Ole Miss Renews Rivalry, Welcomes in No. 18 Memphis Saturday

			OLE MISS (5-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. #18 MEMPHIS (5-2, 0-0 American) Saturday, December 4 • 11 a.m. • Oxford, Miss. The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
Watch • Live Stats • Listen • Gameday Info • Tickets Ole Miss Game Notes • Memphis Game Notes • SEC Game Notes Interviews: Davis • Crowley • Murrell

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men's basketball will face a fierce early-season test in front of what is sure to be an electric, near-sellout crowd when regional rival No. 18 Memphis comes to SJB Pavilion for an early morning bout Saturday morning. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

TEAM FACTS

Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 4th Season at Ole Miss (56-44) • 525-307 career record (27th Season)

#18 Memphis Tigers (5-2, 0-0 American)
Head Coach: Penny Hardaway • 4th Season at Memphis (68-34) • 68-34 career record (4th Season)

ON THE AIR

Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Kevin Fitzgerald
Color: Jimmy Dykes

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes

SiriusXM
XM: 380
SiriusXM App: 970

RIVALRY RENEWED
Memphis is the closest Division I school to Ole Miss as 85 miles separate the two universities. The Tigers lead the all-time series 28-14, but the Rebels have won the last three of the last four meetings and seven of the previous 12. Memphis earned a 23-11 victory in 1910 to tip off the series, and after another win in 1923, Ole Miss rattled off six consecutive wins.

LAST MEETING: NOV. 23, 2019 (L, 87-86, AT MEMPHIS)
Ole Miss nearly overcame a 16-point second half deficit, but No. 16 Memphis prevailed in a narrow 87-86 win over the Rebels on Nov. 23, 2019 at FedEx Forum.

• Breein Tyree: 24 points, four assists, four rebounds
• Memphis' Precious Achiuwa (25), D.J. Jeffries (23) combined for 48 points
• Ole Miss: 12 threes made
• Memphis won points in paint, 52-20

SCOUTING MEMPHIS
The Tigers come in to SJB Pavilion ranked No. 18 in the nation, but are in the midst of a two-game skid against Iowa State in the championship game of the NIT Season Tipoff (78-59) on Nov. 26 and at Georgia on Dec. 1 (82-79). Memphis ranked as high as No. 9 in the AP poll released Nov. 22, and are led by a ferocious defense that ranks first in the NCAA in blocks per game (9.0) and 19th in opposing field goal percentage (.369). The Tigers are led Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, with Duren currently ranking 10th nationally in blocks (3.6). Bates leads Memphis with 12.1 points per game and a 35.3 percent clip from beyond the arc, while Duren is averaging 11.1 points. 8.7 boards, 3.6 blocks and is shooting 65.2 percent from the field. DeAndre Williams is also averaging double-digit points on the season, currently sitting at 10.0 points and 5.6 boards per game.

SELLOUT CROWDS IN SJB PAVILION HISTORY
Since opening in 2016, the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss has witnessed nine sellout crowds with an announced capacity attendance of 9,500. In those nine games, Ole Miss is 5-4 overall and scoring and average of 77.3 points per game.

03-05-19 - #5 Kentucky (L, 80-76)
02-27-19 - #6 Tennessee (L, 73-71)
02-02-19 - #21 Mississippi State (L, 81-75)
01-19-19 - Arkansas (W, 84-67)
01-15-19 - LSU (L, 83-69)
03-02-16 - Mississippi State (W, 86-78)
02-13-16 - Arkansas (W, 76-60)
02-06-16 - Vanderbilt (W, 85-78)
01-07-16 - Alabama (W, 74-66)

CRASHING THE BOARDS
Ole Miss recorded a historic rebounding effort against Rider on Nov. 30, hauling in 57 total boards and winning the battle on the glass by a margin of 21. The 57 rebounds stood as the most by a Rebel team since recording 64 vs. Troy on Nov. 27, 2007. Since 2007, Ole Miss has tallied 50 rebounds in 14 total games. Those 57 team rebounds also stand as the most by any SEC team this season, and tied for the 23rd-most in a game nationwide this season. The Rebels currently rank fourth in the conference at 40.9 rebounds per game, an average that jumped up nearly three boards per game following the monster outing vs. Rider.

