Ole Miss Starts Road Week at No. 24 Missouri Tuesday

			OLE MISS (12-9, 7-7 SEC) at #24 MISSOURI (14-6, 7-6 SEC) Tuesday, Feb. 23 • 8 p.m. • Columbia, Mo. Mizzou Arena
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GAME 22
Date: Feb. 23, 2021
Time: 8 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-382, Internet-972)
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: Ole Miss leads 14-3
Last Meeting: Feb. 10, 2021
   Ole Miss won 80-59
   Oxford, Miss.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss has won 14 of the 17 games in the series.
- The Rebels beat the No. 10 Tigers 13 days ago, 80-59, in Oxford with the help of 21 points from Jarkel Joiner.
- The 21-point win was the largest margin of victory over a top-10 team since an 84-56 win over No. 6 Alabama (March 3, 2002).
- The Rebels shot 56.9 percent in the first matchup, their best field goal percentage in an SEC game since Feb. 7, 2015 (57.8 percent vs. Auburn).
- Luis Rodriguez scored a career-high 15 points against Missouri two weeks ago.
- Ole Miss is now 62nd in the NET. The Rebels were as far back as 85th in the NET on January 18.
- The Rebels are 4-1 in the month of February.
- Two of the four wins this month have been against top-10 teams, giving Ole Miss multiple top-10 victories for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
- Ole Miss is one of 10 teams in the country to have a perfect record against ranked teams this season (2-0).
- The Rebels rank 18th nationally in turnovers forced per game (16.7) and 21st with 176 steals (8.4 per game).
- Ole Miss is shooting 77.7 percent (80 of 103) from the free throw line over the past five games; through the first 16 games of the season, the Rebels were making free throws at a 66.1 percent clip (203 of 307).
- Devontae Shuler is one of only two players in the SEC to rank in the conference's top 10 in scoring (9th), assists (8th) and steals (7th).
- KJ Buffen has averaged 11.3 ppg off the bench over the past three games.
- The Rebels are 8-0 when keeping opponents under 40 percent from the floor.
- Ole Miss is one of only two teams in the country to have four 1,000 point scorers: Dimencio Vaughn (1,266), Devontae Shuler (1,236), Romello White (1,153) and Jarkel Joiner (1,074).
- The Rebels are coming off a 66-56 setback to MSU, the first loss of the month that ended a four-game winning streak.

HONORING A TRAILBLAZER: OLE MISS ERECTING STATUE OF COOLIDGE BALL
Fifty years ago, Coolidge Ball broke down walls at the University of Mississippi. On May 15, Ole Miss' first Black student-athlete will be celebrated with a life-size, bronze likeness erected in the north plaza of The Pavilion. On August 6, 1970, Ball signed the Rebels' last available basketball scholarship for that season. The Indianola, Mississippi, native was recruited by other schools such as Arizona State, Northwestern and New Mexico State, but his decision to attend Ole Miss opened the door for future Black student-athletes to make their way to the Oxford campus to wear the Red and Blue, not just in basketball, but other sports as well. Ball's ground-breaking career at Ole Miss saw him earn first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the league coaches in 1972 and 1973. He also earned second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press in 1972 and 1973, was selected to the United Press International third team during all three of his varsity seasons (1972-73-74) and made the All-SEC Freshman team in 1970-71.His first varsity season came his sophomore year when he averaged 16.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while leading the team with 42 assists. He scored a career-high 30 points against Vanderbilt and LSU that season and added a career-high 19-rebound performance against Southern Miss. Ball was instrumental in helping Ole Miss defeat SEC rivals Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi State in consecutive games in 1973. He scored 1,072 points during his varsity career, helped lead the Rebels to three straight winning seasons for the first time since 1936-38 and was one of the team's most respected players, earning team captain and MVP honors. A 1975 graduate of the University of Mississippi, Ball was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991 and was a member of the SEC Basketball Legends Class of 2005. When the University of Mississippi celebrated its "First 100 Years of Ole Miss Basketball" in 2009, it came as no surprise when Ball was selected to the All-Century Team.

