Rebels Battle Oklahoma Friday to Begin NCAA Tournament

			OLE MISS (20-12, 10-8 SEC) vs. OKLAHOMA (19-13, 7-11 Big 12) Friday, March 22 • 11:40 AM CT • Columbia, S.C. Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats Ole Miss Game Notes • Oklahoma Game Notes • SEC Game Notes • Digital Tournament Guide

GAME 33 - NCAA TOURNAMENT
Matchup: No. 9 seed Oklahoma (19-13, 7-11 Big 12) vs. No. 8 seed Ole Miss (20-12, 10-8 SEC)
Date: Friday, March 22, 2019
Time: 11:40 a.m. CT
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Television: truTV
   Jim Nantz, play-by-play
   Bill Raftery, analyst
   Grant Hill, analyst
   Tracy Wolfson, reporter
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (Sirius-136; XM-202)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: NCAA.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 2-1
Last Meeting: Ole Miss won 60-55
   Dec. 2, 2000 (Oxford, Miss.)

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance (109 seasons), third over the last seven seasons.
- The No. 8 seed is the Rebels' best seed since earning a No. 3 seed during the 2000-01 season.
- Ole Miss leads major conferences (Power 5 + Big East) in fewest fastbreak points allowed per game (4.1).
- With an eight-game win improvement from last season, the Rebels have the best turnaround among Power 5 schools (11th nationally).
- South Carolina native Devontae Shuler's improvement in three-point percentage from last season (13.8 percent improvement) to this season is the second-biggest in the country.
- Predicted to finish last in the SEC, Ole Miss placed in a tie for sixth; it was the seventh time in the last eight years that the Rebels have finished higher than their preseason projection.
- At 10-8 in SEC play, Ole Miss recorded a winning conference record for the fifth time in the last seven years.
- The Rebels lead the SEC and rank third nationally in free throw percentage (78.3); Ole Miss has shot over 85 percent from the free throw line in 12 games this season, including 90 percent-or-better in six games.
- Kermit Davis, the SEC Coach of the Year, is one of 63 coaches in college basketball history to take three different teams (Idaho, Middle Tennessee, Ole Miss) to the NCAA Tournament.
- Kermit Davis is the second coach (Rod Barnes) to take the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament in his first season.
- Breein Tyree (First Team All-SEC) and Terence Davis (Second Team All-SEC) account for 44.1 percent of the Rebels' scoring this season.
- Ole Miss has produced 14 All-SEC guards over the past 13 seasons.
- With 34.6 ppg in conference play, Breein Tyree (19.1 ppg) and Terence Davis (15.5 ppg) made up the highest scoring duo in the SEC.
- Breein Tyree is the only player in the SEC to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring (3rd-18.2 ppg), free throw percentage (3rd-83.1), three-pointers made (7th-2.2 per game) and field goal percentage (10th-46.5).
- Ole Miss had a SEC-best 23.75 percent increase in home average attendance during conference games (8,791).

BACK IN THE BIG DANCE
For just the ninth time in 109 seasons, Ole Miss is heading to the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels received an at-large bid and as the No. 8 seed in the South Region, their highest seed since earning a No. 3 seed during the 2000-01 season. Ole Miss is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years after one of the biggest turnaround seasons in the nation. In the first year under SEC Coach of the Year Kermit Davis and behind the play of All-SEC guards Breein Tyree and Terence Davis, Ole Miss went from 12-20 a season ago to 20-12 to earn a spot in March Madness. The eight-win improvement is the biggest turnaround season among Power 5 schools and ranks 11th nationally. Predicted to finish last in the SEC, Ole Miss tied for sixth with a 10-8 mark in conference play. The Rebels are making their third NCAA Tournament appearance over the last seven seasons, but just the fourth in the last 17 years.

