Rebels Return to the Road, Face Tennessee

			OLE MISS (9-8, 0-4 SEC) at TENNESSEE (11-6, 3-2 SEC) Tuesday, January 21 • 8 PM • Knoxville, Tenn. Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678)
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GAME 18
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678)
Television: SEC Network
   Tom Hart, play-by-play
   Mark Wise, analyst
   Alyssa Lang, Reporter
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM - 386, Sirius/XM Internet - 976)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Tennessee leads 74-44
Last Meeting: Feb. 27, 2019
   Tennessee won 73-71 (Oxford, Miss.)

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Despite playing 118 times throughout history, this is the first time the Rebels and Volunteers are playing on January 21.
- Ole Miss has won six out of the last 11 matchups in the series.
- The last time Kermit Davis coached in Thompson-Boling Arena, he led Middle Tennessee to a 71-64 victory over the Volunteers in the second round of the NIT (March 19, 2012).
- The Rebels are in the midst of playing five road contests over seven games; this matchup is the fourth road game of the stretch.
- Ole Miss is the only team in the SEC playing four of its first six conference games on the road.
- Breein Tyree is averaging an SEC-best 29.7 ppg in conference games; the next player behind him averages 21.5 ppg. Tyree is the first Rebel to score at least 25 points in his first three SEC games of a season since Joe Harvell (1992).
- Breein Tyree has increased his scoring output from non-conference to SEC play in each of his first three seasons.
- Devontae Shuler averages 2.3 steals per game in SEC play, ranking second in the conference.
- Starters scored 73 of the Rebels' 76 in Saturday's game versus LSU.
- Breein Tyree scored a career-high 36 points against LSU, the most by a Rebel since Deandre Burnett scored 41 versus Oral Roberts (Nov. 18, 2016); it was the most scored by a Rebel in an SEC game since Stefan Moody scored 43 points in a win over MSU (March 3, 2016).
- In his first game against Tennessee last season, Blake Hinson scored 14 points as a freshman.
- Veterans Breein Tyree (18.9 ppg), Blake Hinson (11.5 ppg), Devontae Shuler (10.2 ppg) and KJ Buffen (10.2 ppg) have accounted for 68.1 percent of the team's scoring this season.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,490 career points, which also ranks 14th on the Ole Miss all-time scoring list; Tyree is also seventh in Ole Miss history with 179 made three-pointers.
- Ole Miss freshmen Antavion Collum and John McBride hail from the state of Tennessee.

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (1.1).
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leader in scoring during league games (29.7 ppg); he ranks third in scoring overall (18.9 ppg) and is the SEC's active leader in career points (1,490) and field goals made (505).
- Tyree is shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 90.0 percent from the free throw line in conference games; both rank fourth in the SEC.
- Tyree ranks second in the SEC in threes made per game (3.7); he is shooting 50.0 percent from the beyond the arc in conference games, ranking third.
- Devontae Shuler ranks second in the SEC in steals (2.3 per game) during conference play.

SCOUTING TENNESSEE
Tennessee enters Tuesday's matchup with an 11-6 record, including a 3-2 mark in SEC play. The Volunteers are coming off a 66-45 victory over in-state rival Vanderbilt on Saturday (Jan. 18). Tennessee has relied on its defense this season, leading the SEC in scoring defense (59.6 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (38.2). Both marks rank top 25 nationally. On that side of the floor, Yves Pons leads the SEC in blocks (22), good for 22nd in the country. Pons adds 11.0 ppg offensively behind Jordan Bowden (12.4 ppg) and John Fulkerson (11.1 ppg). Since joining the Volunteers five games ago, Vescovi Santiago averages 11.0 ppg as well. Rick Barnes is in his fifth season as Tennessee head coach after spending 18 seasons as the head coach of Texas. With 703 career wins, Barnes has 33 years of head coaching experience at the Division I level.

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss and Tennessee have met 118 times, with the Volunteers holding a 74-44 lead in a series that began in 1924. Despite all of those matchups, the two teams have never played on January 21. Ole Miss has won six of the last 11 meetings, but Tennessee has taken the past four contests. The Volunteers have won three of the past five games in Knoxville, but the Rebels won road games in 2013 and 2016. The home team has won 14 of the last 19 regular season meetings dating back to 2004.

LAST TIME WE MET
Last season's matchup was a battle that came down to the final seconds. However, it did not go the Rebels' way as Ole Miss suffered a heartbreaking loss to No. 7 Tennessee, 73-71, in front of a sold out crowd at The Pavilion (Feb. 27, 2019). The Rebels led by three with 33 seconds to go, but Grant Williams' bucket with 4.3 seconds left flipped the game in the Volunteers' favor. 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 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.

ON THIS DATE
Seventeen years ago (Jan. 21, 2003), Aaron Harper scored a career-high 28 points to lead Ole Miss to a 76-57 victory over No. 15 Alabama at Tad Smith Coliseum. The Rebels kept Alabama's best players in check to earn an upset win over a ranked team. Erwin Dudley, the 2002 SEC Player of the Year scored 13 points for the Crimson Tide, and leading scorer Maurice Williams had another poor showing in his home state with nine points on 4 of 11 shooting. Justin Reed and David Sanders had 15 points each to complement Harper's 9 for 15 shooting for Ole Miss.

