After 12 seasons under Andy Kennedy, Ole Miss Basketball are headed a different way. They’ll have a new look with head coach Kermit Davis in 2018-19.
The Ole Miss Rebels are set to have an interesting season after head coach Andy Kennedy stepped down, early at that, from his position during the 2017-18 regular season. After nine 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances, both sides decided to part ways, leaving a roster with two seniors and eight newcomers for this upcoming season.
Head coach Kermit Davis is set to take over after 16 seasons with the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. The Blue Raiders went 16-2 in the Conference USA last year, winning the regular season title but fell short in the Conference Tournament at earning an automatic bid.
Acquiring the Rebels is a different beast altogether for Davis, despite compiling a record of 332-188 (.638) while at Middle Tennessee. Ole Miss finished with a 12-20 record last season, finishing last in the SEC standings with a record of 5-13. They did boast the fifth-best scoring offense (75.8 points per game) in the SEC, but they were also the worst defensive team in the league (78.1 points per game).
Davis does acquire a team that returns its leading scorer from a season ago in Terence Davis as well as a breakout star in the making in Bruce Stevens. It’ll be tough sledding for this group with a new coach, but Kermit Davis should lead them in the right direction. Here’s a look at the 2018-19 season preview for the Ole Miss Rebels.