McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by GameChanger Patch Co.

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1. I keep getting asked the same questions, and to be honest, they’ve started to pop up in some conversations with sources and coaching friends around the country.

Could Ole Miss hire Chris Beard? Would Ole Miss hire Chris Beard? Should Ole Miss hire Chris Beard?

To be clear, at this moment, there’s no vacancy in Oxford. Kermit Davis is the Ole Miss men’s basketball coach until he isn’t. However, despite rumors to the contrary, I’m not an idiot. I’ve done this for a while, and I know when the end is near.

It’s near.

The calendar turns to February on Wednesday, and basketball season in Oxford is basically over. The Rebels enter Tuesday’s game against Kentucky 1-7 in Southeastern Conference play. Dating back to last season and including a first-round SEC Tournament loss to Missouri, the Rebels have won just five of their last 26 games against league foes.

Apathy has set in amongst the fan base. If you’re Keith Carter, apathy is an enemy that must be driven out. Continuing with another season of the current situation isn’t an option, and everyone knows it.

Carter likely needs a splash. Beard is a hell of a basketball coach. Beard, who turns 50 next month, took Little Rock to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015. He guided Texas Tech to the Elite Eight in 2018 and to the national title game a year later.

He took Texas to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season and was recruiting a top-five class before being fired earlier this year.

Beard was arrested on Dec. 12 and charged with assault by strangulation/suffocation – family violence, according to the Austin Police Department. That’s a third-degree felony. A woman, later revealed to be Beard’s long-time fiancé, told police Beard "choked me, threw me off the bed, bit me, bruises all over my leg, throwing me around, and going nuts.”

The woman said she took reading glasses from Beard's hand and broke them. Beard, she told police, then slapped her glasses from her face.

The woman, Randi Trew, later released a statement through her attorney saying, “Chris did not strangle me,” and “I apologize for the role I played in this unfortunate event.”

“Chris and I are deeply saddened that we have brought negative attention upon our family, friends, and the University of Texas, among others,” Trew said in her statement. “As Chris’ fiancée and biggest supporter, I apologize for the role I played in this unfortunate event. I realize that my frustration, when breaking his glasses, initiated a physical struggle between Chris and myself. Chris did not strangle me, and I told that to law enforcement that evening.”

Beard had vehemently denied the allegations through his attorney, and Trew agreed that he never intended her harm.

“Chris has stated that he was acting in self-defense, and I do not refute that,” Trew’s statement said. “I do not not believe Chris was trying to intentionally harm me in any way. It was never my intent to have him arrested or prosecuted. We appreciate everyone’s support and prayers during this difficult time.”

Texas fired Beard earlier this month with cause. His final payment from Texas came on Jan. 5. Beard put his house on the market earlier this week. He’s asking for $4.95 million.

There’s a likelihood that the charges against Beard will be dismissed. Until that happens, of course, there’s no real conversation to be had. If those charges are dismissed, however, Ole Miss at least has to explore the situation.

Yes, there would be a public relations beating. The usual suspects would break out their barb-filled columns and rip Ole Miss a new one. There would be pushback. That’s a given. However, look at the news cycle these days. It goes so fast. The media would move on to a new target after a bit.

Could Beard recruit in a post-incident environment? Would it even matter in today’s NIL/pay-for-play/transfer-happy world?

All that matters, if we’re being honest, is winning. If Beard won and recruited players who made the product exciting, fans would come — likely even those who insisted they would never support him.

I always talk about the ladder. The higher one is on the ladder, the more the fall could hurt. Think about it. When you’re on the top step of a ladder, you’re very focused on everything around you. You’re laser-focused, knowing a mistake could be disastrous.

When one on is on the bottom step of the ladder, not so much. Ole Miss might not even be on the damn ladder at this point. There’s nowhere to fall. Now’s as good a time as any to take a swing. That said, the criticism would be intense, so damning that it simply might not be worth it.

