Huertas, White Honored by League Coaches

Terrico White and David Huertas are members of this year's All-SEC Team (second-stringers, but who's counting?), and White was selected as the freshman of the year and one of three unanimous selections to the All-Freshman Team.

The release from the league indicates that each team, except the all-defensive team, had eight players on it - which takes a little of the honor out of being the sixth-man of the year, I suppose. Feel free to offer your dissenting opinions or contradictory observations, but it seems silly to me to expand the all-league teams to eight. This expansion means that five of the first teamers were unanimous selections.

Georgia has all the shame. With just one selection - Trey Thompkins is a member of the freshman team - has not as much reason for optimism as their congratulatory release will likely indicate.

In the SEC Coach of the Year race, Trent Johnson was able to edge out Billy Gilli ... Gilli ... Gilletmejustdiebeforeimissthetournament as SEC Coach of the Year. Upon winning, basically by default, Johnson said, "Someone please remind me why I left Palo Alto to coach in the Sun Belt Conference?"

For their outstanding valor in being so awarded, and because we at the Cup bestow the distinction of "Rebel of the Week" irregularly and have space on the rolls - Huertas and White are, even on Tuesday, proclaimed the preeminent Rebels of the seven-day period beginning Sunday and concluding Saturday.
Justified.

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.

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 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. 

Growing Pains: Rebel Basketball

In case you didn't know, the Ole Miss basketball team is victim of a rash of injuries not seen since Tonya Harding was skating in the Olympics.

We've heard it through our sketchy media sources that Zach Graham is out for the remainder of the season with a torn patella tendon. If this is true, we'll have Patrick Spach getting some serious minutes very soon. No offense to Spach, he filled out some minutes on Saturday without making the game any worse than it already was, so kudos to him.

Murphy Holloway told David Brandt at the Clarion Ledger that the game was "a total abortion." Well said Murphy, but at least this abortion was in the second trimester of the season, making it legal in most states.

Terrico White is the future of Ole Miss basketball, and Saturday showed why as he dropped 22 points on the Tigers with the next closest Rebel player coming in at 10(that'd be Holloway).

I'm already looking towards next season for basketball. This season is a chance for growing young players, and we'll probably get heckled somewhat mercilessly for the next couple months. 

The Rebels now stand at 10-7 (1-2 SEC) with 13 games left to play. Here's what the Rebels have left to play: 7 games on the road including all of the SEC West teams, Vandy and South Carolina. If we win more than one of those seven road games, I'll be impressed. Coming to Oxford, we have Tennessee(loss), Kentucky(loss), Georgia(win), Auburn(win), Alabama(loss) and Mississippi State(loss).

A mighty 13-17 record and a quick exit from the SEC tourney in Atlanta plus the drama from Kennedy's trial shortly after the season makes for an exciting spring for the roundballers. 

Even one of Mike Seaver's zany, wacky plans couldn't save this team

Tip-off: Ole Miss vs. LSU

Here are the starting line-ups for today's game at 3 p.m. CT or as soon as the Gators dispatch of what will be an 0-3 SEC conference Arkansas.

To make you feel more like you're at the game, turn up yo' speakers and click hurrr.

The Cotton Bowl trophy will be presented at today's game, so attendance might crack 5,000 in reality for one of the few times this season. Spirit fans will still bitch about our fans afterwards regardless. LSU is 13-3 in their first season with Trent Johnson at the helm after John Brady left him with a few above average SEC players. Basically, if we don't stop Thornton and Mitchell, we're going to get stroked by a more athletic team.

Starting for LSU:

G Marcus Thornton

G Garrett Temple

G Bo Spencer

F Tasmin Mitchell

C Chris Johnson

Starting for Ole Miss:

G Dahveed Huertas

G Terrico White

G Zach Graham

F Murphy Holloway

F Malcolm White

It's growing pain time for the Rebels. Terrico White played his last game against Arkansas like his life depended on it, so if back to back appearances are made by Terrico, we'll have some consistency and more scoring threats to keep us in the game.

LSU has three guys that can go for 20 on any given night, so an early lead means a long afternoon for the Rebels. Our team doesn't quite have what it takes yet to come back from an early lead to dominate in the second half.

Predicted half-time score: UM 35 LSU 41

Predicted final: UM 74 LSU 80

Post your in-game comments here over the next couple hours, then we'll have our post-game comments.