SEC LEADERS
- The Rebels rank second in the SEC in scoring defense (63.9), turnover margin (+2.7) and turnovers forced (16.7).
- Luis Rodriguez ranks fourth in steals, averaging 1.7 per game.
- Devontae Shuler ranks in the SEC's top-10 averages for threes made (6th-2.0), minutes (6th-32.8), steals (7th-1.7), assist/turnover ratio (8th-1.4), assists (8th-3.6), points (9th-15.7) and free throw percentage (9th-80.6); he joins Vanderbilt's Scotty Pippen Jr. as the only two SEC players to rank in the top 10 in points, assists and steals.
- Shuler is the SEC's active leader in career steals (177) and career assists (312), while second in points (1,236).

JOINING THE CONVERSATION
One month ago (Jan. 18), the Rebels found themselves 6-6 (3-4 SEC) and ranked 85th in the NET. However, Ole Miss went on the road and dominated rival MSU 64-46 before picking up another win over Texas A&M. After back-to-back road losses sent them back to .500, the Rebels reeled off four straight victories. With two of those wins coming over top-10 teams (Tennessee and Missouri), Ole Miss has moved up to No. 62 in the NET and into the conversation as a bubble team. An NCAA Tournament berth is now a possibility if the Rebels can keep racking up wins, something that did not look possible in January.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
- Missouri enters Tuesday's matchup ranked 24th in the AP poll after splitting a pair of contests last week; the Tigers fell to Georgia (Feb. 16) before bouncing back with a win over South Carolina (Feb. 20).
- Four Tigers average double figures led by Xavier Pinson (14.6 ppg).
- Dru Smith (14.1 ppg) leads Missouri in assists (3.6) and steals (1.8).
- Jeremiah Tilmon brings down a team-high 7.6 rpg to go along with his 13.1 ppg, while Mark Smith adds 10.0 ppg.
- Cuonzo Martin is in his fourth season as Missouri's head coach after previous stops at Cal and Tennessee.

SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss and Missouri have met just 17 times with all 17 meetings coming since the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012-13. The Rebels lead the all-time series 14-3. Ole Miss and Mizzou have squared off seven times in Columbia, with the Rebels holding a 5-2 advantage. The two teams are playing a home-and-home series for the sixth consecutive season. Ole Miss won the first matchup 13 days ago, an 80-59 win over the No. 10 Tigers in Oxford.

FIRST MATCHUP OF THE SEASON
Two weeks ago, Ole Miss brought down another top-10 opponent in The Pavilion and upset No. 10 ranked Missouri 80-59 (Feb. 10). The Rebels put on one of their best offensive performances of the season, shooting 57 percent (29 of 51) from the floor with three Rebels in double figures. Jarkel Joiner led the way with 21 points (8 of 14), while Luis Rodriguez had a career-high 15 points. Coming into the game as the SEC Co-Player of the Week alongside Missouri's Dru Smith, Devontae Shuler had 15 points by going 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.
- Ole Miss earned its second victory over a top-10 team this season, earning multiple wins over top-10 teams for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.
- The 21-point win was the largest margin of victory over a top-10 team since an 84-56 win over No. 6 Alabama (March 3, 2002).
- It was the third victory over a top-10 team in three seasons under Kermit Davis.
- The Rebels shot 56.9 percent from the floor, their best field goal percentage in an SEC game since Feb. 7, 2015 (57.8 percent vs. Auburn).
- Joiner scored a game-high 21 points, his third 20-point game of the season.
- Shuler recorded all 15 of his points from beyond the arc; his five three-pointers helped move him into ninth in program history for threes made, passing Jason Harrison (163).
- Rodriguez scored a career-high 15 points.
- It was the first time this season that three Rebels scored at least 15 points in the same game.
- Ole Miss held a 34-19 (+15) advantage on the boards.

