Men's Hoops Hosts No. 6 Kentucky on Senior Night

			OLE MISS (19-10, 9-7 SEC) vs. #6 KENTUCKY (24-5, 13-3 SEC) Tuesday, March 5 • 8 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
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GAME 30
Matchup: #6/6 Kentucky (24-5, 13-3 SEC) at Ole Miss (19-10, 9-7 SEC)
Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Television: ESPN
   Karl Ravech, play-by-play
   Jimmy Dykes, analyst
   Laura Rutledge, reporter
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (Sirius-108; XM-191)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Sean Tuohy, analyst
Live Video: WatchESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Kentucky leads 106-13
Last Meeting: #23 Kentucky won 96-78
   Feb. 28, 2018

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss enters Tuesday's game ranked No. 37 in the NET with four Quadrant 1 victories.
- The Rebels currently have the 11th-best turnaround season in the country after only 12 wins last year.
- Prior to tipoff, Ole Miss will honor its three seniors who all hail from the state of Mississippi: D.C. Davis (Purvis), Terence Davis (Southaven) and Bruce Stevens (Louin); all three have played in each game this season.
- Senior guard Terence Davis ranks seventh in school history in three-pointers made (167), 10th in steals (135) and 14th in scoring (1,460 points).
- No. 6 Kentucky is the highest ranked team to play in The Pavilion since Jan. 28, 2017 (No. 5 Baylor).
- In last year's matchup in Lexington, five returners scored 70 of the team's 78 points: Terence Davis (26), Bruce Stevens (13), Breein Tyree (13), Dominik Olejniczak (10) and Devontae Shuler (8).
- Bruce Stevens registered his first double-double as a Rebel at Kentucky last year, scoring 13 points with a career-high 13 rebounds.
- The Rebels' last three games have been decided by a total of four points; the game-defeating bucket came with less than six seconds left in the two losses.
- On Monday, Breein Tyree was named as a finalist for the Howell Trophy (best men's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi); a Rebel has won the award five of the past six seasons.
- With 34.3 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 (77.5); 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 44.4 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 (3rd-83.2), field goal percentage (5th-48.4) and three-pointers made (7th-2.2 per game).

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 37th with four Quadrant 1 victories and three Quadrant 2 wins. The Rebels have played 13 Quadrant 1 games thus far. Andy Katz of NCAA.com has Ole Miss projected to be a No. 8 seed come March (Feb. 26). CBS Sports Bracketologist Jerry Palm has the Rebels as a No. 9 seed in his current NCAA Tournament projections (March 4). According to ESPN Bracketlogoist Joe Lunardi, Ole Miss is a No. 10 seed (March 3). 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 (77.5 percent).
- Breein Tyree ranks third in scoring (18.3 ppg), free throw percentage (83.2 percent) and playing time (33.6 minutes per game) as well as fifth in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and seventh 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 second in scoring (18.9 ppg).
- Terence Davis ranks sixth in steals (1.7), seventh in scoring (15.5 ppg), eighth in field goal shooting (45.9 percent) as well as 10th in assists (3.4 per game).
- Averaging 34.3 ppg in conference games, Tyree (18.9 ppg) and Davis (15.4 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 KENTUCKY
No. 6 Kentucky enters Tuesday's matchup with a 24-5 record, including 13-3 in SEC play. The Wildcats saw their four-game winning streak come to an end at No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday with a 71-52 setback in Knoxville. The streak started with a victory over the Volunteers at Rupp Arena (Feb. 16) when they were ranked No. 1 in the nation. Kentucky is one of the best teams in the country in rebounding. The Wildcats' rebounding margin of +9.5 leads the SEC and ranks third nationally. UK has balanced scoring with four Wildcats averaging double figures led by PJ Washington's 14.9 ppg. Freshman Tyler Herro adds 13.9 ppg, and Keldon Johnson records 13.4 ppg. Graduate transfer Reid Travis is averaging 11.3 ppg. John Calipari is in his 10th season as Kentucky's head coach. With 702 wins through 27 seasons, Calipari has previously coached Memphis (2001-09), the New Jersey Nets (1997-99) and UMass (1989-96).

SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday's game will be the 120th meeting between the two schools. The Wildcats hold a 106-13 lead in the series, but two of the Rebels' 13 all-time wins have come in the last 13 meetings. Ole Miss has 10 victories in Oxford, but Kentucky has won the last nine matchups. In the only contest between the two programs at The Pavilion, UK's Isaiah Briscoe produced a triple-double to lead No. 8 Kentucky to a 99-76 win (Dec. 29, 2017).

LAST TIME WE MET
The Wildcats protected their home floor in last year's meeting. Kevin Knox had 22 points and Quade Green added 18, including eight during a 15-5 second half run that helped No. 23 Kentucky pull away from Ole Miss 96-78 (Feb. 28, 2018). Terence Davis had a game-high 26 points, and Breein Tyree tallied 13. Bruce Stevens produced a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Dominik Olejniczak added 10 points, while Devontae Shuler scored eight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points, Wenyen Gabriel 15 and PJ Washington 10 as the Wildcats won their third consecutive game and home finale. Kentucky shot 56 percent after halftime and 50 percent overall in a game that was chippy at times, resulting in five technical foul calls and the quick ejection of Ole Miss senior forward Marcanvis Hymon after just 3 1/2 minutes.