FAMU Preview

Ole Miss is set to usher in the Will Bogan era tonight against Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University, an era that Rebel fans hope is not going to last any longer than necessary. 

FAMU (2-8) has faced three other SEC opponents this season and have not fared too well.  They lost by significant amounts to Florida, Alabama, and what should be a hapless Arkansas team.  The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. and if you want to listen to it find it on the radio or sign up for RebelVision, I’ll probably stick to MNF.

Ole Miss Notes

It is going to be interesting to see how the staff handles the point guard position tonight.  I read some quotes from Michael White claming that Will Bogan had been having some good practices and it helps that he has been going against Chris in practice.  However, the staff also said I would be pleased with Kevin Cantinol, I am not.  Needless to say my expectation for Bogan are minimal right now.  

It is definitely going to have to be a point guard committee operation.  I know Terrico White played some point in high school, so he’ll get an opportunity, but beyond him and Bogan I don’t know who else is going to be running the point. 

Huertas has never impressed me with his ball control or handles, so I don’t know if we will see him bringing the ball up, but I guess Zach Graham is an option?  It is tough to say what the point guard rotation will be when your three-deep at the position is out for the season. 

These next few games will show us just how good of a shooter David Huertas is.  Kennedy is claiming he is the best shooter he has coached, and I will believe that if Huertas is able to maintain his numbers while fending off the double teams that are undoubtedly coming his way.

I thought the post game showed some improvement against Louisville.  Malcolm would have contributed if it weren't for foul trouble the entire game, Murphy Holloway was active on the boards and efficient from the floor, and Terrance Henry showed some good effort rebounding. The front court can also breathe a sigh of relief because with new weakness at point guard, they will no longer be the sole focal point of criticism regarding the team.

The Rebels need this game in the worst way.  The matchup against FAMU should allow the Rebels to do some experimenting with the lineup, while still being able to come away with an easy victory.  (I am knocking on wood)  Kennedy and his staff will use this game to figure out the point guard position and also hopefully continue the process of getting Malcolm White to multi task (think and play) while he's in the game.

Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University

FAMU holds a special place in my heart because it is one of my earliest memories of a live sporting event, when I witnessed them lose to Memphis State in basketball by 50 points and saw the infamous Scientific Mapp man the point guard for the Rattlers.

FAMU has become famous for its marching band, known as the “Marching 100” that has been featured at the Grammy's and played with Prince at the Super Bowl.

Scouting the Rattlers

Lamar Twitty, another good name, leads FAMU with 11.8 points per game and Brandon Bryant who is averaging just less than 10 ppg is another key player for the Rattlers.  FAMU, as a team, has shot poorly from the field and behind the arc shooting 37% from the field on the season and in the high 20s from beyond the arc.  They are also awful from the free throw line at 53.4% on the season.  Defense has not been much better as opponents are averaging around 77 points against the Rattlers defense.

Notable Alumni

Some of FAMU’s notable alumni in sports include Andre “The Hawk” Dawson, Marquis Grissom (one of the oddest looking players in baseball), Quinn Gray, Jerome James* (one of the signings that highlighted Isiah Thomas debacle with the Knicks), and Fox sideline reporter Pam Oliver.

Politically, the oft-troubled mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick is an alumnus. 

Another alumnus that caught my eye is Cannonball Adderley.  If you are into jazz at all you probably know who he is, but if you do not get the Somethin’ Else album.

**Here are a few Jerome James quotes I was able to gather from Wikipedia.  If you are a follower of the NBA, you know James does not exactly have a sterling reputation and is better known for his laziness and the fact that he is a walking personal foul than he is for his basketball prowess. 

 James, when asked about his legacy with the Knicks, replied, "that’s not me. I’ve always had a passion for basketball and unfortunately, due to me not getting playing time, I wasn’t able to show ‘em that side of me. I want to show them that side and then I’ll get my ass out of here. I’ll leave. But y'all still gotta pay me though."

Once, when asked if he was concerned about his former coach commenting that he has a selfish attitude, replied, "I don't even know what he's talking about, I just worry about Jerome."

Not Very Brief Louisville Preview

Ole Miss is set to face what will more than likely be its toughest opponent of the year Thursday as it faces off against #9 Louisville in Cincinnati. The game tips at 8 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN, hooray!*

Louisville is 6-1 on the season with their lone loss coming to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, which shows that this team is definitely fallible. With the loss of Courtney Lee to the NBA, the Hilltoppers are not the upset threat that they were last season so their win against Louisville should provide a small glimmer of hope for the Rebels.

