Men's Hoops Gets Quadrant 1 Opportunity in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals

			#6 SEED OLE MISS (16-10, 10-8 SEC) vs. #3 SEED LSU (16-8, 11-6 SEC) Friday, March 12 • 8 p.m. • Nashville, Tenn. Bridgestone Arena
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GAME 27 - SEC TOURNAMENT
Date: March 12, 2021
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Arena: Bridgestone Arena (19,395)
Television: SEC Network
   Tom Hart, play-by-play
   Dane Bradshaw, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Network
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Marc Dukes, analyst
Live Video: ESPN.com/ESPN app
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com/TuneIn app
Series: LSU leads 125-88
Last Meeting: Jan. 9, 2021
   LSU won 75-61
   Oxford, Miss.

TIPOFF TIDBITS
- Ole Miss enters the contest with victories in eight of its last 10 games.
- The Rebels are coming off a 76-59 win over South Carolina, winning their first SEC Tournament game since 2017.
- Ole Miss recorded seven blocks against the Gamecocks, the most in a game since getting nine at South Carolina (Feb. 19, 2019).
- The Rebels' 17-point win was their largest margin of victory in an SEC Tournament game since an 80-60 win over LSU in 2007.
- The Ole Miss bench recorded 35 of the team's 61 points in the first matchup with LSU; Austin Crowley scored a team-high 10 points off the bench.
- Ole Miss is 12-0 when keeping opponents under 40 percent this season, including each of the past three games.
- The Rebels placed sixth in the conference, finishing above the media's preseason projection (ninth) for the eighth time over the past 10 seasons.
- Ole Miss led the SEC in scoring defense (65.4), rebounding defense (31.7), defensive rebounding percentage (.721) and offensive rebounding percentage (.341) during conference play.
- The Rebels are now 53rd in the NET after being as far back as 85th on January 18.
- Ole Miss is 3-0 against ranked teams this season, one of nine teams in the country to be undefeated against top-25 opponents; the Rebels join No. 1 Gonzaga (4-0) and No. 13 Florida State (3-0) having at least three wins without a loss to ranked opponents.
- Ole Miss has held 12 opponents to less than 60 points, including seven SEC foes and all three ranked teams.
- The Rebels have limited four SEC opponents to 50 points or less for the first time since 1948.
- Devontae Shuler earned First Team All-SEC honors by the conference coaches, making it three years in a row that an Ole Miss guard was tabbed First Team All-SEC (Breein Tyree - 2019, 2020).
- Romello White is on pace to break the school record for field goal percentage.
- Kermit Davis has won four conference tournament championships as a head coach.

STATING THE CASE
On 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 (8-8, 3-6 SEC), the Rebels reeled off four straight victories. With three of those wins coming against ranked teams, and winning eight of the past 10, Ole Miss has moved up to No. 53 in the NET and into the conversation as a bubble team. The Rebels have a case to make the NCAA Tournament.
- One of nine teams in the nation to be undefeated against top-25 teams
- One of only three teams to have at least three wins against ranked teams without a loss: No. 1 Gonzaga (4-0), Ole Miss (3-0), No. 13 Florida State (3-0)
- One of only four teams (NET 40-70) with eight Quad 1-2 wins: Michigan St. (10), Missouri (9), Ole Miss (8), Indiana (8)
- Two wins over top-10 teams (Tennessee, Missouri)
- Have held four SEC teams to 50 points or less (first time since 1948)
- Led the SEC in scoring defense (65.4), rebounding defense (31.7), defensive rebounding percentage (.721) and offensive rebounding percentage (.341) during conference play
- Holds an 12-0 record when limiting opponents under 40 percent from the field

STRONG SECOND HALF
Ole Miss has played its best basketball in its march to the Big Dance, winning eight of its past 10 games to go 8-2 between February (5-2) and March (3-0). Some notable stats during the stretch are as follows.
- Devontae Shuler (16.7 ppg) and Romello White (13.6 ppg) have scored more than their season average.
- The Rebels have shot 75.5 percent from the charity stripe after shooting 66.1 percent over the first 16 games.
- Ole Miss has dominated the glass with a +6.5 rebounding margin; prior to the stretch, the team's rebounding margin was +3.4.

