# 2017–18 Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team represented the University of Mississippi in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, their 108th basketball season. They were coached by Andy Kennedy for the first 27 games of the season before he left the position on February 19, 2018. The Rebels named assistant coach Tony Madlock interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The Rebels played their second full season in The Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi as members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the 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.

## Previous season

The Rebels finished the 2016–17 season 22–14, 10–8 in SEC play to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place. They defeated Missouri in the second round of the SEC tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Arkansas. They were invited to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Monmouth and Syracuse before losing in the quarterfinals to Georgia Tech.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

On April 24, 2017 Ole Miss announced the hiring of former Rebel basketball player Rahim Lockhart as an assistant coach on the Rebel basketball team. On May 8, 2017 Ole Miss assistant coach Bill Armstrong left the Rebels to take the same position at Louisiana State University.

### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason left |
| Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey | 0 | Guard | 6'4" | 183 | Sophomore | Memphis, Tennessee | Requested release from program. |
| Cullen Neal | 2 | Guard | 6'5" | 195 | Redshirt Junior | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Transferred to Saint Mary's. |
| Sebastian Saiz | 11 | Forward | 6'9" | 233 | Senior | Madrid, Spain | Graduated |
| Rasheed Brooks | 14 | Guard | 6'5" | 201 | Senior | Mansfield, Ohio | Graduated |
| Nate Morris | 32 | Center | 6'9" | 240 | Freshman | Dallas, Texas | Dismissed from program; later went to JBA. |

### 2017 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Devontae Shuler #24 SG | Mouth of Wilson, Virginia | Oak Hill Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Oct 10, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Bruce Stevens #3 JUCO C | Bay Springs, Mississippi | Jones County Junior College | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 257 lb (117 kg) | Mar 27, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Ilya Tyrtyshnik G | Kyiv, Ukraine | GBA Prague | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | N/A | Jun 5, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ||||||
| David Davis G | Purvis, Mississippi | Jones County Junior College | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | Jun 5, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A 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 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 29, 2016. "2017 Ole Miss Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved June 29, 2016. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 29, 2016. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved June 29, 2016. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 29, 2016. ||||||

### 2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Brian Halums SG | Hollandale, MS | Itawamba Community College | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Sep 21, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Anthony Higgs SF | Baltimore, MD | Perry Hall High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sep 27, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| 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: ||||||
| Blake Hinson PF | 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: ||||||
| 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