The game is going to be a homecoming of sorts for Rebels head coach Andy Kennedy as he spent a few years under West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins in Cincinnati and served as the Bearcats interim coach for the 2005-2006 season and developed strong support from the Bearcat faithful. The fans in Cincinnati have not forgotten the run Kennedy had in the 05-06 season where he nearly (read: should have but was looked over by the selection committee) put the Bearcats in the Tournament after its rocky start due to suspensions, injuries and controversy. This could provide the Rebels with a few more fans than expected in Cincinnati.

It’s also helpful that Louisville, traditionally, plays its worst basketball at the start of the season. It seems that Louisville starts every season around the top 10 in the nation because they are consistently overrated, and then fades until they make some noise in Big East play. I am sure someone can correct me on that stat because I put zero research into it and am just going on what I have seen over the past few seasons.

If the Rebels want to be competitive against Louisville they are going to have find a way to rebound the basketball. Malcolm White showed promise against Alabama State collecting 9 rebounds for the Rebels, and Deaundre Cranston has shown he can be a capable rebounder at times (see 12 rebounds against UCF). It’s the freshmen that will have to step it up for the Rebels. Holloway and Henry are undersized, but they have to increase their aggression on the glass, Huertas is 6’5” and is out rebounding those two.

They also have to establish a post game offensively. Louisville is going to have an answer for the Warren/Huertas combination, they’re too good of a team not to: a) be able to scheme around those two. b) have a player capable of hanging with them on the perimeter

Holloway has come on as of late and put it in 15 against Alabama State. His athleticism and knack for finishing around the basket when necessary could be beneficial for the Rebels against an athletic Louisville team. Malcolm White will also have to go above and beyond his 12-point output against Alabama State. White needs to establish himself early and realize that he can back down defenders. He is too complacent offensively and really needs to gain confidence on the blocks. The third player the Rebels need to break out is Terrance Henry. Henry is rail thin so I see why he is having trouble adapting to Division 1 basketball, but he needs to put his athleticism and ability to stretch the floor to more use. Down the road, if he bulks up, Henry can be a Wayne Chism type player, but right now the Rebels need him to increase his tenacity on the boards and take players off the dribble.

Defensively, the Rebels need to hope for a poor shooting night by the Cardinals. I have not seen anything from the Rebel defense that leads me to believe that they have an answer for anyone’s offense, especially after they just let Alabama State put up 81 points.

The Matchups:

Chris Warren versus Jerry Smith

OM – Warren is second on the team in scoring and third in the SEC in scoring so far this season. A lot has been demanded of Warren with the injuries to Polynice and Gaskins and he is doing more than his fair share in trying to get the Rebels back on track. Warren is still one of the best point guards in the SEC and should prevent some problems for Louisville.

UL – Smith has been platooning the point guard spot with senior Andre McGee. Smith is averaging eight points a game and is shooting over 40 percent from beyond the three-point line this season. The other potential starter at point for Louisville, McGee, is averaging nearly five points a game and is second on the team in steals, but has a less than stellar assist to turnover ratio.

Advantage Ole Miss

David Huertas versus Preston Knowles

OM – Huertas is tearing up the league right now averaging 21 points per contest, which puts him second in the SEC and in the top 20 nationally. Huertas isn’t compiling these numbers by putting up 20 shots a game, but rather by hitting everything he puts up. Huertas is scorching the net shooting 47% from long range, 54% overall and 80% from the charity stripe

UL – The two spot is another area where the Cardinals have been rotating starters, at least that’s the way it seems from the box scores and season stats. Knowles will probably get the start here after putting up 21 points on 8-11 shooting in their last game against Austin Peay. One advantage the Rebels could have is that both Knowles and his counterpart Edgar Sosa are a bit undersized for the two guard and will give up four inches to David Huertas.

Advantage – Ole Miss

Terrico White versus Terrence Williams

OM – Terrico White seems to be slowly adapting after a rocky start to his college career. He has posted 6, 8 and 11 in his last three games and is averaging 7 points per game on the season. White has been inconsistent from the free throw line, but has been respectable from beyond the arc shooting near 40%. The Rebels will need him, or Graham, to step up on both ends to shut down Terrence Williams and neutralize him with a strong offensive showing.

