Men's Hoops Battles South Carolina on Morgan Freeman Night

			OLE MISS (10-11, 1-7 SEC) vs. SOUTH CAROLINA (13-8, 5-3 SEC) Wednesday, February 5 • 6 PM • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
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GAME 22
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Television: SEC Network
   Roy Philpott, play-by-play
   Mark Wise, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM - 374, Sirius/XM Internet - 374)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Series tied 20-20
Last Meeting: Feb. 19, 2019
   South Carolina won 79-64
   Columbia, S.C.

PROMOTIONS
Morgan Freeman Night: First 1,000 fans in attendance get a Morgan Freeman bobblehead.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss begins a three-game homestand Wednesday.
- While the overall series is tied 20-20, Ole Miss has beaten South Carolina 14 out of 16 times in Oxford.
- In the second meeting between the two programs exactly 28 years ago (Feb. 5, 1992), the Rebels defeated the Gamecocks 76-61 in Tad Smith Coliseum.
- Growing up in South Carolina, Devontae Shuler was teammates with Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, the first two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft.
- Devontae Shuler averaged 27.0 ppg against ranked foes last week, producing the two highest-scoring games of his Ole Miss career.
- Blake Hinson's brother, Evan, appeared in 46 games at South Carolina over three seasons (2017-19); he played football for the Gamecocks as well.
- Kermit Davis enters Wednesday'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.
- Junior Khadim Sy is averaging 13.3 ppg over the past three games, four points above his scoring average.
- Breein Tyree is averaging 20.6 ppg in SEC play; he increased his scoring output from non-conference to SEC play in each of his first three seasons as well.
- The backcourt duo of Breein Tyree and Devontae Shuler are averaging a combined 33.2 ppg in conference play, 51.8 percent of the Rebels' scoring average in SEC games.
- Ole Miss starters have scored 450 of the team's 513 points in SEC play (87.8 percent).
- Balanced scoring is the key to victories as all five scorers average double figures in wins: 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).
- Breein Tyree is the SEC's leading active scorer with 1,545 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).
- The Rebels played in South Carolina's home arena during last season's NCAA Tournament.

SEC LEADERS
- Breein Tyree ranks third in the SEC in scoring in conference play (20.6 ppg) and overall (17.9 ppg); he is the SEC's active leader in career points (1,545) and field goals made (524).
- Devontae Shuler ranks second 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 (4th-1.8) and assist/turnover ratio (6th-1.6).

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina enters Wednesday's matchup with a 13-8 record, including a 5-3 mark in conference play. The Gamecocks are riding a three-game winning streak with victories over Vanderbilt (90-64), Arkansas (79-77) and Missouri (76-54). South Carolina is the SEC's best defensive team in terms of field goal percentage, holding opponents to a 38.4 percent clip that ranks 19th nationally. The Gamecocks also sit 23rd in the country in defending the three at 29.3 percent. AJ Lawson leads the Gamecocks in scoring at 13.9 ppg, while Jermain Couisnard adds 10.6 ppg and paces the team in assists (2.9 per game). Senior Maik Kotsar brings down 6.6 boards per game as South Carolina's best rebounder, averaging 9.8 ppg as well. Frank Martin in is his eighth season as South Carolina's head coach. He guided the Gamecocks to a school-record 26 wins and their first ever Final Four appearance during the 2016-17 campaign.

SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday's game will be the 41st meeting on the hardwood between the two schools, with each team winning 20 times apiece. The home teams have dominated the series, going a combined 26-4. That includes Ole Miss holding a 14-2 advantage in Oxford. The last time the two teams squared off at The Pavilion, it was the end of the 2017 calendar year and the start of SEC play. The Rebels won the conference lid lifter 74-69 (Dec. 31, 2017) before the Gamecocks claimed the next two matchups to even the all-time series.

LAST TIME WE MET
South Carolina got the best of the Rebels, protecting its home court the last time these two teams squared off. Ole Miss saw its four-game winning streak come to an end, falling 79-64 on the road to South Carolina (Feb. 19, 2019). Ole Miss was led by Breein Tyree, who had 19 points and played all 40 minutes. Terence Davis added 18 points and five rebounds of his own. The Rebels registered a season-high nine blocks on the defensive end. South Carolina had four double-figure scorers, led by Chris Silva who had 18 points and four rebounds, including going 6 of 6 from the line. Hassani Gravett came off the bench and scored 15 points with a game-high four made three-pointers. As a team, the Gamecocks shot 47.4 percent from three (9 of 19).

ON THIS DATE
The second ever meeting between Ole Miss and South Carolina took place exactly 28 years ago from this season's contest. Behind 26 points from Joe Harvell, who would end the 1991-92 season as the SEC's leading scorer (25.0 ppg) just ahead of Shaquille O'Neal (24.1 ppg), the Rebels defeated the Gamecocks 76-61 in Oxford (Feb. 5, 1992). Kelvin Scales added a double-double in the victory with 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

OLE MISS-SOUTH CAROLINA CONNECTIONS
- Ole Miss junior Devontae Shuler is a native of Irmo, South Carolina.
- Ole Miss sophomore Blake Hinson's brother, Evan, played basketball and football at South Carolina. For the basketball Gamecocks, Evan appeared in 46 games over three seasons (2017-19).
- Ole Miss freshman Antavion Collum and South Carolina redshirt-freshman TJ Moss were high school teammates at Memphis East High School. Collum moved on to graduate from Bartlett High School, while Moss ended his high school career at Findlay Prep in Nevada.
- Hinson, Austin Crowley and South Carolina's Maik Kotsar played at Sunrise Christian Academy. However, the two Rebels arrived at Sunrise when Kotsar was already at South Carolina.

