Kentucky Preview

Well, it's Mississippi day at the SEC tournament again. The Rebels play the Wildcats, and the Bulldogs play ... the Bulldogs.

Ole Miss won the regular season game against Kentucky, due primarily to holding Jodie Meeks to 2-13 shooting until the game was out of reach. We were unable to keep Patrick Patterson in check, and he made us pay going 8-12 from the field and 8-9 from the charity stripe. The Rebels will have to contain Patterson in order to win today, but I think that's possible.

Malcolm White has emerged as a legitimate player since that game. Against Kentucky, Malcolm was also 8-12. While no one would argue that Malcolm is the player that First-team All-SEC selection Patrick Patterson is, he has been a good presence of late, playing great defense and putting the ball in the hole (though inconsistently). Malcolm scored 20 points against a Mississippi State team that boasts the best interior defender in the country. I think that Malcolm will provide the post presence needed to match up against Patterson in the zone. Of course, they don't really play the same position since Patterson is more of a 4. So a power forward will have to step up as a defender against Patterson. That's why I'm hoping Kennedy puts Murphy on Patterson.

While Patterson has three inches on Holloway, we don't have a player on our team that plays the game harder than Murphy. He will fight for every ball and come down with a load of rebounds regardless of who he's paired against. I can't comprehend why he isn't starting games right now. He leads our team in double doubles and is a force coming off the bench. He's our second best interior defender, and he's a good offensive threat as well (leading our team in field goal percentage by ten percent). I want Murphy Holloway on the court for 30 minutes a game. Not 22.

In the end, I think that Kentucky is a pretty good matchup for us. They have no depth whatsoever and only have two players who are serious scoring threats. If we can contain either of those, we've got a good shot of winning. If Zach Graham can hold Meeks to 2-13 shooting again, it's in the bag. That's a big if though.

Anyone else think this guy got juked out of his shoes?

Prediction:

Ole Miss 75 - Kentucky 78

Basketball 2009-2010

I know this basketball season isn't over; We could still make the NCAA tournament if we... blah blah blah. Anyway, since this season is over...

I know that everyone is excited about next season, and I wanted to talk about the hopes that I place in our players. I'm going to break down all 13 scholarship players (sorry scrubs).

PG:
Chris Warren - We all know everything about Warren. If he can return from his knee injury at 100% (a big if), there is no doubt in my mind that he will steal primary PG duties back from Terrico. Terrico's really good, but Chris is a more complete player (as far as skill set) to man the point. Some of you may have forgotten that Chris was tearing it up at the beginning of the season and well on his way to being named first team All-SEC at point guard. He's a phenomenal player who can be counted on in the clutch.

Will Bogan - We saw him have a good game against Arkansas, but I'm still not convinced that wasn't just an anomaly. Kennedy says that he saw things in that game that told him Will was adjusting to SEC play and starting to actually come into his own. That is to say, Kennedy didn't think it was too big of a fluke. Next year, Bogan's minutes will be very limited, but it will be good to have someone capable of coming off the bench and holding onto a lead.

SG:
David Huertas - Some of you may have simply glanced over my recent post about Dahveed and think I don't want him on the team. That couldn't be further from the truth. As I stated in the article, if we don't have to rely so heavily on him to create, David is a great player. It's no coincidence that he played so exceptionally when Chris Warren was still healthy. With Warren there, David had someone else to draw pressure who was capable of passing off shots to Huertas who hit a lot of open threes before Warren went down. The Chris Warren/David Huertas chemistry was evident from the beginning of the season, and hopefully it will continue to next season. Huertas is our second or third best perimeter defender, and it's great to have a player who is so good offensively and defensively.

Terrico White - Terrico White can walk on water. Some people have said that White has only scratched the surface of his ability. I'm not sure that's the case, since his game is pretty great all around. Still, I would love to see him improve his free throw percentage. For a player who can drain threes with a hand in his face, he sure can't make uncontested, stand-still shots.

Trevor Gaskins - Rumors surfaced during the off-season that Gaskins had developed his shot to the point that Kennedy was considering starting him over Huertas. I don't know if that was the case. I was never too enthusiastic about Gaskins as a freshman due to his inability to handle the ball efficiently, but Gaskins is a pure shooter with great form. I'll describe him as a "barely-under-poverty-level man's David Huertas." While I haven't seen him play in a year, I remember suspect defense from Gaskins which he'll have to improve if he wants to see any significant minutes with the competition he faces

SF:
Eniel Polynice - I think that a lot of our fans have forgotten just how good Polynice was on defense and in shot creation. Granted, much like Terrico, Polynice suffered from the charity stripe, but his on ball defense is unmatched on our team. Polynice shut down a lot of great players as a sophomore, and it's exciting to know that we'll have him for two more years.

