Ole Miss Set for Battle at Dayton Saturday Afternoon

			OLE MISS (4-0, 0-0 SEC) at DAYTON (3-1, 0-0 A-10) Saturday, Dec. 19 • 1:30 p.m. • Dayton, Ohio UD Arena
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GAME 5
Date: Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020
Time: 1:30 p.m. CT
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Arena: UD Arena (13,435)
Television: NBCSN
   Rich Lerner, play-by-play
   John Giannini, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM-386, Internet-976)
   Eli Savoie, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Live Audio: NBCSports.com
Series: Dayton leads the series 6-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 30, 2014
   Dayton won 78-74
   Dayton, Ohio

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss is the only team in the country to allow less than 60 points in each game this season (minimum four games); the last time the Rebels kept opponents under 60 points in each of their first four games was 1945.
- The Rebels enter Saturday's matchup ranked top 10 nationally in three categories: scoring defense (5th-52.0), field goal percentage defense (7th-33.7) and turnovers forced (9th-21.5).
- Ole Miss is 4-0 for the third time in the past five seasons after playing four games over seven days.
- The Rebels rank 25th nationally in scoring margin (+22.0).
- Ole Miss and Dayton begin a home-and-home series; the Flyers will make the trip to Oxford next season.
- The last time Ole Miss played in UD Arena, the Rebels rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit to beat BYU in a 2015 NCAA Tournament First Four game.
- The Rebels are 14-1 in December under Kermit Davis.
- Romello White is shooting 80.0 percent from the field, leading the SEC and ranking third in the country.
- Averaging 2.5 steals per game, Devontae Shuler leads the SEC; Shuler has 152 career steals to rank ninth in program history, two away from tying Rod Barnes (Ole Miss All-American and former Rebel head coach) for eighth.
- Luis Rodriguez has a 3.3 assist/turnover ratio to pace the conference.
- The Rebels are coming off a 70-51 victory at Middle Tennessee (Dec. 16), Kermit Davis' former team (MT's all-time wins leader); in the victory, all five Ole Miss starters scored in double figures.
- Ole Miss won its first road game of a season since the 2015-16 campaign, snapping a four-game skid in road openers.
- Romello White (980) and Devontae Shuler (978) are nearing 1,000 points for their careers.
- Opponents have shot a combined 25.8 percent (25 of 97) against Ole Miss in the first half.
- The Rebels are outscoring opponents in the paint by an average of 39.5-17.
- Saturday's game will mark Ole Miss' second road game, the only team in the SEC to play multiple true road games to this point of the season.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
- Ole Miss ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense (52.0).
- The Rebels are limiting opponents to a 33.7 field goal percentage, seventh best in the country.
- Ole Miss ranks ninth in turnovers forced per game (21.5).
- The Rebels have the 25th-best scoring margin in the nation (+22.0).
- Romello White is shooting 80.0 percent from the field, ranking third nationwide.

SEC LEADERS
- Ole Miss leads the SEC in turnovers forced per game (21.5).
- The Rebels rank second in scoring defense (52.0), field goal percentage defense (33.7) and turnover margin (+8.0).
- Ole Miss ranks third in scoring margin (+22.0), assists (14.8), steals (9.0) and assist/turnover ratio (1.1).
- Devontae Shuler leads the SEC in steals (2.5), while ranking sixth in scoring (17.8 ppg).
- Shuler also ranks top five in three-point field goal percentage (4th-47.6), threes made per game (5th-2.5) and free throw percentage (5th-92.9).
- Luis Rodriguez is the conference leader in assist/turnover ratio (3.3) and ranks third in steals (2.0).
- Romello White leads the SEC in field goal percentage (80.0), while ranking fourth in blocks (1.8).

LATE START
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the college basketball season was pushed back to November 25. Then, the virus hit the Rebels, forcing the cancellation of the Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic (Nov. 25-27) as well as a matchup against Memphis (Dec. 5). The program paused team activities until December 7. When the Rebels tipped off their season last week (Dec. 10), Ole Miss was the final Power 5 team (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) to start its season. It's been 72 years since the Rebels started a basketball this season this late, defeating Mississippi College to start the 1948-49 campaign (Dec. 11, 1948).