NEW MONTH, NEW REBELS
Ever since the calendar flipped to February, Ole Miss has looked like an entirely different basketball team by winning four of five games this month. After back-to-back road losses to Arkansas and Georgia to end the first month of the year, the Rebels bounced back with a big victory over No. 10 Tennessee (Feb. 2). The narrow win provided a spark that Ole Miss took to the road, rallying from 14 down in the second half to beat Auburn 86-84 (Feb. 6) in overtime thanks to 30 points from Romello White and a buzzer-beater by Devontae Shuler. Ole Miss kept the momentum going when another top-10 team came into The Pavilion. The Rebels throttled No. 10 Missouri 80-59 (Feb. 10) for their second top-10 victory in eight days. Ole Miss then went on the road and took care of business, beating South Carolina 81-74 (Feb. 13).

BUFFEN OFF THE BENCH
Coming off the bench, KJ Buffen looked more like himself. The Gainesville, Georgia, native is averaging 11.3 ppg over the past three contests. First, he stuffed the box score to help the Rebels to a victory over No. 10 Missouri (Feb. 10). The junior forward scored nine points to go along with team highs in rebounds (6) assists (4), steals (3) and blocks (2). He followed that performance with a 12-point output in the win at South Carolina (Feb. 13), reaching double figures for the first time since scoring a team-high 18 points versus Wichita State (Jan. 2). Buffen made all three of his shots, including one from long distance, while adding 5 of 8 from the free throw line. Against MSU on Saturday, Buffen led the Rebels in points (13), rebounds (6) and assists (3).

ON THIS DATE
Feb. 23, 2016: The Rebels beat Missouri 85-76, the first matchup between the two teams in The Pavilion. Stefan Moody scored 29 points with eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Sebastian Saiz had 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Tomasz Gielo scored 12 points.

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 18th in turnovers forced (16.7 per game) and 21st in total steals (176).
- With wins over Mississippi State (64-46) and Texas A&M (61-50), held SEC opponents to 50 points or less in back-to-back games for the first time since 1980
- Five games surrendering 50 points or less (first time since 2003-04 season)
- Has limited three SEC foes to 50 points or less, the first Ole Miss team since the 2000-01 Rebels that set a school record for wins (27) and advanced to the Sweet 16
- Kept 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)

WINS OVER TOP-10 TEAMS
Ole Miss has 20 victories over top-10 teams throughout its history with two of them coming this season. Earning wins over No. 10 Tennessee (Feb. 2) and No. 10 Missouri (Feb. 10), the Rebels now have three top-10 victories in three seasons under Kermit Davis. Only Rod Barnes (5) and Bob Weltlich (4) have more top-10 wins as Ole Miss head coach.

30-POINT REBELS
Devontae Shuler and Romello White have put together 30-point games this season. Shuler got his career-high 31 points in a homecoming victory at South Carolina (Feb. 13), while White recorded a career-high 30 points in an overtime win at Auburn one week earlier (Feb. 6). The duo joined a select group of Rebels who have produced 30-point games over the past decade: Deandre Burnett, Terence Davis, Zach Graham, Marshall Henderson, Stefan Moody, Dundrecous Nelson, Breein Tyree and Chris Warren.

1K REBELS
Ole Miss is one of two teams (Oregon) in the country to have four 1,000-point scorers on its roster. Jarkel Joiner (1,072) was the latest Rebel to join the club with one of his first half jumpers at Arkansas (Jan. 27). Devontae Shuler (1,236) and Romello White (1,153) both cracked four digits in the SEC opener at Alabama (Dec. 29). Dimencio Vaughn (1,266) is the team's active leader in career points after recording 1,239 during his time at Rider.

RISING UP THE CAREER CHARTS
Playing in 118 games as a Rebel, senior guard Devontae Shuler continues to climb his way up the program record books. He already ranks top 10 in three categories and is seven assists away from cracking his fourth top 10.

