If Ole Miss wins only its remaining home games against Alabama and Arkansas it will finish 6-10 in the SEC.
To have a chance to win last night in Lexington was quite impressive given the effort at the beginning. This team is unable to overcome its dead periods on the road. The only remaining road game is at Georgia. Comebacks like last night mean you can’t write off the Rebels on the road, but the periods with lackluster energy are too many to predict victory.
LSU was 5-11 in the SEC last year and did not make the NIT. It was the first year for the NIT under the ownership of the NCAA, and the NCAA worked successfully to make it a harder, more respectable bid to earn.
Wins against Arkansas and Alabama at home would give the Rebels 20 wins for the season to go along with the conference record.
It’s not about the NCAA anymore, it’s about the NIT. A chance for postseason hangs on winning at home.
– PA
February 28, 2008 at 8:20 am
Our philosophy of starting slow to lull the opponent to sleep so we can make a come back isn’t working. Maybe we should try the opposite and come out playing hard from the get go. Isn’t there a new tourny that starts this year?
February 28, 2008 at 8:23 am
Let’s just go undefeated in four games in the SEC tournament and make the NCAAs.
Okay, I may be the ultimate optimist but still a possibility.
February 28, 2008 at 9:23 am
I agree, TCfan. Don’t count the Rebs out. The wave of Reb fans turning on their own team is an embarassment. Support your team through the struggles. Anything can happen, because this is basketball. We’ve had the best two seasons of basketball the program has seen in a while. Don’t diss the kids and coaches who’ve done that. We’ve come a lot further than the pundits predicted. DC and Chris Warren played their hearts out in the second half last night. Polynice left his team hanging again last night. Get your head in it, EP. But, can Ole Miss fans complain about what will probably turn out to be a 20 win season? Not legitimately.
February 28, 2008 at 9:47 am
I haven’t turned on this team, I was just trying to have a little fun. I still spend my hard earned cash to watch the Rebels play and I will continue to do so, no matter of the record!
February 28, 2008 at 9:59 am
Wonder what edgar thinks?
February 28, 2008 at 10:32 am
Hey bigdraws, Congratulations on your team clinching the West. Hope the Rebs can get back in the hunt next year,but for now I tip my cap to your Bulldogs.
February 28, 2008 at 10:48 am
Thanks, but we’ve only clinched a tie. Got 3 extremly tough games coming up. Need yall to take care of Arky.
February 28, 2008 at 10:57 am
Relax Draws, State’s going to win the West. The best team doesn’t always win, but in this case it will. Two tough road games coming up though at Florida and Vanderbilt. I think LSU is playing better, but I don’t see them winning at State.
– PA
February 28, 2008 at 11:01 am
Draws you right. Maybe we can string 3 w’s together before the action starts in the Georgia Dome.
February 28, 2008 at 11:12 am
PA, you also thought State would win at OM. I don’t take anything for granite.
February 28, 2008 at 11:21 am
Draws, I’m through trying to guess with the Rebels. Maybe you can boil these guys down to a home and road thing. I think the home advantage means more in basketball than in any other sport, but Ole Miss takes it to an extreme. That being said, Auburn and South Carolina showed you can beat the Rebels in Oxford if you are athletic in the post and your bigs shoot outside.
State didn’t do that enough. Ole Miss guarded pretty hard and really limited Rhodes in the second half.
I’ll give Ole Miss a pretty good shot to win their home games. Vanderbilt may clinch the West for State at Fayetteville Saturday.
– PA
February 28, 2008 at 11:23 am
Man I dread having to go to Vandy.
February 28, 2008 at 11:37 am
Nobody likes playing there. At least you have the entertaining aspect of listening to Jack’s commentary on the officiating. At one MSU game in Nashville said the Commodores were “homesteading” on the free throw line.
– PA
February 28, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Jack’s got to where he just says what’s on his mind. Couple of years ago we were playing at UNO and struggling. Jack starts complaining then you hear the mic cut off. He’s in the background “get in the ballgame ref!!”.
classic.
February 28, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I enjoyed getting to know Jack when I covered State and have enjoyed continuing that friendship through the years in Tupelo. I have lots of Jack stories that I think are classics.
– PA
February 28, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Yeah, I live right around the corner from him. To say he’s one of a kind would be an understatement. Now back to Rebel sports.
February 28, 2008 at 1:16 pm
although this team can be frustrating at times, they have shown that they are willing to play basketball when it really matters. i am not counting them out of the SEC Tourney. this team now realizes that that is the only possible way of making the NCAA. they played an excellent game against tennessee on the road, and had chances to win on the road at arkansas, alabama, and kentucky. the rebs played better when the crowd was really getting into it. there will be no lack of energy in atlanta, and this team, if they believe in themselves, can win in atlanta with the promising moments they have shown and the talent they have. i am still keeping my hopes up no matter what happens.
February 28, 2008 at 2:12 pm
For reasons like the second-half run at Kentucky, the defensive energy in Oxford against Mississippi State and a handful of other efforts, you can’t count this team out.
That’s why the season has been so perplexing. Why the inconsistency? Can it all be boiled down to inexperienced guards? It seems like that’s too simple. I think there are several factors, but that may be the biggest.
David Huertas is a sophomore, but he didn’t bring that much experience to the table before this year. Gaskins and Graham have obviously had their ups and downs. When those three are producing, and when Eniel Polynice is getting to the basket, Ole Miss is a very good team.
When that isn’t happening, then Chris Warren is struggling to get open and may end up forcing a shot or a pass.
I still like the talent on this team. It will be interesting to watch the Ole Miss freshmen and sophomores and see to what level they might improve.
– PA
February 28, 2008 at 3:28 pm
the only thing that i have seen thats consistent on this team is its inconsistency.
February 28, 2008 at 8:21 pm
fire andy kennedy and replace him with michael white for the rest of the season.then hire bobby knight are john calipari to be new head coach.
February 28, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Edgar has landed……………
February 29, 2008 at 2:58 pm
As bad as I hate to admit it Mr. what?, we are actually right on-schedule with where all the “pundits” predicted, last in the SEC West. It gets old hearing people saying “we” turn on our teams when all we do is discuss the points surrounding their inadequacies. Then again, we do live in a world where criticizing is not politically correct, in some form or fashion. Therefore, I guess I should get with the program. This Ole Miss Basketball team is Unbelievable, awesome, super, sentalating, sensational. They are just not getting the breaks and deserve to be crowned SEC Western Division Preseason Champions. Let’s get a few trophies made up to make sure everybody on the team feels good about themselves. Let’s have a ticker-tape parade through Oxford and end up in the Tad-Pad where we should all have filet mignon and sauteed mushrooms with a glass of chardeney.