Kermit Davis looks forward to round two against Mississippi State on Saturday
OXFORD – The Ole Miss men’s basketball team will look to win its first home game in SEC play and, overall, since December 17, this Saturday against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The team heads into the game sitting at 10-16 and 2-11 in the SEC, which is tied for twelfth.
Head coach Kermit Davis said that outside of Josh Mballa (fractured foot), his team is perfectly healthy heading into the rivalry matchup.
“This is the first time since I’ve been here that we lost the first game of the series,” Davis said at his press conference on Friday. “Besides [Mballa], our team is healthy, and we are looking forward to playing a really good Mississippi State team tomorrow.”
The Rebels lost the first matchup between the two in Starkville on January 7, 64-54. They were up seven 12:43 to go in that game, but a 13-2 run by the Bulldogs followed, and the Rebels could not recover. Ole Miss has not been swept by the Bulldogs in the season series since the 2010-11 season.
Davis said that toughness, offensive rebounding, and turnovers caused the Bulldog comeback in the first matchup, and those will be focal points for the rematch.
“Against those guys, you’ve got to be strong with the ball [and] have ball security. Hopefully we can create some turnovers, be able to get in space, and make some easy baskets.”
Coach Davis on playing Mississippi State
He also doesn’t see many differences from the Mississippi State team in that game.
“I think it’s the same team,” Davis said. “Tough, well-coached, physical, and you’ve really got to come play with a real edge against Mississippi State.”
Guard Amaree Abram, who had two points in eight minutes in the game in Starkville, said that the key to a Rebel win will be to put a full 40 minutes of basketball together.
“We played good in spurts, and then in a couple of minutes, we let the game slip away,” Abram said about the January matchup. “Tomorrow, we will be mentally prepared and will be ready for the game.”
Ole Miss will honor the 2013 SEC Tournament Champion Rebel team at the SJB Pavilion on Saturday. During that 2012-13 regular season, the Marshall Henderson-led Rebels lost a Kermit Davis-coached Middle Tennessee State in non-conference play, 65-62. Davis said that he followed that Ole Miss team closely, and he learned a lot from that team.
“I thought that it was one of the best teams in Ole Miss history. Hopefully a lot of them can come back. It was a special team, and we are glad to have those guys back, for sure.”
Coach Davis on the 2013 Rebels
The Rebels will look to avoid the season series sweep against the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
