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Ole Miss Basketball: Keys to success against Mississippi State in 2018-19

By Brian Rauf

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Kermit Davis of the Mississippi Rebels is seen during the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Kermit Davis of the Mississippi Rebels is seen during the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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ST LOUIS, MO – MARCH 20: Head coach Kermit Davis of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders looks on before the game against the Syracuse Orange during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 20, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO – MARCH 20: Head coach Kermit Davis of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders looks on before the game against the Syracuse Orange during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 20, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

1) Make perimeter shots

Three-point shooting has been perhaps the biggest reason for Ole Miss’ turnaround under Kermit Davis.

Last year, the Rebels made just 31.9 percent of their shots from beyond the arc, ranking 317th in the country. It was the eighth straight year they finished outside the top 125 teams nationally in three-point shooting.

As the game continues to become more perimeter-oriented, the Rebels were struggling to adapt. That is no longer the case.

Ole Miss is currently shooting 38.2 percent from long-range as a team and has five players who are individually shooting over 38 percent, giving them a number of different weapons from deep that opponents have to respect.

They still don’t take a good deal of shots from out there (only 29 percent of their total attempts come from three) but opponents now have to defend the perimeter, which spaces them out and opens up more driving lanes for Ole Miss’ athletes.

This could be a major problem for the Bulldogs as they rank 172nd in three-point defense. It’s a strength-vs.-weakness matchup in favor of Rebels, making it an area they need to exploit if they’re going to win this game.

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