Opponent: Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 12-7 (3-4 SEC)
When: Wednesday, January 25, 6:30 pmWhere: Oxford, Mississippi
TV: ESPN2
Ole Miss at a glance
Ole
Miss is a team that is similar to Texas A&M in many ways. The
Rebels rely on their post play for leadership and stability. They have
very talented guards that are streaky from game to game, and like the
Aggies, the Rebels have used multiple lineups to figure out a good
rotation, as well as having shown the capability to beat top-tier teams
while struggling with teams they should dominate on paper.
One
of the biggest struggles for Ole Miss has been the way they start
games. The Rebels have a tendency to start slowly, however,
they are a strong second half team and have outscored their opponents by
+31 points in the second half of games this year.
Defense isn't their strong suit, but because they play hard and hustle, Andy Kennedy's team will put up a fight against anyone.
They're a team
that tries to get into the open court and score easy baskets. They will
shoot a lot of 3-pointers throughout the course of 40 minutes and
attack both the offensive and defensive glass. Defense isn't their
strong suit, but because they play hard and hustle, Andy Kennedy's team
will put up a fight against anyone.
Rebels to watch
This
year, everything for the Rebels has gone through senior Sebastian Saiz (6-9,
240 lbs.) but as of late, sophomore Terence Davis (6-4, 200 lbs.), who was recently named SEC Player of the Week, has taken
control of this team. While Saiz has been a steady factor for Andy
Kennedy and the Rebs by averaging a double-double on the season with 16
points and 10 rebounds, it's Davis who has averaged 19 points, 11
rebounds and four assists in the last two contests.
Both players
are high-motor guys that play hard and love to rebound. Davis likes to
use the dribble and get into the paint to create shots for himself. As
of late, he's made good decisions with the basketball, but on the year,
he has 26 assists to 45 turnovers. If the Aggies pressure him on
defense, he will eventually give it away.
Another player to watch will be Deandre Burnett. He's missed the last two games, but is scheduled to return to action
tonight against the Aggies. Burnett leads the team in scoring, assists and turnovers, while playing nearly 30 minutes a game.
Matchups
The
obvious key matchup is going to be between Tyler Davis or Robert Williams
and Sebastian Saiz. The big guys are the motors of both teams, and when
they find success, so do their respective teams.
Both Ole Miss
and Texas A&M rely on the bigs, and both teams' point guards are
questionable at times. The point guard spot is a bigtime matchup for
each team. Both teams start slow and can find themselves in a hole, though both have shown they can finish strong when they have to claw their way back from a deficit.
Whichever team can control the tempo of the game for the majority of
each half will find themselves continuing a winning streak.
Texas A&M must not allow the Rebels to dominate the glass and create second chance opportunities.
Keys to the game
Rebounding: Ole Miss is a good rebounding team and finds a way to score
a lot of second chance points. Texas A&M must not allow the Rebels
to dominate the glass and create second chance opportunities.
Start strong, end strong: The Rebels tend to play well when they have a
fast start. The same goes for Texas A&M. However, both teams have
struggled at the beginning of games to get into a groove and find a rhythm.
Turnovers and free throws: Make your free throws and
take care of the basketball. Mental toughness on the road is key, and the
Ags have to have complete focus and concentration if they want to come
away with a win.