REBEL CONNECTIONS TO TENNESSEE
- Ole Miss freshmen Antavion Collum and John McBride hail from Memphis, Tennessee. Collum attended Bartlett High School, while McBride went to Memphis University School.
- Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis is no stranger to the state of Tennessee, having served as Middle Tennessee's head coach for 16 seasons. As the winningest coach in school history, he led the Blue Raiders to seven postseason berths. One of those appearances happened to be the last time Davis coached in Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena. In the second round of the 2012 NIT (March 19, 2012), Davis coached Middle Tennessee to a 71-64 upset victory over the Volunteers.

BREEIN LOVES SEC PLAY
Ole Miss senior Breein Tyree thrives during conference play. Not only is he the leading active scorer in the SEC (1,490 points), but his scoring output has increased from non-conference action to SEC play in each of his first three seasons. He kept the trend going to start SEC action this season, scoring 26 points against Texas A&M (Jan. 7) in the conference opener before tallying 27 versus Arkansas (Jan. 11). After missing the Florida game due to a back injury, Tyree returned better than ever and scored a career-high 36 points versus LSU (Jan. 18). With those performances, Tyree became the first Rebel to score at least 25 points in each of the first three SEC games of the season since Joe Harvell (1992). During the 1991-92 campaign, Harvell started conference play with four consecutive 30-point games. Tyree leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 29.7 ppg in conference games with the next highest scorer at 21.5 ppg (Anthony Edwards - Georgia).

Tyree's Seasons	Non-Conference	SEC
2016-17 (Freshman)	5.1 ppg	9.3 ppg
2017-18 (Sophomore)	9.0 ppg	12.3 ppg
2018-19 (Junior)	16.5 ppg	19.1 ppg
2019-20 (Senior)	16.5 ppg	29.7 ppg

DON'T PANIC
While the Rebels are off to a slow start in conference play, there is no reason to panic. Ole Miss has held the lead in three of the four games, and teams that have started 0-4 in the past have found the postseason. While a goal is to make the NCAA Tournament, the 2010-11 and 1999-2000 Rebels bounced back from 0-4 SEC starts to earn berths in the NIT. Andy Kennedy's 2010-11 team won seven of the final 12 SEC games to clinch a spot in the NIT, while the 1999-2000 squad ended the season in the NIT quarterfinals. There are plenty of opportunities for this season's team to rally for a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Eight of the Rebels' final 14 regular season games are Quadrant 1 contests.

TYREE TABBED SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
Breein Tyree was named one of 30 candidates for the 2019-20 Senior CLASS Award on Friday, Jan. 17. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Tyree, one of five SEC men's basketball candidates, has been a leader on and off the court. As a sophomore, he earned a leadership role within the conference by being named Vice-Chair of the SEC Men's Basketball Leadership Council. He has headed the council as chair for the past two years. Tyree, the lone senior on the team, also serves on the Ole Miss Student-Athlete Advisory Committee on campus as a voice for Rebel athletes.

OLE MISS DROPS TUSSLE WITH TIGERS
Returning from a back injury that caused him to miss the previous game, Breein Tyree put Ole Miss on his back Saturday night (Jan. 18). The senior guard scored a career-high 36 points, but it wasn't enough as the Rebels dropped a tight battle to LSU, 80-76, in The Pavilion. Tyree played 39 minutes in his first game back, shooting 12 of 20 from the field as well as a perfect 9 for 9 from the free throw line. However, the rest of the Rebels struggled at the charity stripe by going 0 of 10, a rarity for a team that entered the night shooting 84.9 percent in SEC games. Meanwhile, LSU made 24 of 27 (88.9 percent) free throws throughout the night. Blake Hinson added 13 points, while Khadim Sy tallied 10 points and a team-high six rebounds. Ole Miss starters accounted for 73 of the team's 76 points, as a three from Bryce Williams in the final minute was the only points from the bench. Javonte Smart's 20 points paced the Tigers, and Emmitt Williams added 17. LSU held the rebounding advantage 47-31, grabbing 12 offensive boards that led to 21 second chance points.

TYREE'S BIG GAMES
Breein Tyree has nine 20-point games on the season, producing three such contests in November and three in December to go along with three to start SEC play. He has 31 20-point games over his Ole Miss career. His biggest game as a Rebel was a career-high 36 points versus LSU (Jan. 18), the most points by a Rebel since Deandre Burnett scored 41 points against Oral Roberts (Nov. 18, 2016). It was the most scored by an Ole Miss player in an SEC game since Stefan Moody dropped 43 to lead the Rebels over MSU on his senior night (March 3, 2016). Tyree also had 34 against Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14) to give him four 30-point games for his career.

