Men's Hoops Begins February at No. 22 LSU

			OLE MISS (10-10, 1-6 SEC) at #22 LSU (16-4, 7-0 SEC) Saturday, February 1 • 11 AM • Baton Rouge, La. Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215)
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GAME 21
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020
Time: 11 a.m. CT
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Arena: Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215)
Television: ESPN2
   Paul Sunderland, play-by-play
   Jimmy Dykes, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM - 382, Sirius/XM Internet - 972)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: LSU leads 123-88
Last Meeting: Jan. 18, 2020
   LSU won 80-76
   Oxford, Miss.

AUTISM SPEAKS
The Ole Miss coaching staff will proudly wear Autism Speaks puzzle piece pins on the bench Saturday, helping increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss and LSU square off for the second time in two weeks.
- Breein Tyree scored a career-high 36 points in the season's first matchup against the Tigers, the most in a game by a Rebel since 2016 (Deandre Burnett - 41 vs. Oral Roberts).
- Ole Miss starters scored 73 of the team's 76 points last time out versus LSU.
- Kermit Davis enters Saturday's game with 499 career wins as a college basketball head coach over 25 seasons; 433 of those victories have come in Division I, ranked 38th among active head coaches.
- Saturday's game marks the Rebels' sixth road game over the past nine contests.
- Ole Miss faces ranked Tigers for the second straight game; the Rebels have played 10 games against teams that have been ranked in the top 25 at some point this season.
- The Rebels are coming off an 83-82 double overtime loss to No. 16 Auburn Tuesday, the program's first double OT game since 2012.
- Against Auburn, Blake Hinson (49 minutes), Devontae Shuler (48 minutes) and Khadim Sy (37 minutes) logged career highs in playing time.
- Devontae Shuler scored a career-high 26 points versus No. 16 Auburn.
- Breein Tyree leads the SEC in scoring in conference games (22.5 ppg), the only player to rank in the top five in field goal percentage (4th-45.2) and three-point field goal percentage (2nd-44.4) in league contests.
- Ole Miss starters have scored 406 of the team's 450 points in SEC play (90.2 percent).
- Veterans Breein Tyree (18.4 ppg), Blake Hinson (11.2 ppg), Devontae Shuler (10.7 ppg) and KJ Buffen (10.1 ppg) have accounted for 68.6 percent of the team's scoring this season.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,536 career points, 12th on the Ole Miss all-time scoring list; in the win over Georgia, he passed former teammate and current Toronto Raptor Terence Davis (1,512 points).
- Head coach Kermit Davis spent five seasons (1998-2002) as LSU's associate head coach, helping the Tigers to a Sweet 16 appearance during the 1999-2000 season.

SEC LEADERS
- Breein Tyree leads the SEC in scoring in conference play (22.5 ppg), while ranking third overall (18.4 ppg); he is the SEC's active leader in career points (1,536) and field goals made (522).
- Tyree is the only player in the SEC to rank top five in field goal percentage (4th-45.2) and three-point percentage (2nd-44.4) during conference play.
- Tyree ranks fourth in threes made per game (2.7) and minutes played (36.5 per game) in conference play.
- Devontae Shuler ranks third in the SEC in steals (2.1 per game) during conference play and fourth overall (1.8 per game).
- Shuler is one of four SEC guards to rank in conference's top 10 in both steals (5th-1.7) and assist/turnover ratio (7th-1.7).
- Ole Miss is averaging 7.1 steals per game in SEC play to rank second in the league.

SCOUTING LSU
Riding an eight-game winning streak, No. 22 LSU enters Saturday's matchup with a 16-4 record. Six of those victories have been decided by four points or less. The Tigers are also 7-0 in league play, the only remaining unbeaten team in SEC action. As a team, the Tigers lead the SEC in field goal percentage (48.0) and free throw percentage (77.5). Both marks rank top 20 nationally. They are also 16th in the country in scoring offense, averaging 80.1 ppg. Skylar Mays paces the offense with 15.9 ppg, while averaging 2.1 spg on the defensive side of the floor. Emmitt Williams adds 14.0 ppg, shooting 60.4 percent from the field (24th nationally). Three other Tigers average double figures to lead the balanced scoring attack: Trendon Watford (13.4 ppg), Darius Days (11.7 ppg) and Javonte Smart (11.7 ppg). Will Wade is in his third season as LSU's head coach after serving as VCU's head coach for two years. Wade began his head coaching career at Chattanooga, leading the Mocs for two seasons before accepting the job at VCU.