But those are the questions Carter and Ole Miss have to contemplate as the rest of this disastrous season plays out. Could Ole Miss hire Beard? Sure, if the charges are dropped. Would Ole Miss hire Beard? It would have to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that what happened that night in the coach’s home was a one-off, a situation of mutual fault. There would have to be real contrition and an understanding that nothing of the sort could ever be tolerated again.

Should Ole Miss hire Beard? That, obviously, is where it gets dicey. He won at Little Rock, Texas Tech and Texas. He’s damaged goods, otherwise Ole Miss would never have a shot at him during what should be his prime years. In today’s college athletics, how much do ethics and morality really, truly matter?

I’m glad it wouldn’t be my call. I do know I’d thoroughly explore the situation before I said no.

2. Ole Miss lost again Saturday, dropping a 22-point decision at Oklahoma State. Daeshun Ruffin didn’t make the trip, held out due to a “coach’s decision.” Earlier in the week, we reported that freshman forward Malique Ewin was involved in a vehicular incident that resulted in the death of his 19-year old friend and former classmate. That incident remains under investigation.

Matthew Murrell, who injured his right knee a week ago in a loss at Arkansas, hasn’t returned to the lineup.

In other words, this season, one that finds the Rebels at 9-12 overall, has all the makings of an absolute nightmare down the stretch.

Ole Miss plays Kentucky Tuesday at home (8 p.m., ESPN) before embarking on a two-game road swing to Vanderbilt and Georgia.

On Saturday, Feb.11, the Rebels entertain lowly South Carolina at noon. The marketing department smartly is holding the Baby Dega 500 that day as well as hosting an “Ole Miss Pop-It Giveaway,” whatever that is.

A week later, the Rebels host Mississippi State on the same day the baseball team will be playing its second game of the season.

So far, attendance has held on, at least to a degree. Kentucky usually attracts a crowd. After that, however, it’s going to get dicey. That Feb. 11 date has “sparse” written all over it, and unless the Bulldogs pack out The Pavilion a week later, my bet is most fans will be at Swayze or planning their day around Swayze than will come to a basketball game.

After that, LSU and Texas A&M round out the home portion of the schedule on Feb. 25 and Feb. 28, respectively.

Remember what I wrote about the ladder. Maybe this team shocks me and goes on a second-half run. Maybe an offensive breakthrough is right around the corner. Maybe they’ll maintain their defensive intensity through the end of the season. Maybe.

If not, however, there’s not going to be very far to fall. Making basketball exciting again has to be the goal. Having something bridge from the end of football season to the start of the conference baseball season is simply imperative for overall fanbase morale.

3. It’s time for my weekly ranking of the SEC basketball teams, complete with NET rankings in parentheses.

Tennessee (2) — The Vols are the best defensive team in the country. It’s not close.

Alabama (3) — The Tide haven’t been themselves for a couple of weeks. Oklahoma just owned them all day in Norman.

Texas A&M (44) — I just really like what I see from Buzz Williams’ team.

Kentucky (35) — The Wildcats aren’t elite, but they’re figuring things out.

Auburn (31) — The Tigers couldn’t completely get out of the deep hole they dug for themselves in Morgantown, but they looked really strong in the second half.

Missouri (45) — Beating Iowa State was simply huge for the Tigers’ tournament chances.

Arkansas (28) — Weird take forthcoming: I think the Hogs figured some things out in a loss at Baylor. I’m interested to see if it carries over.

Mississippi State (54) — Speaking of, the Bulldogs damn near beat Alabama and then knocked off TCU. They might have some momentum heading into the second half.

Florida (50) — The Gators are the walking, talking definition of a bubble team as the calendar turns to February.

Vanderbilt (93) — The Commodores just can’t quite get over the hurdles, but they’re not a bad team. Big month forthcoming for Jerry Stackhouse.

Georgia (112) -- Mike White will have to add more quality players if he's going to turn the Bulldogs into a winner.

Ole Miss (117) — The Rebels just don’t enough SEC-level players.

LSU (136) — The Tigers look done.

South Carolina (273) — Woof.