UL – Terrence Williams is a 6’6” senior who is averaging nearly 11 points and nine rebounds per game thus far. Williams has the ability to stretch the floor, but has struggled mightily with his jump shot and from the foul line this season. He is a player who plays bigger than his listed height and could cause some problems for the Rebels with his strong defensive presence. Ole Miss need to contain Williams’s production offensively and cannot let him get lost while they focus on shutting down the Cardinal big men.

Advantage – UL

Murphy Holloway versus Earl Clark

OM – Holloway has been playing very well lately for the Rebels and will probably get the starting nod Thursday, whether it is at the four or the three in place of Terrico/Graham. Holloway scored 15 against Alabama State and collected 6 rebounds by doing a little bit of everything for the Rebels. The freshman from Irmo, SC is third on the team in points per game and could use his athleticism to create mismatches offensively if he plays at the four.

UL – Earl Clark is as solid as they come. Clark is a 6’9” tweener who is averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds per contest. He is second on the team in blocked shots and will be handful for whomever the Rebels throw at him.

Advantage – UL

Malcolm White versus Samardo Samuels

OM – The good news is that White had his best game as a Rebel against Alabama State. The bad news is that it was against Alabama State and it was nothing too eye popping. White has to grow up quickly before Thursday. Samuels is one of the best centers in the NCAA and is showing that on the stat sheet, albeit against not so great competition. White has to stay out of foul trouble and find a way to keep Samuels out of the paint, I know that sounds obvious but it is just what has to be done. I expect White to be in foul trouble early and often trying to handle Samuels and you will see Cranston, Henry, Cantinol (unfortunately) get a shot at limiting UL’s freshman phenom.

UL – Samuels has been exactly what Cardinal fans expected when they inked the 6’8” freshman from St. Benedict Prep (who has produced players like J.R. Smith, Corey Stokes and Lance Thomas). Samuels is putting up 17 ppg while shooting a ridiculous 63% from the field. Samuels should have a field day with our post defense and should be the reason the Cardinals beat us. That and our inability to defend/rebound.

Advantage – UL

Interesting note:

A player that Ole Miss fans are familiar with, Reginald Delk, is seeing playing time for the Cardinals. Delk is one of the Delk brothers from Rick Stansbury’s squad that transferred a year or so ago.

*indicates sarcasm

I Guess I'll Take It

Well, it was not pretty, but the Rebels and Andy Kennedy are definitely going to take tonight’s win over Alabama State as they prepare for its biggest contest of the season Thursday night against Louisville in the SEC/Big East Challenge in Cincinnati. 

Alabama State jumped out early and blistered the net in the first half shooting 58.6% from the field, while the Rebels posted 42% first half performance from the floor, which put them down five going into half time.

Down five points going into half time is never a desirable position to be in when your coach is Andy Kennedy and the team is already fragile physically and mentally.  However, the Rebels came out shooting lights out in the second half, unfortunately Alabama State did not simmer down too much either.

Ole Miss was able to close the Hornet lead thanks to some clutch shots from Chris Warren and David Huertas.  They took the lead  with just under ten minutes to play and didn’t look back as they preserved an 85-81 victory over the Alabama State Hornets. 

Per usual, Chris Warren and David Huertas led the way offensively combining for 41 points (16 and 25 respectively).  Huertas continued his lights out shooting going 8-13 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc.

The output from Warren and Huertas is not that shocking, but the performances of the Rebels post players, at least on offense, should be cause for optimism for the fans and Kennedy. 

Malcolm White may have finally broken out and overcame whatever mental hindrance was causing him to play like John Engstrom and make the decisions comparable to the Auburn Athletic Department.  White had 12 points on the night and was one rebound away from a double double.  The numbers are nice, but it was his key and one play towards the end of the game that really stood out for White.  Kennedy and the Rebels have to be hoping that White is able to use this game to his advantage and help the Rebels, because God knows they will need it, against Louisville on Thursday.

White was not the only post player who showed some things tonight.  Murphy Holloway poured in fifteen points on the night and finished the game with 6 rebounds.  The Rebels will take what they can get at this point.  The overall ball movement looked much better tonight than it has in games past.  We had more open looks under the basket and saw more players get an opportunity to do something with the rock.  The Rebels need to continue to work on their ball movement and look for easy opportunities with that extra pass.  That or just let Huertas shoot every possession.  