Zach Graham - Graham is a player about whom I was very excited last season. He didn't get the minutes that he deserved, and it resulted in a lack of significant progression over the course of the season. This year, he is playing with a partially torn ligament in his knee and shutting down opposing teams' best players. Graham has become what Polynice was last year. Oh, and he can shoot free throws.

PF:
Murphy Holloway - Alright. I know that Murphy is only 6'5" or so, but he plays like he's a lot bigger than that. Holloway leads the SEC in offensive rebounds. I could have put him at the 3, but I think that taking him away from the basket limits his ability to best contribute to the team. Murphy Holloway plays like you wish everyone would play. Reckless abandon, unyielding effort, and spectacular ability with the ball in his hands.

Terrance Henry - Henry has shown the ability to contribute to the team, but he's going to have to bulk up to be a presence down low. It's great to have a player who's 6'9" and can be the main cog in the press, but Henry is obviously disadvantaged by his size. He is unable to fight for rebounds. It's exciting to have a player with his ball skill down low, and I think that his potential thusfar has been relatively untapped due to sheer lack of bulk. If he can gain ten or fifteen pounds in the offseason, he can really contribute a lot to the team next year.

Reggie Buckner - Buckner plays the 3 for his high school and in AAU, but I think it's safe to say that his future is at the 4 spot. At 6'9", he would have to prove himself as a phenomenal ball-handler in order to be utilized at the 3. Buckner is probably the most highly touted basketball recruit in our program's history. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but he's four players away from a five star rating on rivals. Buckner is a force down low and holds the Memphis record for career blocked shots. The short video on ITG (I assume it's still there after they went premium) showcases his ability to block shots, dunk, rebound and handle the ball. I think he's going to be exceptional at Ole Miss.

C:
Malcolm White - Malcolm has used the immense amount of minutes he has seen this season to evolve into the player that many had hoped for. In case you missed it, Malcolm had 18 rebounds against Auburn. Obviously, Malcolm still has a lot to work on in terms of consistency, but since SEC play started, he has been a solid player.

DeAundre Cranston - Cranston is probably out of position at the 5 spot, but he's the second best player we have at the position. Like Murphy, Cranston goes hard after every loose ball. I've been really surprised with how helpful he is to the team. At the beginning of the season, he seemed like a slow and bumbling oaf on the court, but he has really stepped up his game and is a very important part of the team now.

Kevin Cantinol - I think that if we can sign another big man (Demarcus Cousins), Cantinol is the odd man out. I know. A crazy prediction seeing as Cantinol doesn't even see minutes now that we have eight healthy players (not including white guys not named Bogan) on roster. I haven't even really had an opportunity to evaluate Cantinol, but there's no chance that he'll graduate from Ole Miss in my opinion. He's just too mediocre to take a scholarship for five years.

Prediction:

I know that it's early to make a prediction for what will happen over a year from now, but there's just so much hope in next season. If we don't make the NCAA tournament, it will be because half of our guards had their knees chopped off again. I don't think we have any realy chance at a championship or final four appearance, but I also don't think we'll be one and done in the big dance. I'm saying we'll go to the Sweet 16. Coupled with my football prediction (which doesn't come until the summer), it's going to be a prosperous year for "money" sports.

State Preview

Mississippi State is fresh off a senior night victory against Florida on Wednesday that has kept the NCAA Tournament hopes alive.  While the Rebels only beat Arkansas, they did so in impressive fashion playing with seven players.  The Rebels have a chance to play spoiler for State's NCAA Tournament hopes and improve their own post-season stock at the same time.  

With a victory tomorrow, the Rebels will all but seal a spot in the NIT (huzzah!).  A win also clinches a .500 finish in SEC play, a stat that has to look good to the NIT selection committee (It pains me to fein interest in this tournament).  I just pray we do not demean ourselves and accept an invite to the College Basketball Invitational.  Don't worry if you have never heard of that tournament, I didn't even want to acknowledge its existence.  Its championship game last year consisted of the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes and the mighty Bradley Braves.  

Keys to the game:

-David Huertas needs to perform.  We made it through Arkansas without him, but that was Arkansas.  He is telling people he is set to play Saturday and his MRI on Monday came back negative so there shouldn't be any surprises.  Who knows what Huertas is going to show up?

-Terrico White.  Nuff' said.

-Keep Varnado quiet.  Varnado is nearly averaging a double-double on the season and is still the prolific shot blocker that he was a year ago.  Malcolm and company need to attack JV early and often to limit his impact.

-Perimeter defense.  MSU loves the three ball and it seems that teams love hitting their threes against Ole Miss.  

Prediction:

I have the Rebels pulling this one out tomorrow.  I think it will be a close game, but the Rebels hit some FTs down the end to win 74-69.

Will Bogan Hatches from Starchy Cocoon

Get it? He's from Idaho.

Will Bogan, the Gem State* native and subject of much ridicule, grew a sack last night and played some damn ball. Bogan scored 16 points and tallied 7 assists in the overtime road victory against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Yes, I know, the Razorbacks aren't necessarily "good" at basketball and their "defense" doesn't so much stop the other team from scoring but Bogan wasn't his usual, sheepish self. He needed a game like this to get adjusted to NCAA-level speed and find his comfort zone on the court.

