The Ole Miss Rebels had a measuring stick game against the Memphis Tigers on Saturday, with a chance to add another quality win to their resume before entering conference play in a loaded SEC. In an intense regional matchup, Ole Miss was ultimately on the wrong side of a lopsided final score.
Ole Miss Continued To Struggle From Beyond the Arc
Mississippi’s usually stout defense was anything but. giving up a season-high 87 points, including 49 in the second half. However, defensive woes were not the primary concern of head coach Chris Beard. In the postgame press conference, Beard focused on Mississippi’s offensive letdown. After shooting just 25.9% from three-point territory against Queens the previous weekend, the Rebels again shot a paltry 25.0% against the Tigers on almost 30 attempts. Beard confronted this statistic postgame by illuminating the simple truth of basketball.
Basketball is a game of making shots… it’s obviously going to be the difference in the outcome.
Beard finished by saying that the start of both the first and second half was where Memphis was able to assert themselves. Ole Miss fell behind by ten early, and after closing the gap to two at the halftime break, gave up a 25-11 run that saw them fall behind for good.
First Half Frames From the Forum📸#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/f0rYtkqfT8
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 28, 2024
Guard Jaylen Murray, who has been the Rebels’ second-leading scorer this season, was a disappointing 4-12 from the floor. Additionally, fellow guards Dre Davis and Matthew Murrell, both averaging double figures on the year, contributed a measly total of 9 points on a combined on 4-16 from the field. Ole Miss has already demonstrated the ability to get hot from deep, making a whopping 15 threes in a narrow defeat against Purdue. For a team that relies on perimeter scoring for a lot of their offense, several key players struggling this much is going to be difficult to overcome, particularly when Memphis ended the game +11 in the rebounding column. Beard acknowledged his team’s difficulties guarding the Memphis bigs, saying that losing forward Mikael Brown-Jones to a first-half ejection really hurt them.
Sometimes, it can be as simple as a team shooting poorly. However, that is not the only thing that Ole Miss will need to focus on improving as they move forward.
Ole Miss Has Some Positive Signs Ahead of Several Huge Matchups
Their upcoming schedule is truly daunting, with four of their next six opponents currently being ranked in the top 25, including the 5th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and the surging Texas A&M Aggies. That being said, first up are the Georgia Bulldogs, who are currently top 10 in the nation in three-point percentage allowed.
Beard did not several positives from the Memphis game, specifically highlighting a duo of freshman, Eduardo Klafke and John Bol. Klafke, a 6-foot-5 guard from São Paulo, Brazil, was praised by his head coach for bringing the team energy and playing the right way. It appears that the young guard is going to have his chance to impact the team moving forward.
He’s a talented player that impacts our team with his emotion and how hard he plays.
Even in limited minutes, Bol was another player who provided high energy and effort. Beard was complimentary of his ability to fight through mistakes and continue to work hard on both ends of the floor. The head coach finished his remarks by noting how important both young players would be as they enter SEC play.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the NBA and college basketball, click here!
