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1. Ole Miss begins five weeks of spring football on Tuesday. For the first three of those five weeks, the Rebels will practice on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Week 4, Ole Miss will practice on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday (Grove Bowl on April 15) and then wrap things up on the final week with practices on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (April 20).
The story lines are fairly abundant as things get going on Tuesday. First, Ole Miss has hired former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding in the same capacity in Oxford. Golding figures to change the Rebels’ defensive scheme, at least to a degree, and seeing how guys fit into that scheme will be something to watch.
On the other side of the ball, the coordinator — Charlie Weis Jr. — is the same, but all eyes are on the quarterback position. Jaxson Dart started 12 of Ole Miss’ 13 games last fall, but the Rebels brought in former Oklahoma State star Spencer Sanders and former five-star prospect Walker Howard (LSU) out of the transfer portal in to compete with Dart for the job.
The Rebels once again went heavy in the transfer portal in January and have some spots open that they figure to use in May. How those spots are filled will likely be determined by what the coaching staff does — and does not — see over the next five weeks.
2. It’s been almost a week since Ole Miss hired Chris Beard as its new basketball coach.
Looking back, the timing was a stroke of genius in terms of timing. Sure, there was some criticism from those in the media you would expect criticism from, but there was never the groundswell firestorm some worried about.
Ole Miss officially announced Beard’s hiring on Monday, the same day most of America’s sports attention was on their NCAA Tournament brackets or on Aaron Rodgers’ future. On Tuesday, when Ole Miss introduced Beard at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion, most of the national sports talk was still focused on Rodgers, NFL free agency, Lamar Jackson and the start of the NCAA Tournament later that day in Dayton, Ohio.
When Ole Miss did draw criticism for hiring Beard, it was usually combined with top-seeded Alabama’s decision to stick by All-American forward Brandon Miller despite his presence at the fatal shooting of a young Birmingham woman in January.
A week later, the college basketball world is focused on the Sweet 16. Those who aren’t in that group, which obviously includes Ole Miss, are laser-focused on a fast-developing transfer portal.
Beard and the Rebels figure to be heavily involved in the portal, as the list of returning players from the recently completed season figures to be small.
Beard is also putting his staff together in these early days. Former Georgia Southern coach Brian Burg has been hired, per sources, and other names such as Al Pinkins and Cinco Boone have been bandied about in the first few days of Beard’s tenure.
Specific targets on both the transfer portal and coaching fronts figure to emerge over the coming days. Regardless, Ole Miss basketball hasn’t been this relevant in a long time.
3. Speaking of college basketball, the Sweet 16 is set.
I’ll get to my sure-to-go-wrong predictions in a bit, but first, a few thoughts:
— Tennessee is headed to the second weekend despite losing point guard Zakai Zeigler in the final week of the regular season in a home game versus Arkansas. Without Zeigler, the Vols lost at Auburn, beat Ole Miss and then lost to Missouri. Now, they’re two wins from the Final Four. Maybe some of the idiots who always criticize Rick Barnes will shut up a bit.
— Alabama rolled to the Sweet 16, looking impressive in a Round of 32 win over Maryland. Some NBA Draft boards are starting to move Brandon Miller in front of G-League Ignite sensation Scoot Henderson. The Tide get San Diego State next.
— Eric Musselman’s shirtless celebration drew the headlines, but one of the neatest moments of the tournament so far was the emotional postgame interview of Devo Davis following Arkansas’ Round of 32 win over top-seeded Kansas. Last spring, Arkansas hoped Jaylin Williams would return for his junior season. When he decided to stay in the draft — he’s starting as a rookie for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season — Musselman challenged Davis to lead a very young Razorbacks team. It’s been a roller coaster for the Hogs, but on Saturday, Davis was tremendous, willing Arkansas to a one-point win. When Musselman praised his leadership postgame, Davis cried.
— Missouri had to feel it was Sweet 16-bound when it drew Princeton is the Round of 32, but the Ivy League Tigers were too much for Dennis Gates’ guys on Saturday. Still, Mizzou had a hell of a season, and the Tigers figure to be a force in the SEC in years to come.
— Auburn had a double-digit lead on top-seeded Houston before collapsing in the second half Saturday. The Tigers were 4-for 24 from the floor after the break. Just as bad, Auburn missed 17 free throws on Saturday. The final deficit? Yeah, you guessed it — 17. Auburn must find better guard play moving forward. Two years in a row, it’s killed the Tigers.