This could either be a flash-in-the-pan type of moment or an indicator of things to come but let's all hope it's the latter. Bogan may end up being pretty solid afterall. Of course, he's no Terrico White but, shit, who is? That kid is too damn good. How Calipari and Pearl let a Memphis product like that elude their grasp confounds me.

Next season, if Bogan, Warren, and T. White can attack the lane, get the ball to the open shots, and/or excel as outside shooters, our backcourt will be one of the conference's best.

Here's to you, Will Bogan. Welcome to big boy basketball.

*You thought it was "The Potato State," didn't you? Bigot.

OT Helps Rebs Get That Dub

How bad is Arkansas?  Bad enough to be unable to beat an Ole Miss team coming off two disappointing losses with only seven scholarship players and three guards in the rotation.  It is tough to say just how good of a job AK did here.  Yeah, I know it was Arkansas.  I know they are 2-13 in the SEC now.  I know I said they were awful in my last post.  But we just beat them in Arkansas, with seven players, and played 45 minutes of basketball.  

The Rebels won because of their fully loaded anemic back court.  Terrico White was phenomenal. Surprise, Surprise.  He went 9-16 from the floor, 6-9 from the charity stripe and 5-8 from three point land.  Ridiculous.  He is with out a doubt SEC freshman of the year and may get some consideration for national freshman of the year.  

Zach Graham did not let the fact that he has one knee hinder him either.  A good friend of mine once called him a "pussy."  While I didn't agree with him at the time, I didn't really refute the point.  However, after watching Showcase continue to be consistent with a bum knee I don't see how you can say that (this was before we knew the knee was as bad as it is).  Graham put up 20 points tonight and hit a big three in overtime which basically ended the game.  Hopefully his offseason knee surgery will not cause him to miss some time next season.

The final piece to the Rebel victory tonight was...  Will Bogan?  Will "Stand up for the champions" Bogan looked like an SEC point guard tonight.  16 points, 7 assists and a block for good measure on the night.  I did not see that coming and neither did you.

This team drives me insane with its inconsistencies and letdowns, but the heart it showed tonight says quite a bit.  It looks like the NIT is a real possibility, if not a certainty now, and I expect them to make a decent run in the SEC Tournament.  Who knows, maybe even host another NIT game during Spring Break that no one is going to attend.  

By the way, Pelphrey may want to hire an assistant who knows a thing or two about defense.  98 points?

DAH-VEED HORTEZ!

Recently, Beck, another Ole Miss bloggeur, called The One That Got Away out on his blog. Beck has been very kind to us, so don't take his peice as any sort of actual attack on our blog or think that there's some sort of blog war going on (though that would be really fun). I think it's worth addressing why it is that tOTGA and I share roughly the same views on David Huertas.

Since I don't want to have to quote Beck while he quotes us, I'll summarize his points.

1. David Huertas has not personally cost us a win this year.
Against Utah, Huertas turned the ball over four times and had four fouls. We lost by five points. Granted, Huertas had a decent game offensively, 5/12 for 18 points. Still, the only player who comes anywhere near that number of fouls or turnovers per minute played is Deaundre Cranston who was playing in the third game of his college career.
2. David is one of only two consistent offensive threats on our team.
I would hope so. He's a fourth year shooting guard. No one is disputing that Huertas can be an offensive presence. You would be foolish to say that. The problem is that he can't create his own shots. Next year, when he won't have to do that, he'll be great. We will all love him then when he's draining open threes. I just don't like him when he drives to the basket with three players defending him, puts up an off-balance hook shot and then yells at Murphy Holloway for not stealing the ball from him.
How'd that shot work out for you Dahveed?