4. One thing I’ve figured out in recent weeks is the people who love to follow college football recruiting really miss the old calendar.

I get it. The season would end in November and National Signing Day was the first Wednesday in February. In between, there would be 2-3 weeks of December recruiting, a break for the holidays and the coaches’ convention and then a frenzied 3-4 weeks of January recruiting, complete with weekend visits and loads of drama.

It was a season, drama that could bridge the gap from the end of the regular season to the crunch of the basketball season and/or the beginning of the college baseball season.

Then, sort of suddenly, that “season” is gone.

Now, most of recruiting is done by late fall. There’s a little drama from high school prospects in December, though much of the attention is on the transfer portal. The portal never really ends, so it’s just a slow drip. The February signing day — it’s Wednesday this year — doesn’t possess much drama. For Ole Miss, for example, the Rebels are in on offensive tackle Chimdy Onoh and a handful of developmental projects who could fill out the roster.

Fans who love recruiting hate this schedule. Coaches do, too. Recently, Greg Sankey spoke out in opposition to the current calendar, and when the SEC commissioner speaks, people listen. So maybe there’s hope for those who want a return to the good old days, but if so, it’s likely years away.

Also, more and more high school players are starting a semester early, so even if the December signing date is done away with, they’ll be enrolling in January and signing in February.

5. Speaking of, the transfer portal is just silly at this point.

Look no further than the case of Davison Igbinosun. The former (?) Ole Miss cornerback was admitted to Tennessee last week. I sent him a text wishing him well at his new home. He told me he appreciated it.

Igbinosun spent this weekend at Ohio State.

Let me be clear. I wish Igbinosun nothing but the best. I got to know him doing an NIL show with him last fall and I like him. We had an agreement and he fulfilled it. I didn’t know when I agreed to do a show with him that Igbinosun had a rather strong stutter. I thought he got better as the show grew, but I always admired the courage it had to take to go on a show where a “weakness” gets exposed each and every week.

I hope he gets the best deal he can get, goes somewhere where he can develop as a player and a man, etc.

That said, I have questions. Is Igbinosun going to classes this semester? Ole Miss is already a week in. I assume the same can be said for Tennessee and Ohio State. Are we just abandoning the concept of these guys are also students? Is this more of the “we’re pro sports now” thing?

As an aside, I could go on a diatribe about how college sports are not pro sports, but if they want to be pro sports, they probably should have some, you know, like rules and regulations like pro sports do.

I’m all for the players getting paid. I’m all for them having freedom to go where they can play and be happy. Some of this stuff, however, is stupid. I’m pretty neutral. I don’t have a rooting interest. If I did, however, I’m fairly sure some of this stuff would be a turnoff for me.

6. Super Bowl LVII is set.

It’ll be the Philadelphia Eagles, who won a disappointing NFC Championship Game that was marred by Brock Purdy’s early-first-quarter injury, against the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Ariz.

Cincinnati's offensive line couldn't stop former Mississippi State star Chris Jones. Simple as that. Kansas City got the friendliest of whistles, yes. The officiating was horrific. But football is game in the trenches, and the Bengals lost in the trenches.

Also, someone please make Tony Romo shut up.

7. The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 9. So far, things have been quiet. Boston sent Noah Vonleh to San Antonio and Washington traded Rui Hachimura to the Lakers.

There is an expectation things will get pretty active soon. From CBSSports’.com’s Sam Quinn:

There is simply too much incentive for teams to trade at this deadline for it not to. Only two teams in the NBA are currently on pace to win 55 games. There is virtually no separation between the teams fighting for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, and things are even tighter in a Western Conference in which teams might find themselves in sixth place one night and 12th the next.

More than half of the league can talk itself into a deep playoff run this season, and as such, there is going to be plenty of action at the deadline as buyers try to secure their place atop their conferences.

Quinn provided a list of 20 players likely to be dealt, led by Toronto’s OG Anunoby and capped by the Lakers’ Russell Westbrook.

