- Ky McKeon

Key Returners: Devontae Shuler, KJ Buffen, Khadim Sy, Luis Rodriguez, Austin Crowley
Key Losses: Breein Tyree, Blake Hinson
Key Newcomers: Romello White (Arizona State), Jarkell Joiner (Cal State Bakersfield), Dimencio Vaughn (Rider), Matthew Murrell, Shon Robinson (Redshirt)

*** As of this preview date, Robert Allen (Samford transfer) has not received a waiver to play immediately

Lineup:

Outlook: Kermit Davis and the Runnin’ Rebels head into year three of the former Middle Tennessee coach’s regime, hoping to forget a disappointing 2019-20 season in which they finished 102nd in KenPom, the second worst program mark since 2007. The road was particularly brutal for Ole Miss, as the Rebs went just 1-10 in hostile environments, driving their 15-17 overall record. 2020-21 promises to be a bounce back campaign with just two significant players leaving school. Davis brings in a trio of intriguing transfers and also adds the highest ranked recruit in school history.

This Hoop Lens split is quite concerning:

But I’m going to propose a narrative that Breein Tyree’s graduation could actually be a blessing in disguise. Though the electric lead guard was Ole Miss’s best player last season, his tendency to force tough shots and dominate the ball were key factors in the Rebels’ 13th ranked SEC offense. Tyree led the conference in percentage of team shots taken, not a good fact when considering the other talent on Davis’s roster and the team’s overall struggles. Oftentimes having such a ball dominant presence can take others out of the game, bringing down the team’s efficiency as a whole.

Tyree’s departure means more opportunity for Devontae Shuler, a 6’2” guard dripping with potential. Shuler can score in bunches, run point, and create his own shot off the bounce – he’ll have free reign within Davis’s 4-out motion offense, though hopefully won’t be as ball needy as Tyree was.

Shot quality was a major issue for the Rebels last season, as they settled for far too many mid-range jumpers. Given Shuler’s excellence off the ball in spot-up situations, it may behoove the Rebs to have Cal State Bakersfield transfer Jarkel Joiner to see a lot of run at point, setting Shuler and the overall team up for success and high offensive efficiency. Joiner led the WAC in scoring during league play two years ago and was a First Team All-WAC selection as a sophomore. Like Tyree last year, Joiner worked out of isolation often at CSUB and was counted on to score. At Ole Miss, Joiner will play a more complementary role, either as an instant offense option off the pine or “Robin” to Shuler’s “Batman” in the starting five. Accepting a lesser role may be a challenge for the athletically gifted Joiner, but Davis has already had him in the program for a year so hopefully the shift in expectations goes smoothly.

Ole Miss is crazy deep this season, especially on the wing. Top 40 recruit Matthew Murrell, the highest rated recruit in school history, will fight for starting minutes at the 2-spot on day one. Murrell is quick, athletic, and crafty with a good shooting touch. He’ll likely play off the ball in lineups with Shuler, forcing the latter to put on his point guard hat. Also in the mix for starting time is junior Luis Rodriguez, who started five games for the Rebels last year before going down with a season-ending injury. Rodriguez is an athletic slasher, a versatile wing who contributes in every area on the floor. Former 4-star recruit Austin Crowley could be in for a nice sophomore leap if he can beat out his competition for minutes. Like Rodriguez, Crowley is a long wing who can impact the game on both ends of the floor.

Rider grad transfer Dimencio Vaughn should see the lion’s share of minutes at the 3, especially with the departure of junior Blake Hinson, but he can play multiple spots on the court. Vaughn was a unanimous First Team All-MAAC selection last season after ranking 2nd in the league in steal rate and shooting 42% from deep in conference play. Though the level in conference is a significant jump, Vaughn’s versatility should translate in some form – he can play three positions and brings value as a tenacious defender and deadly spot-up shooter.

Kermit has plenty of options in the frontcourt as well. Given his love for 4-out and 5-out basketball, we’ll likely see lineups with guys like Vaughn at the nominal PF spot. Junior KJ Buffen started every game at the 4 last season, proving to be a reliable rebounder and defender with his length. While not a shooting threat, Buffen’s quickness on the perimeter allows him to blow by slower footed forwards to the cup.

If Buffen doesn’t start, it means Davis has opted to go with two true bigs, something he hasn’t really done during his head coaching career. However, Davis has never really had two big men as talented as Khadim Sy and Romello White at the same time. Sy’s greatest value is on the glass and as a roll-man off ball screens, but he’s also started to develop his outside shot a bit in 2019-20. White, arguably the greatest grad transfer snag in the country, was one of the Pac 12’s best rebounders over the last three seasons and started nearly every game of his career at Arizona State. White’s shot blocking, toughness, and aggressiveness on the block will be a welcome addition to an Ole Miss squad that was mostly “finesse” last season. The word “beast” comes to mind when watching White’s game; he should be a wrecking ball in the SEC:

Redshirt freshman Shon Robinson, a borderline 4-star recruit, 6’9” sophomore Sammy Hunter, and 6’7” sophomore Antavion Collum, who returned to Ole Miss following Hinson’s transfer, will provide depth in the frontcourt behind Sy, White, and Buffen.

Ole Miss shined on defense last season in SEC play, notching the 3rd best adjusted defensive efficiency in the conference. Davis is famous for his blob-like 1-3-1 zone defense, one that aggressively traps ball handlers and first passes across the timeline.

This zone is designed to force turnovers and speed up the opposing team. High hands in the face of ball handlers is key to avoid getting beat in the paint past the initial zone layer:

Ole Miss doesn’t give up many three-point looks but did get beat in the paint last season, an area which White can hopefully help bolster.

Bottom Line: The SEC is deep as the Mariana Trench this season, but Ole Miss has the talent to compete near the top. Defense should be at least as stout as last season, likely better with the additions of White and Vaughn. Offensively, the Rebels should be able to make up for the loss of Tyree with help from Joiner and the ascendance of Shuler and the rest of the crop of promising returners.