3. When Andy Kennedy put David on the bench after a terrible opening to the first half of the UGA game, it was because Andy Kennedy can't show restraint? David went on to score 17 points in that game.
Wow. It's GEORGIA. Georgia is 2-12 in league play and 11-18 overall. I would hope that with our "best offensive player" in the game, we could go into the half up by more than a 27-21 showing. Kennedy obviously was just trying to rattle Huertas into a good performance. It worked. Huertas played 35 minutes and played quite well in the second half.
4. 20 points and problems with the coach are better than two points and a team-first attitude.
I somewhat agree. I'll take Murphy Holloway's type of game over Huertas' any day of the week though. He's aggressive, fighting for every rebound. He scores a good bit of points and makes an impact in every aspect of the game. High percentage shots are the name of his game as well.
5. David Huertas leads the team in assists.
While he pointed this out in his own post, I think it's important to disect this.
David Huertas: 0.07 assists per minute
Terrico White: 0.08 assists per minute
Chris Warren: 0.11 assists per minute
And it's not like Terrico White was the player he is now for the first half of the season.
David Huertas: 2.3 assists per SEC game.
Terrico White: 3 assists per SEC game.
6. David Huertas is a better player than Terrico White.
Terrico White in SEC play: 91/206 - 44.1% field goal percentage
David Huertas in SEC play: 75/198 - 37.8% field goal percentage
I understand that shot percentage and assists are not the only things you can look at to determine who is a better player. however, don't you think that a fourth year player (who is reported to be the best pure shooter on our team) should be better at shooting the ball than a first year player?
7. Huertas helps us win because he puts up a lot of points.
And misses a lot of shots... See above.
8. David Huertas is one of the most intense defensive players on our team.
I wholeheartedly agree. I love to watch him play defense. On the perimeter, he is quite good. He isn't very tough, preferring finesse defense, but that's all you really need on the perimeter anyway.
9. Saying that Huertas shouldn't chew out his teammates is racist. Lost me. Huertas messes up and then unjustifiably yells at his freshman teammates and coaches. I don't watch Nick Calathes play, so I have no idea how he responds to plays when things don't go right.
10. David Huertas is justified in disrespecting Andy Kennedy because Kennedy spent a night in jail.
Ok. Now we're just grasping for straws.
11. Kennedy must not dislike Huertas too much. He plays 35 minutes a game.
Our healthy guards are as follows:
Terrico White
David Huertas
Will Bogan
Zach Graham (sort of healthy)
Who's going to play over Huertas? Will Bogan? I'll never try to argue that Bogan should be in the game over Huertas. Ever.
12. Take Huertas off the team, and we win MAYBE, eight games this year.Yes. That's right. That's because if Huertas were off the team we would have to see Will Bogan a lot more often and would only have THREE guards to rotate. I don't know that our outcome would be that different had Huertas been hurt instead of Gaskins or Polyniece though. I think we would have won a similar amount of games.

Anyway, here's my overall assesment of David Huertas. I think that next year, we're all going to love him. We'll have Chris and Terrico to distribute the ball and will be able to play Huertas in a shooter's role. He won't have to create his own shots. He will also continue to play excellent defense and have a big impact on our team.

Basketball LiveBlog

Because of something I have to do tonight, I can't make it to the game. I'm starting a liveblog. I hope that most of you go to the game, but if not, come here to talk about it.

Rebs to face Tigers... No, not those Tigers... no, not those either.

They play basketball at Auburn?

The Roundball Rebs will be facing the Auburn Tigers tonight on the Plains. Auburn is statistically the conference's best defensive team so if the Rebels go cold, it won't be brief. The keys to winning this game should be offensive boards (I'm looking at you, Murphy Holloway), letting Terrico keep them honest on the perimeter, and reducing poorly chosen shots.

If one of our big men have a decent night coupled with a big night from either Terrico or Dahveed, we should have more than a punchers chance to win. To think, we're within reach of being over .500 in SEC play. Say what you will about his issues, but Andy Kennedy has his younguns playin' some ball right now.

I know Auburn isn't one to lose at home, and I know we're not ones to win on the road, buuuutttt......

Rebels - 67, Auburn Tigers - 60


Any other analysis? TOTGA, OMTB, either of you have anything to add?

Basketball Thoughts

I'm going to start off by congratulating Andy Kennedy on one helluva coaching job so far this season.  I know it is all anyone is saying lately, but it needs to be stated once more.  The injuries are one thing, but getting a team as young as we are to believe in themselves shows how good this guy is.  While I'm killing time before the USA game I figured I'd give my two cents on a couple of topics:

Dahveed Huertas:

I am going to politely disagree with Ghost and say he Huertas is overrated and inconsistent.  I don't like Dahveed and if you have ever sat around me at a basketball game it should not come as a surprise.  Yesterday was a perfect example of Huertas and how he hurts the team.  Kennedy decided to take Dahveed out early because Huertas was throwing up retarded shots.  The one that did him in was a drive to the basket when he was triple teamed and threw up a circus shot that hit nothing but backboard.  AK immediately went to the bench and when Huertas saw he was being taken out made sure the crowd and everyone on the court knew he was upset with AK's decision.  

It's clear that AK and Huertas have a strained relationship.  This isn't the first time they have got into it with each other.  I think it was the UT game when they were both yelling at each other, probably because Kennedy reminded Dahveed that he has teammates.  It drives me insane watching Huertas, who is not a very adept ball handler, waste 10 seconds of the shot clock trying to find his way into the lane or get a look at a three.  I know he puts up points, that's great, but it frustrates me to no end how he takes plays off, doesn't pass, blows up on his teammates when they do something wrong and disrespects his coach.  He's done good things for us, no doubt, but for now I am not going to miss him when he leaves.

Graham and Malcolm:

These two guys have been instrumental in our success so far.  White was a man against Georgia. That block he had against The Predator was disgusting.  He did a great job on the boards and was aggressive when he got the ball.  When he can play physical and stay out of foul trouble he is a menace to the opposition.