SEC LEADERS
- The Rebels led the SEC in scoring defense (65.4), rebounding defense (31.7), defensive rebounding percentage (.721) and offensive rebounding percentage (.341) during conference play.
- Ole Miss ranked second in the SEC in rebounding margin (+3.4) during conference games.
- Jarkel Joiner ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage (84.9).
- Devontae Shuler ranks in the SEC's top 10 averages for minutes (8th-32.7), assists (8th-3.3), assist/turnover ratio (8th-1.4), threes made (8th-2.0), steals (8th-1.5) and points (10th-15.6); 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 (182) and career assists (326), while second in points (1,312).

REBELS' SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Ole Miss has an overall record of 32-56 in 59 SEC Tournament appearances. The Rebels have reached five SEC championship contests and have a 2-3 record in those games, taking home tournament titles in 1981 and 2013. Forty years ago, Ole Miss took down Dominique Wilkins and the Georgia Bulldogs to earn their first NCAA Tournament berth. Marshall Henderson, now a graduate manager for the Rebels, led Ole Miss on a run in Nashville that resulted in the 2013 tournament title. Thursday's second round victory over South Carolina was the Rebels' first conference tournament win since 2017. It was also Ole Miss' largest margin of victory (17) in the SEC Tournament since 2007 and the fourth-largest in their tournament history.

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP COACH
Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis knows what it takes to win a conference tournament to lock up an NCAA Tournament berth, having accomplished the feat four times throughout his career. In both of his seasons as Idaho's head coach, 1988-89 and 1989-90, he led the Vandals to Big Sky Tournament titles along with their regular season crowns those years. Davis also captured back-to-back Conference USA Tournament championships while at Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders won the 2016 conference tournament before upsetting Michigan State as a No. 15 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, one of this biggest upsets in March Madness history. One year later (2017), Davis coached Middle Tennessee to another Conference USA title. As a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Raiders knocked off a Big Ten opponent once again by beating No. 5 seed Minnesota.

DEVONTAE SHULER: FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC
The tradition of All-SEC guards at Ole Miss continues, and Devontae Shuler can now add his name to that prestigious list. The senior was named First Team All-SEC by the conference coaches. Shuler earned the accolade for the first time in his career, becoming Ole Miss' third First Team All-SEC guard in three years under Kermit Davis. The Irmo, South Carolina, native follows in the footsteps of former teammate Breein Tyree, who collected First Team All-SEC honors as a junior (2019) and as a senior (2020). Adding in second teamers, the Rebels have produced 16 All-SEC guards over the past 15 seasons. Here are some of the highlights from Shuler's senior season:
- Has had his best career as a Rebel this season, leading the team in scoring (15.6 ppg) and assists (3.3 apg). Both marks crack the SEC's top 10, and by ranking eighth in steals (1.5 spg), joins Vanderbilt's Scotty Pippen Jr. as the only two players to rank top 10 in all three categories.
- His 1.3 assist/turnover ratio is eighth in the conference, while his 2.0 threes made per game are eighth.
- Eight 20-point games, including a 26-point night at Auburn (Feb. 6) in which he drilled a game-winning jumper at the buzzer in overtime. After that game, he collected SEC Player of the Week accolades for the first time in his career.
- Returned to his home state of South Carolina and scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Rebels to a victory over the Gamecocks (Feb. 13).
- In the first win over Auburn (Jan. 6), his 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).

UNDERRATED REBELS
For the eighth time in the past 10 seasons, Ole Miss finished higher than the media's projections. That includes the 2018-19 campaign when Ole Miss was predicted to finish last in the SEC, only to tie for sixth and return to the NCAA Tournament under first year head coach and 2019 SEC Coach of the Year Kermit Davis. In the SEC's annual preseason poll, a panel consisting of SEC and national media members picked the Rebels to finish ninth in the conference standings this season. With a 10-8 record in SEC play, Ole Miss exceeded those expectations and placed sixth.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
- LSU enters Friday's contest with a 16-8 record, including an 11-6 mark in the SEC.
- The Tigers are one of the nation's best scoring teams, ranking ninth in the country (82.7 ppg).
- Freshman guard Cameron Thomas (23.1 ppg) is the SEC's leading scorer, ranking fourth in the nation.
- Three other Tigers average double figures: Trendon Watford (16.2 ppg), Javonte Smart (15.8 ppg) and Darius Days (11.7 ppg).
- The four Tigers averaging double digits make up 78.6 percent of LSU's scoring.
- Smart is 59 of 136 (43.4 percent) from beyond the arc to lead the conference in three-point shooting.
- Will Wade is in his fourth season as the Tigers' head coach.