Some observations:

— Philadelphia has won nine of its last 10 to pull to within 2.5 games of Boston in the East. Joel Embiid scored 47 points in a win over Denver, but he’s battling left foot soreness, something the Sixers will have to manage through the second half of the season.

— Milwaukee keeps winning entering Sunday’s game against New Orleans. The Bucks are 18th in the NBA in points per game, a stat they likely have to improve if they’re going to go on another championship run.

— ESPN.com's Zach Lowe said this is a “pivotal two weeks for Atlanta. Turmoil shook every level of the organization. The (John) Collins trade rumors are hotter than ever. And yet, there is a good team here; their starting five is one of the league's best lineups, and their bench is mostly healthy.”

As of this writing, Atlanta is 25-25, the eighth seed in the East.

— I watched Cleveland (30-21; fifth in the East) lose to Oklahoma City Friday night and was still so impressed. The Cavaliers are a young team that is already elite defensively (107.1 points allowed per game; first in the NBA). They’re 26th offensively, so there’s work to be done, but that defense is going to take the Cavs places.

— Here come the Clippers. Winners of five in a row, the Clips are now 28-24, good four fourth in the West and just a game behind Sacramento for third. Denver and Memphis appear to be the class of the conference, but someone is going to emerge from the cluster from third to 13th, and the Clippers are a likely a candidate.

— How jammed is the West? Sacramento is just five games ahead of the Lakers, who entered play Sunday No. 13 in the conference. The Clippers, New Orleans, Minnesota, Golden State, Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, Oklahoma City and Portland are all jammed in between the Kings and the Lakers. The Thunder are just 1.5 games ahead of the Lakers but just 1.5 games behind the fifth-place Pelicans. Wild.

— In his last 25 games, OKC’s Josh Giddey is shooting 37 percent from 3 (3.1 attempts per game), 50 percent from the floor and 87 percent at the free throw line. If those numbers hold, he’s a star in the making and the Thunder, playing this season without Chet Holmgren, are on the precipice of a long playoff run.

— The Pelicans are 27th in points per possession since Zion Williamson suffered a hamstring injury. They're 3-11 since Dec. 31.

8. I don’t spend a lot of time watching tennis, though I find that I really enjoy it when I do.

That said, I took great pleasure watching Novaj Djokovic win the Australian Open this weekend.

From ESPN.com's Jake Michaels:

Djokovic downed third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to clinch a record 10th Australian Open title, one that draws him equal with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major titles (22) in men's tennis -- the pair having left longtime leader Roger Federer in their wake with 20.

As Djokovic hugged each member of his players' box, and before he was able to raise the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, a familiar discussion began to circulate. Who is tennis' GOAT? And while it's near impossible to definitively answer this until the Big Three era has officially drawn to a close, there's no doubt Djokovic's fortnight Down Under has seen him put his nose in front, once again.

Federer has now hung up his racket and Nadal faces yet another injury layoff. Meanwhile, here's Djokovic, winning Slams. Earlier in the tournament, he said, "I know I'm in the last quarter of my career," and while that may be accurate, his tennis would suggest he's not close to being finished. In fact, what he showcased over the past fortnight in Melbourne, all while battling a nagging hamstring strain, is not all that far away from peak-of-his-power Djokovic.

For the third time in his career, Djokovic dropped just one set along his journey to an Australian Open title. He humiliated local hero Alex de Minaur in the fourth round, repeated the dose against fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals and cruised by American Tommy Paul in a lopsided semifinal.

Tsitsipas, the world No. 4, was to be his greatest challenge, but he passed that test with ease, repeating the result of the 2021 French Open final. He kept the unforced errors low all while battering the ball from behind the baseline and hustling after anything Tsitsipas sent over the net. As always, Djokovic found an extra gear when the situation required it. Two tiebreaks? No problem.

"I did everything possible. There's nothing I could have extracted more. Novak is a player who pushes you to your limits," said a deflated Tsitsipas after the final. "I think he's the greatest who has ever held a tennis racket. The numbers speak for themselves. He has earned it with so much dedication he's put in and professionalism.”