Games With 50+ Rebounds Since 2007 (14)
11-30-21 - vs. Rider (57)
01-17-17 - Tennessee (50)
12-22-16 - South Alabama (50)
12-12-15 - Southeast Missouri (53)
11-16-15 - Georgia Southern (50)
11-14-14 - Charleston Southern (50)
11-08-13 - Troy (53)
01-29-13 - Kentucky (52)
11-09-12 - MVSU (54)
11-14-11 - Grambling (51)
02-24-10 - Auburn (50)
12-28-07 - Southern Miss (51)
11-27-07 - Troy (64)
11-16-07 - Lamar (53)

CHEF BROOKS IS COOKING
Ole Miss graduate transfer Nysier Brooks is coming off a torrid two-game stretch rebounding the ball, hauling in a combined 25 rebounds (10 offensive) in his last two outings vs. Mississippi Valley State (10 rebounds, 5 offensive) and Rider (15 rebounds, 5 offensive). Brooks' 15-rebound game vs. Rider tied a career high and stands as the best single-game rebounding output since Sebastian Saiz tallied 17 vs. Georgia Tech in the 2017 NIT. Furthermore, Brooks recorded his sixth career double-double against MVSU after a 15-point showing to go along with his 10 boards -- the first Rebel double-double this season. On the year, Brooks ranks sixth in the SEC at 7.9 rebounds per game and is also averaging 8.0 points.

PUTTING THE TEAM ON HIS BACK
Senior Jarkel Joiner has proven his veteran leadership in the early stages of the season, not only leading in several categories but by also rarely leaving the floor. Joiner ranks sixth in the SEC in minutes played per game at 31:39, and he has put the team on his back with the SEC's sixth-most field goal attempts (87) and eighth-most field goals made (40). Joiner also ranks seventh in scoring (15.4 PPG. In his career, Joiner averages 30.5 minutes played per game in 99 career games played and 91 career starts.

PROTECT THE BALL
Ole Miss has forced double-digit turnovers in all seven of their contests so far this season, and have yet to turn the ball over more than they have forced their opponents to. The Rebels hold a season turnover margin of +3.0, and lead the SEC in fewest turnovers per game (11.3). In the Kermit Davis era, the Rebels are 44-18 when having fewer turnovers than their opponents, and are 33-13 when forcing 15 turnovers or more.

TIGHT SHIP
Team defense has been a calling card of the Rebels in the early going, holding opponents to 70 or fewer six times in seven games, including 60 or fewer in each of their last four outings vs. Elon (56), Boise State (60), MVSU (58) and a season-low 51 to Rider. Disruption and mayhem have led to plenty of buckets in transition for Ole Miss, with their turnover margin (+3.0) helping lead to a nearly identical Rebel advantage in both points off turnovers (105-59) and points on the fastbreak (102-54). Luis Rodriguez has been helped lead that charge for the Rebel defense, currently ranking 11th in the SEC in total steals (12).

PASS THE ROCK
Ole Miss currently has the two most efficient passers in the SEC in Jarkel Joiner and Austin Crowley, who have been crucial in the Rebels' offensive efforts so far this season. Crowley ranks second in the conference and 24th nationally at his assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.4, while Joiner is fourth in the SEC and 37th nationally at his ratio of 3.1.

Crowley has been particularly solid, currently ranking seventh in the SEC at 4.4 assists per game through seven games that include a career-best nine dimes against Charleston Southern. On the year, Crowley has notched four assists or more in five of seven games played.

It took three games for Joiner to record his first turnover of the season, and he also had a career day vs. Charleston Southern with seven assists of his own to combine with Crowley for 16 of the 23 Rebel dimes.

On the season, Ole Miss have notched an assist on 56.3 percent of all made field goals (112-of-199).

SHARING IS CARING
Ole Miss has been a machine in distribution through the early going, notching exactly 23 dimes in each of its first two games. No Rebel team since 1994 has recorded 20 assists in the first two games of the season, with the '94-95 Ole Miss squad tallying 22 to open against Morgan State on Dec. 1, 1994, and 20 against Sam Houston State two days later on Dec. 3, 1994. In available records through 1987-88, no Rebel team has had 23 or more in their first two games of the season.

