The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Oklahoma State
Men's Basketball Breaks From SEC To Face Oklahoma State
1/27/2023 | Men's Basketball
The Rebels will travel to Stillwater to take on the Cowboys on ESPN2 in the SEC-Big12 Challenge
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OLE MISS (9-11, 1-7 SEC) at OKLAHOMA STATE (11-9, 3-5 BIG 12) Saturday, Jan. 28 • 7:00 p.m. CT • Stillwater, Okla. Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)  |
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Watch • Live Stats • Listen
Ole Miss Game Notes • Oklahoma State Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
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STILLWATER, Okla. – Taking a break from their conference schedule, the Ole Miss men's basketball team will face the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge on Saturday, January 28 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (9-11, 1-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (73-72) • 542-335 career record (28th Season)
Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-9, 3-5 Big 12)
Head Coach: Mike Boynton Jr. • 6th Season at Oklahoma State (98-82) • 98-82 career record (6th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Roy Philpott
Color: Tim Welsh
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. OKLAHOMA STATE
The two programs have met only three times before and only once in the last 70 years, with the Cowboys winning all three matchups. Most recently, Ole Miss and Oklahoma St. battelled at the 2019 NIT Tip-Off held in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the Barclays Center, where the Rebels fell 78-37. Prior to their game on November 29 in 2019, the schools had not seen each other on the court since a game held in Oklahoma City, Okla. on December 28, 1953, where the Cowboys won 59-42. Four years earlier, the two matched up for the first time on January 15, 1948 in Memphis, Tenn., with Oklahoma State defeating Ole Miss 52-34. The Rebels and Cowboys have never played on either school's campus, as this contest will be the first non-neutral-site game.
LAST MEETING: NOVEMBER 29, 2019 (L, 37-78, BROOKLYN, N.Y., NIT TIP-OFF)
• Oklahoma State held the Rebels to just 25% shooting from the floor in the first half, resulting in just 15 points for Ole Miss, as they trailed by 19 at the half.
• The Cowboys outscored the Rebels in the second half by 22, ultimately winning by 41.
• This was the last time an Ole Miss team was held to under 40 points in a game, and had no player score in double figures.
• The Rebels were led in scoring by Breein Tyree and Antavion Collum who each had seven points. The Cowboys were led by Cameron McGriff with 15.
SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
Beginning with a win over UT Arlington, Oklahoma State suffered an early loss in their second game 61-60 by the hands of Southern Illinois. Following a win over Oakland, the Cowboys fell to UCF in overtime before defeating DePaul, Tulsa, and Prairie View A&M. Their games prior to beginning conference play concluded with wins over Sam Houston, Wichita State, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and losses to Connecticut, and Virginia Tech. Oklahoma State has gone 3-5 to begin their Big 12 schedule, defeating West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Iowa State, and falling to Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, and to Texas twice.
The leaders on offense for the Cowboys this year have been Bryce Thompson and Kalib Boone. Pacing the team in points per game, Thompson averages 11.3 per contest, and is second on the team in assists with 44. Boone has become a key member of the Oklahoma State squad as of late, averaging 11.0 points per game on the season, but 15.4 over his last five and 13.1 in conference play. In back-to-back key wins over Baylor and Iowa State, Boone scored a combined 28 points.
The strength of the Oklahoma State team this season has been their defense, as they rank sixth in the country in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to 38.0% shooting. Similar to Ole Miss, much of their defensive identity has revolved around defending the paint, as they rank 12th in the NCAA and lead the Big 12 in blocks per game, averaging 5.6 per contest. They are led down low by Moussa Cisse, who leads the Big 12 in both blocks (39) and blocks per game (2.44).
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 66.6 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points four times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 28th in the country and fourth in the SEC in blocks per game (4.8). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (25 total blocks, 1.25 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (24 total blocks, 1.26 per game).
On January 3 at No. 7 Alabama, Akwuba and McKinnis combined for seven blocks, with Akwuba's four bringing his collegiate career total to 200 (now at 207). He and McKinnis (256 career blocks) are the only two teammates in college basketball with over 200 swats in their careers, and each rank among the top-10 in active career leaders.
A DEFENSIVE GOAT
Recording a steal in the closing moments of the first half in Ole Miss' last game, senior transfer Myles Burns collected the 400th steal of his collegiate career. Joining the Ole Miss program from Loyola New Orleans of the NAIA, Burns brought 358 steals from his four-time NAIA All-American career and has collected 43 since coming to Oxford. Counting his stats from the NAIA, Burns would become just the sixth person in NCAA men's basketball history across all divisions to collect 400 career steals. He is currently on pace to surpass 60 steals in a season, and would become the first Rebel to hit that mark since Jason Smith had 73 in 1999.