Reality check though.  Alabama State is much better than their record (1-6) and has played decent talent throughout the season.  Still, this victory is nothing to get too excited over.  Ole Miss only out rebounded the Hornets by one and never really put the game away at any point. 

The defense has to show up at some point.  I saw flashes of effort from players like Terrance Henry last night with his hustle on the press and even in the post, but it’s just not there on a consistent basis.  The post players must continue to develop and keep trying, they cannot continue to rely on Warren and Huertas to shoot them back into games because of their porous defense. 

So, do not get too excited over tonight’s victory, I hope you are sane enough to realize that without me having to tell you to.  We won, that is good.  We won by four against Alabama State, that is kind of bad.  This team still has the potential to do well, it is just a matter of time and whether or not the coaches can find a way to make them gel.  

Alabama State Preview (sort of)

You know you should beat your upcoming opponent when you type their name into Google and the first two links have nothing to do with them. That is what happens when you type in “Alabama State University Athletics” into Google. See for yourself.

It gets better from there. The actual link to their athletic site merely takes you to a page that informs you that the official bamastatesports.com will be coming soon.

After some further googling I finally found some information on the Alabama State Hornets. Rosa Parks attended Alabama State, as well as NFL superstar Tavaris Jackson (that’s a joke, guys). Also, their dance team is called the stingettes, and they also have a group called the Honeybees, who perform with the band and are described as a group of plus sized dancers. You can catch the Honeybees in action at this link provided to you by YouTube.

One more thing to add courtesy of JUCO, who is sitting next to me making fun of the HoneyBees rather than studying for his Law School exams, is another one of their notable alumni is London “Deelishis” Charles, winner of the hit reality show Flavor of Love 2. “Deelishis” was described as having “an ass that won’t quit.”

From a basketball standpoint, the Hornets are 1-5 on the season, but they haven’t lost to anyone embarrassing, and given our recent play and the fact that there will be no one at the game tomorrow I am not going to look past them.

Leading the way for the Hornets is a veteran backcourt with seniors Brandon Brooks and Andrew Hayles. Other than no one jumps out at you from a statistical standpoint, but when you take a closer look at their names you do not leave disappointed.

Their starting center is averaging 6.8 points per game a 3.2 rebounds per contest, nothing special right? That is correct until you get a look at the guy’s name. Chief KickingStallionsims. I really do not know what to say about that name. I can’t even come up with some lame joke to describe him. This is the best name in sports since the Mapp brothers (Majestic and Scientific), God Shamgod, and Yourhighness Morgan.

The name’s don’t end there. They also have a player that goes name Ivory White who JUCO astutely observed is “probably black.”

Now that you know the essentials about Alabama State how about those Rebels?

We’re no good.

Our post game is absolutely pathetic. No one can rebound. It’s fucking terrible.

We all knew DeAundre Cranston had problems jumping and rebounding, but we at the Cup severely underestimated Cranston’s thuggery. I guess the fact that he lives around the three-point line detracts from his gangstatude, but that punch he threw during the New Mexico game puts him up there with legends like Terrence Watson.

I don’t really feel like going indepth on the team’s problems in this post, mainly because you all know them and there’s nothing worth talking about other than David Huertas being ridiculously hot from the field.

Anyways, listen to Yellum Kellum tomorrow as we take on Alabama State.

Apology

I hate doing this but just want to get my apologize on and say sorry the basketball coverage has been lacking, if not non existent as of late.  I have been doing nothing but writing papers and studying and working this past week and simply didn't feel like writing about some boring wins against UCF and Morgan State.  

Anyways, once this next week is over I'll pick up the coverage.  I was able to make it to the WVU game tonight, but really don't have to time to be witty or write a recap for you.  I will say that we played lights out tonight at the guard positions and I saw alot of good things from Murphy Holloway and Terrico White.  

Warren's missed free throws and dribbling off his leg to seal the loss I will chalk up to fatigue.  I am pretty sure he played the entire second half and all but four minutes or so of the first half.  It sucks that the offense is so damn stagnant with Bogan running the show.  Maybe he will improve?

While Malcolm had two monster blocks, he also had 5 dumb fouls and even more missed assignments.  Get your freaking head in the game, you didn't start playing well until you got four fouls.  Maybe that brief stretch of play will show him that he is capable of being an SEC center.

Kevin Cantinol continues to get minutes.  That's how bad we are in the front court.

