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Mississippi Basketball : Ole Miss Rebels 2015-16 Season Preview

By Bryce Bennett

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Ole Miss Rebels

2014-2015 Record: 21-13 (11-7, SEC)
Postseason: NCAA Tournament – Second Round

The Rebels returned to the NCAA tournament last season for the first-time since 2012. It was a surprise for a team that had mild expectations coming into the season. The Rebels will need to replicate that formula this season as many pieces need to be replaced around star player Stefan Moody.

Can they return to consecutive NCAA tournaments for the first time under coach Andy Kennedy? Check out the newcomers who need to step up and non-conference opportunities for the Rebels to be dancing again in March.

 Newcomers

F – Tomasz Gielo (graduate transfer, Liberty)
F – Donte Fitzpatrick
F – Terence Davis
G – Sam Finley (junior college transfer)
G – Rasheed Brooks (junior college transfer)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov. 19-22 Gilden Charleston Classic – The Rebels will begin play in this double elimination-style tournament in the early part of the season. First up is George Mason, who should be handled by double-digits. Assuming Ole Miss gets by the Patriots the Oklahoma State Cowboys could be next.

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The Cowboys possess one of the top freshman point guards in the country in Jawun Evans but lack front-court size and depth.

At the other side of the bracket could await a championship game matchup against Top 10 opponent Virginia. This could be a big tournament for the Rebels as they probably will be favored in every game until the championship.

Dec. 18 at Memphis – This could be a dangerous road game for Ole Miss. The Rebels should be favored, but its timing is tricky (right before the start of conference play) and at Memphis will present its share of challenges. But lets be honest, Memphis is not the program it once was. Expect a close game throughout, but the Rebels should be able to pull it out.

Key Players

Stefan Moody – All-SEC senior guard will be must-see TV this season for the Rebels. His aggressive-style of offense earns respect, especially considering he is 5’10”. It is a fair assessment that how Moody goes, so does the Rebels.

Sebastian Saiz – The veteran Saiz will be tasked with shoring up a frontcourt that will be on thin side this season. Saiz showed glimpses of breaking out last season. In the tournament play-in game, he put up a 10 point, nine rebound performance on 60% shooting in a close win over BYU.

Live Feed

SEC Women’s Basketball: SEC Players in the WNBA Roundup, Post-Regular Season Edition
SEC Women’s Basketball: SEC Players in the WNBA Roundup, Post-Regular Season Edition /

South Bound & Down

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    • Over tournament team Oregon, Saiz put up 17 points and five rebounds on 64% shooting. For the 2014-15 season, Saiz rose his shooting percentage from under 50% to nearly 60%. This improvement will continue and Saiz, as long as he stays out of foul trouble, will be a big player for the Rebels this season.

    Season Outlook

    The Ole Miss Rebels will be a bubble team again this season. Current coach Andy Kennedy has done an incredible job raising the profile of this program, but it will be a challenge this season.

    Much of the supporting cast around Moody is gone this season, and teams will be able to squarely focus on him during games. Being too dependent on one player could be a recipe for inconsistency.

    Kennedy will again dip into the junior college and graduate transfer pool and hopes players such as Rasheed Brooks (high-volume scorer) and Tomasz Gielo (stretch-four possibility) can share some of the scoring load.

    The other concern area is on the frontcourt. The Rebels have Saiz, but outside of him nothing is guaranteed. Freshmen recruits and senior Anthony Perez (10 minutes a game last season) will need to step up this season if the Rebels want to return to the NCAA tournament.

    Overall, it will be a year that could go a lot of ways for the Ole Miss Rebels. Expect them to be sweating it out on Selection Sunday. Here’s hoping that Kennedy and the program and continue its upward trajectory.

    Next: Northern Iowa Panthers 2015-16 Season Preview

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