season, he recorded 18 points to help the Rebels earn the 17-point victory.

WHAT A WIN WOULD DO
- Ole Miss would beat Arkansas in consecutive games for the first time since winning six straight from 2010-13.
- The Rebels would sweep the Razorbacks in a season series for the first time since 2012.
- Ole Miss would win in Bud Walton Arena for the sixth time in the last nine meetings in Fayetteville.
- The Rebels would remain in a tie for fourth in the SEC standings; the top four earn a double bye into the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
- Ole Miss would secure a winning conference record for the fifth time in the last seven years.
- The Rebels would post their 10th 20-win season through the past 13 years.

THE ROAD TO NASHVILLE
With three games left in the regular season, the SEC Tournament (March 13-17) is just around the corner. Ole Miss boasts a 9-6 conference mark, tied for fourth with a trio of foes (Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina). Therefore, if the tournament started today, due to tiebreaker scenarios, Ole Miss would hold the No. 7 seed and face the No. 10 seed, who happens to be Arkansas. The Rebels can finish anywhere between fourth and ninth. The top four seeds earn a double bye into the quarterfinals.

REBELS DROP HEARTBREAKER TO NO. 7 TENNESSEE
Ole Miss suffered a heartbreaking loss to No. 7 Tennessee in front of a sold out crowd at The Pavilion Wednesday night. The Rebels led by three with 33 seconds to go, but Grant Williams' bucket with 4.3 seconds left flipped the game to the Volunteers. Terence Davis and Breein Tyree scored 16 points apiece to pace the Rebels in scoring. Along with going 5 of 10 from the floor, Tyree dished out a team-high five assists. Freshman forward Blake Hinson added 14 points, while senior Bruce Stevens registered a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. As a team, Ole Miss shot 41.4 percent (24 of 58) from the floor and went 14 of 15 (93.3 percent) from the free throw line. Along with hitting the game-winner, Williams recorded 21 points to lead the Volunteers. Lamonte Turner scored 17, and Ole Miss held Admiral Schofield to 11 points. Tennessee proved its No. 2 national ranking in field goal percentage by shooting 51.8 percent (29 of 56) throughout the night. The Volunteers also controlled the paint 36-18.

PAVILION PACKED
Wednesday's game against No. 7 Tennessee was sold out. With four sellouts this season, The Pavilion has eight sellouts in its history (opened in January 2016). After Ole Miss beat a pair of top 15 teams in back-to-back games for the first time in school history, Rebel Nation showed up to The Pavilion to support their nationally ranked team. The following games against LSU (Jan. 15) and Arkansas (Jan. 19) were sold out. The rivalry game against MSU was also a sellout (Feb. 2).

OLE MISS BEATS GEORGIA TO SWEEP SEASON SERIES
Behind a strong second half from junior guard Breein Tyree, Ole Miss got back to its winning ways with a 72-71 victory over Georgia at The Pavilion (Feb. 23). Tyree scored 14 of his game-high 17 points in the final 20 minutes, including his own 7-0 run that turned a one-point deficit into a six-point lead for the Rebels. The pressure of the Ole Miss 1-3-1 zone defense forced a missed three pointer by the Bulldogs at the buzzer to secure the win. Sophomore guard Devontae Shuler added 16 points. The Irmo, South Carolina, native knocked down four three-pointers, including a game-tying long ball with 1:22 to go. Terence Davis added 13 points with a team-high three steals, helping cause 19 Georgia turnovers throughout the game. KJ Buffen added eight points off the bench, while D.C. Davis also came in to add a career-high five rebounds and steal that led to a dunk.

TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE
Perhaps the biggest key to Ole Miss winning five of its last seven games is the team's pressure defense that has forced a plethora of turnovers. Throughout the five victories, the Rebels forced 19.2 turnovers per game. They converted them into an average of 22.6 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 the 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). Ole Miss forced 19 turnovers versus Georgia (Feb. 23), turning them into 19 points on the other end.

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 18.3 ppg to rank third in the SEC. Tyree is also third in scoring during conference play (18.8 ppg). He ranks fourth in the conference in free throw percentage (83.0 percent) as well as sixth in field goal percentage (48.0 percent) and three-pointers made (2.2 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 10 games, Tyree has broken the 20-point plateau in six of them to average 20.6 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 1,108 career points through 94 games. He passed Terrance Henry (1,095) and Fred Cox (1,105) with 16 points versus No. 7 Tennessee (Feb. 27) to rank 33rd on the all-time list. Teammate Terence Davis has already reached the historical mark, ranking 14th all-time with 1,448 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 77.4 percent as a team, Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks seventh 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 10 different games this season, including four games of 93 percent-or-better. Throughout the last 10 games, Ole Miss is 83.5 percent (142 of 170) 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 83.0 percent free throw shooter (112 of 135) to rank fourth in the SEC among qualifiers, while Bruce Stevens shoots 83.9 percent (26 of 31) and Devontae Shuler boasts an 83.3 percent clip (45 of 54).

DYNAMIC DUO
Senior Terence Davis and junior Breein Tyree have become a dynamic duo in the Ole Miss backcourt, averaging 44.5 percent of the Rebels' scoring this season. Tyree leads the way at 18.3 ppg to rank third in the SEC, while Davis' 15.6 ppg rank eighth. Combining for 34.5 ppg in conference games, the two Rebels are the highest scoring duo in SEC play just ahead of Tennessee's Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield (34.1 ppg). The pair has recorded 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 48.0 percent, while Davis ranks eighth at 45.8 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 19-9, the Rebels are off to their best start in four seasons. The seven-game improvement to this point is tied for the fifth-best turnaround nationwide. The 2014-15 team, the last Ole Miss team to make the NCAA Tournament, went 19-9 through the first 28 games. With a 9-6 mark, Ole Miss has its best record through 15 SEC games since the 2014-15 squad started 10-5. 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 116 career games, senior Terence Davis has 1,432 points to rank 14th 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 45.8 percent clip (eighth in the SEC). The Southaven, Mississippi, native also paces the team in assists (3.4 per game) and rebounding (5.8 per game). With 13 points in the win over Georgia Saturday (Feb. 23), Davis passed Eric Laird (1,421) and Ansu Sesay (1,428). Next on his chase up the Ole Miss scoring chart is Murphy Holloway (1,476). John Stroud, one of the analysts 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 (488) and three-pointers made (165). He moved into sole possession of 10th place on the Rebels' all-time steals list with 134, passing Keith Carter and Aaron Harper.

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	18.8 ppg	18.3 ppg
Terence Davis	15.5 ppg	15.7 ppg	15.6 ppg
KJ Buffen	5.6 ppg	6.5 ppg	6.1 ppg

Tyree has played better in SEC games in all three seasons as a Rebel. This year, he ranks third in the SEC in scoring during conference play, averaging 18.8 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.

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 27 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 (1.7) and ninth in playing time (32.2 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). At Auburn (Feb. 13), 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 (Feb. 16). Over the past five games, he is averaging 11.8 ppg.

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 488 career wins (422 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 19 of his first 28 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 25 of his first 28 games. Hazel's run extended into his second season as head coach after going 16-2 during the entire 1925-26 campaign.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Ole Miss returns to The Pavilion, squaring off against No. 4 Kentucky in the final home game of the season (March 5). Prior to the 8 p.m. CT tip on ESPN, the Rebels will honor their three seniors: D.C. Davis, Terence Davis and Bruce Stevens.

RebelsCalendar

Next Event

Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Markel Crawford

D.C. Davis

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Dominik Olejniczak

Devontae Shuler

Bruce Stevens

Breein Tyree

The University of Mississippi Athletics