Busting Brackets
Fansided

Ole Miss Basketball: Breaking down Rebels’ 2017 recruiting class

By Taylor Sturm

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: Head coach Andy Kennedy of the Mississippi Rebels reacts during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: Head coach Andy Kennedy of the Mississippi Rebels reacts during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 14: Head coach Andy Kennedy of the Mississippi Rebels reacts during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 14: Head coach Andy Kennedy of the Mississippi Rebels reacts during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The Ole Miss Rebels bring in a solid 2017 recruiting class, but what kind of impact can these young players make on a team extremely close to taking the next step?

The Ole Miss Rebels missed out on the 2017 NCAA Tournament but were able to turn their solid season into a trip to the NIT. Andy Kennedy’s squad would eventually lose to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but not before earning wins over the Monmouth Eagles and the Syracuse Orange.

Heading into the 2017-18 season, however, expectations are a bit tempered for the Rebels. Without their star forward in Sebastian Saiz, many will write this team off.

This is a mistake.

The talent on this roster is one of the best in the SEC and looks ready to explode. Players like Deandre Burnett and Terence Davis are some of the best scorers in college basketball and will only get better now that they have to carry more of the scoring load.

While this roster is clearly guard-heavy, some key issues are addressed in recruiting. Kennedy brought in a talented JUCO power forward, as well as a young, potentially fantastic freshman who can play both the three and the four.

In fact, apart from Kentucky, the SEC is pretty much wide open. I believe there are around nine or ten SEC teams that legitimately stand a chance to make the 2018 NCAA Tournament, and Ole Miss is one of those teams.

****UPDATE**** JaMarko Pickett will not play for the Ole Miss Rebels next season. Story here.

Here is a breakdown of the 2017 recruiting class for Ole Miss.

Home/Ole Miss Rebels