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in free throw shooting (78.3 percent).
- Breein Tyree ranks third in scoring (18.2 ppg), free throw percentage (83.1 percent) and playing time (33.9 minutes per game) as well as seventh three-pointers made (2.2 per game) and 10th in field goal percentage (46.5 percent) .
- 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 10 in scoring, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
- In SEC games only, Tyree ranked second in scoring (19.1 ppg).
- Terence Davis ranks eighth in steals (1.7 per game), 10th in scoring (15.1 ppg) as well as 10th in assists (3.4 per game).
- Averaging 34.6 ppg in conference games, Tyree (19.1 ppg) and Davis (15.5 ppg) combine for the highest scoring duo in SEC play.
- Devontae Shuler ranks sixth in steals (1.7 per game) and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.7).

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Rebels are making their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance. Eight of those have come in the past 23 seasons, with the 1981 SEC Tournament champions being the only ones to advance to the Big Dance in the first 86 seasons of Ole Miss Basketball. The Rebels own a 5-8 record in NCAA Tournament games with their best showing being a Sweet 16 appearance during the 2000-01 season (school record 27 wins, tied with the 2012-13 team).

Year	Round	Seed	Opponent	Opponent Seed	Score	Location
1981	First Round	10	Kansas	7	L, 66-69	Wichita, Kan.
1997	First Round	8	Temple	9	L, 40-62	Kansas City, Mo.
1998	First Round	4	Valparaiso	13	L, 69-70	Oklahoma City, Okla.
1999	First Round	9	Villanova	8	W, 72-70	Milwaukee, Wis.
1999	Second Round	9	Michigan St.	1	L, 66-74	Milwaukee, Wis.
2001	First Round	3	Iona	14	W, 72-70	Kansas City, Mo.
2001	Second Round	3	Notre Dame	6	W, 59-56	Kansas City, Mo.
2001	Sweet 16	3	Arizona	2	L, 56-66	San Antonio, Texas
2002	First Round	9	UCLA	8	L, 58-80	Pittsburgh, Pa.
2013	First Round	12	Wisconsin	5	W, 57-46	Kansas City, Mo.
2013	Second Round	12	La Salle	13	L, 74-76	Kansas City, Mo.
2015	First Four	11	BYU	11	W, 94-90	Dayton, Ohio
2015	First Round	11	Xavier	6	L, 57-76	Jacksonville, Fla.

GIANT KILLER
Head coach Kermit Davis is no stranger to making the NCAA Tournament. By leading Ole Miss in his first season, Davis became one of 63 head coaches in college basketball history to take three different schools to March Madness. He will be making his sixth NCAA Tournament appearance after two trips with Idaho (1989, 1990) and three at Middle Tennessee (2013, 2016, 2017). Davis is 2-5 as a head coach in NCAA Tournament games, but the pair of victories were memorable upsets. First, he led the No. 15 seed Blue Raiders to a first round upset of No. 2 seed Michigan State, a popular pick to win the national championship, in 2016. One year later, Davis and Middle Tennessee took down the Big 10 again with a win over Minnesota in a classic upset by a No. 12 seed over a No. 5 seed.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma enters Friday's matchup with a 19-13 recording, including a 7-11 mark in Big 12 play. The Sooners pull down 28.4 defensive rebounds per game, which leads the Big 12 and ranks 20th nationally. Senior guard Christian James leads Oklahoma in scoring at 14.4 ppg, while Brady Manek adds 12.0 ppg. Kristian Doolittle also averages double figures (11.2) and paces the Sooners in rebounds (7.0 per game). Lon Kruger is in his eighth season at Oklahoma, but he has 33 years of experience as a head coach. Previous stops include Pan American (1983-86), Kansas State (1987-1990), Florida (1991-96), Illinois (1997-2000) and UNLV (2005-11).

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss leads the all-time series with Oklahoma 2-1, earning a neutral site win and a home victory over the Sooners. The two schools first met in San Juan, Puerto Rico with the Rebels beating No. 23 Oklahoma 75-72 (Dec. 22, 1999). After surviving Y2K, Ole Miss and Oklahoma decided to schedule a home-and-home series over the next two seasons. The Sooners evened the series by claiming the game in Norman 81-73 (Dec. 4, 2000). However, the Rebels got their revenge one year later on their home floor. In upset fashion, Ole Miss took down the No. 14 Sooners 60-55 in Oxford (Dec. 2, 2000).