Career Record	Shuler	Rank	Next Up	Record Holder
Steals	177	4th	3rd - Eric Laird (179)	Jason Smith (211)
3FG Attempted	493	9th	8th - Stefan Moody (494)	Chris Warren (900)
3FG Made	168	9th	8th - Terence Davis (176)	Chris Warren (334)
Assists	312	--	10th - Eniel Polynice (319)	Sean Tuohy (830)
Points	1,236	27th	26th - B.L. "Country" Graham (1,259)	John Stroud (2,328)

SHULER TAKES COMMAND
With All-SEC guards Terence Davis and Breein Tyree graduated and both continuing their careers in the Toronto Raptors organization, Devontae Shuler has become the Rebels' leader. Shuler paces the team in scoring (15.7 ppg) and assists (3.5 per game), while producing seven 20-point games so far this season. He ranks in the SEC's top 10 in threes made (6th), steals (7th), assists (8th), assist/turnover ratio (8th), points (9th) and free throw percentage (9th). In the first 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). He scored 24 points against Georgia (Jan. 16) and followed up that performance with 22 points to lead the Rebels to a rivalry victory over MSU (Jan. 19). Coming through in the clutch, Shuler nailed a buzzer-beater, part of 26 points on the day, to lead Ole Miss to another win at Auburn (Feb. 6). He saved his best game as a Rebel when he returned to his home state of South Carolina, scoring a career-high 31 points in a victory over the Gamecocks (Feb. 13).

MELLO'S WORLD
Graduate transfer Romello White has brought his toughness and physicality to Oxford, dominating the post. The Arizona State transfer is averaging 10.8 ppg and 5.4 rpg. White has been a force down low, making 88 of his 132 attempts for a 66.7 percent clip. With 24 blocks over 21 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 led Ole Miss with team highs in points (20) and rebounds (11). He saved his best game for the other SEC team from Alabama, exploding for a career-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds in the overtime victory at Auburn (Feb. 6). He became the first Rebel to record a double-double with at least 30 points since Justin Reed accomplished the feat in 2004. The performance marked the 18th double-double of White's career, his second in an Ole Miss uniform.

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 12.1 ppg during conference games, second only to fellow guard Devontae Shuler (15.7 ppg). He leads the team in free throw shooting, making 83.6 percent of his attempts. Joiner came off the bench in the first four SEC contests before starting against Georgia (Jan. 16), leading to his best game as a Rebel. Knocking down 9 of 17 from the floor, Joiner scored a season-high 22 points. In the win over MSU (Jan. 19), his first game in the rivalry, Joiner helped lead Ole Miss to victory with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a career-high two blocks. He followed that performance with a game-high 21 points in a win over Texas A&M (Jan. 23), his second 20-point night over a three-game stretch. Joiner led the Rebels to another top-10 victory with a game-high 21 points versus No. 10 Missouri (Feb. 10).

SHULER STEALS
Senior Devontae Shuler is rising up the program's all-time steals list with 177 career steals. Getting two steals against Auburn (Feb. 6), he passed Jason Harrison (172) to move into fifth in Ole Miss history. Averaging 1.7 steals per game, Shuler ranks seventh in the SEC. He is two steals away from tying Eric Laird for third 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.

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 (6.1 per game) and steals (1.7 per game) to go along with 7.8 ppg. He is fourth in the SEC in steals with the help of 13 multi-steal games. 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). In the win over No. 10 Missouri (Feb. 10), Rodriguez scored a career-high 15 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds.

WINNING BIG
When the Rebels win, they usually win big.
- Nine of the team's 12 victories this season have been by double digits, including six by at least 18 points.
- Dating back to last season, 21 of the 27 wins are double-digit victories.

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 450 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 516 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
The road week continues as Ole Miss heads north to Nashville this weekend. Vanderbilt hosts the Rebels in the Music City (Feb. 27) with tipoff set for 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Players Mentioned

KJ Buffen

Jarkel Joiner

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Breein Tyree

Dimencio Vaughn

Romello White

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