Men’s hoops returns to the Pavilion on Friday as the Ole Miss men’s basketball team takes on the Fayetteville State Broncos in an exhibition game at 6 p.m. The exhibition is the Rebels’ final dress rehearsal before the regular season starts next Saturday.
The Rebels went 12-20 last season and finished last in a strong SEC, leading to the departure of long-time head coach Andy Kennedy. Kennedy, Ole Miss’s winningest basketball coach, led the Rebels to 11 straight winning seasons and two NCAA tournament appearances in 12 seasons in Oxford.
Last spring, Ross Bjork turned to Mississippi native Kermit Davis to replace Kennedy and turn the Rebel basketball program around. Kermit Davis built a mid-major powerhouse at Middle Tennessee State over 16 years, winning Conference USA seven of the last nine years.
Turning around the program won’t come easily for the Kermit-led Rebels in an SEC that is stronger than ever this year. The team could see an improvement on the court without a change in the win column.
The Rebels were picked to finish dead last at SEC Media Days earlier this month. Players and coaches will have their work cut out for them in a conference with four teams in the AP top-25 preseason ranking and almost 10 teams with a legitimate chance of making a March Madness appearance.
Kermit Davis will depend on his players returning from last year’s squad to lead this team through a tough schedule. Senior guard Terence Davis will serve as the leader of team. Terence Davis tested NBA waters during the offseason before choosing to spend another year in Oxford. The 6-foot 4-inch highflyer from Southaven was the spark on offense last season, leading the team in points with 13.8, but also averaged 2.3 turnovers per game and struggled on the defensive end, something the Rebels have to improve on this season.
“He’s got to stay in his stance longer. He’s got to pay closer attention to detail,” Kermit Davis said at a press conference Wednesday. “He’s our best player, he’s got to defend like it.”
The Rebels will look to maintain their offensive efficiency while putting an emphasis on defensive toughness. Kermit Davis has a reputation for focussing on his defense and will need use his trademark 1-3-1 defense to improve a team that gave up 78.1 points per game last season, the highest average in the league.
Other returning Rebels include Breein Tyree, Bruce Stevens, Dominik Olejniczak, Devontae Shuler and D.C. Davis. Kermit Davis believes many of these players have the ability to contribute on both sides of the court.
“Dom (Olejniczak) has been really good. Bruce (Stevens) is probably in the best shape of his life right now,” Kermit Davis said. “Breein (Tyree) is developing into a much better defensive player. I think all those guys in there have room to improve but have all had good moments in practice.”
While experience is a concern for the Rebels, a few newcomers showed they can make an immediate impact during the team’s four-game tour of Canada this past summer. Ole Miss needs freshmen like Blake Hinson, KJ Buffen and junior college transfer Brian Halums to play a significant role on the team right away.
The Rebels host Western Michigan on Nov. 10 to open the season before traveling to Indianapolis to take on Butler on Nov. 16. The team will participate in the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Florida, at the end of the month. Conference play begins at Vanderbilt on Jan. 5.