-- Another season, another failed postseason for Kentucky. The Wildcats failed to make it to the second weekend, and it assures another offseason of angst in Lexington. As an aside, I'm thrilled for former Florida start Keyontae Johnson, who had a huge game for Kansas State in the win over Kentucky. What a great story he is.
My Sweet 16 and Elite Eight predictions:
Thursday:
East Region:
Tennessee over Florida Atlantic
Kansas State over Michigan State
West Region:
Connecticut over Arkansas
UCLA over Gonzaga
Friday:
South Region:
Creighton over Princeton
Alabama over San Diego State
Midwest Region:
Houston over Miami
Texas over Xavier
Saturday:
East Region: Kansas State over Tennessee
West Region: UCLA over Connecticut
Sunday:
South Region: Alabama over Creighton
Midwest Region: Texas over Houston
4. This past weekend marked the opening series in Southeastern Conference baseball.
Ole Miss drew a very difficult assignment to begin the 10-week grind, and the Rebels couldn’t salvage a single game at Vanderbilt.
Ole Miss, which lost earlier in the week at Jacksonville State, fell to 14-6 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.
The Rebels were blown out on Thursday night and then again on Friday evening, failing to generate any offense at all against the top of Vanderbilt’s rotation.
On Saturday, Ole Miss jumped out to a 2-0 lead before losing, 7-2.
Ole Miss’ starting pitching on Friday and Saturday was good enough to keep the Rebels alive into the middle of the games, but the impact of the injuries to Hunter Elliott and Riley Maddox was readily apparent in Nashville. Multiple guys are having to move up into bigger roles, and against a quality opponent such as Vanderbilt, the lack of proven pitching depth showed up.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, threw the ball well all weekend, and one can’t help but wonder if the Rebels’ offensive players began to press at the plate a bit.
It’s one weekend, and bad weekends happen in SEC play, but next weekend’s series in Oxford versus Florida looms large now.
5. I watched a lot of the NCAA Tournament over the last few days, but I kept a screen or two on SEC baseball. One weekend is far too small of a sample size for any meaningful takeaways, but I have a few observations.
— I have to give credit to the umpiring crews. Games are moving along at a rapid clip. Games that used to take forever are being completed in less than three hours. For those of us consuming games via television and/or streams, it’s a refreshing change.
— LSU’s offense is just explosive. It might not be the deepest lineup in the league — though I’m having a difficult time figuring out who is better 1-9 than the Tigers — but LSU’s lineup has so much power at the top. Texas A&M had to be thrilled to salvage Sunday's game and prevent a sweep.
— Florida took two of three at Alabama over the weekend. The Gators’ lineup is very talented and it took every bit of that talent to get past a much improved Crimson Tide team.
— Mississippi State continued to struggle and those struggles carried over to the start of league play versus Kentucky. The Bulldogs were hammered all weekend versus the Wildcats to start the SEC slate at 0-3. Kudos to Kentucky for the strong start but the story here is Mississippi State. The 2021 national champions have fallen precipitously over the past season and a half.
-- South Carolina swept Georgia to jump out to a 3-0 start to SEC play. The Gamecocks got some solid pitching in Saturday's doubleheader and then had a dominant offensive outing in the series finale.
-- Arkansas played a very complete weekend of baseball, getting timely hitting, the long ball and strong starting pitching in a sweep of Auburn. The Tigers didn't play poorly, but Auburn never could get the big hit. Arkansas, meanwhile, was pretty solid in all aspects, getting off to a 3-0 start.
-- How about Missouri? The Tigers swept Tennessee in Columbia and looked pretty good doing so. The Vols have a ton of pitching, sure, but that lineup is brand new and it never got going against the Tigers. It's something to watch here in the next few weeks.
My predictions for next weekend:
Tennessee 2-of-3 vs. Texas A&M
South Carolina 2-of-3 vs. Missouri
Vanderbilt 2-of-3 at Mississippi State
Auburn 2-of-3 vs. Georgia
Alabama 2-of-3 vs. Kentucky
Ole Miss 2-of-3 vs. Florida
LSU 2-of-3 vs. Arkansas
6. The Major League Baseball season begins on March 30. Here’s how I see the postseason playing out, so I apologize in advance for jinxing your team.
