Men's Hoops Begins 2020 at No. 23 Wichita State

			OLE MISS (9-3, 0-0 SEC) at #23 WICHITA STATE (12-1, 1-0 AAC) Saturday, January 4 • 3 PM • Wichita, Kan. Charles Koch Arena (10,506)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Wichita State Game Notes • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

GAME 13
Date: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Wichita, Kan.
Arena: Charles Koch Arena (10,506)
Television: ESPNU
   Paul Sunderland, play-by-play
   Mark Wise, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (Sirius/XM Internet - 982)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 3-2
Last Meeting: Nov. 18, 2001
   Ole Miss won 80-68
   Fairbanks, Alaska

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss enters Saturday's contest riding a four-game winning streak, shooting over 50 percent in each game.
- During the winning streak, all five starters have averaged double figures: Breein Tyree (19.3 ppg), Devontae Shuler (14.0 ppg), Blake Hinson (13.8 ppg), Khadim Sy (12.8 ppg) and KJ Buffen (10.3 ppg).
- The Rebels have won the past three meetings against the Shockers.
- Saturday will be the fifth Quadrant 1 game for Ole Miss, including the fourth against a top-20 NET team; the Rebels are currently 50th in the NET.
- KJ Buffen and Devontae Shuler scored half (40) of the team's points in the win over Tennessee Tech (Dec. 29), scoring 20 points apiece; Buffen added a career-high three blocks.
- Blake Hinson brought down a career-high 10 rebounds in the victory over the Golden Eagles, becoming the first Rebels to record double digits in rebounds this season.
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in assists per game (16.8) and defensive rebounding percentage (76.4).
- The Rebels finished the 2010s with a record of 204-135 (.602) this decade, the most wins in a decade in Ole Miss Basketball history; the decade featured three NCAA Tournament berths and four NIT appearances.
- Devontae Shuler has a 4.6 assist/turnover ratio over the past five games, dishing out 32 assists and only committing seven turnovers; Shuler's 2.1 assist/turnover ratio on the season ranks fourth in the SEC.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,392 career points, which also ranks 17th on the Ole Miss all-time scoring list; Tyree also ranks eighth in Ole Miss history with 167 made three-pointers.
- Khadim Sy, the leading scorer as it pertains to newcomers (9.1 ppg), has averaged 12.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg over the past five games; Sy has reached double figures in all five games.
- Veterans Breein Tyree (17.1 ppg), Blake Hinson (12.4 ppg), KJ Buffen (10.8 ppg) and Devontae Shuler (10.8 ppg) have accounted for 64.6 percent of the team's scoring this season.
- Kermit Davis is in his 25th season as a collegiate head coach, the 22nd as a NCAA Division I head coach to match Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall.

BEST DECADE IN OLE MISS BASKETBALL HISTORY
With the 2010s now in the rearview mirror, we look back on the most successful decade in Ole Miss Basketball history. The Rebels went 204-135 (.602) during the span, the most wins ever by the program over a decade. It started off with the 2010 team capturing the SEC West Division title before advancing to the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden. That was the first of four NIT appearances throughout the decade, including twice advancing to the NIT Final Four. The Rebels earned three NCAA Tournament berths during the decade, starting with 2013 SEC Tournament champions that tied a school record with 27 wins. The 2014-15 team had a historic comeback over BYU in a First Four game, while the 2018-19 Rebels exceeded expectations to make the Big Dance in the first year under Kermit Davis.

SEC LEADERS
- The Rebels lead the SEC in assists per game (16.8) and defensive rebound percentage (76.4).
- Ole Miss ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (1.2).
- KJ Buffen ranks fourth in the SEC in steals (1.8 per game) and Devontae Shuler ranks fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.1).
- Breein Tyree ranks fifth in scoring (17.1 ppg); he is the SEC's active leader in career points (1,392).

SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
Wichita State enters Saturday's matchup nationally ranked with a 12-1 record, including a six-game winning streak. The Shockers have won all 10 of their home games. Their lone loss came at the hands of West Virginia in the Cancun Challenge championship game. With a 1.3 assist/turnover ratio, Wichita State leads the AAC and ranks 26th nationally. Three Shockers average double figures led by Erik Stevenson's 12.9 ppg. Freshman guard Tyson Etienne is right behind at 11.2 ppg, while sophomore Jamarius Burton averages 10.1 ppg. Etienne is a threat from long distance as 34 of his 46 made field goals have come from beyond the arc. With a 44.7 three-point field goal percentage, Etienne ranks 20th in the country and paces the conference. Gregg Marshall in his 13th season as Wichita State's head coach. Prior to arriving in Kansas, Marshall led Winthrop to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in nine years. He has collected 514 victories over 22 seasons as a head coach.