It’s fun for me to watch my field try to basically avoid the reality that Djokovic likely lost two majors — the Australian Open and the U.S. Open — last year simply for saying he didn’t want or need the Covid-19 vaccine. Obviously, quite obviously, Djokovic was right. He could and likely should have 24 major titles to his name now.

What he lost in hardware, however, Djokovic has gained in respect. He stuck to his principles, proved the stupidity of the vaccine stances and now he’s returned to dominate the sport.

Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanišević believes his man can continue playing at an elite level for the foreseeable future.

"The way he's taking care of his body and approaching everything ... two to three years, for sure," Ivanišević told ESPN.com after the final. "The guy is unbelievable. I don't know how to describe it in words."

9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 171 — Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Roasting things are the way to go in winter yet, how do you roast these guys without them looking like dark brown clumps of yuck? The word of the day is blanching.

Tidbit #1: These things are wildly addictive if done correctly. Firstly, wash them and then cut them in half. It cuts the cooking time in half.

Tidbit #1.2: When you blanch anything, you will put it in lightly boiling, salted water. The water should taste like a sea for salt content. What this does is help with osmosis, aka the same gradient on the outside as inside. In this way, your Brussels sprouts have their second layer of flavor.

Tidbit #1.3: You will need to blanch them for about 6 minutes. Once they are slightly tender, take them and place them in cold water to stop the cooking process.

Tidbit #2: You will cook your onions and bacon in a separate pan and deglaze them with chicken stock. Pour this mixture into your mixing bowl that we will use to toss the Brussels sprouts in at the end.

Tidbit #3: Once the Brussels sprouts are pan-roasted, place them in the mixing bowl with the bacon. While the pan is still hot, add the butter and apple cider vinegar. Let melt and then pour into the mixing bowl to finish the assembly before tossing and serving

Things you will need:

4-6 People

Preparation time - 25 minutes

Cooking time - 30 minutes

Beer IPA

Utensils needed:

Work surface and chef’s knife

2 Mixing bowls

Small saucepan

2 Saute pans

Measuring cups

Stovetop

Tongs

Ingredients needed:

2 Big handfuls of Brussels sprouts

4 Slices bacon, diced

1 Red onion, diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

.5 Cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

6 Tbsp butter

2 Pinches paprika

Salt and pepper

Mise en Plac

Step 1: Blanch the Brussels sprouts and then get your two saute pans over medium heat.

Step 2: Begin cooking the onions with olive oil for 5 minutes. After, add in the bacon after and cook until done. Put in the mixing bowl.

Step 2.1: Start searing off the open-faced sides of the Brussels sprouts in the other pan in batches with a few grinds of pepper. Place in your mixing bowl.

Final

Step 3: Add the butter and vinegar to the saute pan while warm, once it melted pour into the bowl. Mix all of the ingredients with a spoon and then sprinkle over with the paprika.

Bonus - You can add cheese on top, which either could be goat cheese or ricotta for this dish. Give it a try and you will gladly be happy!

From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!

10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss football recruiting, basketball and whatever else may come up on RebelGrove.com this week. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:

Is the beautiful mind of Purdue’s Matt Painter what college basketball needs?

East-West Shrine Bowl: Day 1 standouts and players to watch

Rob Gronkowski doesn't expect Tom Brady retirement from NFL

What Nathaniel Hackett's hiring means for Jets' offense, Aaron Rodgers pursuit

Hollinger: Western Conference muddle clouds the NBA trade deadline picture

Guillory: As NBA trade deadline approaches, Pelicans would be wise to exercise patience

Pacers, Myles Turner agree to 2-year extension

Why the Warriors are in danger of losing Bob Myers

How Dansby Swanson utilized mental wellness coaching to blossom as a leader

Kyle Hendricks, last remaining 2016 champ, agrees Cubs have found their new Jon Lester

Get to know 14-year-old Nela Lopušanová: She's setting the hockey world on fire

The Billionaires Behind The Gas Bans - Robert Bryce

Biden Administration Blocks Mining Near Minnesota Wilderness Area