McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by GameChanger Patch Co.
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1. I contemplated waiting to publish until Monday, as it’s a big weekend for Ole Miss football and what I write now could be obsolete in 24 hours or less. USC transfer portal quarterback Jaxson Dart and his Trojans teammate, tight end Michael Trigg Jr. Dart and Trigg are scheduled to leave Oxford Monday morning. There have been rumors of potential visits to TCU and/or LSU, but as of this writing, those plans aren’t known. Attempts to reach members of both Dart’s and Trigg’s travel parties have been unsuccessful.
On Saturday night, there was real optimism within the Ole Miss program regarding both players. They both visited Oklahoma before heading to Oxford, and while they enjoyed those visits (officially visits almost always go great), there wasn’t a ton of optimism emanating out of Norman after they left.
Both players would be huge pick-ups for Ole Miss, for obvious reasons. Dart would give Ole Miss another quarterback in a thin room, and he’d enter spring drills as the prohibitive favorite to claim the job. Frankly, Ole Miss still needs to add another signal-caller, but Dart’s addition would relieve some of the urgency and raise the upside for the 2022 season.
Trigg, meanwhile, suffered a season-ending injury at USC, but the Tampa, Fla., product is a potential star in the passing game. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has always utilized the tight end well in his offense, and Trigg would certainly get a chance to shine in Oxford this fall.
Ole Miss is also scheduled to bring in Alabama transfer portal wide receiver Javon Baker later Sunday. Baker, who caught seven passes at Alabama last season, spent the weekend on a visit at Florida.
As of this writing, I’m not sure how much of a priority Baker is or isn’t, though with it looking like Deion Smith will remain at LSU and Isaiah Neyor will transfer to Tennessee, wide receiver is a position of need on the Ole Miss roster.
2. It’s kind of interesting, really, watching Kiffin test a new method of roster-building right in front of our eyes.
I have no idea whether Kiffin’s plan going into this cycle was to be this dependent on the transfer portal, but this class is being built on it, and as referenced in Thought No. 1, the Rebels are awfully close to success.
Ole Miss still needs to land at least one offensive lineman (Western Kentucky’s Mason Brooks is a top target), another wide receiver, at least one defensive lineman (Auburn’s J.J. Pegues is likely) and maybe another running back now that Snoop Conner, Jerrion Ealy and Henry Parrish Jr. are all gone.
However, one thing is clear: The Rebels have been locked in on the portal. Classes begin Tuesday, but the drop/add date isn’t until Jan. 31, so the deadline to add players for this semester is still a couple of weeks away. What’s interesting, however, is it does not look like Ole Miss is planning to sign any more high school players in this cycle. The Rebels have some visits lined up for late this month, but those are either preferred walk-on candidates or 2023 prospects.
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: This mode of roster-building might be a mistake. There’s no doubt about that. Building chemistry matters, and it’s not a given that happens with guys transferring in from programs all over the country. However, it’s possible this is cutting-edge at a program like Ole Miss, one that has repeatedly shown it can compete at an elite level but has yet to show that it can consistently land a haul-full of five-star recruits.
Again, it might be a one-year-only strategy, but it’s a fascinating thing to see unfold, both short- and long-term.
3. There’s a lot of talk about the importance of NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) as it pertains to the transfer portal.
I’m not naive. I know NIL deals are being worked out in advance, but I keep waiting for the bomb to go off. The problem is NIL is only NIL if it is done by the book. Now, sure, promises can be made, but nothing can be put in writing and no funds can change hands until a player signs and enrolls. In other words, it’s only NIL when it’s NIL. Otherwise, it’s distributing slush funds in exchange for a promise. In other words, it’s pay for play.
One is above board and completely within NCAA rules. The other is a blatant, egregious violation. From the sounds of things, everyone is playing fast and loose with the rules. I just keep thinking someone is going to pay the price and serve as the NCAA’s poster boy.
4. I do feel bad for high school kids. It’s obvious the game has changed for them. There was a day, not so long ago, when the late signing period was a time when schools fought over leftover, late-developing or late-deciding prospects.
For the most part, the transfer portal has ended that. Schools load up in December and then use their remaining spots in the portal. The elite prospects aren’t impacted by this change. The kids with multiple Power-5 offers are going to be fine. However, the three-star late-bloomer who once got one of the final open slots at a program like Ole Miss now are going to end up signing at a lower-level school, which now become feeder systems for the Power-5, due to the combination of the transfer portal and NIL.