400 Career NCAA Steals List
1. Calvin Cheek, New England Col. (III), 2017-22: 580 steals
2. Jacob Gilyard, Richmond (I), 2017-22: 466 steals
3. Tennyson Whitted, Ramapo (III), 1999-2003: 448 steals
4. Jonte Flowers, Winona St. (II), 2004-08: 414 steals
5. John Gallogly, Salve Regina (III), 1994-98: 413 steals
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.1 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 54th in the nation. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 43 offensive rebounds (2.2 per game).
THEM REBS MOVE FAST
Ole Miss has been quick to react on defensive rebounds and turnovers, outscoring their opponents on fast-break opportunities by 79 this season (217-138). The Rebels has recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 15 of their 20 games so far.
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 20
Junior guard Matthew Murrell has scored 20 or more points six times this season, and averages 14.9 per game. A large part of his offense has come from deep, as he has made 38 threes on the year. Over a four-game stretch against Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia, and South Carolina, Murrell averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field and connecting on 10 threes.
DEEP POCKETS
The Rebels' depth has been on full display to begin the season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through their first 20 games (36.3%, 490 of 1,350 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 13 of 20 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 133 on the year (490 to 359). Their 24.5 points per game off the bench rank 64th across college basketball and fifth in the SEC.
CAN'T BRAKE HIS COMPOSURE
In Ole Miss' game against No. 7 Tennessee, Jaemyn Brakefield shot a perfect 4-4 from three-point range, setting a season-high with 18 points in the process. The junior from Jackson, Miss. became just the eighth Rebel in program history to remain perfect from deep in a game with a minimum of four attempts. The last to do so was Devontae Shuler on Dec. 10, 2020 against Jackson State when he went 5-5.
AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
With eight new faces for Ole Miss this season, the Rebel newcomers have been seeing serious minutes, and contributing in all major stat categories.
Newcomer Splits:
Minutes: 51.8% (2,071 of 4,000)
Scoring: 44.7% (604 of 1,350)
Rebounding: 52.5% (390 of 743)
Assists: 45.6% (118 of 259)
Steals: 59.6% (84 of 141)
Blocks: 80.4% (78 of 97)
They've also accounted for at least half the scoring in six games this season.
vs. Stanford: 48 of 72 (66.7%)
vs. Siena: 37 of 74 (50.0%)
vs. Stanford: 39 of 55 (70.1%)
at Memphis: 32 of 57 (56.1%)
vs. UCF: 38 of 61 (62.3%)
vs. Georgia: 31 of 58 (53.5%)
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best returners in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,091), fifth in total blocks (256), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 10th in rebounds per game (8.9), 11th in blocks per game (2.1) and 25th in field goal shooting (.611). McKinnis is one of just 11 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel (1,232), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (1,229), Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe (1,131), Nicholls' Manny Littles (1,116), Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah (1,059), LSU's KJ Williams (1,034), Iowa's Filip Rebraca (1,015), Virginia's Jayden Gardner (1,012), Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor (1,008), and San Diego's Eric Williams Jr. (1,005). He is also just one of ten, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., and Gardner with 1,000 career points (1,179) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 256 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 207. Ole Miss stands as the only school with multiple top-10 active blockers and is the only school with two within the top-25. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (39, No. 8), Mballa (29, No. 17) and Akwuba (17) combine for 85 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 68 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (36) at 77.
* Note: Myles Burns' 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but he would rank third in the nation at 1,193 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,472 boards between Burns (1,193), McKinnis (1,091), Mballa (827), Akwuba (692) and Robert Allen (687). Burns' combined career total of 1,978 points would also rank No. 23 among all NCAA divisions.
DYNAMIC DUO
Matthew Murrell and sophomore Daeshun Ruffin were a potent combo when on the court together last season, giving Ole Miss two of the SEC's top returning guards for 2022-23. Last year, the duo combined for 24.7 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.1 SPG, shot a combined .408 from the field and .343 from 3PT.
So far this season the two rank first (Murrell) and second (Ruffin) on the team in scoring average, and have combined for 23.9 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.6 SPG in their 10 games together.
RENAISSANCE MAN
Senior transfer Myles Burns has made an immediate impact for the Rebels on both ends of the floor with a unique talent blend as a defensive force and a go-getter on the offensive glass. Burns ranks 22nd in the NCAA with 43 steals, while also ranking 10th in the conference at 2.2 offensive boards per game.