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss leads the all-time series with Wichita State 3-2. The two teams met for four straight seasons from 1994 to 1997. After dropping the first two matchups in 1994 and 1995, the Rebels won the last three contests to claim advantage in the series. The two programs have split the pair of games in Wichita. The Shockers won the first battle in Kansas 72-59 (Dec. 16, 1995), but the Rebels rolled to a 71-48 victory the last time they squared off in Wichita (Dec. 13, 1997). In that Ole Miss win, current staff member Ansu Sesay (1998 All-American and SEC Player of the Year) scored 11 points with nine rebounds. Keith Carter, Ole Miss' current athletics director, added five points and five rebounds. Carter scored 11 points over 39 minutes as a freshman, helping Ole Miss take down the Shockers 68-65 in Oxford (Dec. 14, 1996). The two teams last met in 2001, concluding the Top of the World Classic in Alaska, an 80-68 victory for the Rebels.

LAST TIME WE MET
The Rebels and Shockers last matched up on the hardwood outside the continental United States. Beginning the season in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, Ole Miss closed out the three-game tournament with an 80-68 victory (Nov. 18, 2001). Aaron Harper scored 18 points as the Rebels beat Wichita State to secure fourth place in the tournament, winning two of three games. Harper hit a pair of three-pointers and two free throws during a 10-1 run that made it 28-20. He had 15 points in the first half. The Rebels extended their lead to 56-37 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Ole Miss shot 28 of 46 (60.3 percent) for the game.

FACING THE AAC
Wichita State is the second American Athletic Conference (AAC) teams that Ole Miss will face this season. The Rebels already battled then-No. 16 Memphis (Nov. 23) to the wire, dropping a one-point game on the road 87-86. Ole Miss is 64-98 all-time against current members of the AAC having faced each of the 12 teams. Along with a 3-2 mark versus Wichita State, the Rebels have squared off against Cincinnati (1-2), East Carolina (1-1), Houston (2-1), Memphis (14-28), SMU (2-1), South Florida (1-0), Temple (1-3), Tulane (35-55), Tulsa (1-4), UCF (3-0) and UConn (0-1).

WINNING STREAK STATS
Ole Miss closed out is best decade in program history with a four-game winning streak. Here are some quick hits from the winning streak.
- The Rebels have shot over 50 percent in all four games, recording a cumulative 54.0 field goal percentage.
- Ole Miss has scored in the 80s in each contest, outscoring the opposition by an average of 14.5 ppg (82.0-67.5).
- All five starters are averaging double figures: Breein Tyree (19.3 ppg), Devontae Shuler (14.0 ppg), Blake Hinson (13.8 ppg), Khadim Sy (12.8 ppg) and KJ Buffen (10.3 ppg).
- The Rebels are averaging 20.5 assists per game, led by Shuler's 6.5 per game.
- Hinson is shooting 62.1 percent (18 of 29) from the field, including 52.6 percent (10 of 19) from beyond the arc.

SHARING THE ROCK
As the SEC leaders in assists, Ole Miss increased its season average to 16.8 per game with 22 assists against Tennessee Tech (Dec. 29). In the win over Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14), the Rebels tallied a season high in assists with 23 on 28 made buckets. One week earlier against CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7), Ole Miss recorded 18 assists and only six turnovers. Leading the way for the Rebels has been junior point guard Devontae Shuler. The Irmo, South Carolina, native produced a career-high nine assists against the Blue Raiders, while dishing out six assists without committing a turnover versus the Roadrunners. He also added six assists and zero turnovers in the win over Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 21). He rose to fourth in the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (2.1) with five assists and two turnovers last time out. Over the past five games, Shuler has averaged 6.4 assists per game to go along with a 4.6 assist/turnover ratio.

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.

SECOND HALF SURGE LIFTS REBELS TO VICTORY
After shaking off some rust from the holiday break, Ole Miss shot 69.2 percent (18 of 26) in the second half to surge to an 80-63 win over Tennessee Tech at The Pavilion (Dec. 29). KJ Buffen and Devontae Shuler scored 20 points apiece to make sure the Rebels ended the decade victoriously. Shooting over 50 percent for the fourth straight game, Ole Miss earned its fourth consecutive win to close out the 2019 calendar year. The Rebels were 30 of 55 (54.5 percent) throughout the game, while holding the Golden Eagles to 40 percent (24 of 60) shooting. Along with his second career 20-point game, Buffen pulled down eight rebounds and registered a career-high three blocks on the defensive end. Shuler continued to take care of the basketball, dishing out a team-high five assists and only committing two turnovers. He provided consistency, scoring 10 points in each half. As a team, the Rebels recorded 22 assists on 30 buckets.