VETERANS LEAD THE WAY
The Rebels are led by a veteran cast. Senior guard Breein Tyree (18.9 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (11.5 ppg), junior Devontae Shuler (10.2 ppg) and sophomore forward KJ Buffen (10.2 ppg) have accounted for 68.1 percent of the team's scoring this season. Against LSU (Jan. 18), the quartet scored 63 of the team's 76 points (82.9 percent). Tyree ranks third in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (6.4 per game) and blocks (0.8 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (3.8 per game) and steals (1.8 per game), both top 10 in the SEC, while ranking seventh in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.7). Since returning from injury, Hinson has put together eight double-digit scoring performances, starting 12 games following the injury to Luis Rodriguez.

NEEDING BUFFEN
KJ Buffen was a primary bench player during his freshman campaign, but the 6-foot-7 forward is an important piece of the Ole Miss lineup as a sophomore. Starting all 17 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 10.2 ppg along with a team-best 6.4 rpg. His rebounding average is 15th in the conference. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in blocks (0.8), while ranking ninth in the SEC in steals (1.5 per game). Buffen tallied a career-high 23 points in a win over Norfolk State (Nov. 12) before producing his second career 20-point game to close out the calendar year against Tennessee Tech (Dec. 29). Last week against Florida (Jan. 14), Buffen scored a team-high 20 points and found most of his success at the free throw line. He went 10 of 11 at the line for a career high in made free throws, all in the second half.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks 14th on the all-time scoring list with 1,490 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored a career-high 36 points against LSU (Jan. 18) to pass Murphy Holloway (1,476) on the all-time scoring list. Next on Tyree's climb up the charts is Aaron Harper (1,505) and former teammate Terence Davis (1,512). If he matches his scoring output from a season ago, he'll end his career in the top 10. Through 115 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 179 three-pointers to sit seventh in the program's rankings. He drained a trio of three-pointers against the Tigers to pass Davis, while Stefan Moody awaits in sixth with 181 career three-pointers.

BLAKE IS BACK
After missing the first four games of the season, sophomore Blake Hinson wasted no time making an immediate impact for the Rebels. The Deltona, Florida, native averages 11.5 ppg and 5.1 rpg, second among Rebels in both categories. Hinson has also started all 12 games following the injury to Luis Rodriguez, filling a void in the Ole Miss lineup. He scored a season-high 23 points in the win over CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7). At Florida last week (Jan. 14), returning to his home state, Hinson produced his first career double-double with 16 points and career-high 11 rebounds.

YEAR TWO OF THE DAVIS ERA
Kermit Davis is in his second season at the helm of Ole Miss Basketball. A nine-time conference coach of the year, Davis is 38th among active Division I head coaches with 432 career wins over 22 seasons, including stints at MT, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 25 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 498 wins. Davis wasted no time making an impact in Oxford. With the Rebels coming off a last-place finish in 2017-18, the media picked Ole Miss to land at the bottom of the SEC standings again in 2018-19. However, the Rebels posted a 20-13 record to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. With a return to March Madness for the sixth time in his career, Davis joined a list of 63 coaches in college basketball history to take three different schools to the NCAA Tournament. Davis was named SEC Coach of the Year by his peers and the Associated Press, earning conference coach of the year accolades for the ninth time in his career. He became the sixth Ole Miss coach to earn SEC Coach of the Year honors, while joining Andy Kennedy as the only Rebel coaches to collect the award in their first year in Oxford.

TD IN THE NBA
The Rebels are without 2018-19 Second Team All-SEC guard Terence Davis, who finished his career ranked 12th on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,512 points. After going undrafted, Davis turned heads in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and quickly earned a multi-year deal with the reigning champion Toronto Raptors. Davis has become a regular in the Raptors' rotation to start the NBA season. The Southaven, Mississippi, native matched LeBron James with 13 points in the Raptors' win over the Lakers (Nov. 10). Earlier this month (Jan. 8), Davis was called upon to make his first career start, and boy did he deliver. The NBA Rebel scored a career-high 23 points and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds, both team highs, to record his first double-double and lead the Raptors to a victory over the Hornets. He matched that scoring output in another win over the Washington Wizards (Jan. 17). Averaging 7.3 ppg, he is only Raptor to play in all 42 of the team's games. Davis is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

SESAY EARNS HIS DEGREE
Ansu Sesay, the 1998 SEC Player of the Year and consensus All-American, returned to Ole Miss this season as a manager to serve on Kermit Davis' staff and pursue his degree. Through the Rebel Reconnect program, he completed his final courses in December to earn a bachelor's degree in university studies. During his playing days, Sesay averaged 18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game over his collegiate career as he became one of only two Rebels to ever record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 200 assists. Leaving school early 20 years ago, he was chosen in the second round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Sesay played three years with the Seattle Sonics as well as one season as a member of the Golden State Warriors.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Up next, Ole Miss will play its fifth road contest over the past seven games when it invades Georgia to battle the Bulldogs (Jan. 25). Tipoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Antavion Collum

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

John McBride

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Bruce Stevens

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

Bryce Williams

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