LAST TIME WE MET
The last time the Rebels and Sooners met on the hardwood, it was a historic win for Ole Miss (Dec. 2, 2000). Behind 18 points from freshman Aaron Harper, Ole Miss upset No. 14 Oklahoma 60-55 for its 300th victory in Tad Smith Coliseum (home of the Rebels from 1966-2015). Harper hit four 3-pointers and shot 6 for 6 from the line. David Sanders and freshman Justin Reed each scored 10 points for Ole Miss. Nolan Johnson led Oklahoma with 12 points. Daryan Selvy had 11 points and seven rebounds, and Aaron McGhee added 10 points for the Sooners. Ole Miss trailed by just one at the half, despite shooting just 42 percent from the field. The Rebels shot 61 percent from the field in the second half. It was Ole Miss' 39th straight home victory over a non-conference opponent. The Rebels' home winning streak against non-conference foes was the nation's third longest streak at the time, trailing Maryland (72) and Penn State (49).

REBELS VS. BIG 12
Ole Miss is 17-24 all-time versus current members of the Big 12, having faced every current member. Along with battling Oklahoma three times, the Rebels have also faced Baylor (1-2), Iowa State (0-2), Kansas (0-1), Kansas State (3-2), Oklahoma State (1-0), TCU (3-2), Texas (6-9), Texas Tech (1-4) and West Virginia (0-2). The Rebels are 1-1 against Big 12 teams this season, beating Baylor 78-70 at the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Florida (Nov. 23) and falling to No. 24 Iowa State 87-73 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge (Jan. 26). Ole Miss is one of four SEC schools to play in all five SEC/Big 12 Challenges, joining Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

SHULER RETURNS HOME
Sophomore guard Devontae Shuler gets to play in the NCAA Tournament in his home state. Shuler is a native of Irmo, South Carolina, located only 11 miles outside of Columbia. He was also AAU teammates with fellow South Carolina natives Ja Morant of Murray State and Zion Williamson of Duke. All three helped lead their respective teams to this year's NCAA Tournament.

SLOWING DOWN THE OPPOSITION
The best part of the Ole Miss defense is getting back and preventing transition buckets. The Rebels lead all major conference (Power 5 + Big East) schools in fewest fastbreak points, surrendering only 4.1 per game. Three of the top five are SEC schools with Florida coming in second at 4.2 fastbreak ppg and LSU fourth at 4.5 fastbreak ppg.

SEC COACH OF THE YEAR
Kermit Davis became the sixth Ole Miss men's basketball coach to earn SEC Coach of the Year honors. He joined the winningest coach in program history, Andy Kennedy, as the only two coaches to be named SEC Coach of the Year in his first season guiding the Rebels. The Leakesville, Mississippi, native has led one of the biggest turnarounds in the country, as the Rebels improved from 12-20 (5-13 SEC) a season ago to 20-12 (10-8 SEC). The eight-win improvement is ranked 11th in the nation as well as the best among Power 5 schools. While Ole Miss was projected to finish last in the SEC, Davis got the Rebels off to a hot start. Ole Miss began conference play 3-0, helping Davis become the first Rebel head coach to win his first three SEC games. He was the second coach to win 13 of his first 15 games as well as the third coach in program history to win 20 games in his first season. With 20 wins already, Davis became just the third active SEC head coach to win at least 20 games in his first season in the conference (John Calipari – Kentucky, Mike White – Florida).

ALL-SEC DUO
Voted by the conference's coaches, Breein Tyree was named First Team All-SEC, while Terence Davis collected Second Team All-SEC honors. They 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 18.2 ppg to rank third in the SEC, while Davis' 15.1 ppg rank 10th. Combining for 34.6 ppg in conference games (Tyree-19.1 ppg, Davis-15.5 ppg), the two Rebels were the highest scoring duo in SEC play just ahead of Tennessee's Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield (34.0 ppg). The pair has recorded 26 20-point games so far this season, including five games in which they both reached the 20-point plateau. They 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). With both Rebels claiming all-conference accolades for the first time in their respective careers, Ole Miss has now produced 14 All-SEC guards over the past 13 seasons. It's the first time Ole Miss has had two all-league players on the same team since Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers were on the second team during the 2013-14 campaign.