WHAT A WIN WOULD DO
- It would be the Rebels' highest ranked victory since knocking off No. 6 Alabama 84-56 to end the 2001-02 regular season.
- Ole Miss would have its third victory over a top 25 team this season, the most wins over ranked teams since earning four during the 2001-02 campaign; it would also be the second win over a top 10 team, also the most since 2001-02.
- The Rebels would snap a nine-game losing streak to the Wildcats.
- Ole Miss would beat Kentucky for the first time since a 71-69 victory at Tad Smith Coliseum (Feb. 1, 2011).
- 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 two games left in the regular season, the SEC Tournament (March 13-17) is just around the corner. Ole Miss boasts a 9-7 conference mark, tied for fourth with four other teams (Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina). The Rebels can finish anywhere between fourth and ninth. The top four seeds earn a double bye into the quarterfinals. If the tournament started today, due to tiebreaker scenarios, Ole Miss would hold the No. 6 seed and face the winner of the No. 11-14 matchup, which currently pits Texas A&M against Vanderbilt.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS
Tuesday night will be the final home game for seniors D.C. Davis, Terence Davis and Bruce Stevens. Each senior has played in all 29 games this season, helping Ole Miss produce one of the nation's biggest turnarounds. Below are some quick notes on each senior Rebel.

- D.C. Davis: 34 games over two seasons, including three starts ... Played five games as a walk-on last year before earning a scholarship heading into his senior season ... Has appeared in all 29 games this season, finding a spot in the rotation and averaging 12.5 minutes per game ... Two-time winner of the Square Jam dunk contest ... As a junior, landed on the SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll ... Will earn his degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Education, Legal Studies and Recreation Administration.

- Terence Davis: 117 career games over four seasons, including 79 starts ... 1,460 points (14th in school history) ... Ranks seventh in three-pointers made (167) and 10th in steals (135) on the Ole Miss all-time list ... Ranks fifth among active SEC players in points and steals ... 21 career 20-point games, four career 30-point games, nine career double-doubles ... Led team in scoring a season ago ... SEC Community Service Team ... Will earn his degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Education, Legal Studies and Recreation Administration.

- Bruce Stevens: Has played in all 61 games over two seasons since arriving on campus, including 27 starts ... Averaging 9.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg during his Rebel career ... Three career double-doubles ... Has scored double figures in 29 games ... Career-high 27 points against Illinois State last season ... As a junior, earned a spot on the SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll ... Will earn his degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Education, Legal Studies and Recreation Administration.

MISSISSIPPI MADE
Along with head coach Kermit Davis (Leakesville), all three Ole Miss seniors hail from the state of Mississippi: D.C. Davis (Purvis), Terence Davis (Southaven) and Bruce Stevens (Louin).

FACING RANKED TEAMS
Ole Miss is 2-3 against ranked teams this season. The Rebels knocked off No. 10 Auburn 82-67 at home (Jan. 9) before going on the road to beat rival No. 14 Mississippi State 81-77 (Jan. 12). It marked the first time in school history that the Rebels won back-to-back games over top 15 teams. The Rebels' losses against ranked teams came at home in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge to No. 24 Iowa State (Jan. 26), which shot 69 percent to earn the win, against No. 21 MSU (Feb. 2) and No. 7 Tennessee (Feb. 27). No. 6 Kentucky is the highest ranked team to play in The Pavilion since No. 5 Baylor made the trip to Oxford (Jan. 28, 2017).

DEFENDING HOME COURT
Winning at home has been a trademark at Ole Miss. Over the past 13 seasons, the Rebels are 154-46 (.770 win pct.) in home games. In three-plus seasons playing in the $96.5 million Pavilion at Ole Miss, the Rebels hold a 41-20 (.672) advantage against the opposition. Ole Miss has won 279 of its last 357 games (.782 win pct.) in Oxford dating back to the 1996-97 campaign.

PAVILION PACKED
With Tuesday night's game almost sold out, a new average attendance record will be set for The Pavilion. The current attendance mark is 7,704 per game, a 12 percent increase from last season. In the first full season in The Pavilion, the average attendance was 7,396. Moreover, the Rebels have the highest increased home attendance in the SEC for conference games (22.51 percent) this year. For SEC games, the 8,703 average attendance is up significantly from the 7,104 average last season. Last week'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).

TYREE NAMED HOWELL TROPHY FINALIST
Ole Miss guard Breein Tyree has been named a finalist for the 2019 C Spire Howell Trophy, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced Monday (March 4). The Rebels' leading scorer is one of three finalists up for the award, given to the best men's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi. Joining Tyree as finalists are Southern Mississippi's Cortez Edwards and Mississippi State's Quinndary Weatherspoon. The award, named after the legendary Bailey Howell, will be presented to one of the three finalists at a luncheon next week (March 11) at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson. An Ole Miss Rebel has won the Howell Trophy five of the last six seasons. Sebastian Saiz took home the honor in 2017 after Moody was a two-time Howell Trophy recipient (2015, 2016). In 2014, Jarvis Summers claimed the trophy. Before leading the Rebels to a SEC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth, Marshall Henderson was the winner of the 2013 Howell Trophy.

