Slow starts have been a 'theme' for Ole Miss basketball early this season
Ole Miss is sitting at 6-2 through its first eight games but both losses could have easily turned into victories for an undefeated start to the season.
Last Saturday’s 68-57 loss at Memphis was the latest example of a slow start being too much for Ole Miss to overcome against quality opponent.
There have been other sluggish starts to games this season but the Rebels were able to climb their way back and eventually pull out a win.
Against the Tigers, Ole Miss missed 16 of its first 18 shots of the game and scored only four points from the floor in the opening 12 minutes. The drought allowed Memphis go to up 30-8 and essentially put the game away early.
Of the first eight games it was the worst start from a scoring standpoint all season.
“I think that’s kind of been our theme all season,” said forward Theo Akwuba after the Memphis game. “Coming out slow in the first half and kick it up in the second half. So, that’s definitely something we’ve got to work on.
“Just coming out and setting the tone, throwing the first punch. …We just have to make the tough plays at the jump, at the beginning of the game. Set the tone.”
Related: Ole Miss has work to do following loss to Memphis
Ole Miss has provided itself plenty of chances to score as the fourth best SEC team in the offensive rebound category.
Through eight games Ole Miss has pulled down 109 rebounds on offense, ranking them 18th nationally and with an average of 13.62 per game.
Memphis edged the Rebels in that category by one, pulling down 20 offensive rebounds to Ole Miss’ 19. Yet the Rebels beat Memphis in the second chance points category, outscoring the Tigers 18-9.
Ole Miss has outscored its opponents in second chance points, 118-88 and averaging nearly 15 a game via second chance.
In the final 27 minutes of the game Ole Miss outscored Memphis 47-38 but that 22-point deficit is tough for any team to climb out of, especially a Rebel team still trying to figure itself out with new players.
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“I was proud of our guys the last 30 minutes,” Davis said. “After (Memphis’ fast start) we kind of settled in”
The Rebels got their starting point guard back in Daeshun Ruffin, who made his season debut against Memphis.
Ruffin, who was recovering from a bone bruise, came off the bench in limited-minutes role and scored three points in 14 minutes.
Davis is working to mix Ruffin in with freshmen Amaree Abram, TJ Caldwell and Matthew Murrell. Trying to do so for the first time against a team like Memphis in a road environment such as the one at FedEx Forum last weekend was a tough ask.
The mix and matching aided in poor shooting night for Abram who was the reigning SEC Co-Freshman of the Week at the time. Abram ended with four points and three rebounds in 21 minutes.
“The freshman guard play, which has been really good, it kind of rose it’s head (at Memphis),” Davis said. “I hope that Amaree, who’s going to be a really good player, learns a lesson from two veteran guards that really played well.”
After a second week off between games due to exam week at Ole Miss, Ruffin will get a second opportunity to gel in live action with the Rebels hosting Valparaiso at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday.