What will be interesting is to see how mid-level programs — Middle Tennessee, Troy, South Alabama, North Texas, et. al. — handle the portal. Do they lean into the portal to fill their classes or do they take advantage of more players available from the high school ranks, knowing their development work could end up benefiting the big boys in the SEC and the Big Ten?
5. Here’s the game story from Ole Miss’ loss to Auburn on Saturday night, courtesy Ole Miss media relations. I have some thoughts afterwards.
The Ole Miss men's basketball team came up short in its upset bid against No. 4 Auburn, as the Tigers' defense proved to be too much in the second half as the Rebels fell, 80-71, at SJB Pavilion on Saturday night.
Hot shooting by the Rebels (9-7, 1-3 SEC) in the first half gave Ole Miss a six-point lead into the half, with the team shooting 56.7 percent overall and 50 percent from three. However, the defensive prowess of Auburn (16-1, 5-0 SEC) caused havoc for the Rebels down the stretch, with the Tigers forcing nine second half turnovers while recording six steals and six blocks in the final 20 minutes of action.
"I'm proud of our team. I thought in that first 18 and a half minutes when we led by 12 or 13, how physical we played, how we guarded. We ran a really crisp offense against a really good defensive team," said Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis. "Give Auburn credit with their rim protection in the second half. I thought we got the ball in some really good places and then their length really bothered us. (Walker) Kessler did a really good job. We had some pockets of some really good play, but just a disappointing loss for our team."
To open the game, the Rebels battled back-and-forth with the Tigers with the lead swapping hands a total of 12 times in the opening 7:15 of play. However, the Rebels found an early spark behind the offense of senior guard Tye Fagan, as the Rebs would go on a 17-4 run from 12:24 to 7:25 to give the Rebels a 35-22 edge over Auburn.
Ole Miss would also find early success down low in the post from center Nysier Brooks, as the Philadelphia native would net 10 points in the opening half on 5-of-7 shooting. However, a late push 11-4 from Auburn to close the half kept the game within the Tigers' reach.
To open the second half, Auburn would come out swinging behind the scoring of Wendell Green Jr. and paint presence of Kessler as the Tigers clawed their way back into the game before earning back the lead with 12:08 to play in the second. This marked the Tigers' first lead since the team led 16-15 at the 13-minute mark of the first half.
The momentum would remain in the Tigers' favor to close out the night, with Auburn holding a lead as large as 11 on Ole Miss to close out the game. Green would go on to finish with 14 points for the Tigers, while Kessler would log a stat line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, an Ole Miss opponent season-high seven blocks and four steals.
Four Rebels finished in double figures: Tye Fagan (17 points), Nysier Brooks (14 points), Matthew Murrell (13 points), Jaemyn Brakefield (10 points).
Ole Miss will have a quick turnaround, as the Rebels will host Missouri (7-9, 1-3 SEC) at SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night with tipoff set at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
My thoughts: I took my son, Carson, to the game Saturday, so I played the role of dad and not sportswriter on Saturday. He wanted to see Auburn’s Jabari Smith play in person. Smith impressed, getting a quiet 15 points.
The atmosphere was fun. The arena was pretty full, in large part because Auburn brought a ton of fans to see an entertaining team that could move up as high as No. 1 in the rankings this week.
What sticks out to me about Ole Miss is the lack of depth. The Rebels have a collection of young talent, but the roster is thin. Austin Crowley got hurt and didn’t return, and if he’s out any length of time, the Rebels will be without him, Robert Allen and Jarkel Joiner moving forward. Throw in another three freshmen who aren’t ready to contribute and Sammy Hunter, who simply isn’t productive against good teams, and the roster is too thin.
If you’re looking for a criticism of Davis and his staff, in my opinion, that’s it. I get asked all the time about Davis’ future. It’s my opinion that his seat isn’t all that warm right now. However, if I were him, the lack of interest moving forward, something that likely will be conveyed in attendance, would worry me. There’s a good young nucleus, but Davis simply can’t give roster slots away, and the roster feels like there’s some filler in it. In this league, I’m not sure that works.