On June 27, 2017 Mississippi announced its 2017–18 non-conference schedule, highlighted by opponents such as Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Illinois State, and Texas. The Rebels will also face Utah and Rice in the MGM Resorts Main Event.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 5, 2017* 3:00 pm, SECN+ | | North Alabama | W 94–53 | | 18 – Shuler | 10 – Hymon | 6 – Tyree | The Pavilion at Ole Miss Oxford, MS |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 10, 2017* 7:30 pm, SECN+ | | Louisiana | W 94–76 | 1–0 | 21 – Davis | 13 – Hymon | 4 – Davis | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,302) Oxford, MS |
| November 13, 2017* 5:30 pm, SECN+ | | Eastern Kentucky MGM Resorts Main Event campus-site game | W 85–75 | 2–0 | 17 – Burnett | 10 – Hymon | 5 – Crawford | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (7,042) Oxford, MS |
| November 17, 2017* 6:00 pm, SECN+ | | Georgia State MGM Resorts Main Event campus-site game | W 77–72 | 3–0 | 24 – Davis | 6 – Davis | 6 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,835) Oxford, MS |
| November 20, 2017* 11:30 pm, AT&T SportsNet | | vs. Utah MGM Resorts Main Event Heavyweight semifinals | L 74–83 | 3–1 | 21 – Burnett | 4 – Burnett | 3 – Davis | T-Mobile Arena (8,107) Paradise, NV |
| November 22, 2017* 9:00 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Rice MGM Resorts Main Event Heavyweight 3rd Place game | W 79–62 | 4–1 | 18 – Burnett | 9 – Hymon | 8 – Burnett | T-Mobile Arena (8,424) Paradise, NV |
| November 28, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | South Dakota State | L 97–99 $^{OT}$ | 4–2 | 22 – Davis | 8 – Hymon | 6 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,014) Oxford, MS |
| December 2nd, 2017* 1:00 pm, SECN+ | | Virginia Tech | L 80–83 $^{OT}$ | 4–3 | 17 – Tyree | 8 – Tyree | 8 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,297) Oxford, MS |
| December 9, 2017* 5:00 pm, Stadium | | at Middle Tennessee | L 58–77 | 4–4 | 12 – Hymon | 8 – Davis | 4 – Tied | Murphy Center (8,806) Murfreesboro, TN |
| December 13, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | Sam Houston State | W 82–69 | 5–4 | 16 – Crawford | 9 – Hymon | 6 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (5,054) Oxford, MS |
| December 16, 2017* 2:30 pm, SECN | | Illinois State | L 97–101 $^{OT}$ | 5–5 | 27 – Stevens | 9 – Davis | 6 – Tyree | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,309) Oxford, MS |
| December 19, 2017* 6:00 pm, SECN | | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | W 85–63 | 6–5 | 15 – Tied | 6 – Tied | 8 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,102) Oxford, MS |
| December 22, 2017* 6:00 pm, SECN+ | | Bradley | W 82–59 | 7–5 | 16 – Crawford | 8 – Furmanavičius | 5 – Crawford | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (7,993) Oxford, MS |
| December 31, 2017 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | | South Carolina | W 74–69 | 8–5 (1–0) | 18 – Burnett | 5 – Davis | 6 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (5,849) Oxford, MS |
| January 3, 2018 5:30 pm, SECN | | at Georgia | L 60–71 | 8–6 (1–1) | 17 – Tyree | 7 – Olejniczak | 3 – Burnett | Stegeman Coliseum (7,515) Athens, GA |
| January 6, 2018 3:30 pm, SECN | | Mississippi State | W 64–58 | 9–6 (2–1) | 21 – Burnett | 5 – Burnett | 3 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,664) Oxford, MS |
| January 9, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPNU | | at No. 22 Auburn | L 70–85 | 9–7 (2–2) | 24 – Tyree | 10 – Tied | 4 – Tyree | Auburn Arena (9,121) Auburn, AL |
| January 13, 2018 12:00 pm, CBS | | Florida | W 78–72 | 10–7 (3–2) | 22 – Stevens | 9 – Hyman | 6 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,547) Oxford, MS |
| January 16, 2018 8:00 pm, SECN | | at Texas A&M | L 69–71 | 10–8 (3–3) | 20 – Stevens | 9 – Stevens | 8 – Burnett | Reed Arena (10,578) College Station, TX |
| January 20, 2018 2:30 pm, SECN | | at Arkansas | L 93–97 | 10–9 (3–4) | 30 – Davis | 8 – Hyman | 5 – Tyree | Bud Walton Arena (18,030) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 23, 2018 7:30 pm, SECN | | Alabama | W 78–66 | 11–9 (4–4) | 24 – Burnett | 9 – Davis | 4 – Tied | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,099) Oxford, MS |
| January 27, 2018* 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Texas Big 12/SEC Challenge | L 72–85 | 11–10 | 21 – Burnett | 8 – Crawford | 2 – Tied | Frank Erwin Center (10,913) Austin, TX |
| January 30, 2018 8:00 pm, SECN | | No. 11 Auburn | L 70–79 | 11–11 (4–5) | 16 – Burnett | 8 – Tied | 5 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,121) Oxford, MS |
| February 3, 2018 5:00 pm, SECN | | at No. 18 Tennessee | L 61–94 | 11–12 (4–6) | 16 – Stevens | 9 – T. Davis | 5 – Tyree | Thompson–Boling Arena (18,316) Knoxville, TN |
| February 6, 2018 8:00 pm, SECN | | Missouri | L 69–75 | 11–13 (4–7) | 20 – T. Davis | 7 – Stevens | 6 – Crawford | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,204) Oxford, MS |
| February 10, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPNU | | at LSU | L 66–82 | 11–14 (4–8) | 16 – Stevens | 9 – Davis | 2 – Davis | Maravich Center (8,545) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 13, 2018 6:00 pm, SECN | | Arkansas | L 64–75 | 11–15 (4–9) | 24 – Burnett | 13 – Davis | 3 – Burnett | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,023) Oxford, MS |
| February 17, 2018 7:30 pm, SECN | | at Mississippi State | L 62–79 | 11–16 (4–10) | 15 – Tyree | 9 – Crawford | 3 – Davis | Humphrey Coliseum (9,002) Starkville, FL |
| February 20, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Missouri | W 90–87 $^{OT}$ | 12–16 (5–10) | 25 – Tyree | 8 – Stevens | 4 – Burnett | Mizzou Arena (15,061) Columbia, MO |
| February 24, 2018 12:00 pm, SECN | | No. 19 Tennessee | L 65–73 | 12–17 (5–11) | 17 – Tyree | 9 – Crawford | 3 – Hymon | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,149) Oxford, MS |
| February 28, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at No. 23 Kentucky | L 78–96 | 12–18 (5–12) | 26 – Davis | 13 – Stevens | 7 – Tyree | Rupp Arena (22,108) Lexington, KY |
| March 3, 2018 7:30 pm, SECN | | Vanderbilt | L 69–82 | 12–19 (5–13) | 17 – Stevens | 5 – Davis | 6 – Tyree | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,447) Oxford, MS |
| SEC tournament |||||||||
| March 7, 2018 8:30 pm, SECN | (14) | vs. (11) South Carolina First round | L 84–85 | 12–20 | 16 – Davis | 13 – Stevens | 4 – Burnett | Scottrade Center (8,190) St. Louis, MO |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||