Those are a few jumbled and slightly coherent thoughts from the game.  Bless you if you made it to the end of this.

Roster Breakdown

I'll cut out the cutesy intro and just jump straight into talking about this year's expected contributors.

Chris Warren
We all know what Chris Warren is capable of accomplishing, but I have heard people talking about how they think Warren is going to have a down year this season, due to his breakout season last year. As great as Chris was last season, there are still plenty of areas where he can improve and make himself that much more valuable to the Rebels.

Warren’s two biggest areas of improvement are defense and decision making ability. Last year, Chris was able to come away with some clutch steals, but he was often times barred from guarding the other team’s point guard due to his inability to keep them out of the paint. Reports are that Warren has improved on this area of his game and has added
more strength.

The other area I think Warren can greatly improve in is his decision making process. Too many times Warren forced the issue and tried to drive against two post players and throw up an ill-advised lay up, or take a wild three pointer when Ole Miss had numbers on a fast break. I hate complaining about Warren, but the kid could be much better and I feel confident that he will improve. An encouraging sign of this is Kennedy's claims that the biggest improvements in his system happens between a player’s first and second years in the program, just look at Eniel Polynice.

Will Bogan
I do not know much about Bogan. He is from Idaho, he is going to be the backup to Warren, and there is plenty of YouTube on the guy. This one, due to song choice, is my favorite. He looks solid in the video, can be argued that he telegraphs his shot too much, but he looks serviceable despite playing against Idahoans in his videos.

Kennedy discovered Will while he was he scouting another point guard. Bogan was matched up against this other point guard and apparently did well enough to impress AK and the rest of the staff enough who extend a scholarship.

Trevor Gaskins
I am lumping Gaskins in with the pointguards, but he is really a severely undersized shooting guard. Last year, Gaskins was one of the streakiest shooters on the team as he had the capability to drain seven three-pointers in one game, and then perform so poorly in the next game that he doesn’t see more than 5 minutes of action.

Gaskins is very turn over prone, whether it is an ill-advides three or one of his patented awful inbounds passes. One thing positive to say about Trevor is that he is not afraid to take a big shot, this can also be a fault. Expect this to be Gaskins last year with the Rebels as we try to make room for Reggie Buckner and Trenton Marshall.

David Huertas
Dahveed has a well-documented path to Ole Miss and start to his first year with the Rebels on the court. After his shaky start (putting it kindly) Huertas was arguably the best player on the floor towards the end of the season. If Huertas can carry over his performances from the latter half of 2007-2008 then the Rebels’ backcourt could be tops in the SEC. Another area to mention about Huertas is his aggressive defense and hustle. While overshadowed by Polynice on the defensive side of the ball last year, Huertas still showed he was not just a spot up shooter for the Rebels.

Eniel Polynice
No other player on the rosters scared me more than EP. I have never seen a more out of control, yet in control, player with the ball in his hands. It is uncanny. He is a phenomenal defender, always was relegated to guarding the opposing teams best player. EP still has glaring weaknesses, like free throw shooting. I am not going to waste time looking it up but I am willing to bet that he was right at, if not below 50% from the charity stripe.
Speaking of EP’s free throw shooting, Andy Kennedy had an amusing quote when he spoke at the Sigma Nu house a few weeks ago. Kennedy was talking about how he finds you can improve a player by 20% in a given area if you strenusouly focus on it. So, why should he focus on EP’s terrible free throw shooting since he can make him just an awful free throw shooter, when he can focus on perimeter defense and penetration, areas he has shown promise in and can use to define his game.

Zach Graham
Graham was arguably the most athletic player on the team last season and had great games against UCF and Nebraska in the NIT last year. He definitely suffered through some growing pains, but showed plenty of promise. He has the potential to be as good of a slasher as Polynice, but he is also developing a consistent outside shot. Unfortunately, he plays the deepest position on roster and could get lost in the shuffle.

Terrico White
White is one of the players who could bury Graham on the bench. White has terrific upside and probably the best NBA prospect on the roster, yes more so than Malcolm and Henry. White was the top player in the state of Tennessee last year and has all the tools to emerge as a premiere SEC player during his time at Ole Miss.

Murphy Holloway
Holloway is another one of Kennedy’s prized recruits. Holloway is from South Carolina and was regarded by many as being the top player in the Palmetto State. I really cannot speak much on his game because there is no video, but the coaches feel confident in his ability and he was voted as one of the top impact freshmen in the SEC.