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 20-12, the Rebels' eight-game improvement to this point is the best among the Power 5 schools and tied for the 11th-best turnaround nationwide. Ole Miss finished tied for sixth in the conference. The Rebels have finished above their preseason projection in seven of the last eight seasons since the league moved away from a divisional format, the outlier being the 2017-18 campaign.

20 AND 10
With the win at Missouri (March 9), Ole Miss secured its 10th 20-win season over the past 13 years. The Rebels also closed out SEC play at 10-8, earning a winning conference record for the fifth time in seven seasons. Ole Miss went 5-4 in conference road games. The last time the Rebels had a winning SEC road record was the last time they made the NCAA Tournament, going 6-3 during the 2014-15 campaign.

CONVERTING AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Shooting 78.3 percent as a team, Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks third nationally in free throw percentage. Five of the 11 Rebels that have attempted free throws this season are shooting over 80 percent from the stripe. Ole Miss has shot over 85 percent in 12 different games this season, including six games of 90 percent-or-better. Throughout the last 14 games, Ole Miss is 85.0 percent (192 of 226) 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. Against No. 6 Kentucky (March 5), the Rebels made 20 of 22 attempts (90.9 percent) before going 19 of 21 (90.5 percent) in the win at Missouri (March 9). Breein Tyree is an 83.1 percent free throw shooter (128 of 154) to rank third in the SEC among qualifiers. Bruce Stevens shoots 86.0 percent (37 of 43), and Devontae Shuler boasts an 82.3 percent clip (51 of 62) at the line.

STEVENS STEPPING UP
As his senior year winds down, forward Bruce Stevens is playing some of his best basketball of the season. The Louin, Mississippi, native has scored double figures in each of the last five games to average 10.8 ppg. Stevens produced a double-double against No. 6 Tennessee (Feb. 27) with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He added 12 points at Arkansas (March 2) before tallying 11 points and seven rebounds versus No. 6 Kentucky (March 5). In the SEC Tournament against Alabama (March 14), Stevens went 5 of 6 from the floor to record 12 points.

TYREE ON A TEAR
Junior guard Breein Tyree is one the veteran leaders on the floor for Ole Miss, leading the Rebels to exceed preseason expectations. His consistency has allowed him to become the team's leading scorer, averaging 18.2 ppg to rank third in the SEC. Tyree was also second in scoring during conference play (19.1 ppg). He ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage (83.1 percent) as well as seventh in three-pointers made (2.2 per game) and 10th in field goal percentage (46.5 percent), 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 17 games. 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.

SINGLE-SEASON STEALS
Averaging 1.7 steals per game, sophomore Devontae Shuler ranks sixth in the SEC. He has recorded at least three steals in 10 different games this season, helping bring his total to 55. Shuler already ranks sixth at Ole Miss for steals in a single season. Senior Terence Davis is not too far behind with 54 steals, averaging 1.7 per game to sit eighth in the conference. It is the first time in Ole Miss history that two Rebels have recorded 54 steals in a season.

Ole Miss Single-Season Steals
   1. 89 - Gerald Glass (1989)
   2. 73 - Jason Smith (1999)
   3. 70 - Gerald Glass (1990)
   4. 58 - Murphy Holloway (2013); Rod Barnes (1988)
   6. 55 - Devontae Shuler (2019); Rahim Lockhart (2000); Ervin Garnes (1994); Eric Laird (1984)
   10. 54 - Terence Davis (2019); Eniel Polynice (2008)

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 1,177 career points through 98 games. He passed Ken Turner (1,159) and Rahim Lockhart (1,160) with 21 points at Missouri (March 9) to rank 29th on the all-time list. Teammate Terence Davis has already reached the historical mark, ranking 13th all-time with 1,495 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.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Through 120 career games, senior Terence Davis has 1,495 points to rank 13th in Ole Miss history. In his final year on campus, Davis is averaging 15.1 ppg to rank 10th in the conference and shooting at a 44.5 percent clip. The Southaven, Mississippi, native also paces the team in assists (3.4 per game) and rebounding (5.8 per game). With 25 points against No. 6 Kentucky on Senior Night (March 5), Davis passed Murphy Holloway (1,476). Next on his chase up the Ole Miss scoring chart is Aaron Harper (1,505). John Stroud is the Rebels' all-time scoring leader with 2,328 points. Davis also ranks sixth all-time in three-pointers attempted (510), seventh in three-pointers made (172) and 10th in steals (140).