Graham's defense has been a huge asset to this team and he has got the job done offensively too.  I have heard some rumors that he may be the odd man out next season, but that's not going to happen.  Having him out there with EP is going to be huge for defense and he will provide us with plenty of versatility in lineups next season.

Murphy Holloway:

This is easily my favorite player on the team right now.  Holloway plays all out 100% of the time every time.  I believe he had his third consecutive double-double last night and had some ridiculous drives to the basket.  He is a freakish athlete and just has a knack for getting to the basket and always being around the ball.  He reminds me of a Jason Maxiell type player and definitely could find his way to the next level.

Terrico White:

I know they honored the All Century team yesterday, but they should have gone ahead and added Terrico to the ceremony.  He is going to be the best player in Ole Miss history, I'll go ahead and say it. 

Rebels Defeat Georgia Bulldogs 69-47

NOTE: Our basketball guys are currently in Mobile leaving me, the Mississippi expat, to cover a game which I was only to hear half of via internet radio. Thanks, assholes. Have fun with your "baseball" and "girls" and "Mardi Gras."


If the frustration of the impossible-to-comprehend loss to the Mercer [MASCOT]s yesterday at Mobile's Coca Cola Classic could possibly be assuaged by anything, it may be this: our basketball team has a .500 conference record.

Wow. I honestly would have thought that impossible a month ago. Dahveeeeed has become more consistent, the Whites have come into their own, and Kennedy is reintroducing us to his aggressive coaching style.

Yesterday, our Rebels handed the Georgia Bulldogs a loss to the tune of 69-47. While a rather unimpressive win when considering the state of Georgia basketball (how in the hell were they the SEC champs last year?), the occasion was stunning with all circumstances considered. Terrico White and David Huertas both scored from all over the floor and Malcolm White was a man-child, racking up a career-high 5 blocks. Our defense was good enough to keep Georgia to a paltry %25 shooting percentage.

While our regular season performance won't have us anywhere higher than "on the bubble," with regards to an NCAA tournament berth, a successful postseason could back us into the big dance. I certainly doubt it actually does happen, but it's not that far out of a possibility.

Next up: the Auburn Tigers, 8PM, Wednesday.

So, What Happens?

Just as important as our season finish is the finish of our conference and division foes.

Byes in the SEC tournament, in case you have forgotten, go to the top two teams in either division. Four teams are tied atop the SEC East. LSU has all but locked up the SEC West. And Mississippi State (7-4), Auburn (6-5), and Ole Miss (5-6) are in contention for the second bye in the West.

Ole Miss, with games hosting Georgia and Alabama and State and visiting Auburn and Arkansas, ought to be satisfied with three wins down the stretch, elated with four, and opiated, should we begin thinking about all five. So, a satisfactory conclusion to the season that avoids complete implosion will likely leave the Rebels at 17-13 overall, 8-8 in the conference, the third or fourth seed in the West, and hot going into the NIT - it ain't the big dance, but it beats being the leg-and-teeth-braced ginger gorging himself on chex mix, mints, and punch because he couldn't even get a pity date.

What we're really playing for is four-out-of-five, including the game at Auburn and finale hosting State, which would be a healthy effort on our part towards getting an unlikely first-round bye in the SEC Tournament. How? State finishes with three road games (Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss) and two homers (Auburn and Florida). If State goes winless on the road and our hypothetical four final wins include Auburn and State, the Rebels will be in, at worst, a tie for second place, holding the tiebreaker over the Plainsmen and the Pups. In that, unlikely circumstance, our first game in the tournament would be against the West 6 (Alabama or Arkansas) or the East 3 (heaven only knows).

Of the four East teams tied atop the standings, we've beaten one closely at home (Kentucky), beaten one convincingly at home (Tennessee), and lost to two comfortably on the road (Florida by 10; South Carolina by 9). That's all a little short of inspiring. And even if we finish with our crowd-pleasing four wins, we'll still only have a 7-3 record over the past ten games, sitting at a rather pedestrian 18-12, 9-7 record in a rather pedestrian conference.

In short, if we are hot, and I mean hot, we need to make the championship game of the tournament to reach 20 wins and the bubble. Realistically, if you homers out there want to talk about the tournament, we're more or less in the same boat no matter what happens over the next five games. We need an automatic bid. Winning a couple of games at the end of the regular season just avoids making the SEC look real silly (see: Georgia 2008 ... or, for that matter, Ole Miss in 1981).

So, what happens? I think we'll end up as the third seed in the West, beat Georgia in the first round, lose to Kentucky or Florida in the second, be happy to make the NIT, and do with this season what Andy should have done with that cab in Cincy - wait on the next one.

Andy, What in the Hell is Going on? - A Bloggeur's Ramblings

Yeah, I don't know either.

