Rebel Hoops Put Undefeated SEC Record on line Against Vols

By David Collier

David is a junior broadcast journalism major in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media at Ole Miss.

dlcollie@go.olemiss.edu

Follow David on Twitter @DavidLCollier

After breaking into the top 25 in both polls, No. 23 Ole Miss (15-2, 4-0 SEC) looks to keep their momentum in SEC play going as they welcome the Tennessee Volunteers (9-7, 1-3 SEC) for a showdown in Tad Smith Coliseum at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

The Rebels and Volunteers met once this season when Ole Miss came out on top 92-74 in the conference opener. In that contest, junior guard Marshall Henderson scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Rebels.

Since the league-opening loss, Tennessee has managed just a 1-2 record, but they have played much better, including a 15-point win over Mississippi State last weekend that they hope gives them momentum heading into tonight’s rematch.

Starters Comparison

Point Guard: Sophomore Jarvis Summers, 6-foot-3, 184 pounds | Junior Trae Golden, 6-foot-2, 205 pounds

Summers continues to be a big threat offensively for Ole Miss in conference play. For the season, he is averaging 8.7 points per game, but that number increases to 14 points per contest in the SEC. Summers is also averaging over 2.5 assists to each turnover.

Golden is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 points per game. He has totaled 72 assists during the season. Golden is shooting 36.9 percent from the field, but he’s not much of a threat from behind the arc, shooting just 23.1 percent from there.

Guard: Junior Marshall Henderson, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds | Junior Jordan McRae, 6-foot-5, 178 pounds

Henderson is still the SEC’s leading scorer, averring 18.9 points per game on 35.8 percent shooting from three-point range. The Hurst, Texas native is second on the team in steals with 27, and he is shooting a team-leading 85.9 percent from the free throw line.

McRae is the biggest scoring threat that Tennessee has. He is averaging 13.8 points per game and is shooting at a clip of 44.4 percent from the floor. McRae has played in all 16 games, but he has only started the last five contests. He is also a solid free throw shooter with a 78.3 shooting percentage from the charity stripe.

Guard: Sophomore LaDarius White, 6-foot-6, 210 pounds | Sophomore Josh Richardson, 6-foot-6, 188 pounds

White has now solidified himself in the starting rotation as he got his fifth consecutive start against Arkansas this past weekend. He is averaging just 4.2 points per game, but he is a good defender with his long body.

Richardson is one of two players on the roster to start every game for the Volunteers. He is averaging 8.8 points per contest and is shooting 51.4 percent overall. However, he’s a liability at the free throw line, shooting just 54.8 percent. He also averages 4.9 rebounds per game.

Forward: Senior Murphy Holloway, 6-foot-7, 240 pounds | Senior Kenny Hall, 6-foot-9, 230 pounds

Holloway is still a production machine for the Rebels, averaging 15.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 55.8 percent from the floor and is leading the team with 30 steals on the season.

Hall is averaging 6.1 points per game, but he is very efficient with his points. He is shooting 50.7 percent from the field in addition to reeling in 5.7 rebounds per game.

Forward: Senior Reginald Buckner, 6-foot-9, 235 pounds | Sophomore Jarnell Stokes, 6-foot-8, 270 pounds

Buckner is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game. The Memphis native also brings down 8.1 rebounds per contest. Buckner shoots at a remarkable 63.4 percent from the field, but what sets him apart is his defensive ability as Buckner has tallied 49 blocks on the season.

Stokes may be the most talented player that Tennessee has. The powerful Memphis native is averaging 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. He is also shooting 52 percent from the floor, but at the free throw line, he shoots just 53.4 percent which could cause problems late in games. Stokes also leads the Volunteers in blocks with 17 on the year.

By The Numbers

Points Per Game: Ole Miss – 82.4, Tennessee – 65.6

Opponents Points Per Game: Ole Miss – 64.6, Tennessee – 62.3

Field Goal Percentage: Ole Miss – 44.6%, Tennessee – 43%

Three-point Field Goal Percentage: Ole Miss – 31.7%, Tennessee – 30%

Three-pointers Made Per Game: Ole Miss – 6.8, Tennessee – 5.1

Free Throw Percentage: Ole Miss – 69.8%, Tennessee – 66.3%

Turnovers Per Game: Ole Miss – 12.2, Tennessee – 12.4

Turnover Margin: Ole Miss – +5.3, Tennessee – -1.1

Rebounds Per Game: Ole Miss – 41.4, Tennessee – 36.9

Rebounding Margin: Ole Miss – +4.3, Tennessee – +4.2

Assists Per Game: Ole Miss – 13.1, Tennessee – 10.8

Blocks Per Game: Ole Miss – 5.8, Tennessee – 3.8

Steals Per Game: Ole Miss – 9.7, Tennessee – 4.1

For complete stats on Ole Miss, click here.

For complete stats on Tennessee, click here.

Prediction

Ole Miss wins by 7