Rebels Start SEC Play Tuesday at Texas A&M

			OLE MISS (9-4, 0-0 SEC) at TEXAS A&M (6-6, 0-1 SEC) Tuesday, January 7 • 8 PM • College Station, Texas Reed Arena (12,989)
Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Buy Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Texas A&M Game Notes • SEC Game Notes (PDF)

GAME 14
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: College Station, Texas
Arena: Reed Arena (12,989)
Television: SEC Network
   Dave Neal, play-by-play
   Daymeon Fishback, 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: Texas A&M leads 6-3
Last Meeting: Feb. 6, 2019
   Ole Miss won 75-71
   Oxford, Miss.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Tuesday's contest will be the first time Ole Miss begins conference action against Texas A&M.
- Ole Miss starts SEC play on the road for the 18th time over the past 25 seasons, including the seventh time in the last 10 years.
- The Rebels have won their past four SEC openers when not facing Kentucky; Ole Miss opened conference play against Kentucky for three straight seasons (2015-17).
- Ole Miss enters SEC play with a 9-4 record following a road loss at No. 23 Wichita State, which snapped a four-game winning streak.
- The Rebels are one of 15 teams in the NET's top 70 to play at least four non-conference Quadrant 1 contests.
- Ole Miss is one of two SEC teams to play four non-conference Quadrant 1 games, joining Georgia.
- The Rebels recorded 14 steals in last season's win over Texas A&M, their most in an SEC game since Feb. 14, 2017 vs. LSU.
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,401 career points, which also ranks 17th on the Ole Miss all-time scoring list; Tyree also ranks eighth in Ole Miss history with 168 made three-pointers.
- Breein Tyree has increased his scoring output from non-conference to SEC play in each of his first three seasons.
- Khadim Sy, the leading scorer as it pertains to newcomers (9.3 ppg), has averaged 12.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg over the past six games; Sy has reached double figures in all six games.
- Veterans Breein Tyree (16.5 ppg), Blake Hinson (11.8 ppg), Devontae Shuler (10.8 ppg) and KJ Buffen (10.3 ppg) have accounted for 64.3 percent of the team's scoring this season.
- The media predicted the Rebels to finish eighth in the SEC; Ole Miss has finished higher than the preseason projection in seven of the last eight seasons.
- Breein Tyree (First Team) and Devontae Shuler (Second Team) are Preseason All-SEC selections.
- Ole Miss has produced 14 All-SEC guards over the past 13 seasons; last season, Breein Tyree was First Team All-SEC and current Toronto Raptor Terence Davis was Second Team All-SEC.

NON-CONFERENCE RECAP
Ole Miss finished its non-conference slate with a 9-4 record, winning at least nine non-conference regular season games for the 21st time in the past 23 seasons. However, it didn't come easy. The Rebels faced five teams that were ranked in the top 25 at one point this season. Ole Miss played four Quadrant 1 non-conference games, becoming one of just 15 teams in the NET's top 70 to face that type of gauntlet. The Rebels joined Georgia as the only two SEC teams to play four Quadrant 1 contests out of conference. Ole Miss' marquee non-conference victory was a remarkable comeback over Penn State in the NIT Tip-Off (Nov. 27). The Rebels erased a 21-point second half deficit, grabbing the lead in the final minute for a 74-72 victory. The Nittany Lions are currently 17th in the NET and No. 21 in the national polls.

SEC LEADERS
- The Rebels rank second in the SEC in assists per game (15.8).
- Ole Miss ranks third in assist/turnover ratio (1.2).
- Devontae Shuler ranks sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.9).
- Breein Tyree ranks seventh in scoring (16.5 ppg); he is the SEC's active leader in career points (1,401).
- KJ Buffen ranks seventh in the SEC in steals (1.8 per game).

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M enters Tuesday's matchup 6-6 overall and 0-1 in SEC play following a road loss to Arkansas (Jan. 4). The setback snapped a three-game winning streak that included a victory over Oregon State (Dec. 21). The Aggies have protected their home floor, posting a 6-1 record in Reed Arena; the only home loss is to Gonzaga, currently the No. 1 ranked team in the country. As a team, Texas A&M commits the fewest fouls per game in the SEC and 19th nationally (14.5 fouls per game). Senior forward Josh Nebo leads the Aggies in scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg). He paces the SEC in blocks (2.7 bpg). Savion Flagg averages double figures as well (11.1 ppg), while leading Texas A&M in assists (1.9 apg) and steals (1.3 spg). Buzz Williams is in his first season in College Station after spending five seasons as Virginia Tech's head coach.

SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday's game will be only the 10th meeting between the Rebels and Aggies. Texas A&M is Ole Miss' least common SEC opponent after the Aggies joined the SEC prior to the 2012-13 campaign. After playing twice in Texas A&M's inaugural SEC season, the squads have met only once in each of the following six seasons. The Aggies hold a 6-3 advantage, including wins in all four matchups in College Station. The two teams first met Dec. 29, 1972 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where Texas A&M claimed a 100-83 victory. Last season, the Rebels snapped a three-game skid in the series by downing the Aggies 75-71 in Oxford (Feb. 6, 2019).

LAST TIME WE MET
Taking advantage of steals and converting at the free throw line, Ole Miss got back on the winning track with a 75-71 victory over Texas A&M in The Pavilion (Feb. 6, 2019). The Rebels recorded 14 steals and produced 31 points off turnovers, while shooting 94.7 percent (18 of 19) from the charity stripe, to rally from a nine-point second half deficit and earn a hard-fought win. Ole Miss knocked down 17 of 18 free throw attempts in the second half behind the duo of Terence Davis and Breein Tyree. Davis made all six of his free throws, while Tyree sank all five of his own. The pair of Rebels combined for 41 of the team's 75 points with Tyree's 22 leading the way. Davis was a stat stuffer throughout the night, scoring 19 points with team highs in rebounds (8), steals (7) and assists (5). His seven steals were a career-high and the most by a Rebel in two seasons. Blake Hinson added 11 points and a pair of steals, while Devontae Shuler tallied at least three steals for the fourth consecutive game.

SEC OPENER FACTS
- The Rebels have won their past four SEC openers that have not been Kentucky (wins over Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Auburn and Tennessee).
- Ole Miss began conference play against Kentucky for three straight seasons (2015-17).
- Tuesday's opener will be the 18th time over the past 25 seasons that the Rebels will start SEC play on the road.
- Ole Miss will begin its conference slate away from home for the seventh time in the last 10 years.

UNDERRATED REBELS
Ahead of the SEC's media day, a panel consisting of SEC and national media members picked the Rebels to finish eighth in the conference standings this season. That shouldn't worry Ole Miss fans, as the Rebels have placed higher than the media's projection in seven of the last eight seasons since the SEC went away from the divisional format. That includes last season when Ole Miss was predicted to finish last in the SEC, only to tie for sixth and return to the NCAA Tournament under first year head coach and 2019 SEC Coach of the Year Kermit Davis.

BREEIN LOVES SEC PLAY
Ole Miss senior Breein Tyree thrives during conference play. Not only is he the leading active scorer in the SEC (1,401 points), but his scoring output has increased from non-conference action to SEC play in each of his first three 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	???

WINNING STREAK ENDS AT NO. 23 WICHITA STATE
Ole Miss saw its four-game winning streak come to an end on the road Saturday afternoon (Jan. 4). Behind 29 points from Erik Stevenson, No. 23 Wichita State protected its home floor to hand the Rebels a 74-54 setback at Charles Koch Arena. Devontae Shuler and Khadim Sy scored 12 points apiece to pace Ole Miss. Both Rebels pulled down a team-high five rebounds as well. On the defensive side of the floor, Sy recorded a career-high three blocks and Shuler added a pair of steals. Sy produced his sixth straight double-digit scoring game. As a team, the Rebels knocked down 18 of 23 (78.3 percent) from the free throw line. Winning their seventh in a row, the Shockers outscored Ole Miss 20-1 in points off turnovers. Following Stevenson's big night, Jamarius Burton added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists for Wichita State.

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 (16.5 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (11.8 ppg), junior Devontae Shuler (10.8 ppg) and sophomore forward KJ Buffen (10.3 ppg) have accounted for 64.3 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks seventh in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (6.5 per game) and steals (1.8 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (4.2 per game) and ranks sixth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.9). Since returning from injury, Hinson has put together five double-digit scoring performances while starting eight games following the injury to Luis Rodriguez.

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 12 starts, the 6-foot-10 forward has averaged 9.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg. The Dakar, Senegal, native has scored in double figures in each of the past six games, averaging 12.5 ppg to go along with 5.3 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, before scoring a team-high 12 points at No. 23 Wichita State (Jan. 4).

TYREE'S 20-POINT GAMES
Breein Tyree has six 20-point games on the season, producing three such contests in November and three in December. 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.

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 11.8 ppg and is shooting 42.9 percent (18 of 42) from beyond the arc to lead the team in three-point field goal percentage. Hinson has also started all eight 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 13 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 10.3 ppg along with a team-best 6.5 rpg. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in steals (1.8), which ranks seventh in the SEC. His 6.5 rebounding average is 13th 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.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks 17th on the all-time scoring list with 1,401 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 112 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 168 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 eight threes away from tying former teammate Terence Davis for seventh.

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 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). 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 6.9 ppg, he is only Raptor to play in all 36 of the team's games and is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

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.

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
Following back-to-back road games, the Rebels return to Oxford for their first home game of 2020. Ole Miss hosts Arkansas for a Saturday evening match up (Jan. 11). Tipoff is set for 5 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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