By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
The Ole Miss Rebels basketball team steps into conference play on Saturday as they travel up to the Music City of Nashville, Tennessee to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Ole Miss closed out the 2018 calendar year strong with a 10-2 record after an 87-57 win over Florida Gulf Coast.
Coach Kermit Davis’ squad has won seven straight games for the first time since the close of the 2015 calendar year. The Rebels have shot over 50 percent in eight games this year, the most since 2012-13 (9).
As a team, Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC in field goal percentage (50.7 percent), free throw shooting (75.7 percent), three-point field goal percentage (38.6 percent) and rebounding defense (28.3).
Bruce Stevens (17.0 ppg), Terence Davis (16.0 ppg) and Breein Tyree (11.0 ppg) average double figures in their careers facing Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt enters Saturday’s SEC opener with a 9-3 record, including back-to-back victories to close the 2018 calendar year. Four of the past five games occurred on the Commodores home floor, and those four games resulted in victories. One of those wins was over No. 18 Arizona State. As a team, Vanderbilt has been successful at getting to the foul line, leading the SEC in free throw attempts (328) and free throws made (238).
The Commodores also rank 25th nationally with 5.1 blocks per game. Before going down with an injury, freshman Darius Garland led Vanderbilt in scoring (16.2 ppg). Four other Commodores average double figures, including freshman Simisola Shittu (14.2 ppg). Bryce Drew is in his third season as Vanderbilt’s head coach.
This will be the 122nd meeting between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt on the hardwood. The Commodores hold a 76-45 lead in the series, which began in 1925, but Ole Miss has won six of the last eight meetings. Vanderbilt has a 47-8 advantage in games played in Nashville. However, the Rebels have won the last three matchups in Memorial Gymnasium, including a pair of double-digit victories (89-79 in 2013, 63-52 in 2014, 85-78 in 2016).
Fans who are not traveling up to the Music City can watch all the action on the SEC Network or listen to the call on the Ole Miss Radio Network.
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