Terrance Henry
Yet another key freshman on this year’s roster. Henry is a keynote recruit due to the lack of depth in the frontcourt because of the departure of Kenny Williams, Dwayne Curtis and Jeremy Parnell. Henry needs to be prepared to play early and often because of the departure of those three seniors. Henry is being called the biggest recruit in Ole Miss history since Justin Reed and may have a similar style game. Henry is rail thin, but has shown that he can play down on the blocks and stretch the floor. He will provide Kennedy with plenty of athleticism at the 4 and allow him to spread the floor even more to create more lanes for players like Polynice and Warren.

Malcolm White
Malcolm is the only returning big man with NCAA experience. White exhibited flashes of greatness last season, but was largely inconsistent. I expect White to be more effective this season with an even faster paced offense and the fact that he is going to be the go to guy down low for Kennedy and company.

Kevin Cantinol
Kennedy claims Cantinol is going to be a pleasant surprise to many Rebel fans. I am not so sure. I have no room to disagree with Kennedy, but this guy looked clueless last season in warm-ups and just sitting on the bench. I will withhold judgment on KC and trust Kennedy.
Deaundre Cranston
I am not sure what to think of Cranston either. He received some good recognition for his contributions in JUCO, but his stats were nothing to get excited over. Cranston is supposedly another big man who will be able to stretch the floor for Kennedy and play facing the basket. I guess we will have to see how he does on Friday before we judge him as well.

...Ole Miss (part 2 of Tuesday's "We Are...")

After pouting about last night's post for a little while, I was struck with the urge to get dranked out of my cotton-pickin' mind. So I did. And I didn't sleep much. As I finally settled into bed, though, I thought about the events that I would use to finish this article. I admit it, I wrote the first half without thinking it all the way through. Anyways, it astounded me that not only did these final five events come to my head with such immediacy, but that they all happened in the same year. Jesus. Before I continue though, serious thanks go out to the guys at NAFOOM for plugging our blog on the board today. You can't buy (nor could we afford) that kind of advertising. So without further ado...

5. Baseball team is ranked #4 preseason, only to drop games against such impressive opponents as Central Arkansas, Western Kentucky, and Southern Miss, while losing series against TCU, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina. While maybe not the disaster it once seemed (the Diamond Rebs have since climbed back to #21), complaining about being ranked below Arizona State now seems a little silly. Defense, hitting, and pitching have all been suspect for the Rebels, which would seem strange, excepting for the fact that Mike Bianco claimed that this was his most talented squad ever, thus bringing upon them the ire of the sports gods. Though the team has stumbled their way back into contention for a regional host site, the fan experience has become less about the game and more about pounding back beers until compelled to piss on the tennis courts. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Speaking of lofty expectations...

4. Basketball team ranked #15 midseason, only to fall to LSU, Auburn (twice!!!), South Carolina, etc., etc. Basketball season was a long, unusual, and unsatisfying cock tease this year... David Huertas, billed as a sensational shooter, and heir apparent to... uh (quick, who was the last great Ole Miss basketball player? Anyone?), no one, I guess, ended up a major disappointment for all but about five games, leaving the weight on the shoulders of a man who makes Todd Abernathy look like the Incredible Hulk. Coming off another season in football hell, and off to a 14-0 start, it seemed safe to assume good things about the Rebs' postseason chances. We all know how that turned out. Anyways, like most good Ole Miss failures, apologists abound, using excuses that justify such collapses. We weren't supposed to be good anyway. The boys tried hard. Wait till next year.

3. 4th & 1: Surely Sylvester Croom crafted his Egg Bowl victory celebration for maximum irony and Ole Miss fan annoyance. After a banner year of player misconduct, even for State, Croom fakes his way to a win and the first thing he can choke out is: "They have so much character..." Sly's tears subsided long enough for him to stumble around Scott Field waving a giant MSU flag in a state of elation totally becoming of someone who, like Croom, makes 6 or 7 figures and can NEVER. BE. FIRED. All this ballyhoo is of course caused by an agonizingly inevitable chain of mental failures by one Ed 'the Orgeron' Orgeron. After building a sizable lead by playing aggressive defense and creative, misdirection offense, O decides to run up the middle out of the I formation and to start coaching his defense with all the subterfuge of Art Kaufman and the tenacity of Chuck Driesbach. This prompted, of course, a series of punts, one of which was a low rocket that landed gently in the hands of one Derek Pegues, who waltzed in largely untouched to tie the game. Oops. The decision to try for the 1st on 4th and 1 was largely inconsequential. Yes, it was probably too risky. But regardless of punt, turnover on downs, or first down Ole Miss, the outcome would likely have been the same for the Rebels, who proved through all 12 games that poor decision making and shit luck do not make a good pair.