HOT SHOT
Ole Miss has shot over 50 percent in nine 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 nine games shooting better than 50 percent from the field occurred during the 2012-13 campaign, which resulted in a SEC Tournament title. During Saturday's game at Arkansas (March 2), the Rebels shot 53.7 percent (29 of 54) for their best field goal percentage in SEC play this season.

DOWN TO THE WIRE
The Rebels' last three games have been decided by a total of four points. Ole Miss held off Georgia 72-71, forcing a Bulldog miss just before the buzzer. However, the Rebels suffered a pair of heartbreaking losses last week. 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). On Saturday (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. On the season, the Rebels are 4-4 in games decided by five points or less.

REBELS FALL TO RAZORBACKS IN CLOSING SECONDS
For the second time in four days, Ole Miss suffered a heartbreaking loss in the waning seconds of a ballgame. A Jalen Harris floater with 5.9 seconds left tumbled around the rim before falling to give Arkansas a 74-73 victory Saturday afternoon (March 2) at Bud Walton Arena. The Rebels were led by Breein Tyree, who scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half on 8 of 14 shooting. Devontae Shuler, Terence Davis, and Bruce Stevens all joined Tyree in double figures with 12 points apiece. Ole Miss' 53.7 field goal percentage was its best in SEC play this season. The Razorbacks were led by Mason Jones, who had 22 points with the help of going 6 of 8 from behind the arc. Daniel Gafford scored 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting, while the team shot 50 percent from three (9 of 18) for the game.

DYNAMIC DUO
Senior Terence Davis and junior Breein Tyree have become a dynamic duo in the Ole Miss backcourt, averaging 44.4 percent of the Rebels' scoring this season. Tyree leads the way at 18.3 ppg to rank third in the SEC, while Davis' 15.5 ppg rank seventh. Combining for 34.3 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 (33.8 ppg). The pair has recorded 23 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 eighth at 45.9 percent.

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 second in scoring during conference play (18.9 ppg). He ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage (83.2 percent) as well as fifth in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and seventh in 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 15 games. Over the past 10 games, Tyree has broken the 20-point plateau in seven of them to average 20.5 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.

SINGLE-SEASON STEALS
Averaging 1.8 steals per game, sophomore Devontae Shuler ranks fourth in the SEC. He has recorded at least three steals in nine different games this season, helping bring his total to 52. Shuler is one steal away from cracking the Ole Miss top 10 for steals in a single season. Senior Terence Davis is not too far behind with 49 steals, averaging 1.7 per game to sit sixth in the conference.

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); 58 - Rod Barnes (1988)
   6. 55 - Rahim Lockhart (2000); Ervin Garnes (1994); Eric Laird (1984)
   9. 54 - Eniel Polynice (2008)
   10. 53 - Jason Smith (1997)

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 1,128 career points through 95 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 1,460 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 77.5 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 11 games, Ole Miss is 83.4 percent (151 of 181) 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 83.2 percent free throw shooter (114 of 137) to rank third in the SEC among qualifiers. Devontae Shuler shoots 84.5 percent (49 of 58) and Bruce Stevens boasts an 81.8 percent clip (27 of 33).

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 19-10, the Rebels are off to their best start in four seasons. The seven-game improvement to this point is tied for the 11th-best turnaround nationwide and second best among Power 5 schools (Iowa). The 2014-15 team, the last Ole Miss team to make the NCAA Tournament, went 19-10 through the first 29 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.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Through 117 career games, senior Terence Davis has 1,460 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 15.5 ppg to rank seventh in the conference and shooting at a 45.9 percent clip (eighth in the SEC). The Southaven, Mississippi, native also paces the team in assists (3.4 per game) and rebounding (5.7 per game). With 13 points in the win over Georgia (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 sixth all-time in three-pointers attempted (494), seventh in three-pointers made (167) and 10th in steals (135).

TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE
Perhaps the biggest key to Ole Miss winning five of its last eight 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.

STEPPING UP IN SEC PLAY
Breein 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 18.9 ppg after recorded 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 28 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).

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 the third to win 19 of his first 29 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 29 games. Hazel's run extended into his second season as head coach after going 16-2 during the entire 1925-26 campaign. George Bohler (1936-38) won 20 of his first 29 games, going 11-9 during the 1935-56 campaign before starting the 1936-37 season with 11 straight victories.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Before heading to Nashville for the SEC Tournament, the Rebels will hit the road for a matchup with Missouri (March 9). Ole Miss won the first meeting of the season 75-65 in Oxford (Feb. 16). Tipoff from Columbia is set for 2:30 p.m. on SEC Network. The contest will have major seeding implications for the Rebels in the Music City.

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Markel Crawford

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Marcanvis Hymon

Dominik Olejniczak

Devontae Shuler

Bruce Stevens

Breein Tyree

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