CONFERENCE PLAY BRINGS OUT BEST IN TYREE
Breein Tyree has played better in SEC games in all three seasons as a Rebel. This year, he ranked second in the SEC in scoring during conference play, averaging 19.1 ppg after recording 17.7 ppg in non-conference games. 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 30 games at point guard, he has stuffed box scores by leading the Rebels in steals (1.7 per game). Shuler ranks in the SEC's top 10 in two categories, sitting at sixth in steals as well as seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.7). He also ranks second in the nation in three-point percentage improvement from last year. Shuler shot 25.9 percent from long range as a freshman but has bumped his shooting to 39.7 percent this season, an improvement of 13.8 percent. Rich Kelly of Quinnipiac leads the country with a 14.2 percent improvement from beyond the arc. In the Emerald Coast Classic versus Cincinnati (Nov. 24), Shuler tallied a career-high 24 points. At Auburn (Feb. 13), he tied a career high by making four three-pointers en route to a 17-point night. Shuler followed that up with a career-high five steals in the win over Missouri (Feb. 16). In the second go-round against the Tigers, he sparked a comeback with 18 points and three steals, his most points in an SEC game through this point of his career. Last week at the SEC Tournament, Shuler led the Rebels in points (14), rebounds (7) and blocks (2). His two blocks were a career high.

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 nine-time conference coach of the year, including SEC Coach of the Year this season, Davis is 31st among active Division I head coaches with 489 career wins (423 in Division I), including stints at MT, Idaho and Texas A&M. He ranks 16th nationally in wins over the last four years and 15th over the last eight.

FAST START FOR KERMIT DAVIS
Leading the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament in his first season at the helm, head coach Kermit Davis became the second coach in Ole Miss history to accomplish the feat. Rod Barnes (1999-2006) also took Ole Miss to March Madness during his first season as head coach. Davis is also in unique company in several other statistics. He was also just the second coach in Ole Miss history to win 13 of his first 15 games and 20 of his first 25 games. The Mississippi native joined the likes of former Ole Miss coach Homer Hazel (1926-30), who won 20 of his first 22 games and 23 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. With the victory over No. 14 Mississippi State (Jan. 12), Davis became the first coach in program history to win his first three SEC games.

DOWN TO THE WIRE
The Rebels' last six games have been decided by a total of 18 points. Ole Miss held off Georgia 72-71 (Feb. 23), forcing a Bulldog miss just before the buzzer. However, the Rebels suffered three straight heartbreaking losses. Grant Williams drove the lane and got a bucket to fall with 4.3 seconds left, allowing No. 7 Tennessee to escape Oxford with a 73-71 victory (Feb. 27). In Fayetteville (March 2), Ole Miss led by one before Jalen Harris' circus layup with 5.4 seconds on the clock fell high off the glass, flipping the game in favor of Arkansas. No. 6 Kentucky rallied to sneak by Ole Miss 80-76 last week (March 5) before the Rebels snapped the skid with a comeback win (73-68) at Missouri (March 9). On the season, the Rebels are 5-6 in games decided by five points or less.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
A win will keep the Rebels' season alive and move them into the second round. Ole Miss would await the winner of the matchup between No. 1 seed Virginia and No. 16 seed Gardner-Webb. The round of 32 battle would take place Sunday, March 24 in Columbia.

RebelsCalendar

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Markel Crawford

Terence Davis

Devontae Shuler

Bruce Stevens

Breein Tyree

The University of Mississippi Athletics