Ole Miss to Wear Throwback Jerseys Against Texas A&M Saturday

			OLE MISS (7-6, 2-4 SEC) vs. TEXAS A&M (7-5, 2-4 SEC) Saturday, Jan. 23 • 2:30 p.m. • Oxford, Miss. The Pavilion at Ole Miss
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GAME 14
Date: Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Television: SEC Network
   Kevin Fitzgerald, play-by-play
   Dane Bradshaw, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network (XM-190, Internet-961)
   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 7-3
Last Meeting: Jan. 7, 2020
   Texas A&M won 57-47
   College Station, Texas

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss will be wearing throwback uniforms Saturday to honor the 20th anniversary of the 2000-01 team that advanced to the Sweet 16.
- The Rebels are playing at home for the fifth Saturday in a row.
- Ole Miss is 6-0 when holding opponents under 40 percent from the floor.
- The Rebels are coming off a 64-46 win over rival Mississippi State; the 46 points were the fewest they have allowed in an SEC game in 17 years and the fewest surrendered in the rivalry matchup since 1995.
- All seven of Ole Miss' wins this season have been by double digits (average margin of victory: 23.2); three of the Rebels' six losses have been by four points or less.
- Dating back to the 2019-20 season, 19 of the Rebels' last 22 wins have been by double digits.
- After scoring just 17 points total (5.7 ppg) in the first three SEC games, Devontae Shuler has scored at least 19 points in each of the past three conference contests (21.7 ppg).
- Ole Miss ranks 20th in the country in turnovers forced per game (17.2); the Rebels have forced at least 15 turnovers in 11 games this season.
- Devontae Shuler is the only player to rank in the conference's top five in both assists and steals; Shuler also ranks 10th in scoring.
- Jarkel Joiner is 24 points away from become the fourth Rebel on the team to have 1,000 points over their Division I careers, joining Dimencio Vaughn (1,264), Devontae Shuler (1,098) and Romello White (1,063).
- Devontae Shuler has 166 career steals to rank fifth in program history.
- Ole Miss has held opponents under 50 points on three different occasions this season; the last time that happened was the 2014-15 campaign, a season that ended in a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
- In their seven victories, the Rebels are outscoring opponents in the paint by an average of 36.6-18.0.
- All of Ole Miss' SEC wins over the last two seasons (2019-20, 2020-21) have been by at least eight points; the average margin of victory is 16 points.

THROWBACK UNIFORMS
Ole Miss will be donning some special throwback uniforms Saturday afternoon, honoring the 2000-01 team and its 20th anniversary of a run to the Sweet 16. Led by SEC Coach of the Year Rod Barnes along with All-SEC honorees Jason Harrison, Rahim Lockhart and Justin Reed, the Rebels went 27-8 to set a school record for wins in a single season. That mark included an 11-5 record in conference play for an SEC Western Division title. In the Big Dance, Ole Miss narrowly escaped past Iona 72-70 before upsetting No. 19 Notre Dame 59-56. Trailing to the Fighting Irish with 48 seconds to go and the shot clock winding down, Harrison nailed a three to give the Rebels the lead for good to put them in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever. The team's run ended with a loss to Arizona, the eventual national runner-up.

SEC LEADERS
- The Rebels rank second in scoring defense (62.9), turnover margin (+4.0) and turnovers forced per game (17.2).
- Luis Rodriguez and Devontae Shuler rank third in the SEC with 1.8 steals per game.
- Shuler ranks second with a 1.8 assist/turnover ratio.
- Shuler also ranks fifth in assists per game (4.1), the only player to rank in the SEC's top five in both steals and assists.
- Shuler is the SEC's active leader in career points (1,098), career steals (166) and career assists (292).

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
- Texas A&M enters Saturday's matchup with a 7-5 record, including a 2-4 mark in SEC play after Wednesday's game against Vanderbilt was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Commodores' program.
- The Aggies rank third in the SEC in scoring defense (64.7), just behind the Rebels.
- Emmanuel Miller leads Texas A&M in scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg), while Quenton Jackson adds 10.7 ppg.
- Buzz Williams is in his second season as Texas A&M head coach after spending five years as Virginia Tech's head coach.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will be only the 11th 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 seven seasons. The Aggies hold a 7-3 advantage, but the Rebels have won three of the four matchups in Oxford. The two teams first met Dec. 29, 1972 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where Texas A&M claimed a 100-83 victory. The last time Ole Miss and Texas A&M battled at The Pavilion, the Rebels snapped a three-game skid in the series by downing the Aggies 75-71 in Oxford (Feb. 6, 2019).