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 786 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 433 wins. He ranks 38th in victories among active Division I head coaches.

DEVONTAE'S BIG WEEK
Going up against a pair of ranked teams, Devontae Shuler stepped up and brought his best. The junior guard had his best two scoring games as a Rebel, averaging 27.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg during the week. Shuler shot 51.9 percent (14 of 27) from the field, 50 percent (6 of 12) from beyond the arc and 80 percent (20 of 25) from the free throw line. In the double overtime contest versus No. 16 Auburn (Jan. 28), he scored 26 points over a career-high 48 minutes. It was his highest scoring game as a Rebel, besting his 24-point outburst in last season's Emerald Coast Classic championship game against Cincinnati (Nov. 24, 2018). He built on that performance at No. 22 LSU (Feb. 1), scoring 28 points for a new career high. He made five three-pointers, also a career best, while going a perfect 7 of 7 from the charity stripe.

BREEIN LOVES SEC PLAY
Ole Miss senior Breein Tyree thrives during conference play. Not only is he the leading active scorer in the SEC (1,545 points), but 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 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'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	20.6 ppg

DEFENDING HOME COURT
Winning at home has been a trademark at Ole Miss. Over the past 14 seasons, the Rebels are 161-51 (.759 win pct.) in home games. In four-plus seasons (opened January 2016) playing in the $96.5 million Pavilion at Ole Miss, the Rebels hold a 48-25 (.658) advantage against the opposition. Ole Miss has won 286 of its last 369 games (.775 win pct.) in Oxford dating back to the 1996-97 campaign. Under second year head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels are 18-9 (.667 win pct.) at home.

PACK THE PAVILION
After a new average attendance record (7,816) was broken during the 2018-19 campaign, a 13 percent increase from the previous season, another record was set this season with 5,100 season ticket holders and counting. Last season, the Rebels had the highest increased home attendance in the SEC for conference games (23.75 percent). For SEC games, the 8,791 average attendance was up significantly from the 7,104 average during the 2017-18 campaign. Five sellouts in 2018-19 also broke another Pavilion record. The Pavilion has nine sellouts in its history (opened in January 2016). Against No. 16 Auburn last week (Jan. 28), over 2,000 students showed up to cheer on the Rebels. It was the highest student attendance in Pavilion history.

SHULER'S BIG DAY NOT ENOUGH AGAINST NO. 22 LSU
Facing a ranked opponent for the second consecutive game, Ole Miss fell on the road to No. 22 LSU 73-63 (Feb. 1). Coming off the best game of his career, Devontae Shuler led the Rebels in scoring for the second straight game. The junior guard eclipsed his 26-point night versus No. 16 Auburn by scoring a career-high 28 points against LSU. He went 8 of 17 from the floor, including a career-high five three-pointers, while going a perfect 7 of 7 from the free throw line. Khadim Sy added 11 points for the Rebels off the bench. Javonte Smart scored 21 points to lead LSU. As a team, the Tigers shot 47.9 percent (23 of 48) throughout the contest. They also went to the line frequently, going 23 of 34 (67.6 percent) as three different Rebels fouled out.

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 (18.6 ppg) and Shuler (11.7 ppg) are the only Rebels scoring in double digits.

SHULER STATS
Junior guard Devontae Shuler leads the Rebels in assists (3.5) and steals (1.8). 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 (6th-1.6), joining Kentucky's Ashton Hagans, Missouri's Dru Smith and Vanderbilt's Saben Lee. He has recorded at least two steals in eight of the last nine games. Shuler has provided some consistency offensively, reaching double figures in 10 of the past 13 games which included the best two games of his career last week. 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.

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 (17.9 ppg), junior Devontae Shuler (11.5 ppg), sophomore Blake Hinson (10.5 ppg) and sophomore forward KJ Buffen (9.9 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 (6.0 per game) and blocks (0.9 per game). Shuler also paces the Rebels in assists (3.5 per game) and steals (1.8 per game), both top 10 in the SEC, while ranking sixth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.6). After missing four games due to injury, Hinson has put together nine double-digit scoring performances, starting 16 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 21 games, one of only two Rebels to start each game, Buffen is averaging 9.9 ppg along with a team-best 6.0 rpg. His rebounding average is 20th in the conference. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is also leading the team in blocks (0.9), while ranking 10th in the SEC in steals (1.4 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 7.5 ppg and 4.7 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 1,545 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). Tyree is 19 points from cracking the top 10. Through 119 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).

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 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. On Sunday (Feb. 2), Davis tallied a career-high 31 points off the bench to help the Raptors win their 11th straight game. Averaging 7.7 ppg, he is only Raptor to play in all 50 of the team's games. Davis is the first Rebel to play in the NBA since Justin Reed (2005-07).

NEXT ON THE HARDWOOD
The stretch of three home games in seven days continues when the Rebels host Ole Miss alum Mike White and the Florida Gators (Feb. 8). It will be the second time Ole Miss and Florida have battled on the court this season after the Gators protected their home floor (Jan. 14). Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN2. Closing out the homestand, the Rebels host rival MSU (Feb. 11).

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Antavion Collum

Austin Crowley

Terence Davis

Blake Hinson

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Khadim Sy

Breein Tyree

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