The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
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Mississippi State
Men's Basketball Hosts In-State Rival Bulldogs Saturday
2/17/2023 | Men's Basketball
The Rebels will face Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion and on the SEC Network
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OLE MISS (10-16, 2-11 SEC) vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE (17-9, 5-8 SEC) Saturday, Feb. 18 • 2:30 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. SJB Pavilion (9,500)  |
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Watch • Live Stats • Listen
Ole Miss Game Notes • Mississippi State Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
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OXFORD, Miss. – For the second time this season and 268th meeting all time, the Ole Miss men's basketball team will take on Mississippi State, hosting the Bulldogs this Saturday, February 18 at 2:30 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion and on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (10-16, 2-11 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (74-77) • 543-340 career record (28th Season)
Mississippi State Bulldogs (17-9, 5-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Jans • 1st Season at MSU (17-9) • 160-53 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Paul Sunderland
Color: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
One of the fiercest rivalries in all of college basketball, this will be the 268th meeting between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, a matchup that sits just outside the top-10 for most games played in a series in NCAA Division I history. While the Bulldogs own the overall series 148-119, the Rebels hold a slight advantage in the last 20 matchups, 12 games to eight. This will be the second meeting between the Rebels and Bulldogs this season, after MSU defeated Ole Miss by 10 on January 7 in Starkville.
The two teams first met back in 1914, playing four straight days from February 25th to the 28th, with all four games going to Mississippi State. Ole Miss wouldn't win their first game in the series until their 10th matchup on February 24, 1917, with a 29-15 victory in Oxford, Miss. The Rebels lead the series at home by 41 games, 86-45, but are down 98-28 in Starkville.
Countless classics have played in this series, such as a 75-64 victory for the Rebels on January 19, 1980 to set a then-Tad Pad record in attendance at 9,318 (ended as fifth-largest crowd all-time), and Ole Miss' second-ever and most recent four-overtime game on January 24, 1990 when State topped the Rebs 104-102.
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis, a graduate from Mississippi State and former student-athlete on the basketball team, is 4-5 against his alma mater at the helm for the Rebels. His father, Kermit Davis Sr., was the head coach for the Bulldogs for seven seasons from 1970 to 1977, collecting 91 wins during his tenure.
LAST MEETING: JANUARY 7, 2023 (L, 54-64, STARKVILLE, MISS.)
• The Rebels led early 8-6, but would trail by three at the half, 26-23.
• A three by Matthew Murrell with just over 10 minutes left to play put Ole Miss up 42-39, before a 25-12 run by State gave the Bulldogs the 10-point win.
• Murrell led all scorers with 19 points, while Jaemyn Brakefield scored 10, and Myles Burns grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds.
• Will McNair Jr. led the Bulldogs in scoring, as he chipped in 13 points off the bench and secured seven boards.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Mississippi State enters with a 17-9 record overall and 5-8 record in conference, and currently sit in 11th place in the SEC standings. After opening the regular season with 11-straight wins, the Bulldogs dropped their final game before SEC play and owned a record of 1-8 between December 20 and January 25. However, bouncing back with a 81-74 win over No. 11 TCU in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge, State rattled off five wins in a row over the Frogs, South Carolina, Missouri, LSU, and Arkansas. They most recently fell to Kentucky in a 71-68 game that went down to the wire.
One of the toughest defenses in the country, Mississippi State has held their opponents to an average of 59.2 points per game, the sixth-fewest points allowed in the nation and second in the conference. Forcing turnovers via steals and contesting shots has been their strong suit, as the Bulldogs rank ninth in the country with an opponent field goal percentage of 39.0 percent, and 15th in the country in steals per game at 9.2. State ranks within the top-50 of numerous other categories including offensive rebounds per game (12.5, No. 22 NCAA), fouls per game (14.8, No. 32 NCAA), three point percentage defense (30.6%, No. 34 NCAA), turnover margin (+2.9, No. 37 NCAA), and turnovers forced per game (15.3, No. 39 NCAA).
Their leading scorer this season has been Tolu Smith, who averages 14.8 points per game and ranks ninth in the SEC. The senior forward has averaged a team-high 16.6 points over his last five games, including his seventh double-double of the year when he had 25 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Missouri on February 4. He ranks fourth in the conference in rebounding at 8.2 per game, and is the team's leading shot blocker as well. The Bulldogs have a pair of student-athletes among the top-10 in the conference for steals this year in Shakeel Moore (47 steals, No. 6 SEC) and Cameron Matthews (44 steals, No. 9 SEC).
A DEFENSIVE GOAT
Recording a steal in the closing moments of the first half against Missouri, 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 53 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 this 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
*Myles Burns - 411 steals (including stats from NAIA)
MB2K
Myles Burns scored 1,852 points during his career at Loyola New Orleans, and surpassed the 2,000-career points mark on February 4 at Vanderbilt with a dunk on an alley-oop. If his NAIA stats transferred to the NCAA, he would be one of just five active players across all divisions in college basketball with at least 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Other active student-athletes with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds are Jayden Gardner (Virginia), KJ Williams (LSU), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), and Jordan Janssen (Wayne St. (NE)).