SERIES HISTORY
The series with the Tigers, which began in 1909, is the second-longest in Ole Miss Basketball history. LSU leads the all-time series 125-88. The last 17 matchups have been close with LSU holding a 9-8 edge. The Tigers also have a 5-4 advantage in SEC Tournament games, but the Rebels won the last encounter in the conference tournament 80-60 (March 9, 2007).

A MOVING TIMELINE
The Rebels and Tigers were originally scheduled to face off on February 17 for their only matchup of the regular season. However, weather and COVID-19 changed things.
Jan. 7: Ole Miss' home game against South Carolina is postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Gamecocks program. LSU's weekend game is also postponed with Missouri dealing with COVID-19.
Jan. 8: The SEC announces that the Feb. 17 game between Ole Miss and LSU will be moved up to Jan. 9.
Jan. 9: The Tigers beat the Rebels in Oxford.
Feb. 14: With Ole Miss and LSU being the only two teams without a midweek game, the SEC decides to bring the Tigers back to Oxford in an effort for all 14 SEC teams to each play 18 conference games with a balance of home and away games during the 2021 season. The game is back to its original date, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. CT.
Feb. 15: Due to winter weather in the south, the conference pushes the game back to Feb. 18 with a 4 p.m. CT tipoff.
Feb. 17: Due to the continued inclement weather, the conference postpones the game.

LAST TIME WE MET
In a battle between the SEC's top offense and the SEC's best defense in terms of field goal percentage, the fast start for the LSU offense was too much to overcome. The Tigers raced out to an early lead and never looked back, handing Ole Miss a 75-61 setback at The Pavilion (Jan. 9). The Tigers feasted off 20 Ole Miss turnovers and scored 29 points off of them alone. Ole Miss shot 35 percent from the floor with Austin Crowley scoring a team-high 10 points off the bench. Luis Rodriguez and Jarkel Joiner each added nine points, while Matthew Murrell tallied eight. An astounding 35 points came solely from the Ole Miss bench. On the flip side, three of LSU's starting five did most of the damage with a combined 53 points. Trendon Watford scored a game-high 21 points. Javonte Smart had 17, and Darius Days added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

REBEL-TIGER CONNECTIONS
- Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis spent five seasons (1998-2002) at LSU as associate head coach before going to Middle Tennessee and becoming the winningest coach in school history. Davis' time on the bayou was highlighted by a 28-6 record during the 1999-2000 season, which resulted in a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
- The Rebels will also see a familiar face on the opposing sideline Friday. LSU assistant coach Bill Armstrong spent 11 seasons (2007-17) at Ole Miss alongside former head coach Andy Kennedy. He served five seasons as coordinator of basketball operations before being promoted to assistant coach for six years.
- The leading scorers for both teams, Devontae Shuler (15.6 ppg) of Ole Miss and Cameron Thomas (23.1 ppg) of LSU, both played high school basketball at Oak Hill Academy; however, the two were not teammates since Thomas was a freshman at Oscar Smith HS when Shuler was a senior at Oak Hill.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Smack dab on the bubble, Ole Miss had to take care of business against South Carolina to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Rebels did just that, making a statement with a dominating 76-59 victory over the Gamecocks.
- Ole Miss won its first SEC Tournament game since 2017.
- The Rebels won their third straight game against South Carolina.
- Ole Miss held the Gamecocks to 35.6 percent from the floor, improving to 12-0 when holding teams below 40 percent.
- Ole Miss recorded seven blocks, the most in a game since getting nine at South Carolina (Feb. 19, 2019).
- The Rebels' 17-point win was their largest margin of victory in an SEC Tournament game since an 80-60 win over LSU in 2007.
- The trio of Jarkel Joiner (18), Romello White (17) and Devontae Shuler (15) combined for 50 points.
- The Rebels led 41-26 at the half for their biggest halftime lead of the season over an SEC opponent.
- Luis Rodriguez recorded his 16th multi-steal game of the season.

