# 2018–19 Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team

The 2018–19 Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team represented the University of Mississippi in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, their 109th basketball season. The Rebels were led by first-year, SEC Coach of the Year, Kermit Davis. The Rebels played their games at The Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi as members of the Southeastern Conference. The Rebels had an eight-win improvement from their previous season, which was eleventh best in Division I. The Rebels returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015, where they were defeated in the first round by 9th seeded Oklahoma.

## Previous season

The Rebels finished the 2017–18 season 12–20, 5–13 in SEC play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round of the SEC tournament to South Carolina.
On February 12, 2018, 12th-year head coach Andy Kennedy, the school's all-time winningest head coach, and the school mutually agreed to part ways following the end of the season. However, on February 19, Kennedy announced that he would depart immediately, with assistant Madlock taking over on an interim basis. On March 15, 2018, it was announced that Ole Miss had hired Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis as head coach of the Rebels.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Deandre Burnett | 1 | G | 6'2" | 192 | RS Senior | Miami Gardens, FL | Graduated |
| Marcanvis Hymon | 2 | F | 6'7" | 220 | Senior | Memphis, TN | Graduated |
| Markel Crawford | 5 | G | 6'4" | 210 | Senior | Memphis, TN | Graduated |
| Karlis Silins | 22 | C | 6'11" | 245 | Sophomore | Riga, Latvia | Transferred to Florida Atlantic |
| Lane Below | 24 | G | 6'1" | 185 | Senior | Advance, MO | Graduated |
| Jake Coddington | 30 | F | 6'6" | 212 | RS Senior | Edwardsville, IL | Graduated |
| Ilya Tyrtyshnik | 34 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Freshman | Kyiv, Ukraine | Left team |
| Justas Furmanavičius | 50 | F | 6'7" | 210 | Senior | Kaunas, Lithuania | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Zach Naylor | 1 | G/F | 6'7" | | Junior | Richmond, TX | Weatherford College |
| Brian Halums | 5 | F | 6'5" | 190 | Junior | Hollandale, MS | Itawamba Community College |

