Men's Hoops Continues Road Trip, Faces Missouri Tuesday

			OLE MISS (13-12, 4-8 SEC) at MISSOURI (12-13, 4-8 SEC) Tuesday, February 18 • 7:30 PM • Columbia, Mo. Mizzou Arena (15,061)
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GAME 26
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Arena: Mizzou Arena (15,061)
Television: SEC Network
   Dave Neal, play-by-play
   Daymeon Fishback, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM - 389, Sirius/XM Internet - 979)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 12-2
Last Meeting: March 9, 2019
   Ole Miss won 73-68
   Columbia, Mo.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss has won 11 of the last 12 games against Missouri, including a season sweep last year.
- The backcourt duo of Breein Tyree and Devontae Shuler combined to score 32.5 ppg in the two wins over Missouri last season; Tyree averaged 17.5 ppg, while Shuler averaged 15.0 ppg.
- Kermit Davis is coaching his 700th game as a Division I head coach on Tuesday (436-263 record).
- The Rebels are coming off a 67-62 loss at No. 12 Kentucky that snapped a three-game winning streak.
- In Saturday's setback, Ole Miss limited the Wildcats to 2 of 22 (9.1 percent) from beyond the arc; it was the best three-point defense since holding Southern to 1 of 11 (9.1 percent) five seasons ago (Nov. 20, 2014).
- The Rebels rank eighth nationally in defending the three-point line; opponents are shooting 28.2 percent; Ole Miss has limited the opposition to 18.5 percent (15 of 81) from beyond the arc over the past four games.
- Eleven of Ole Miss' 13 victories have been by double digits, including all four in SEC play; the Rebels are 1-5 in games decided by five points or less, including an 0-4 mark in conference contests.
- Breein Tyree is averaging 30.0 ppg over the past four games, including a career-high 40 points in the win over MSU last week.
- Ole Miss starters have scored 732 of the team's 810 points in SEC play (90.4 percent).
- All five starters are averaging double figures in wins: Breein Tyree (21.0 ppg), Blake Hinson (12.1 ppg), Devontae Shuler (11.5 ppg), KJ Buffen (11.5 ppg) and Khadim Sy (10.3 ppg).
- The Rebels have jumped up 30 spots in the NET (No. 81) over the past two weeks.
- Breein Tyree is averaging 24.0 ppg in SEC play to lead the conference; he increased his scoring output from non-conference to SEC play in each of his first three seasons as well.
- Devontae Shuler is averaging 17.0 ppg over the past five contests.
- Averaging 21.5 minutes off the bench over the past four games, freshman Antavion Collum has ranked second on the team in plus/minus (+49) behind Breein Tyree (+58) during the stretch.
- Breein Tyree (1,665 points) is 17 points away from tying Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter (1,682 points) for seventh on the all-time scoring list.

SEC LEADERS
- Breein Tyree leads the SEC in scoring in conference play (24.0 ppg) and ranks second overall (19.9 ppg); he is the SEC's active leader in career points (1,665) and field goals made (564).
- Tyree is the only SEC player to rank in the top 10 in all three shooting categories during conference play: three-point percentage (2nd-44.8), field goal percentage (7th-46.4), free throw percentage (9th-80.0)
- Devontae Shuler ranks second in the SEC in steals (2.2 per game) during conference play and fourth overall (1.9 per game).
- Shuler is one of two SEC guards (Ashton Hagans-Kentucky) to average at least 1.9 steals per game and boast at least a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio; both marks rank top five in the SEC.
- Ole Miss ranks third in turnover margin (+1.2) overall and in SEC play (1.6).
- The Rebels are limiting opponents to 28.2 percent from beyond the arc, including just 26.7 percent in SEC play; both marks rank second in the conference.

SCOUTING MISSOURI
Missouri enters Tuesday's matchup with a 12-13 record, including a 4-8 mark in SEC play to sit tied in the standings with Ole Miss. The Tigers are coming off an 85-73 upset victory over No. 11 Auburn, protecting their home court. Missouri has won three straight at Mizzou Arena. Tuesday's contest will be a battle of teams who defend the long ball. While the Rebels rank eighth nationally in three-point defense (28.2 percent), Missouri ranks 12th (28.6 percent). Missouri also ranks 23rd in the country in free throw percentage (76.7 percent). Junior guard Dru Smith leads the Tigers in scoring (12.3 ppg), assists (4.0 per game) and steals (2.1 per game). His 53 steals lead the SEC and rank 23rd nationally. Mark Smith is the only other Tiger averaging double figures (10.9 ppg). Cuonzo Martin is in his third season as Missouri's head coach after spending three years at California. Prior to heading out west, Martin coached in the SEC by guiding Tennessee for three seasons (2012-14). He began his head coaching career at Missouri State (2009-11).