LAST YEAR'S MATCHUP
It was a tale of two halves as Ole Miss held a 10-point halftime lead behind the play of senior Breein Tyree, but Texas A&M countered in the second half to flip the game in its favor, 57-47 (Jan. 7, 2020). The backcourt of Tyree and Devontae Shuler combined for 38 of the team's 47 points. Tyree tallied a game-high 26, while Shuler scored 12 to reach double figures for the sixth consecutive game. The Aggies were led by Josh Nebo (17 points) and Savion Flagg (11 points). Nebo was a perfect 5 for 5 from the field and made 7 of 9 at the line. While the Rebels held Texas A&M to 27 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes, the Aggies went 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) in the second half to turn the contest upside down.

LAST TIME IN OXFORD
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 since 2017.

INSIDE THE RIVALRY VICTORY
Ole Miss had a big road win over rival Mississippi State on Tuesday. Here are some other notable nuggets from the 64-46 victory.
- Ole Miss beat MSU for the 11th time in the past 15 matchups.
- The 46 points were the fewest the Rebels have allowed in the rivalry since Feb. 25, 1995.
- It was also the fewest Ole Miss has allowed in an SEC game since Feb. 6, 2004 (55-45 win over Arkansas).
- It was just the 12th time over the past 20 seasons that the Rebels kept an SEC opponent under 50 points, including just the third time it happened on the road.
- Devontae Shuler scored 22 points, his 11th career 20-point game and fifth of the season.
- Dimencio Vaughn scored seven points off the bench, his most as a Rebel.
- Shuler recorded three steals, his fourth game this season with at least three steals.
- Luis Rodriguez recorded his ninth multi-steal game of the season.
- Tuesday's win marked the sixth time since 2010 the Rebels won an SEC road game by at least 15 points, including the second under Kermit Davis.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
Head coach Kermit Davis loves a team that plays good defense with toughness. The Rebels have put up some historical defensive numbers so far this season, while ranking 20th nationally in turnovers forced (17.2 per game).
- Kept its first four opponents under 60 points, accomplishing the feat for the first time since the 1944-45 season (76 years)
- Fewest points allowed (316) over the first six games of the season since the 1980-81 campaign (307)
- Three games surrendering less than 50 points (first time since 2014-15 season)

DEVONTAE DOING DAMAGE
After getting off to a slow start in SEC play, scoring a total of 17 points (5.7 ppg) over the first three games, Devontae Shuler has exploded to return to the player that the Rebels have relied on all season long. The senior guard has scored at least 19 points in each of the past three conference games, averaging a whopping 21.7 ppg over the stretch.

	Points	FG	FG%	3FG	3FG%	FT	FT%
Jan. 12 at Florida	19	7-14	50.0	2-5	40.0	3-3	100
Jan. 16 vs. Georgia	24	9-19	47.4	3-5	60.0	2-3	66.7
Jan. 19 at MSU	22	8-13	61.5	4-8	50.0	3-4	75.0
TOTAL	65	24-46	52.2	9-18	50.0	8-10	80.0

ON THIS DATE
- Jan. 23, 2018: Guard play catalyzed Ole Miss to a 78-66 win over Alabama to move the Rebels to 4-0 at home in SEC play. Deandre Burnett led all scorers with 24 points. Terence Davis and Markel Crawford complimented him with 15 each. The Rebel backcourt combined for 63 points on the night.
- Jan. 23, 2010: For more than 30 minutes, Chris Warren didn't manage a point. Ole Miss' leading scorer finally came alive down the stretch, scoring 14 the rest of the way to lift the No. 22 Rebels to a 73-63 victory over LSU. Terrance Henry and Eniel Polynice also had 14 points for Ole Miss, whose reserves contributed 28 points and 16 rebounds. Buckner, Trevor Gaskins and Zach Graham each had eight points, while Buckner grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
- Jan. 23, 2002: Justin Reed scored 18 points and Aaron Harper had 16, including two three-point plays to spark a second-half run as Ole Miss beat LSU 70-55. The Rebels opened the second half with a 14-6 run, highlighted by Harper's two key baskets. The Rebels held a 44-27 lead after the run and was never challenged again.

WINNING BIG
When the Rebels win, they win big.
- All seven victories this season have been by double digits with an average margin of victory 23.2 points.
- Dating back to last season, 19 of the 22 wins are double-digit victories.
- Every SEC win over the past two seasons (2019-20, 2020-21) has been by at least eight points with seven of them being double-digit victories; the average margin of victory in the conference games is 16 points.

HOME COOKIN'
When the Rebels were victorious at home last season, they won in dominating fashion. Eleven of Ole Miss' 12 wins in The Pavilion were by double digits, outscoring the opposition by an average of 18.5 ppg (77.5-59.0). The Rebels finished with a 12-5 record at home last season. That trend continued into the 2020-21 season with five victories by an average of 25.4 points.