AND HERE. WE. GO.
Ole Miss wasted no time trying to get in non-conference games, scheduling four games in a span of seven days (Dec. 10-16). Playing every other day, it was the first time the Rebels played four games over a one-week span since Nov. 18-24, 2016. That week featured the Rebels advancing to the finals of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands before returning home to beat Montana on Thanksgiving. Tipping off this season, Ole Miss got through the busy schedule unscathed, starting off 4-0 for the third time over the past five seasons and winning by an average of 22 points.

SCOUTING DAYTON
- Dayton enters Saturday's matchup with a 3-1 record after defeating Mississippi State in double overtime last week (Dec. 12).
- Starters have accounted for 264 of Dayton's 281 points this season (94 percent) led by 19.5 ppg from Ibi Watson.
- Watson and Jalen Crutcher (15.8 ppg) lead the nation in playing time with each totaling over 40 minutes per game thanks to the double OT contest versus Mississippi State.
- The Flyers lost Obi Toppin, consensus national player of the year, to the NBA; Toppin was selected by the New York Knicks with the eighth pick in the NBA Draft.
- Dayton is shooting 51.0 percent as a team, good enough for second in the A-10 and 30th nationally.
- The Flyers are coached by Anthony Grant, the consensus 2020 national coach of the year; Grant is in his fourth season at Dayton, his alma mater.

LAST TIME WE MET
Jarvis Summers led the Rebels with 20 points and LaDarius White added 14, but Ole Miss fell to Dayton 78-74 at UD Arena (Dec. 30, 2014) to close out the 2014 calendar year. The Flyers held a comfortable lead for most of the game, including 75-65 with 1:42 left in regulation. However, the Rebels stormed back to pull within three points, 77-74, on a three-pointer by guard White with 15.5 seconds left. Despite the rally, the comeback fell short as Dayton protected its home court.

MARCH MADNESS WIN AT UD ARENA
The Rebels had a memorable victory the last time they played in UD Arena (March 17, 2015). March Madness reigned in Dayton, as 11th-seeded Ole Miss scored 62 second-half points to overcome a 17-point halftime deficit, rallying past 11th-seeded BYU 94-90 in a First Four NCAA Tournament matchup. Six Rebels finished in double figures led by a team-high 26 points by Stefan Moody, who went 10 for 18 from the field, including 5 for 9 from three-point range. M.J. Rhett added a career-high 20 points on 9 for 11 shooting, scoring 14 of his 20 points during the second-half surge. As a team, Ole Miss shot 45 percent from the floor, including 60 percent in the second half. They dished out 24 assists on 36 made field goals, led by a season-high 10 assists from Jarvis Summers, who also finished with 11 points. The Rebels scored 25 points off 15 BYU turnovers, while committing just seven turnovers that led to zero points off turnovers for the Cougars.

REBELS VS. ATLANTIC 10
Ole Miss is 15-13 all-time against the current members of the Atlantic 10, despite an 0-6 mark versus Dayton. Throughout history, the Rebels have also faced Davidson (0-2), Fordham (2-0), George Mason (1-2), La Salle (1-1), Saint Louis (2-2), Saint Joseph's (3-0), UMass (2-0) and VCU (4-0).

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
Head coach Kermit Davis loves a team that plays good defense with toughness. His Rebels have been that team this season, starting off as one of the best defensive squads in college basketball. Ole Miss is the only team to allow less than 60 points in each game this season (minimum four games). The last time the Rebels limited their opposition under 60 points in their first four games was 76 years ago, dating back to the 1944-45 season. Overall, Ole Miss is at the top of the SEC and the country in three defensive categories.

Category	Stat	SEC Rank	NCAA Rank
Scoring Defense	52.0	2nd	5th
FG% Defense	33.7	2nd	7th
Turnovers Forced	21.5	1st	9th

FAST STARTS
Ole Miss has built large first half leads, starting with its lockdown defense. The Rebels are limiting opponents to an average of 18.8 points in the opening 20 minutes, while causing them to shoot just 25.8 percent (25 of 97) from the field.

Opponent	FG (Made-Att.)	FG%	Halftime Advantage
Jackson State	5-25	20.0	+29 (41-12)
UNCW	7-23	30.4	+20 (38-18)
Central Arkansas	5-21	23.8	+12 (35-23)
Middle Tennessee	8-28	28.6	+10 (32-22)

ROAD REBS
All five starters scored in double figures, leading Ole Miss to a 70-51 victory over Middle Tennessee (Dec. 16) in the first road game of the season. The Rebels took down the Blue Raiders in Kermit Davis' return to Murphy Arena, snapping a four-game skid in road openers dating back to the 2015-16 season (67-54 win at Bradley). Facing the Flyers on Saturday, Ole Miss becomes the only SEC team to play multiple true road games to this point of the season.