Burns would also be just one of three active players across all divisions with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in their career. Janssen of Wayne St. (NE) and Williams of LSU would be the only other active members of that club.
Myles Burns Collegiate Career Totals
Games Played: 146
Games Started: 134
Points: 2,041 (14.0/game)
Rebounds: 1,229 (8.4/game)
Steals: 411 (2.8/game)
Assists: 329 (2.3/game)
Blocks: 129 (0.9/game)
BLOCK PARTY
The Ole Miss defense currently averages 68.5 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points nine times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 43rd in the country in blocks per game (4.5). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (30 total blocks, 1.2 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (29 total blocks, 1.2 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 212). He and McKinnis (261 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.
IT'S MISTER STEAL-YOUR-PASS
Fifth-year transfer Myles Burns has been a defensive powerhouse this season for the Rebels, collecting 53 steals on the season. Entering the game against Mississippi State, Burns sits on the edge of the top-10 for the most steals in a single season in program history.
Ole Miss Basketball - Most Steals in a Single Season
1. 89 Gerald Glass (30 games, 1989)
2. 73 Jason Smith (33 games, 1999)
3. 70 Gerald Glass (30 games, 1990)
4. 58 Murphy Holloway (36 games, 2013)
Rod Barnes (29 games, 1988)
6. 57 Stefan Moody (34 games, 2015)
7. 56 Devontae Shuler (33 games, 2019)
8. 55 Rahim Lockhart (33 games, 2000)
Ervin Garnes (27 games, 1994)
Eric Laird (28 games, 1984)
*53 Myles Burns (25 games, 2023)
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 20th in the nation. With a combined opponent record of 391-256 (0.604), they have taken on 14 foes with a current NET ranking in the top-100, including 10 in the top-50 and two in the top-five.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 12.3 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 29th in the nation. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 60 offensive rebounds (2.3 per game).
20-20 VISION
On February 7 at Georgia, Jaemyn Brakefield and Myles Burns each hit the 20-point mark in the Rebels' 78-74 road victory. Coming off the first double-double of his career at Vanderbilt, Brakefield led Ole Miss with a career-high 24 points on 11-15 shooting, adding seven rebounds and tying his season-best with four assists. Burns loaded the box score with a season-high 20 points as well as six rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a block. This was the first game Ole Miss had two hit the 20-point threshold since January 24, 2022, when Matthew Murrell (20 points) and Daeshun Ruffin (21 points) did so in a 70-54 win over Florida.
THEM REBS MOVE FAST
Ole Miss has been quick to react on defensive rebounds and turnovers, outscoring their opponents on fast-break opportunities by 94 this season (266-172). The Rebels have recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 19 of their 26 games.
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 in the nation this year, currently fifth in total rebounds (1,113), fifth in total blocks (261), eighth in career double-doubles (39), 12th in rebounds per game (8.6), 13th in blocks per game (2.0) and 28th in field goal shooting (.611). McKinnis is one of just 13 active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel, North Carolina's Armando Bacot, Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, Nicholls' Manny Littles, Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah, LSU's KJ Williams, Iowa's Filip Rebraca, San Diego's Eric Williams Jr., Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor, Virginia's Jayden Gardner, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Iowa State's Osun Osunniyi. He is also just one of 11, alongside Samuel, Bacot, Tshiebwe, Asadullah, Williams, Rebraca, Obanor, Williams Jr., Gardner, and Osunniyi with 1,000 career points (1,216) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 261 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 212. 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), Josh 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 (37) at 78.
* 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 1,229 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,586 boards between Burns (1,229), McKinnis (1,113), Mballa (827), Robert Allen (714), and Akwuba (703). Burns' combined career total of 2,041 points would also rank No. 33 among all NCAA divisions.
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: 51.5% (2,678 of 5,200)
Scoring: 46.2% (808 of 1,750)
Rebounding: 50.4% (478 of 949)
Assists: 44.1% (147 of 333)
Steals: 59.0% (105 of 178)
Blocks: 78.5% (91 of 116)
They've also accounted for at least half the scoring in eight 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%)
vs. Kentucky: 48 of 66 (72.7%)
at Vanderbilt: 39 of 71 (54.9%)
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 20
Junior guard Matthew Murrell has scored 20 or more points six times this season, and averages 14.3 per game. A large part of his offense has come from deep, as he has made 43 threes on the year. Over a four-game stretch against Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia, and South Carolina from Jan. 7-17, 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 this season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through 26 games (34.1%, 597 of 1,750 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in 17 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 125 on the year (597 to 472).
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):
• 519 games played
• 387 games started
• 5,149 points
• 3,872 rebounds
• 686 steals (411 from Burns alone)
• 677 blocks
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