SERIES HISTORY
The series with the Tigers, which began in 1909, is the second-longest in Ole Miss Basketball history. LSU leads the all-time series 123-88. The Rebels have won eight of the last 15 meetings over the Bayou Bengals, but LSU has won the past three in Baton Rouge. LSU holds an 80-29 advantage on its home court, and Ole Miss will be looking for its first win in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center since 2013. This season, the two squads are playing a home-and-home series for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign. LSU won the year's first matchup, 80-76, in Oxford two weeks ago.

LAST TIME WE MET
It was only two week sago that the two conference foes tussled on the hardwood (Jan. 18). Returning from a back injury that caused him to miss the previous game, Breein Tyree put Ole Miss on his back. 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.

ON THIS DATE
The first day in February has been a common date for the Rebels and Tigers to square off. The two teams have met six times on Feb. 1, each winning three games apiece. Ole Miss won the first Feb. 1 contest 51-46 at LSU in 1936, 84 years ago. The last time the Rebels and Tigers battled to tip off February was in 1969. Ole Miss once again claimed a road victory, this time in overtime, 84-81 (Feb. 1, 1969).

REBEL-TIGER CONNECTIONS
- Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis spent five seasons (1998-2002) at LSU as associate head coach before going to Middle Tennessee and becoming the winningest coach in school history. Davis' time on the bayou was highlighted by a 28-6 record during the 1999-2000 season, which resulted in a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
- The Rebels will also see a familiar face on the opposing sideline Saturday. LSU assistant coach Bill Armstrong spent 11 seasons (2007-17) at Ole Miss alongside former head coach Andy Kennedy. He served five seasons as coordinator of basketball operations before being promoted to assistant coach for six years.

DAVIS SEEKS 500TH CAREER WIN
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis is approaching a milestone victory. In his 25th season as a college basketball head coach, Davis has collected 499 wins over 785 games (.636 winning percentage). His head coaching career started as a 24-year old at Southwest Mississippi Community College in 1984, the youngest junior college coach in the country, and he earned 66 victories over three season in the junior college ranks. Four years later at the age of 28, Davis became Idaho's head coach and was the youngest Division I head coach in the nation. Through 22 seasons as a Division I head coach, which includes becoming the winningest coach in Middle Tennessee and Sun Belt Conference history, Davis has 433 wins. He ranks 38th in victories among active Division I head coaches.

BREEIN LOVES SEC PLAY
Ole Miss senior Breein Tyree thrives during conference play. Not only is he the leading active scorer in the SEC (1,536 points), but his scoring output has increased from non-conference action to SEC play in each of his first three seasons. He has kept the trend going as a senior, 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 22.5 ppg in conference games.

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	22.5 ppg

DOUBLE OT HEARTBREAKER
A back-and-forth battle at The Pavilion needed 50 minutes of play before deciding a winner. In the end, a Blake Hinson three at the buzzer did not fall as Ole Miss suffered a heartbreaking double overtime defeat to No. 16 Auburn 83-82. Junior guard Devontae Shuler led the Rebels, especially down the stretch after senior Breein Tyree fouled out with five minutes left in regulation. The Irmo, South Carolina, native scored a career-high 26 points to go along with team highs in assists (5) and steals (3). Shuler tallied half of his points at the charity stripe, going 13 of 18, while shooting 6 of 10 from the field. Playing a career-high 48 minutes, he showed his stamina by scoring nine of the Rebels' 17 points during the two overtime periods. Hinson also played the majority of the game, logging 49 minutes and scoring 16 points. In the post, Khadim Sy and KJ Buffen reached double figures for the second consecutive game. Sy tallied 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Buffen scored 10 points. Both forwards were on the floor for 37 minutes apiece. While Ole Miss held Auburn to 38.1 percent (24 of 63) from the field, the Tigers went to the free throw line 36 times and made 26 of their attempts (72.2 percent). The game was the Rebels' first double overtime game since the 2011-12 season.

REBELS EARN ROAD WIN AT GEORGIA
In front of a sold-out crowd at Stegeman Coliseum, Ole Miss shook off a hostile environment and earned a hard-fought 70-60 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs (Jan. 25). The Rebels shot 52.0 percent from the field while holding Georgia's leading scorer, Anthony Edwards, to just 13 points on 3 of 12 shooting to control the game and pick up the road win. Breein Tyree scored 20 points to pace Ole Miss offensively, his 10th game this season with 20 or more. The frontcourt duo of Khadim Sy and KJ Buffen combined for 30 points as well. Sy battled down low, scoring 16 points for his best SEC game as a Rebel on 6 of 12 shooting. In a return to his home state, Buffen added 14 points. The Gainesville, Georgia, native made 5 of 6 from the field, while making all four of his free throws. The Rebels dominated points in the paint, 38-20. Ole Miss held Georgia to a 30.9 field goal percentage (17 of 55). Edwards' 13 points led the way, although it was seven points below his season average.