NEARING 1K
A pair of Rebels are nearing 1,000 points for their respective careers. Devontae Shuler has 978 career points, all at Ole Miss, while Romello White has 980 points. White scored 927 of his points at Arizona State.

CONTROLLING THE PAINT
Ole Miss has dominated the paint this season, outscoring opponents by 22.5 points (39.5-17), nearly identical to the team's scoring margin (+22.0) that ranks 25th in the country. Here's a look at paint points by game.

	Ole Miss	Opponent
Game 1 vs. Jackson State	38	14
Game 2 vs. UNCW	50	20
Game 3 vs. Central Arkansas	22	18
Game 4 at Middle Tennessee	48	16

SHULER TAKES COMMAND
With Terence Davis (Toronto Raptors) and Breein Tyree (Miami Heat), All-SEC guards from the previous two seasons, graduated and in the NBA, Devontae Shuler has become the Rebels' leader. Shuler paces the team in scoring (17.8 ppg), assists (3.5 per game) and steals (2.5 spg). His 2.5 steals per game lead the SEC. The Irmo, South Carolina, native is making 50 percent of his attempts from the floor, including 47.6 from long range. Shuler has also found success at the line, going 13 of 14 (92.9 percent) on the young season.

ROMELLO'S WORLD
Graduate transfer Romello White has brought his toughness and physicality to Oxford. The Arizona State transfer is averaging 13.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg, ranking second on the team in both categories. He has been unstoppable down low, making 20 of his 25 attempts for an 80 percent clip that leads the SEC and ranks third in the country. With seven blocks over the first four games, White sits fourth in the SEC in blocks per game. Earning his first start as a Rebel, he made seven of his eight shot attempts on his way to a game-high 20 points versus UNCW (Dec. 12). It was the fourth 20-point game of White's collegiate career and the first since February 4, 2018 (at Washington State) when he was a freshman at Arizona State.

HOT HANDS
First it was Devontae Shuler, making nine of his 10 shot attempts (90 percent) for 23 points to lead Ole Miss to a victory over Jackson State (Dec. 10). Romello White followed his teammate with a 20-point game versus UNCW (Dec. 12), going 7 of 8 (87.5 percent) from the floor. It marked the first time in at least the past 25 years that Ole Miss had a pair of Rebels shoot 87.5 percent or better (minimum five attempts) in back-to-back games. White matched his performance at Middle Tennessee (Dec. 16), making 7 of 8 shots on his way to a team-high 16 points.

LUIS GOT GAME
After going one full year without playing (season-ending foot injury on November 27, 2019), Luis Rodriguez has returned to become a leader for the Rebels. The Los Angeles, California, native paces the team in rebounds (7.0 per game), while ranking second in assists (3.3 per game) and steals (2.0 per game). Committing only four turnovers in three games, Rodriguez's 3.3 assist/turnover ratio tops the SEC. He's third in the conference with 2.0 steals per game. In the win over UNCW (Dec. 12), Rodriguez produced his first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Both marks were career highs, and he became the first Rebel with 12 rebounds in a game since NBA Rebel Terence Davis pulled down a dozen boards in his final home game (March 5, 2019 vs. No. 5 Kentucky).

SHULER TABBED PRESEASON SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC
For the second consecutive season, Devontae Shuler was named Preseason All-SEC by the conference coaches. After ranking fifth in the SEC in steals (1.7 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (1.7) a season ago, one of only two players conference-wide to finish top five in both categories, Shuler was tabbed Second Team All-SEC heading into his senior season. Shuler, the only fourth-year senior on the team, is the Rebels' leading returning scorer (11.7 ppg) following the graduation of First Team All-SEC honoree Breein Tyree (19.7 ppg). Along with pacing Ole Miss in steals on the defensive end of the court, he also produced a team-best 3.3 assists per game. The Irmo, South Carolina, native put together five 20-point games throughout the 2019-20 season, including a career-high 28 points at LSU (Feb. 1).