### 2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Blake Hinson #42 SF | Deltona, FL | Sunrise Christian Academy | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Apr 28, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| KJ Buffen SF | Gainesville, GA | Gainesville High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Apr 25, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Franco Miller Jr. PG | Freeport, Bahamas | Crestwood Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | May 10, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Luis Rodriguez SG | Los Angeles, CA | Woodstock Academy | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | May 10, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Carlos Curry C | Albany, GA | Dougherty Comprehensive | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | May 16, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Ole Miss 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 4, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 4, 2018. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 2, 2018* 2:00 pm, SECN+ | | Fayetteville State | W 101–52 | | 20 – T. Davis | 10 – Stevens | 9 – Buffen | The Pavilion at Ole Miss Oxford, MS |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 10, 2018* 3:00 pm, SECN+ | | Western Michigan Emerald Coast Classic first round | W 90–64 | 1–0 | 17 – T. Davis | 5 – Stevens | 3 – Tied | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (5,205) Oxford, MS |
| November 16, 2018* 7:00 pm, FS2 | | at Butler | L 76–83 | 1–1 | 30 – T. Davis | 8 – Shuler | 5 – Tied | Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,328) Indianapolis, IN |
| November 20, 2018* 6:00 pm, SECN | | Nicholls Emerald Coast Classic second round | W 75–55 | 2–1 | 14 – T. Davis | 8 – T. Davis | 6 – Tied | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (5,903) Oxford, MS |
| November 23, 2018* 8:30 pm, CBSSN | | vs. Baylor Emerald Coast Classic semifinals | W 78–70 | 3–1 | 28 – Tyree | 8 – Stevens | 3 – Tied | The Arena at NFSC (1,250) Niceville, FL |
| November 24, 2018* 6:00 pm, CBSSN | | vs. Cincinnati Emerald Coast Classic championship | L 57–71 | 3–2 | 24 – Shuler | 6 – Tied | 2 – T. Davis | The Arena at NFSC (1,250) Niceville, FL |
| November 28, 2018* 6:30 pm, SECN+ | | San Diego | W 93–86 | 4–2 | 22 – Tyree | 7 – Buffen | 9 – T. Davis | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (5,968) Oxford, MS |
| December 1, 2018* 1:00 pm, SECN+ | | Louisiana–Monroe | W 83–60 | 5–2 | 20 – Tyree | 8 – T. Davis | 6 – Shuler | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,128) Oxford, MS |
| December 8, 2018* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Illinois State | W 81–74 | 6–2 | 22 – Tyree | 7 – Tied | 6 – Tyree | Redbird Arena (6,598) Normal, IL |
| December 12, 2018* 6:30 pm, SECN+ | | vs. Southeastern Louisiana Jackson Showcase | W 69–47 | 7–2 | 19 – Shuler | 7 – Stevens | 4 – T. Davis | Mississippi Coliseum (3,564) Jackson, MS |
| December 16, 2018* 5:00 pm, SECN | | Chattanooga | W 90–70 | 8–2 | 20 – Tied | 5 – T. Davis | 7 – T. Davis | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,344) Oxford, MS |
| December 21, 2018* 7:00 pm, Facebook | | at Middle Tennessee Battle at Bridgestone | W 74–56 | 9–2 | 24 – Tyree | 9 – Buffen | 4 – T. Davis | Bridgestone Arena (11,294) Nashville, TN |
| December 28, 2018* 3:00 pm, SECN+ | | Florida Gulf Coast | W 87–57 | 10–2 | 20 – T. Davis | 6 – T. Davis | 6 – Tyree | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (7,551) Oxford, MS |
| January 5, 2019 7:30 pm, SECN | | at Vanderbilt | W 81–71 | 11–2 (1–0) | 31 – Tyree | 7 – Tied | 6 – Shuler | Memorial Gymnasium (10,422) Nashville, TN |
| January 9, 2019 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | | No. 11 Auburn | W 82–67 | 12–2 (2–0) | 27 – T. Davis | 12 – T. Davis | 4 – Hinson | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,241) Oxford, MS |
| January 12, 2019 12:00 pm, CBS | | at No. 14 Mississippi State | W 81–77 | 13–2 (3–0) | 26 – Hinson | 8 – Stevens | 5 – Tyree | Humphrey Coliseum (10,021) Starkville, MS |
| January 15, 2019 8:00 pm, SECN | No. 18 | LSU | L 69–83 | 13–3 (3–1) | 21 – T. Davis | 10 – T. Davis | 6 – Shuler | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Oxford, MS |
| January 19, 2019 12:00 pm, SECN | No. 18 | Arkansas | W 84–67 | 14–3 (4–1) | 22 – Tyree | 9 – T. Davis | 7 – T. Davis | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Oxford, MS |
| January 22, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 20 | at Alabama | L 53–74 | 14–4 (4–2) | 10 – T. Davis | 6 – Tied | 2 – Tyree | Coleman Coliseum (10,710) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| January 26, 2019* 11:00 am, ESPN | No. 20 | No. 24 Iowa State Big 12/SEC Challenge | L 73–87 | 14–5 | 22 – Tyree | 6 – T. Davis | 4 – Tied | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,839) Oxford, MS |
| January 30, 2019 5:30 pm, SECN | | at Florida | L 86–90 $^{OT}$ | 14–6 (4–3) | 26 – T. Davis | 12 – T. Davis | 5 – T. Davis | Exactech Arena (9,380) Gainesville, FL |
| February 2, 2019 2:30 pm, SECN | | No. 22 Mississippi State | L 75–81 | 14–7 (4–4) | 25 – Tyree | 8 – T. Davis | 5 – Shuler | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Oxford, MS |
| February 6, 2019 6:00 pm, SECN | | Texas A&M | W 75–71 | 15–7 (5–4) | 22 – Tyree | 8 – T. Davis | 5 – T. Davis | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (7,718) Oxford, MS |
| February 9, 2019 12:00 pm, SECN | | at Georgia | W 80–64 | 16–7 (6–4) | 31 – Tyree | 9 – Stevens | 4 – T. Davis | Stegeman Coliseum (10,033) Athens, GA |
| February 13, 2019 7:30 pm, SECN | | at Auburn | W 60–55 | 17–7 (7–4) | 20 – Tyree | 5 – Stevens | 4 – Shuler | Auburn Arena (7,337) Auburn, AL |
| February 16, 2019 2:30 pm, SECN | | Missouri | W 75–65 | 18–7 (8–4) | 17 – Stevens | 4 – Tied | 4 – Tied | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,248) Oxford, MS |
| February 19, 2019 6:00 pm, SECN | | at South Carolina | L 64–79 | 18–8 (8–5) | 18 – T. Davis | 8 – Buffen | 5 – Tyree | Colonial Life Arena (10,455) Columbia, SC |
| February 23, 2019 2:30 pm, SECN | | Georgia | W 72–71 | 19–8 (9–5) | 17 – Tyree | 5 – Tied | 4 – T. Davis | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (7,416) Oxford, MS |
| February 27, 2019 6:00 pm, SECN | | No. 7 Tennessee | L 71–73 | 19–9 (9–6) | 16 – Tied | 10 – Stevens | 5 – Tyree | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Oxford, MS |
| March 2, 2019 12:00 pm, SECN | | at Arkansas | L 73–74 | 19–10 (9–7) | 20 – Tyree | 6 – Shuler | 5 – Tyree | Bud Walton Arena (17,320) Fayetteville, AR |
| March 5, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPN | | No. 6 Kentucky | L 76–80 | 19–11 (9–8) | 25 – T. Davis | 12 – T. Davis | 4 – Tyree | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Oxford, MS |
| March 9, 2019 2:30 pm, SECN | | at Missouri | W 73–68 | 20–11 (10–8) | 21 – Tyree | 6 – Buffen | 4 – Shuler | Mizzou Arena (11,050) Columbia, MO |
| SEC tournament |||||||||
| March 14, 2019 6:00 pm, SECN | (7) | vs. (10) Alabama Second Round | L 57–62 | 20–12 | 14 – Shuler | 7 – Shuler | 4 – T. Davis | Bridgestone Arena (14,813) Nashville, TN |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 22, 2019* 11:40 am, truTV | (8 S) | vs. (9 S) Oklahoma First Round | L 72–95 | 20–13 | 17 – T. Davis | 6 – Tied | 6 – T. Davis | Colonial Life Arena (15,417) Columbia, SC |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 20 | RV | — | — | RV | — | — | — | Not released |
| Coaches | — | —^ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 20 | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.