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Ole Miss Takes on Penn State in the NIT Tip-Off
Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
The Ole Miss Rebels basketball team hits the road for the second time on the young season as they travel up to Brooklyn, New York to face Penn State in the NIT-Tip off on Wednesday. Game time is set for 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
KJ Buffen comes into the game shooting 66.7 percent from the floor that leads the SEC. Photo by Sarah Kane
Ole Miss (4-1) is coming off of an 87-86 loss to the No.16 Memphis Tigers on Saturday. The Rebels were led by senior guard Breein Tyree with 24 points.
Tyree is making his return to the northeast for the next two contests as he is a native of Somerset, New Jersey. This season, Tyree has averaged 16.2 ppg through the first five games.
Sophomore KJ Buffen leads the SEC on shooting at 66.7 percent from the floor and ranks 14th in the nation.
Coach Kermit Davis’ squad is sixth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage defense at (23.0). The Rebels are 22nd nationally in steals with 10.2 per contest.
Penn State (5-0) is coming into Wednesday’s matchup after winning four of its last five wins at home. The Nittany Lions picked up an impressive 81-66 victory at Georgetown (Nov. 14). On Saturday Penn State pulled out a narrow 58-56 win over Yale, it was the first time they had scored less than 80 points on the season.
The Nittany Lions have balanced scoring led by Lamar Stevens (16.8 ppg). Myles Dread (12.6 ppg), Myreon Jones (11.8 ppg), Izaiah Brockington (10.4 ppg) and Mike Watkins (10.0 ppg) average double figures as well. On the defensive side of the floor, Watkins ranks 12th nationally with 3.2 blocks per game. Jamari Wheeler tallies 3.4 steals per game to lead the Big Ten and sit eighth-best in the country.
When the Rebels and the Nittany Lions tip the ball off it will be the fourth ever matchup in the all-time series between the two programs. Ole Miss has won the past three meetings. The last time the Rebels won was in the Barclays Center Classic 79-76 in 2013.
Fans can listen to all the action on the Ole Miss Sports Network or watch all the action on ESPN2.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | 11:00 AM ABC or ESPN |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | 2:30 PM ESPN or ABC |
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