NEW, BUT EXPERIENCED BUNCH
The Rebels have several new faces on this year's team, but that doesn't mean they don't lack experience. Four of the six newcomers are transfers, making the Rebels the most experienced team in the SEC in terms of Division I minutes (15,861) entering the 2020-21 season. Graduate transfers Dimencio Vaughn (Rider) and Romello White (Arizona State) played three seasons apiece at their previous schools, while Robert Allen (Samford) and Jarkel Joiner (CSU Bakersfield) already boast two years of experience at the Division I level.

GREAT GRAD TRANSFERS
Ole Miss added a pair of superb grad transfers in Dimencio Vaughn (Rider) and Romello White (Arizona State). Vaughn rated as high as the No. 4 graduate transfer according to 247Sports, while White ranked fourth on ESPN's grad transfer list. Over 95 games for the Broncs, Vaughn scored 1,239 points and shot 47.4 percent from the floor while earning First Team All-MAAC honors twice. This past season, Vaughn averaged a team-high 14.8 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game to rank fifth in the conference in both categories. The New York City native added 1.8 steals per game to lead the Broncs (second in the league), and his 48.4 field goal percentage ranked eighth in the MAAC. Over three seasons at Arizona State, White started 92 of the 95 games he played for the Sun Devils. He tallied 927 points during his ASU career, averaging 9.8 ppg and shooting 60.5 percent from the floor (second on the program's all-time list). During the 2019-20 campaign, White ranked second in the Pac-12 with 8.8 rebounds per game.

OXFORD'S OWN
Having to sit out a year after transferring from CSU Bakersfield, it's been a long wait for Jarkel Joiner to play for his hometown school. Joiner brings an electric game to the Ole Miss backcourt, having led the WAC in scoring (18.6 ppg) and breaking the CSU Bakersfield single season scoring record (532 points) during the 2018-19 campaign. Before taking his talents out west, Joiner starred in Ole Miss' backyard at Oxford High School. As a senior, he ranked fourth in the nation in scoring (36.5 ppg) to lead the Chargers to the state semifinals. Joiner was often found throwing alley-oops to fellow Oxford native and current Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.

REPLACING TYREE
The Rebels have a big void to fill with the graduation of Breein Tyree, who signed with the Miami Heat on Sunday (Nov. 22). The Somerset, New Jersey, native ranked second in the SEC in scoring a season ago by averaging 19.7 ppg (36th nationally). Tyree put the team on his back at times, producing 15 games of at least 20 points that included a career-high 40 points against rival Mississippi State (Feb. 11). Earning First Team All-SEC accolades twice, Tyree etched his name in the Ole Miss record book for several categories.

Category	Rank	Stat
Points	6th	1,797
3-Pointers Made	6th	207
Free Throws Made	9th	384
Field Goals Made	10th	603
Assists	10th	325
Minutes Played	10th	3,634

LUIS IS BACK
Luis Rodriguez saw his 2019-20 campaign cut short just five games into the season, suffering a foot fracture during a pregame shootaround. At the time, he was a starter and ranked second on the team in rebounds (5.2 per game). The Los Angeles, California, native is back this season and was even granted a medical hardship by the NCAA, retaining his sophomore status.

ALLEN GRANTED IMMEDIATE ELIGIBILITY
After transferring to Ole Miss from Samford in the spring, forward Robert Allen was declared immediately eligible for the 2020-21 season. Allen was one of Samford's leading scorers and rebounders over a pair of seasons. Playing 65 games for the Bulldogs, he averaged 12.0 ppg and 7.7 rebounds per game to go along with 11 double-doubles. Wrapping up his sophomore season, Allen finished with a team-high 43 blocks through 32 games. He scored 14.1 ppg and pulled down 7.0 rpg, ranking second on the team in both categories. His 1.3 blocks per game was third in the Southern Conference, while his rebounding average ranked fifth.

UNDERRATED REBELS
For the SEC's annual preseason poll, a panel consisting of SEC and national media members picked the Rebels to finish ninth 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 nine seasons since the SEC went away from the divisional format. That includes the 2018-19 campaign 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.

YEAR THREE OF THE DAVIS ERA
Kermit Davis is in his third 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 442 career wins over 23 seasons, including stints at MT, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 26 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 508 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 just the third active coach (Dana Altman, Bob Huggins) to be named coach of the year in four different conferences.

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Following back-to-back road games, the Rebels return home to host UT Martin before the holiday break (Dec. 22). Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on SECN+.

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Players Mentioned

Robert Allen

Jarkel Joiner

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Breein Tyree

Dimencio Vaughn

Romello White

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