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss and Missouri have met just 14 times with all 14 meetings coming since the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012-13. The Rebels lead the all-time series 12-2 and have won 11 of the last 12 after sweeping the home-and home series last season. Ole Miss and Mizzou have squared off six times in Columbia, with the Rebels holding a 5-1 advantage and claiming the last five contests. Ole Miss won in Columbia last year, prevailing 73-68 in a comeback victory (March 9, 2019) to virtually solidify the Rebels a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Missouri's lone victory over Ole Miss in Columbia occurred Feb. 9, 2013. The two teams are playing a home-and-home series for the fifth consecutive season.

LAST SEASON'S SWEEP
Game 1 (Oxford, Miss.) - Ole Miss 75, Missouri 65: Converting 25 turnovers into 32 points on the other end of the floor, Ole Miss won its fourth straight game with a 75-65 victory over Missouri at The Pavilion (Feb. 16, 2019). The Rebels tallied 13 steals in the defensive effort, including a career-high five by sophomore Devontae Shuler. Ole Miss was led in scoring by a pair of Rebels coming off the bench. Senior forward Bruce Stevens scored a team-high 17 points, matching his season best, to go along with a trio of three-pointers. Freshman KJ Buffen added 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting with four assists and three steals through 32 minutes on the floor. The Rebels knocked down their free throws, going 20 of 23 (87.0 percent) from the stripe. Breein Tyree went to the line the most, making six of his eight attempts as part of his 14-point afternoon. Shuler added 12 points as the fourth Rebel to reach double figures. Jordan Geist tallied a game-high 23 points to pace Missouri in the loss. Xavier Pinson added 11 points and nine rebounds. Ole Miss scored 32 points off 25 Tiger turnovers. It was the most turnovers forced by Ole Miss in an SEC game since causing 25 turnovers 12 years ago in an 82-59 win at Auburn (Feb. 3, 2007).

Game 2 (Columbia, Mo.) - Ole Miss 73, Missouri 68: A steal and a finger roll by Devontae Shuler broke a 66-66 tie with 1:28 to go, and the sophomore helped lead Ole Miss to a 73-68 comeback victory at Missouri to close out the regular season (March 9, 2019). The Rebels rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to earn their 20th victory of the season and secured a winning conference record heading into the SEC Tournament. Ole Miss was led by elite guard play from Shuler and Breein Tyree, who accounted for 39 of the Rebels' 73 points. Tyree poured in a game-high 21 points, going three of four from beyond the arc all while playing a team-high 38 minutes. Shuler added 18 points of his own on 7 of 9 shooting, matching Tyree's mark of three made from long range. The Rebels went 19 of 21 at the line (90.5 percent). The defense showed up late in crunch time, as Ole Miss held Missouri without a field goal for the last three plus minutes. The Tigers were led by Xavier Pinson who had a career-high 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting. Missouri had three other double-figure scorers in Torrence Watson (14 points), Jordan Giest (12 points, and Jeremiah Tilmon (11 points).

OLE MISS-MISSOURI CONNECTION
Ole Miss freshman Austin Crowley and Missouri freshman Tray Jackson were teammates at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.

DEFENDING THE LONG BALL
Ole Miss has become one of the best teams in defending the new three-point line this season. The Rebels rank eighth nationally as opponents have shot just 28.2 percent from long distance. Ole Miss has kept opponents under 25 percent in 10 games this season, including each of the past three contests. Over the past three games, the opposition shot a combined 9 for 61 (14.8 percent) from beyond the arc.