BALANCED SCORING LEADS TO VICTORIES
It's no secret that a balanced offense helps in seeking victories. When Ole Miss finds that balance, it usually leads to positive outcomes. In wins, all five Rebel starters are averaging double figures: Breein Tyree (17.2 ppg), Blake Hinson (13.5 ppg), KJ Buffen (12.5 ppg), Devontae Shuler (11.3 ppg) and Khadim Sy (10.0 ppg). In losses, Tyree (19.7 ppg) and Shuler (10.1 ppg) are the only Rebels scoring in double digits.

GETTING IN THE PAINT
Despite getting outrebounded 38-28 at Georgia (Jan. 25), Ole Miss found success scoring in the paint. The Rebels held a 38-20 advantage on points in the paint behind Khadim Sy and KJ Buffen. Sy was 6 of 12 from the floor for 16 points, his most in SEC play. Meanwhile, Buffen was nearly perfect down low (5 of 6) to go along with his precision at the free throw line (4 of 4) for 14 points. Breein Tyree also got to the rim often, leading to some of his team-high 20 points. The paint control continued to the Auburn game as Ole Miss held a 38-28 advantage. Sy and Buffen were in double figures once again, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively.

SHULER STATS
Junior guard Devontae Shuler leads the Rebels in assists (3.7) and steals (1.7). The Irmo, South Carolina, native is one of four players to rank in the SEC's top 10 in both steals (4th-1.8) and assist/turnover ratio (7th-1.7), joining Kentucky's Ashton Hagans, Missouri's Dru Smith and Vanderbilt's Saben Lee. He has recorded at least two steals in seven of the last eight games. Shuler has provided some consistency offensively, reaching double figures in nine of the past 12 games which included his best game as a Rebel Tuesday night versus No. 16 Auburn (Jan. 28). Against the Tigers, he took over after Breein Tyree fouled out and finished with a career-high 26 points in 48 minutes of the double overtime battle. It was his fourth 20-point game of his career, including the third this season.

TYREE'S BIG GAMES
Breein Tyree has 10 20-point games on the season, producing three such contests in November and three in December to go along with four in SEC play. He has 32 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 (18.4 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (11.2 ppg), junior Devontae Shuler (10.7 ppg) and sophomore forward KJ Buffen (10.1 ppg) have accounted for 68.6 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks third in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (6.1 per game) and blocks (0.9 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (3.7 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). After missing four games due to injury, Hinson has put together nine double-digit scoring performances, starting 15 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 20 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 10.1 ppg along with a team-best 6.1 rpg. His rebounding average is 20th in the conference. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in blocks (0.9), while ranking eighth 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). In the return to his home state, Buffen was 5 of 6 from the field and made all four of his free throws, tallying 14 points to help Ole Miss beat Georgia (Jan. 25). His play factors into the outcome of games. Buffen averages 12.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg in wins, while tallying 7.7 ppg and 4.8 rpg in losses.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks 12th on the all-time scoring list with 1,536 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored 20 points in the win at Georgia (Jan. 25) to pass former teammate and current Toronto Raptor Terence Davis (1,512) on the all-time scoring list. Next on Tyree's climb up the charts is Don Kessinger (1,553) and Gerald Glass (1,564). He is 28 points from cracking the top 10. Through 118 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 184 three-pointers to sit sixth in the program's rankings. He drained a trio of three-pointers against Tennessee (Jan. 21) to pass Stefan Moody (181).

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 11.2 ppg and 5.2 rpg, second among Rebels in both categories. Hinson has also started all 15 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 (Jan. 14), returning to his home state, Hinson produced his first career double-double with 16 points and career-high 11 rebounds. He tallied 13 points in the first matchup with LSU (Jan. 18).

TYREE TABBED SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
Breein Tyree was named one of 30 candidates for the 2019-20 Senior CLASS Award (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.

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 433 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 499 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 7.4 ppg, he is only Raptor to play in all 48 of the team's games. Davis is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
After playing five of their first eight conference game on the road, the Rebels return to The Pavilion for a three-game homestand. First, Ole Miss hosts the South Carolina Gamecocks in a midweek matchup (Feb. 5). Tipoff for Wednesday's game is set for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network. The Rebels face Florida for the second time this season (Feb. 8) before ending the homestand against rival Mississippi State (Feb. 11).

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

Bryce Williams

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