After losing an All-SEC point, the team's best defender, and an oftentimes white-hot 3-point shooter to injury, most would have tossed this season aside. We all heard it:

"Ah, well, let's let the freshmen get some reps or something. When's baseball season, again?"

However, there were a few good men who didn't give up on this year. Malcolm White, Terrence Henry, Murphy Holloway, Terrico White and, most importantly, Andy Kennedy knew this team could win some games.

Take, for example, last night's pounding of Tennessee. There is no way you can sugarcoat this for a Volunteers squad who never came close to having a lead during the second half. They simply got their asses handed to them in the Tad Pad. Bruce Pearl with his waxy skin and beady eyes was stunned by Terrico White's 21 points and Murphy Holloway's double-double. Tennessee looked frustrated and lost against a team which has had enough off-court issues to cover for the entire conference. Ole Miss looked very, very good.

And, really, our Rebel roundballers are very, very good outside of their inexperience. The athletes that Coach Kennedy has been able to bring to Oxford have shown that they are worthy of their recruiting hype. It's not coaching and it's certainly not physical talent that is keeping out of the SEC basketball picture. It's our team's inexperience. Many of these freshmen simply weren't ready to have such responsibility thrust upon them so early.

Of course this inexperience has led to inconsistency. Having a losing record in conference while earning home wins against Kentucky and Tennessee and a very rare road win against Mississippi State epitomizes this inconsistency about as well as anything else this season has seen. However, those moments when the team is just clicking in all aspects of the game--shooting, rebounding, defense--really give we fans an indicator as to just how much potential these athletes have.

A few of these guys wouldn't have been able to see nearly as many minutes on the court if it weren't for these injuries. Furthermore, I don't think we're going to need to worry about Andy Kennedy's expected departure for a "bigger" program for a while now, what with that whole "punching minorities" thing hanging over his head. Yes, proverbial stars are aligning and that is giving this Rebel basketball fan an odd, odd feeling of cautious optimism.

We could realistically end the season with an 8-8 in conference record and have an impressive showing in the conference tournament. All things considered, that would be an incredible finish to this disaster of a season.

Yes, this is definitely way too early to be saying such things, but if Chris Warren and Eniel Polynice can return from injury without having lost any of their quickness, this team will be very, very good next season. I'm talking "in-the-running-for-the-SEC-title" good. We will have legitimate Kennedy-ball experience at every spot on the floor and halfway down our bench.

Perhaps the knee injuries and Andy's War on Terror will turn out to be blessings in disguise. Next season's prospects are exciting, Rebels. Get cha popcorn ready (you know, like 8 or 9 months from now).

Disclaimer: Early in the morning. Not enough coffee. Thoughts scrambled.

Breaking News From Tad Smith

Terrance Henry made a three?

1-9 on the year after this historic make.  Hopefully this gets him out of his atrocious shooting streak.  By the way, we are up 46-28 at the half.

Ole Miss vs Auburn: Watch out for the 3's

Signing Day is nearly complete as thousands of middle to upper class alumni sneak around their offices getting updates on Ole Miss' class while waiting for the cash bar at a various event across the state. 

Meanwhile, at the Tad Smith Coliseum...

Our basketball team is going for a three game winning streak in conference play against the Auburn Tigers. The War Eagle Plainsmen have been great at home going 11-3, but only carrying two out of five games while staying in hotels in different cities. Their overall record is 13-8 with a 2-4 conference record. 

Auburn has a solid defense with Korvotney Barber grabbing nearly 10 boards a game plus averaging over a block a game. Barber has six double doubles, but the outside shooting of guards Dewayne Reed(35.5 percent), Tay Waller(35.3 percent) and Lucas Hargrove(37.1 percent) against our 2-3 zone could be a match-up nightmare.

Jeff Lebo and the Tigers basically shoot their way to victory or lose by throwing up too many deep shots. With their rebounding improved from last year, the Rebels will have to limit their second chance shots to keep the War Damn Eagles out of the game.

Ole Miss is 12-9 with a 3-4 conference record coming off two surprising wins against Kentucky and at Mississippi State. Terrico White was last seen walking across Sardis Lake, so if he can continue to play at the level he has in the three of the last four games, Ole Miss will have a chance in many of their remaining games. Malcolm White and Murphy Holloway have shown flashes where they are giving good minutes, but they aren't going to be the ones that win a game for you this year. Just try not to screw up too bad guys.

Zach Graham flat out balled outrageous against State in the first half and cooled in the second half. If he can put together an entire 30 to 40 minutes, Graham can be a better scoring option to get pressure off Huertas and White. 

Auburn swept the Rebels last season, and I'm pretty much worried that we might be overconfident after a couple good games.

Final prediction: Ole Miss 73 Auburn 68

FINAL: Ole Miss 67 Miss. St. 63

Well, damn, I picked a four point win and look what happened. 

Hell, yeah, I'm bragging. Stansbury has never lost to Ole Miss at the Hump until today.