Opponent	Final	Margin of Victory
Jackson State	80-45	+35
UNCW	78-58	+20
Central Arkansas	68-54	+14
UT Martin	90-43	+47
Auburn	72-61	+11

PROTECTING CRADDOCK COURT
Winning at home has been a trademark at Ole Miss. Over the past 15 seasons, the Rebels are 171-55 (.757 win pct.) in home games. In five-plus seasons (opened January 2016) playing in the $96.5 million Pavilion at Ole Miss, the Rebels hold a 58-29 (.667) advantage against the opposition. Ole Miss has won 296 of its last 383 games (.772 win pct.) in Oxford dating back to the 1996-97 campaign. Under head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels are 28-13 (.682 win pct.) at home.

PAVILION ATTENDANCE
In accordance with the State of Mississippi's most recent executive order in response to COVID-19, capacity at The Pavilion at Ole Miss has been reduced to 10 percent for Rebel basketball games.

SHULER TAKES COMMAND
With All-SEC guards Terence Davis and Breein Tyree graduated and continuing their careers in the professional ranks, Devontae Shuler has become the Rebels' leader. Shuler paces the team in scoring (14.7 ppg), assists (4.1 per game) and steals (1.8 per game), while producing five 20-point games so far this season. His 1.8 assist/turnover ratio ranks second in the SEC. The Irmo, South Carolina, native is the only player in the SEC to rank in the conference's top five for both steals (third) and assists (fifth). In the win over Auburn (Jan. 6), Shuler's career-high 10 assists were the most by a Rebel since Jarvis Summers dished out 10 in the NCAA Tournament win over BYU (March 17, 2015). Last week, he scored a season-high 24 points against Georgia.

HOMETOWN REB
No matter what his role is, starting in the backcourt or providing a spark off the bench, Jarkel Joiner makes an impact for his hometown team. In his first season in an Ole Miss uniform, the Oxford, Mississippi native has bumped his scoring average to 12.2 ppg during conference games, second only to fellow guard Devontae Shuler (13.7 ppg). He came off the bench in the first four SEC contests before starting against Georgia last week, leading to his best game as a Rebel. Knocking down 9 of 17 from the floor, Joiner helped lead a second half comeback that ultimately fell short. His effort concluded with a season-high 22 points. In Tuesday's win over MSU, his first game in the rivalry, Joiner helped lead Ole Miss to victory with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and career-high two blocks.

SHULER STEALS
Senior Devontae Shuler is rising up the program's all-time steals list with 166 career steals. Getting two steals against Auburn (Jan. 6), he passed Gerald Glass (159) to move into fifth in Ole Miss history. Averaging 1.8 steals per game, Shuler ranks third in the SEC. He is six steals away from tying Jason Harrison for fourth in Ole Miss history. After finishing second on the team in steals as a freshman (32), Shuler produced 56 steals his second year in Oxford, the most ever by an Ole Miss sophomore and seventh-most by any Rebel in a single season. He led the team last year as well, compiling 54 (1.7 per game) throughout the 2019-20 campaign.

MELLO'S WORLD
Graduate transfer Romello White has brought his toughness and physicality to Oxford, dominating the post. The Arizona State transfer is averaging 10.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg, ranking second on the team in both categories. White has been unstoppable down low, making 52 of his 77 attempts for a 67.5 percent clip. With 14 blocks over the first 13 games, White leads Ole Miss in blocks. 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. In his first SEC Game, at Alabama (Dec. 29), White had his best game as a Rebel with team highs in points (20) and rebounds (11). It marked the 17th double-double of his career, his first in an Ole Miss uniform.

CONTROLLING THE PAINT
Ole Miss has controlled the paint in wins, outscoring opponents by an average of 18.6 points (36.6-18.0). Here's a look at paint points for each victory.

	Ole Miss	Opponent
vs. Jackson State	38	14
vs. UNCW	50	20
vs. Central Arkansas	22	18
at Middle Tennessee	48	16
vs. UT Martin	40	14
vs. Auburn	28	22
at MSU	30	22

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) and steals (1.8 per game), while ranking second in assists (2.2 per game). He is third in the SEC in steals, while his rebounding ranks ninth. In the win over UNCW (Dec. 12), Rodriguez produced his first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. He pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds at Dayton (Dec. 19), the most by a Rebel since Sebastian Saiz pulled down 15 in the NIT quarterfinals versus Georgia Tech (March 21, 2017).

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 445 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 511 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 another Saturday at home, the Rebels spend a week on the road with games at Arkansas (Jan. 27) and at Georgia (Jan. 30). Starting with the Razorbacks, tipoff from Bud Walton Arena is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Players Mentioned

Jarkel Joiner

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Breein Tyree

Dimencio Vaughn

Romello White

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