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.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
Head coach Kermit Davis loves a team that plays good defense with toughness. The Rebels have put up some historical defensive numbers this season. Ole Miss had the best scoring defense (65.4) and rebounding defense (31.7) in SEC play.
- Holds a 12-0 record when limiting opponents to under 40 percent from the floor
- Limited four SEC opponents to 50 points or less, the most in a season since 1948
- Has kept 12 opponents under 60 points, including seven SEC foes and all three ranked teams
- 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
- Six games surrendering 50 points or less (first time since 2003-04 season)
- 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)

RISING UP THE CAREER CHARTS
Playing in 123 games as a Rebel, senior guard Devontae Shuler continues to climb his way up the program record books. He is ranked top 10 all-time in four categories, while also passing some Ole Miss greats on the scoring list. On his Senior Night last week against Vanderbilt, Shuler passed Marshall Henderson and Stefan Moody. He knocked down a three-pointer Thursday against South Carolina to pass former teammate Terence Davis for eighth in threes made.

Career Record	Shuler	Rank	Next Up	Record Holder
Steals	182	3rd	3rd - Eric Laird (179)	Jason Smith (211)
3FG Attempted	517	8th	7th - Terence Davis (519)	Chris Warren (900)
3FG Made	177	8th	7th - Stefan Moody (181)	Chris Warren (334)
Assists	326	10th	9th - Bob Mahoney (362)	Sean Tuohy (830)
Points	1,312	21st	20th - Cob Jarvis (1,313)	John Stroud (2,328)

MELLO'S WORLD
Graduate transfer Romello White has brought his toughness and physicality to Oxford, dominating the post. The Arizona State transfer is averaging 11.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg. White has been a force down low, making 113 of his 172 attempts for a 65.7 percent clip. That field goal percentage is on pace to break Marcus Hicks' school record (63.8 percent) set in 1999 (minimum 150 attempts). With 33 blocks over 26 games, White leads Ole Miss in blocks and ranks 10th in the SEC. 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). His 14 made field goals are the most by an SEC player this season. He became the first Rebel to record a double-double with at least 30 points since Justin Reed accomplished the feat in 2004. In last week's win over Kentucky (March 2), White tallied 11 points and 10 boards to help the Rebels to victory. The performance marked the 19th double-double of White's career, his third in an Ole Miss uniform.

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.

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 11.7 ppg during conference games, second only to fellow guard Devontae Shuler (15.6 ppg). He leads the team in free throw shooting, making 83.8 percent of his attempts to rank third in the SEC. In the win over No. 24 Missouri (Feb. 23), Joiner went 8 for 8 at the free throw line which included a perfect 6 for 6 in the final minute to ice the game. 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. He added 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 team-high 21 points versus No. 10 Missouri (Feb. 10). In his first SEC Tournament game, he scored a game-high 18 points against South Carolina to help Ole Miss advance to the quarterfinals.

SHULER STEALS
Senior Devontae Shuler is rising up the program's all-time steals list with 182 career steals. Getting one steal in the win over Kentucky (March 2), he passed Eric Laird to move to third in Ole Miss history. Averaging 1.5 steals per game, Shuler ranks eighth in the SEC. 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 (6.2 per game) and steals (1.7 per game) to go along with 7.4 ppg. He is third in the SEC in steals with the help of 16 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.
- Eleven of the team's 16 victories this season have been by double digits, including seven by at least 17 points.
- Dating back to last season, 23 of the 31 wins have been double-digit victories.

JOINER NAMED TO SEC COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM
Ole Miss guard Jarkel Joiner landed on the SEC Men's Basketball Community Service Team for his efforts in his hometown. As a native of Oxford, it makes sense that Joiner wants to make an impact on the community. The junior is involved in several community service projects in his hometown. Joiner regularly reads to students across his home state of Mississippi as a part of our Reading with the Rebels Program. He has been able to share stories selected by teachers to promote reading and good behavior in elementary schools. Joiner is passionate about this activity and encourages students to read frequently and to others. He joined this program as a part of the Stronger Together MS initiative that focuses on promoting reading by students in Pre-K through 3rd grades. Joiner also led efforts for Adopt A Basket, feeding local families during the holiday season. He helped spearhead the project, giving back to the local community to ensure those in need have food during this time. Finally, since student-athletes have not been allowed into local schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joiner and his teammates have found opportunities to engage with elementary students virtually to encourage hard work in the classroom.

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 454 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 520 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
If the Rebels defeat the Tigers and earn another Quadrant 1 victory to pad their NCAA Tournament resume, the winner of the Arkansas-Missouri game awaits in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

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Players Mentioned

Austin Crowley

Jarkel Joiner

Matthew Murrell

Luis Rodriguez

Devontae Shuler

Breein Tyree

Romello White

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