Let's let that sink in. The last time Ole Miss beat State in Starkville in the great game of basketball, Bill Clinton was in his second term as President of the USA. Good old 1998. I mean, just went into Starkghanistan, ripped the game away from them with less than 10 scholarship players. WOW. Get Andy Kennedy a new Cadillac for that game. At least another shirt, damn.

Terrico goes off for 18, Dahveeeed scores 16 and Zach Graham played one of his best games of the year with 13 points. The real story, however, as the score shows was the great defense that Ole Miss played: lockdown, condom-like defense. 

We stayed in a zone defense for the entire time most likely to save all our energy for the other end of the court. State played a good bit of man D, and our guys had to keep moving whenever on offense. 

Strangely enough, our height caused State a few problems as we got some hands/fingers in their eyes. For much of the game, Huertas(6'5''), Terrico(6'5''), Malcolm White(6'9''), Zach Graham(6'6'') and DeAundre Cranston(6'9'') were on the floor. Those are some damn long arms waving about and intimidating the 'Dogs.

Varnado was pretty much the only 'Dog beating the Rebels on the glass. He had 15 boards along with eight points. His inside presence was not dominant, but we didn't challenge him a lot with our big men. 

Our team is playing way above their heads, and no rational person could possibly think that the Rebels will continue on their streak all the way to the NCAA tournament. Personally, that's what I think it would take at this point. 

The NIT seems like a very real possibility for this team if they can edge out about five more wins. Surely, we can beat Georgia. Alabama should be a win as well. Maybe Auburn? State at home? 

The season has a long way to go, nine more games and then the SEC Tournament in Tampa. I'm predicting the Rebels win four more games and finish 16-14. Who knows? Georgia won the tournament last year, because no one really cares about basketball in the SEC. We might end up in the Big Dance after all. A broke clock is right twice a day, it could haaaaappen.

I'm just amazingly on fire with my predictions tonight, so Steelers by 12 tomorrow. 

Also, if you are in the area of North Mississippi, Memphis, basically less than three hours from Oxford. Get your ass in a seat on Wednesday. 

Egg Bowl: Basketball edition

Here at Le Cup, we try to push the envelope as far as our out of the box thinking in coverage of Ole Miss sports. 

However, there are two things I can guarantee I will never do while writing for this blog:

1.) Take the Lord's name in vain

2.) Pick Mississippi State to beat Ole Miss in a sporting event

That's right. Even though our basketball team has dealt with more health issues than an episode of ER, we played like we wanted to win against Kentucky and today I expect a similar effort. 

Not because Mississippi State basketball has as much prestige as Kentucky...that's a laughable notion. Terrico and Malcolm White saw their stellar play on Sportscenter during their last game and realized they can play and be dominant in this conference. Plus, I just really hate Mississippi State with every cell in my body.

Playing at the Hump is not easy, however. I've witnessed firsthand our Rebels get pounded in Starkville while the maroon and white fans made it deafening to play on their court. Our young players are going to get experience up to their necks today against State.

Their student section is planning to dress like Arabs with turbans, mustaches, etc. and the band is going to play "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" to poke fun at Andy Kennedy. Bring on the motivation, that's what I say. I would hope some of our students would do the same thing if Rick Stansbury was in the news. 

I've always felt basketball is a game about who wants to win. If you scrape and claw every play on defense, you can keep any game close enough to pull off an upset. State is 14-6 (4-1 SEC) in the SEC while Ole Miss is 11-9 (2-4 SEC). Two of the home losses the Bulldogs endured were to fundamentally sound mid-major teams: Charlotte and San Diego. 

Ole Miss played very fundamentally sound against the Wildcats, and they need every break to go their way to win today. 

Mississippi State's line-up:

F Jarvis Varnado- 13 ppg, arms like a windmill

F Ravern Johnson- 12.5 ppg, star of yet to be released sitcom "That's So Ravern"

G Barry Stewart- Jr. shoots nearly 36% from behind the arc

G Dee Bost- Frosh from NC has nearly two assists for every turnover

G Phil Turner- averaged 15.5 ppg against 'Bama and Vandy at the Hump

Terrico, Malcolm and DAHVEED need to go off for 60 again. If the three's aren't dropping though, we're in for a very long game.

Final prediction: Ole Miss 74 MSU 70

Rebel Roundup - ESPN.com Linkage

ESPN's Coverage of Last Night's Game - Click here for a full recap with video highlights. Here's an interesting factoid which I gleaned from that recap: Ole Miss' last basketball victory over the Wildcats was on January 20, 2001. You know what else happened on that day?

Yep, it was that long ago. The Rebels last defeated the Wildcats in a pre-9/11 world. Wrap your brain around that one.

The Recruiting Derby Heats Up - Bruce Feldman lays out the ten most intriguing recruiting battles still out there, and the Rebels are in two of them. The first is us vs. Bama vs. Georgia for Bobbie Massie and the second is us vs. Florida vs. Georgia vs. Tennessee for Marlon Brown. He actually seems somewhat hopeful about our chances with Brown.

