On3 Things to Know: Ole Miss dips out of SEC play for a road trip to Oklahoma State

The Ole Miss men’s basketball team get a breather from the tough start to Southeastern Conference play as it takes part in the Big 12/SEC Challenge this weekend. The Rebels travel to Stillwater for a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Through the first eight games of conference play the Rebels (9-11) have managed only one win and have dropped eight of their last nine games overall, dating back to the North Alabama loss on Dec. 20.

After dropping its home game to Missouri on Tuesday, Ole Miss comes up for air but against a Big 12 opponent that is looking to get its season back on track in the Cowboys.

The Rebels were without junior guard Matthew Murrell against the Tigers after he injured his right knee at Arkansas on Jan. 21. No structural damage was done to Murrell’s knee, which was diagnosed as a mild MCL sprain, but the prognosis is a day-to-day situation.

“Matt will be back,” said head coach Kermit Davis. “Whether it’s Saturday, I don’t know. I know he’s going to try like heck to be back on Saturday. That’ll just depend on day-to-day with the treatment.”

Lets take a closer look at the upcoming matchup, with game notes provided by Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations.

SERIES HISTORY VS. OKLAHOMA STATE

The two programs have met only three times before and only once in the last 70 years, with the Cowboys winning all three matchups.

Most recently, Ole Miss and Oklahoma St. battelled at the 2019 NIT Tip-Off held in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the Barclays Center, where the Rebels fell 78-37. Prior to their game on November 29 in 2019, the schools had not seen each other on the court since a game held in Oklahoma City, Okla. on December 28, 1953, where the Cowboys won 59-42.

Four years earlier, the two matched up for the first time on January 15, 1948 in Memphis, Tenn., with Oklahoma State defeating Ole Miss 52-34. The Rebels and Cowboys have never played on either school’s campus, as this contest will be the first non-neutral-site game.

LAST MEETING: NOVEMBER 29, 2019 (L, 37-78, BROOKLYN, N.Y., NIT TIP-OFF)

• Oklahoma State held the Rebels to just 25% shooting from the floor in the first half, resulting in just 15 points for Ole Miss, as they trailed by 19 at the half.
• The Cowboys outscored the Rebels in the second half by 22, ultimately winning by 41.
• This was the last time an Ole Miss team was held to under 40 points in a game, and had no player score in double figures.
• The Rebels were led in scoring by Breein Tyree and Antavion Collum who each had seven points. The Cowboys were led by Cameron McGriff with 15.

SCOUTING THE COWBOYS

Beginning with a win over UT Arlington, Oklahoma State suffered an early loss in their second game 61-60 by the hands of Southern Illinois. Following a win over Oakland, the Cowboys fell to UCF in overtime before defeating DePaul, Tulsa, and Prairie View A&M. Their games prior to beginning conference play concluded with wins over Sam Houston, Wichita State, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and losses to Connecticut, and Virginia Tech. Oklahoma State has gone 3-5 to begin their Big 12 schedule, defeating West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Iowa State, and falling to Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, and to Texas twice.

The leaders on offense for the Cowboys this year have been Bryce Thompson and Kalib Boone. Pacing the team in points per game, Thompson averages 11.3 per contest, and is second on the team in assists with 44. Boone has become a key member of the Oklahoma State squad as of late, averaging 11.0 points per game on the season, but 15.4 over his last five and 13.1 in conference play. In back-to-back key wins over Baylor and Iowa State, Boone scored a combined 28 points.

The strength of the Oklahoma State team this season has been their defense, as they rank sixth in the country in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to 38.0% shooting. Similar to Ole Miss, much of their defensive identity has revolved around defending the paint, as they rank 12th in the NCAA and lead the Big 12 in blocks per game, averaging 5.6 per contest. They are led down low by Moussa Cisse, who leads the Big 12 in both blocks (39) and blocks per game (2.44).

BLOCK PARTY

The Ole Miss defense currently averages 66.6 points allowed per game, only letting their opponents top 70 points four times this year. A major part of their defensive identity has been enforcing the paint, as the Rebels rank 28th in the country and fourth in the SEC in blocks per game (4.8). They are led down low by senior transfers Theo Akwuba (25 total blocks, 1.25 per game) and Jayveous McKinnis (24 total blocks, 1.26 per game).

On January 3 at No. 7 Alabama, Akwuba and McKinnis combined for seven blocks, with Akwuba’s four bringing his collegiate career total to 200 (now at 207). He and McKinnis (256 career blocks) are the only two teammates in college basketball with over 200 swats in their careers, and each rank among the top-10 in active career leaders.

A DEFENSIVE GOAT

Recording a steal in the closing moments of the first half in Ole Miss’ last game, senior transfer Myles Burns collected the 400th steal of his collegiate career. Joining the Ole Miss program from Loyola New Orleans of the NAIA, Burns brought 358 steals from his four-time NAIA All-American career and has collected 43 since coming to Oxford. Counting his stats from the NAIA, Burns would become just the sixth person in NCAA men’s basketball history across all divisions to collect 400 career steals. He is currently on pace to surpass 60 steals in a season, and would become the first Rebel to hit that mark since Jason Smith had 73 in 1999.

ANOTHER ONE

With an average of 12.1 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 54th in the nation. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 43 offensive rebounds (2.2 per game).

THEM REBS MOVE FAST

Ole Miss has been quick to react on defensive rebounds and turnovers, outscoring their opponents on fast-break opportunities by 79 this season (217-138). The Rebels has recorded more fast-break points than the other team in 15 of their 20 games so far.