6. It's time for my weekly ranking of the SEC, with NET rankings in parentheses.
1. Auburn (4) -- The Tigers are a national title contender.
2. LSU (7) -- Will Wade's club suffered a surprising home loss Saturday to Arkansas.
3. Kentucky (11) -- The Wildcats head to Auburn Saturday
4. Tennessee (13) -- The Volunteers looked to have found their identity a bit in the past week.
5. Alabama (24) --- Nate Oats questioned his team's toughness following losses to Auburn and Mississippi State.
6. Mississippi State (48) -- Speaking of, Iverson Molinar willed the Bulldogs to a home win over the Tide.
7. Florida (48) -- Mike White's team couldn't afford a stumble at South Carolina. To its credit, they got the W.
8. Arkansas (54) -- The Hogs had a nice week, capped by a huge win in Baton Rouge.
9. Texas A&M (51) -- Buzz Williams is making a real run at SEC Coach of the Year.
10. Vanderbilt (79) -- The Commodores are a scrappy bunch.
11. South Carolina (110) -- The Gamecocks are going to wreck some team's bubble. Remember I told you.
12. Ole Miss (113) -- Depth is fast becoming a problem for the Rebels.
13. Missouri (221) -- Tigers fans are clamoring for Cuonzo Martin to be fired.
14. Georgia (223) -- There's nothing to say. Why this isn't a great job is beyond me, but it's clearly not.
7. It wasn't that long ago when Mississippi State was dominating women's basketball and Ole Miss was -- how to put this nicely? -- pathetic.
Enter Yolett McPhee-McCuin. Slowly but surely, she rebuilt the Rebels' program, turning it into one that seems poised to make the NCAA Tournament next month -- and possibly make some noise.
The Rebels defeated Mississippi State in dominating fashion Sunday in Oxford. Here's the story from UM Media Relations:
In the 101st meeting of Ole Miss versus Mississippi State, the Rebels reclaimed state bragging rights for the first time in eight years with an 86-71 victory from the SJB Pavilion Sunday afternoon.
Ole Miss (15-2, 3-1 SEC) put on another offensive show, as the Rebels are off to their best start in SEC play in seven seasons with their first win over Mississippi State (11-5, 2-2 SEC) since 2014.
Multiple Rebels had themselves quite the day, with five scoring in double-figures. Leading Ole Miss with her fifth 20-point game of the season, Shakira Austin netted 21 points and 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double this year. Austin also nailed two triples, for a career high.
With her best game of the season, Donnetta Johnson recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 10 boards and a season-high 12 points. Lashonda Monk remains a consistent scoring option for the Rebels with her fourth straight double-figure game, as the graduate senior tacked on 12 points.
The Rebels love to use the paint to their advantage, tying a season-high with 46 points on the inside en route to their second straight game with 80 or more points. Ole Miss also dominated Mississippi State off the glass with 43 rebounds compared to its 23.
There was no hesitancy from the Rebels as soon as the ball was tipped, with a 12-0 run within the opening minutes. Monk picked up right where she left off Thursday, taking command with eight points in the first quarter.
In similar fashion, the Ole Miss defense was playing with the same intensity as its offense, pressuring Mississippi State to surrender the ball and cash it in for points. The Bulldogs could not slow down the Rebel attack as they went on to score 23 field goals, the most in a first half this season, to carry a 48-26 lead through two.
MSU worked to slow Ole Miss down in the fourth and holding them to a game low 14 points in the quarter. However, the Rebels continued to take care of business on defense, not allowing any room for Mississippi State to string together a large enough run to make a large dent in the lead. When the clock hit zeroes, celebrations erupted with Ole Miss taking the 86-71 rivalry victory and bragging rights.
Ole Miss begins a two-game road swing with a trip to the Lone Star State to challenge Texas A&M on Thursday (Jan. 20). The tilt versus the Aggies is set to stream on SEC Network + at 7 p.m. CT.
8. McPhee-McCuin and players discussed the win and its significance after Sunday's game. Here are those interviews for your viewing pleasure:
9. The NBA season has hit its midpoint, as all teams have played more than 41 games at this juncture.
If the playoffs began today, the Eastern Conference playoff teams would be, in order: Chicago, Brooklyn, Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Charlotte and Toronto. The Western Conference playoff teams would be, in order: Phoenix, Golden State, Memphis, Utah, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
Here are my midseason NBA individual awards:
Coach of the Year: Taylor Jenkins, Memphis
Most Improved Player: Desmond Bane, Memphis
Rookie of the Year: Evan Mobley, Cleveland
Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro, Miami
Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green, Golden State
Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry, Golden State
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss football recruiting, basketball and whatever else pops up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:
Bengals-Raiders refs not expected to work again in NFL playoffs
'The city can finally exhale': Bengals' win gifts Cincinnati an unforgettable night
Walking with Westbrook: Why the Lakers star isn't letting his struggles steal his joy
What Kevin Durant's MCL sprain means for the Nets, the big three and their season
NBA All-Star picks for 2022: From LeBron to Trae Young, who has earned a spot?