Nutt, Petrino Have Solid Recruiting Classes - That's what Billy Tucker (who?) is saying. While this class is far from both "perfect" and "complete," we're likely to pick up some big time talent come signing day on top of the commitments we've already earned. I've always felt ESPN was always a bit on the "fringe" with regards to recruiting rankings and evaluation. Their incredibly high rankings of oftentimes otherwise lowly or moderately ranked prospects demonstrates this fairly well. Still, you've gotta take it where you can get it. Thanks, ESPN. We don't know why you (outside of Mark May) have decided to love Ole Miss all of the sudden, but we dig it.

EXCLUSIVE

Billy Gillispie has filed a complaint in Lafayette County Circuit Court against the University of Mississippi. Reprinted below.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

Billy Gillispie
Plaintiff

v.

Andy Kennedy
Defendant

Comes now Billy Gillispie, the plaintiff, in and through counsel and sues Andy Kennedy, defendant, and shows unto the court:

1. On January 27, 2008, defendant did unlawfully, intentionally, and without provocation or justification commit an assault and battery upon the plaintiff in that he, the said Kennedy, whooped that ass in the Tad Pad like it was his job, lawya!

2. By reason of the foregoing, plainiff sustained certain injuries, among which were being em-effing-barrassed on national television. OOOOHHH JAAAMMMM!!!!!, from which he suffered both in body and mind.

3. As a result of the infliction of injuries upon the plaintiff by the defendant, plaintiff was caused to incur certain medical and hospital expenses, among which were visine for the said Gillispie having to cry his eyes out like a girl! LIKE A GIRL!!!1!!

WHEREFORE, plaintiff demands judgment against the defendant in the sum of one night with Kimber, no questions asked Dollars as compensatory damages.

A. Rupp

Attorney for the Plaintiff

Final: Ole Miss 85 Kentucky 80

I'll be the first to say it: I was dead wrong about this game. I thought it would take a 60 point performance by Huertas and Terrico White combined to win this game.

Surprisingly, Malcolm and Terrico White along with Huertas scored over 60 in the victory.

When Ole Miss hits the floor with Terrico White, David Huertas and Chris Warren next year, we're going to take down a lot of teams. 

Malcolm White "grabbed up his nuts and played like a man" as the legendary sound bite Bam Doyne used to say.

Everyone thought the Rebels were doomed when they came out of the tunnel to face the Big Blue, but this group wanted to prove what is in store for the future of Ole Miss basketball. These players are gaining valuable experience for next season. Even if they only marginally improve, the leadership and skills of Chris Warren and Eniel Polynice plus the team I saw on the floor tonight has me thinking about at least the Sweet Sixteen next year. Obviously, Warren and EP need to come back 100% from their injuries. 

There's plenty of big IF's, but let's enjoy this win for now.

I don't think this game means "WE GOIN' TO DA 'SHIP." We'll probably struggle to win four more games and break even for the season. We're not in a Disney movie, so let's get back in touch with reality shortly after a raucous celebration.

Ole Miss vs Kentucky: Could we just play HORSE?

Ole Miss is struggling on the court, and they're at the breaking point where postseason play is not a possibility unless the Rebels win the remainder of their games.

Obviously, a win over Kentucky would bring this team's confidence to a new level and could get things rolling. The Wildcats are running game on the rest of the SEC sporting an undefeated conference record. 

Lest we forget Big Blue basketball in 2007-2008 as they fell to teams like San Diego, Gardner Webb and UAB. These aren't your Dad's Kentucky basketball players. They lost to VMI for God's sake.

Winning at Tennessee by 18 was one of the most impressive games I have seen an SEC team play all season(yes, including our 12 point win against Nicholls State).

Wildcat lineup:

G Jodie Meeks- averages over 26 ppg and could go for 40 against any of our guards

G DeAndre Liggins- Freshman who has had streaks of turnovers

F Patrick Patterson- not the UM recruit, but second leading scorer

F Perry Stevenson- already tied his block total(46) from last season

F Ramon Harris- he's from Alaska, that's all the interesting information I could find; I searched for a picture of Tyler Hansbrough just to get a linked picture of the kid

Terrico White and David Huertas need to score a combined 60 points for Ole Miss to have a chance in the game. We'll most likely get out rebounded or "outphysicalled" by a veteran UK team. I'm prepared for a long night of ESPN commentators bringing up Andy Kennedy's horrible year off the court, our list of injuries which is at an inquisition like length, and how good Kentucky's fans travel on the road.

Our guys will give a great effort, because it's Kentucky, they're on national television and they'll have a decent crowd behind them. If it is close at half-time and they can keep Kentucky out of a transition game, the Rebels could keep it close.

Final prediction: Kentucky 83 Ole Miss 68

Btw, 25 days until baseball season. All praise Michael Guerrero.