ENDING THE CALENDAR YEAR STRONG
Ole Miss is 10-1 in the month of December under second-year coach Kermit Davis. Last season, the Rebels went 6-0 in the final month of the calendar year as part of a 10-game winning streak that extended into SEC play before going 4-1 in 2019.

TYREE'S 20-POINT GAMES
Breein Tyree has six 20-point games on the season, producing three in each month. Coming off the bench against No. 24 Butler (Dec. 3), he tallied a team-high 22 points to go along with a career-high eight rebounds. In the win over CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7), Tyree scored 20 points with the help of shooting 11 of 14 from the free throw line. He followed that up with his biggest game as a Rebel, tallying a career-high 34 points versus Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14) for his third career 30-point game. Tyree went 8 of 11 from beyond the arc in the victory. He has 28 20-point games over his Ole Miss career.

SY STEPS UP
After transferring to Ole Miss following an All-American season at junior college Daytona State, Khadim Sy has become a focal point in the Rebels frontcourt. Making 11 starts, the 6-foot-10 forward has averaged 9.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg. The Dakar, Senegal, native has scored in double figures in each of the past five games, averaging 12.6 ppg to go along with 5.6 rpg. He started the stretch with 12 points, four rebounds, a career-high three assists and zero turnovers versus No. 24 Butler (Dec. 3). He followed that up with 10 points and a team-high seven boards in both of the wins over CSU Bakersfield (Dec. 7) and Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14). Sy had his biggest game as his Ole Miss career Dec. 21, leading the Rebels to a win over Southeastern Louisiana with a career-high 20 points and recording seven rebounds for the third consecutive game. He added 11 points versus Tennessee Tech (Dec. 29), another Ole Miss win.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks 17th on the all-time scoring list with 1,392 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored nine points against Tennessee Tech (Dec. 29) to pass Jack Waters (1,384) on the all-time scoring list. Next on Tyree's climb up the charts is 2020 SEC Legend Eric Laird (1,421) and 1998 SEC Player of the Year Ansu Sesay (1,428). If he matches his scoring output from a season ago, he'll end his career in the top 10. Through 111 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 167 three-pointers to sit eighth in the program's rankings. He drained a career-high eight three-pointers versus Middle Tennessee (Dec. 14) to leapfrog Todd Abernethy and Jason Harrison into eighth on the school's all-time chart. Tyree is nine threes away from tying former teammate Terence Davis for seventh.

VETERANS LEAD THE WAY
While several newcomers have made immediate impacts to expand Ole Miss' depth, the Rebels are led by a veteran cast. Senior guard Breein Tyree (17.1 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (12.4 ppg), sophomore forward KJ Buffen (10.8 ppg) and junior Devontae Shuler (10.8 ppg) have accounted for 64.6 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks fifth in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (7.0 per game) and steals (1.8 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (4.3 per game) and ranks fourth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.1). Since returning from injury, Hinson has put together five double-digit scoring performances while starting six games following the injury to Luis Rodriguez.

LOSING LUIS
Luis Rodriguez suffered a foot injury during the shootaround ahead of the Rebels' game against Penn State in the NIT Tip-Off at the Barclays Center (Nov. 27). Rodriguez had surgery on his left foot Dec. 1 and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. After playing in 25 games as a freshman, Rodriguez saw an expanded role to begin his sophomore season. The Los Angeles, California, native started each of the first five games for the Rebels and averaged 5.8 points per game. His 5.2 rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per game ranked second on the team in both categories at the time of injury.

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 12.4 ppg and is shooting 45.0 percent (18 of 40) from beyond the arc. Hinson has also started all seven 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).

BUFFEN BREAKS OUT
KJ Buffen was a primary bench player during his freshman campaign, but the 6-foot-7 forward is to off to superb start to his sophomore season. Starting all 12 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 10.8 ppg along with a team-best 7.0 rpg. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in steals (1.8), which ranks fourth in the SEC. His 7.0 rebounding average is 11th in the conference. 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). After averaging only 6.0 ppg and 4.4 rpg in his first season as a Rebel, Buffen has emerged as one of the team's best players to begin the 2019-20 season.

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 TO THE NBA
The Rebels are without 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). Davis recorded NBA career highs in points (19) and rebounds (8) to help Toronto take down the Orlando Magic at home (Nov. 19), while tying his scoring high to end the 2019 calendar year in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers (Dec. 31). Averaging 7.0 ppg, he is only Raptor to play in all 35 of the team's games and is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
After closing out non-conference play against the nationally-ranked Shockers, the Rebels remain on the road to begin SEC play. Ole Miss heads to College Station, Texas to face the Texas A&M Aggies (Jan. 7). Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

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