OLE MISS DROP BACK-AND-FORTH BATTLE TO NO. 12 KENTUCKY
Ole Miss saw its winning streak come to an end as a back-and-forth contest ended in favor of No. 12 Kentucky (Feb. 15). With seven lead changes over the final five minutes, the Wildcats made free throws down the stretch to hand the Rebels a heartbreaking 67-62 loss. Ole Miss played well defensively. Kentucky entered the game as the SEC's best three-point shooting team in conference play (37.5 percent), and the Rebels limited the Wildcats to just 2 of 22 (9.1 percent) from beyond the arc. The Rebels tallied nine steals led by three from Devontae Shuler. Breein Tyree scored a game-high 19 points to pace Ole Miss, while sophomores KJ Buffen and Blake Hinson tallied 13 apiece. Hinson scored all 13 of his points in the second half. Shuler added 11 of his own. Kentucky was led by Immanuel Quickley, who tallied 17 points. Nick Richards added 16 points, while Tyrese Maxey got some tough shots to go late and finished with 14 points.

TYREE THE TERROR
Breein Tyree has been unstoppable over the past two weeks (four games). Leading Ole Miss to three victories, the senior has averaged an astounding 30.0 ppg. Tyree has shot 51.3 percent (40 of 78) from the floor, including 51.9 percent (14 of 27) from beyond the arc. Getting to the charity stripe, he is shooting 81.3 percent (26 of 32) during the past four games.

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 average double figures: Breein Tyree (21.0 ppg), Blake Hinson (12.1 ppg), Devontae Shuler (11.5 ppg), KJ Buffen (11.5 ppg) and Khadim Sy (10.3 ppg). In losses, Tyree (18.6 ppg) and Shuler (11.7 ppg) are the only Rebels scoring in double digits.

BREEIN LOVES SEC PLAY
Ole Miss senior Breein Tyree thrives during conference play. Not only is he the leading active scorer in the SEC (1,665 points), but he paces the conference in scoring during league games. This isn't new to Tyree as his scoring output 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 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. Since then, Tyree added a 38-point performance against South Carolina (Feb. 5) and a 40-point night versus Mississippi State (Feb. 11).

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	24.0 ppg

TYREE'S BIG GAMES
Breein Tyree has 13 20-point games on the season, producing three such contests in November and three in December to go along with seven in SEC play. He has 35 20-point games over his Ole Miss career. His biggest game as a Rebel was a career-high 40 points to lead Ole Miss to a blowout win over rival Mississippi State (Feb. 11), 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), 36 versus LSU (Jan. 18) and 38 against South Carolina to give him six 30-point games for his career.

SHULER STATS
Junior guard Devontae Shuler leads the Rebels in assists (3.4) and steals (1.9). The Irmo, South Carolina, native is one of two players in the SEC to record at least 1.9 steals per game and a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio, joining Kentucky's Ashton Hagans in the conference's top five of each category. He has recorded at least two steals in 11 of the last 13 games, sitting just five steals away from cracking the top 10 on the Ole Miss career steals list. Shuler has provided some consistency offensively, reaching double figures in 13 of the past 17 games which include the best two games of his career. Over the past six games, Shuler is averaging 17.0 ppg. Against No. 16 Auburn (Jan. 28), he took over after Breein Tyree fouled out and finished with 26 points in 48 minutes of the double overtime battle. Shuler followed that performance with a career-high 28 points at No. 22 LSU (Feb. 1). He now has five 20-point games over his career, including four this season.

VETERANS LEAD THE WAY
The Rebels are led by a veteran cast. Senior guard Breein Tyree (19.9 ppg), junior Devontae Shuler (11.6 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (10.5 ppg) and sophomore forward KJ Buffen (9.8 ppg) have accounted for 71.0 percent of the team's scoring this season. Tyree ranks second in the league in scoring, while Buffen leads the team in rebounding (6.0 per game) and blocks (0.9 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (3.4 per game) and steals (1.9 per game), both top 10 in the SEC, while ranking fifth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.6). After missing four games due to injury, Hinson has put together 11 double-digit scoring performances, starting 20 games following the injury to Luis Rodriguez.

DAVIS EARNS 500TH CAREER WIN
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis picked up his 500th win as the Rebels defeated South Carolina at home (Feb. 5). In his 25th season as a college basketball head coach, Davis has collected 502 wins over 790 games (.635 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 436 wins. He ranks 38th in victories among active Division I head coaches.