Prior to Ole Miss, Burns had an extraordinary career at Loyola New Orleans, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. With the Wolf Pack, Burns played in 120 career games with 111 starts, while setting career averages of 15.3 points (1,852), 8.8 rebounds (1,069), 3.0 steals (358), 2.5 assists (298) and 1.0 blocks (116). In Loyola's record book, Burns ranks No. 1 in steals (358), No. 2 all-time in points (1,852), No. 2 in rebounds (1,069), No. 4 in blocks (116) and No. 7 in assists (298), with his 358 steals resting 163 more than any other player in Loyola history.
Burns helped lead Loyola to the 2022 NAIA National Championship title, the first in school history since 1945, as the tournament MVP at 19.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals with four double-doubles in six tournament games.
Burns is no stranger to dominating these two distinct statistical categories, as his 151 offensive rebounds and 152 steals in 2021-22 had no rival in all of college basketball, with the nearest Division I comparison being defending national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, who had 179 offensive rebounds and 60 steals last season. Furthermore, Burns' 152 steals last season earned him the 2022 Marques Haynes Award, which is given annually to the player with the most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division.
THROUGH THE FIRE
Ole Miss has faced off with some of the best competition college basketball has to offer, as the Rebels current strength of schedule ranks seventh in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 247-140 (0.638), they have taken on 10 foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100, including seven in the top-50 and two in the top-10.
WELCOME TO THE 'SIP
The pipeline hasn't shut off for the Rebels yet, as Ole Miss added four more highly-ranked recruits for the 2023-24 class. Included in that are three four-star prospects and two ESPN 100 signees, helping push Ole Miss to No. 13 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC. in the current ESPN top recruiting classes for next year.
Jordan Burks • G/F •6-8, 200 • Decatur, Ala. • Southern California Academy
ESPN 4-star prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN No. 11 forward in Florida (prior to transferring to SCA) ... ESPN No. 20 forward nationally.
Coach Davis: "At 6-8 and 200 pounds, he's a big wing who is really athletic in the open floor. He's a good shooter, has great length, has unbelievable upside, and he's off to a great start with an outstanding Southern California Academy program."
Jacob Gazzo • F •6-8, 210 • McComb, Miss. • Briarcrest Christian School
ESPN 3-star rated prospect ... ESPN No. 3 player in Mississippi ... ESPN No. 52 forward nationally
Coach Davis: "Jacob has been committed to us now for a couple of years. He's an athletic 6-8, 210 pounds. He's an excellent shooter as a power forward. He's transferred to Briarcrest. He had a significant injury in the summer, and now he's about to get cleared pretty soon to go back to 5-on-5. An unbelievable family, a great guy, and we think Jacob has great upside at Ole Miss."
Josh Hubbard • PG •6-0, 185 • Madison, Miss. • Madison-Ridgeland Academy
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (93 grade) ... ESPN Top-100 (No. 74) ... ESPN No. 1 player in Mississippi ... ESPN No. 18 point guard nationally ... 247Composite 4-star rated prospect (0.9609 grade) ... 247Compsotie No. 1 player in Mississippi ... 247Composite No. 14 point guard nationally ... 247Composite No. 92 player nationally.
Coach Davis: "Josh Hubbard is the No. 1 rated player in Mississippi. We've been involved with Josh for a long time. I think he's as explosive of an athlete at his position as a point guard as anybody in his class. He's a phenomenal shooter, and a fantastic guy. He comes from an unbelievable family, and a really successful and winning program at MRA."
Rashaud Marshall • F •6-8, 235 • Blytheville, Ark. • Blytheville HS
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (82 grade) ... ESPN Top-100 (No. 96) ... ESPN No. 2 player in Arkansas ... ESPN No. 15 center nationally ... 247/247Composite 4-star rated prospect (92/0.9642 grade) ... 247/247Composite No. 1 player in Arkansas ... 247/247Composite No. 11 center nationally ... 247 No. 79 player nationally.
Coach Davis: "He's rated as the No. 1 player in Arkansas, and at 6-9, 235 pounds he is an explosive, tough and physical player with a great motor. Rashaud is going to have an unbelievable senior year, and he plays for a really good Blytheville program."
EXPERIENCE FROM THE PORTAL
Ole Miss went into the portal looking for experienced big men, and came away with four of the most well-seasoned options available. Those four senior transfers -- F Theo Akwuba, F Myles Burns, F Josh Mballa and F Jayveous McKinnis -- hold an incredible combined career stat lines across their respective careers prior to Ole Miss:
Combined Career Stats (NAIA included for Burns):
• 500 games played
• 380 games started
• 5,035 points
• 3,803 rebounds
• 673 steals (401 from Burns alone)
• 665 blocks