2. Daytime Fireworks: Fireworks, according to Wikipedia, "were originally invented by the Chinese, for entertainment purposes, as a natural extension of the Chinese invention of gunpowder." Browsing further down the article, I noticed, among several breathtaking pictures of fireworks shows, one hell of a coincidence: it was night time in ALL of the pictures! Every last one! Looking further into this quandary, I found that most fireworks considered appropriate for midday use included small consumer devices such as smoke bombs, bottle rockets, and black cats, which rely more on sound that light effects. I also read (and I recommend that wikipedia check their sources on this one) that fireworks can be DANGEROUS, and should be used with a certain degree of advanced planning and caution! How wacky! Anyways, point is, I can't describe the upwelling of emotion and pride in my alma mater that I felt when I beheld the wonderful display of black smoke and artillery fire that arose from some unspecified place right outside Vaught Hemingway stadium, alarming the senile and boring everyone else. What an appropriate way to celebrate a long overdue fundraising effort with a poor marketing campaign during a noonday skulldragging at the hands of our beloved Razorback brethren! You also have to love the symbolism behind nearly blowing up the jumbotron and sound system, at the possible peril of unwilling bystanders. A real classy touch. After all, its the REDBLUE in you!!! I'm starting to see how getting my marketing degree from Ole Miss is about as ironic as getting a degree in dental medicine from West Virginia.

1a. Doyle Jackson and 'the catch:' where does one even start? This one has all the trappings: A loss to Alabama, corrupt officials, conspiracy within the SEC office, angry drunken students, a country song, and a single red slipper, and the single greatest screw job in sports for 2007. Without recapping all the gory details, we got hosed, and the entire SEC knows it. Fuck you, Doyle, burn in hell.

1b. Changing the culture of alcohol: although the Bama game was certainly the most agonizing Ole Miss event of 2007/8, C.T.C.O.A. has to be the most fitting. Caught in a perpetual struggle betwixt GOB's and progressives, with a healthy dose of idiots in between, something Ole Miss folks could generally always agree on was that we like to get shithoused, together, in nice clothing. In reaction to complaints by alumni about drunk students getting in the way of their children's razor scooter races through the Grove on Saturdays, it became increasingly clear to the Chancellor that even this point of agreement was in jeopardy, and a very convoluted plan was in order. The plan, one of the many provisions of which allows liquor but not beer in the Grove, could not be aimed more squarely at allowing alumni to drink unimpeded unless the only permitted beverages were top-shelf scotch and Cristal mimosas. Past the liquor/beer rule, shit gets really weird. A guidebook of How to Permissibly Drink Underage at Ole Miss ought to be handed out at orientation. I don't have a damn clue how it works... Thus, having confused the shit out of everyone and rid campus of the greatest threat known to humanity, RK was left at peace to continue knocking down the houses of Asian families to build a new law school that we don't really need.

That's a wrap, folks, enjoy your weekend, except on Sundays, and without any open containers, or beer on the Northeast side of campus, and with a lock on your coolers...

Hooray for Mediocrity

The Ole Miss Rebels managed to be one of the last 18 teams playing in college basketball this season as they advanced to the Final Four in the prestigious National Invitation Tournament. Unfortunately for the Rebs, they ran into some stiff competition in New York, themselves. Themselves disrupted the Rebels offensively which led to their dismal shooting in the first half and gave the Rebels a 27 point deficit. Themselves also forced 20 turnovers and themselves' lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball allowed Ole Miss to be out rebounded by 5.

Still, Ole Miss received solid contribution from DAHVEED Huertas who had a solid night from beyond the three point line and Chris Warren who delivered 19 points.

Rebel senior Dwayne Curtis went out in style with a 5-13 night from the floor with a 2-6 performance from the line, way to lead your team to vic...oops, nevermind DC.

When asked about the performance of the team Andy Kennedy set the record for most consecutive obscenities before concluding that, "It was just a shame Jamont Gordon and Charles Rhodes could not have made an impact for this team."