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 25 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 9.8 ppg along with a team-best 6.0 rpg. His rebounding average is 19th in the conference. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in blocks (0.9). 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 11.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg in wins, while tallying 8.0 ppg and 4.7 rpg in losses.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
In his final year as a Rebel, senior guard Breein Tyree ranks eighth on the all-time scoring list with 1,665 points. That career output leads all active players in the SEC. The Somerset, New Jersey, native scored a career-high 40 points in the blowout victory over Mississippi State (Feb. 1) to pass Jarvis Summers (1,629). Next on Tyree's climb up the charts is current Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter (1,682). Through 123 games in an Ole Miss uniform, Tyree has knocked down 197 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).

REBELS ROMP RIVAL MSU
The Pavilion was electric, reigning SEC Player of the Week Breein Tyree could not be stopped, and Ole Miss turned a halftime deficit into a blowout victory over its archrival. Behind a career-high 40 points from Tyree, the Rebels rolled to an 83-58 victory over Mississippi State Tuesday night (Feb. 11). The 25-point win was the fifth-largest margin of victory for Ole Miss in the SEC's most-played rivalry. Ole Miss starters scored all 83 of the team's points with Tyree leading the way. Facing the rival Bulldogs for the final time in The Pavilion, the senior saved up his best game one day after being named conference player of the week. Tyree made 13 of his 22 shot attempts, which included four three-pointers. He knocked down his free throws as well, going 10 for 11 from the stripe. The Somerset, New Jersey, native outscored MSU by himself 27-24 in the second half. Khadim Sy played his best SEC game, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the first half to keep Ole Miss within striking distance. The junior added a team-high eight rebounds to match his career best. Classmate Devontae Shuler tallied 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and zero turnovers. On the defensive end of the floor, the Rebels limited MSU to 36.7 percent clip (18 of 49) that included only seven second half field goals.

INSIDE THE RIVALRY VICTORY
Ole Miss had a special rivalry win over Mississippi State, beating the Bulldogs for the 10th time over the past 13 meetings. Here are some other notable nuggets from the 83-58 victory.
- The 25-point win was the Rebels' fifth-largest margin of victory in the 261-game history of the rivalry, the SEC's most-played rivalry.
- The 25-point win Ole Miss' largest margin of victory in any SEC game since beating MSU by 27 (88-61, Jan. 31, 2017).
- Ole Miss trailed by 13 twice in the first half. It was the Rebels' largest deficit overcome in SEC play since rallying from down 13 to beat Mississippi State 64-58 (Jan. 6, 2018).
- Reigning SEC Player of the Week Breein Tyree became the first Rebel to score 40 points in an SEC game since Stefan Moody dropped 43 against MSU (March 3, 2016).

A PERFECT HOMESTAND
The Rebels had a perfect homestand (Feb. 5-11), earning double-digit victories over South Carolina (Feb. 5), Florida (Feb. 8) and Mississippi State (Feb. 11). Here are some key stats to the three victories.
- Ole Miss won by an average of 18.7 points.
- Defensively, the Rebels limited the opposition to 59.7 ppg; the 179 points are their fewest allowed in a three-game conference stretch since surrendering 179 points through three victories in 2015 (Jan. 28-Feb. 4).
- The Rebels shot 43.8 percent (21 of 48) from beyond the arc, while holding the opposition to 22.0 percent (13 of 59) from three-point land.
- Starters recorded 224 of the team's 235 points (95.3 percent).
- Ole Miss scored 63 points off turnovers.
- Breein Tyree led the team in scoring in all three games, averaging 33.7 ppg.
- Freshman Antavion Collum averaged 21.3 minutes per game to lead the bench in playing time; prior to the winning streak, Collum was averaging 7.5 minutes per game.

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 436 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 502 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 ranks 13th 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). Last month (Jan. 8), Davis was called upon to make his first career start, and boy did he deliver. The NBA Rebel scored 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. Kicking off February, Davis tallied a career-high 31 points off the bench to help the Raptors beat the Bulls (Feb. 2). He made his second career start last week (Feb. 8), tallying 20 points in the franchise's record-breaking 14th straight win. Averaging 7.9 ppg, he is only Raptor to play in all 55 of the team's games. Davis is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
Following back-to-back road games, the Rebels return home to begin consecutive games against teams from the state of Alabama. First, the Crimson Tide roll into Oxford for a Saturday night matchup (Feb. 22). Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Three days later, Ole Miss heads to Auburn to face the Tigers for the second time this season (Feb. 25).

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Antavion Collum

Austin Crowley

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Bruce Stevens

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

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