The Rebels rank third in the SEC and 39th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), as well as fourth in the SEC and 49th in the NCAA in assists per game (16.0). Helping that assist-turnover ratio are the fewest turnovers per game in the SEC (11.3).

SCORE FROM FAR
Ole Miss has shown spurts of being able to light the net on fire, shooting 40 percent or better in five of seven games played. Additionally, the Rebels have posted five halves this season at a 50 percent overall clip or better, including in three of four to start the season. Ole Miss opened the season with two 50 percent shooting games for the first time since 2007, and what has helped has been the combination of a dynamite transition offense and a bevy of contributors from beyond the arc. Ole Miss is currently outscoring opponents 220-180 in the paint and 102-54 on the fastbreak, while six different Rebels have hit five or more threes this season toward a season line of 49-of-145 (.338). Ole Miss hit at least eight trifectas in each of its first three games, and it has received help from a couple of unlikely heroes to start the year.

Austin Crowley and Tye Fagan, who entered the season a combined 37-of-137 (.270) in their careers from three, are right now shooting 14-of-35 (.400) from deep as a duo to start the year. Crowley at 9-of-23 is nearly at his single-season best in three-pointers made (11, 2019-20), and Fagan at 5-of-12 is halfway to his season-best 10 from last season at Georgia. The team leader so far is Jarkel Joiner, who is shooting 15-of-34 (.441) from beyond the arc, accounting for 41.7 percent of all his scoring. Joiner has hit multiple threes in five of seven games played.

JACK OF ALL TRADES
Senior Tye Fagan has been a Swiss Army knife for Ole Miss, contributing in significant ways in multiple facets of the game. On the year, Fagan is averaging a balanced stat line of 8.0 points (third on team), 4.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks while averaging an assist-turnover ratio of 2.1 in 20.3 minutes played per game. Fagan tied a career-high with 10 rebounds vs. Rider, and tallied a career-high six assists to go along with an Ole Miss career-high 11 points vs. Elon -- his second double-digit effort as a Rebel following an opening 10-point performance vs. New Orleans. Fagan has also added a three-point shot to his repertoire, currently sitting at 5-of-12 despite entering the year with a career line of 19-of-68 (.279). Combined with his three previous years of experience at Georgia, Fagan has played in 96 career games and started in 29 -- with his first Ole Miss start coming vs. MVSU.

YEAR FOUR OF THE DAVIS ERA
Kermit Davis enters his fourth season at the helm of Ole Miss Basketball. Over his first three seasons, Davis led the Rebels to a pair of postseason appearances (2020 postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19). With 56 victories as head coach of the Rebels, Davis is one of only four coaches in Ole Miss history to rack up at least 50 wins over their first three seasons. A nine-time conference coach of the year, Davis is 38th among active Division I head coaches with 459 career wins over 24 seasons, including stints at Middle Tennessee, Idaho and Texas A&M. In 27 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he has amassed 525 wins.

DAVIS ERA TRENDS TO WATCH
• 47-14 when leading at half
• 5-0 when scoring 90+, 26-3 when scoring 80+, 44-18 when scoring 70+
• 41-16 when winning the rebounding battle
• 24-3 when at 50 percent shooting or better
• 16-5 when shooting 40 percent or better from three
• 54-28 when keeping opponents below 50 percent shooting (31-5 when below 40 percent)

PROTECTING CRADDOCK COURT
Winning at home has been a trademark at Ole Miss. Over the past 15 seasons, the Rebels are 180-56 (.763 win pct.) in home games. In five-plus seasons (opened January 2016) playing in the $96.5 million SJB Pavilion, the Rebels hold a 67-30 (.691) advantage against the opposition. Ole Miss has won 305 of its last 393 games (.776 win pct.) in Oxford dating back to the 1996-97 campaign. Under head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels are 37-14 (.725 win pct.) at home.

For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.

RebelsCalendar

Players Mentioned

Nysier Brooks

Austin Crowley

Tye Fagan

Jarkel Joiner

Luis Rodriguez

The University of Mississippi Athletics