American League:
Wildcard Round:
Guardians over Rays
Mariners over Twins
Division Series:
Astros over Guardians
Mariners over Yankees
Championship Series:
Astros over Mariners
National League:
Wildcard Round:
Cardinals over Brewers
Phillies over Dodgers
Division Series:
Padres over Phillies
Braves over Cardinals
Championship Series:
Braves over Padres
World Series:
Braves over Astros
7. The NBA has entered the final three weeks of the regular season. I got a double-dip of live NBA last weekend in New Orleans, seeing the Thunder’s young corps beat the Pelicans (sans Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram) on Saturday and then watching Trey Murphy III go for 41 points in a Pelicans win over Portland (playing without Damian Lillard, unfortunately for us). It’s tough to beat NBA in-person. I know many disagree, but the athleticism is incredible.
I watched Williamson a lot on Sunday. He was in street clothes and he looked pretty disengaged. He looked like he’d put some more weight on, and I can’t help but wonder if his battle with the knife and fork is going to haunt his career.
On Saturday night, we watched Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey combine to put it to the Pelicans. The Thunder’s rebuild is basically over. That team, one that includes an elite defender in Lu Dort and a strong 3-point shooter in Isaiah Joe, will add Chet Holmgren and a draft choice next year. The Thunder also have a ton of draft capital and a lot of room under the salary cap. Sam Presti has done a remarkable job rebuilding a roster in short order.
A lot of the current focus is on the wild, chaotic West, but as NBA.com's Shaun Powell writes, the biggest available prize right now is the top seed in the East.
From Powell:
It’s quite possible the path to the NBA championship must first take the mountain up to the penthouse in the East, where three teams — arguably the three best teams in the league — are all in the running for first place and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
And actually, home-court is the fringe benefit here. The real goal is to avoid being the No. 2 and No. 3 seed. Because the two “unlucky” teams that finish in those positions must play each other in the playoffs, and the survivor then must face the top seed, assuming the seedings hold firm.
As it stands today, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers — provided they both won in the first round — would meet in the semifinals, with the winner facing the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals (provided they get that far, too). The easier way to the promised land in June is to finish first and go through one of those teams, not two.
So that’s what’s at stake here in the final three weeks of the regular season, where first place has yet to be officially claimed. Normally this time of year, contending teams might lift their foot off the accelerator, preserve their stars for the playoffs and experiment with rotations. If that strategy costs them a few games in late March or early April, no big deal.
Other thoughts:
— If the season ended today, the Chicago Bulls would just barely make the play-in. If they fall out of that precarious spot — or even if they don’t — keep an eye on Bulls coach Billy Donovan. There are rumblings that he might be open to a return to the college game. Would he leave the Bulls for Texas? Would the ‘Horns move on from interim coach Rodney Terry if Texas made a really deep NCAA Tournament run?
— As of Sunday morning, Sacramento has caught Memphis for the No. 2 seed in the West. The Kings are 8-2 in their last 10 games and show no signs of slowing. Memphis gets Ja Morant back soon. Grizzlies fans have to hope this suspension/time off leads to a focused, fresh Morant.
— As of Sunday morning, Phoenix is the No. 4 seed in the West. The Suns entered the day at 38-32 before losing to Oklahoma City to fall to 38-33. Six teams — the Clippers, Dallas, Golden State, Minnesota, Utah and Oklahoma City — are within four games of that spot. The Lakers (34-37) are just a half-game back of the Jazz and Thunder, who entered Sunday with identical 34-36 marks. The Thunder improved to 35-36. New Orleans (34-37 after a Sunday night win over Houston) entered Sunday just a half-game behind the Lakers (tipped late Sunday at home versus Orlando). Every game in the Western Conference is basically a playoff game at this point.
— If the MVP voting were today, it would be really close. Despite Kendrick Perkins’ idiotic/racist comments, a compelling case could be made for Denver’s Nikola Jokic to win the crown again. However, right now, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is making a strong move.
8. I was outside on Friday afternoon, making chicken and steak stir-fry on the Blackstone griddle.
It was a beautiful day, a little crispness in the air. It’s starting to look like spring but still feels a bit like winter.
There was something about the way things looked, I suppose, that caused a bit of a flashback. It sort of came out of nowhere but it was powerful.
Just three years ago at this time, we were all dealing with the beginning of a lockdown. Fifteen days to stop the spread. Schools were closed. Everything was going virtual. Families were out en masse on walks. Pets were happy but there was so much uncertainty.
For me in those early days, there was trust. It’s hard to acknowledge that now, three years later, but back then, I guess I trusted the faces and voices on the screen. I trusted Anthony Fauci. Donald Trump and Mike Pence seemed to trust him, so I did, too. I actually believed they were being transparent, that we were all in the pandemic together. I listened to a podcast that sounded like doom and gloom was on the horizon, and I guess, looking back, I believed it.
Three years later, knowing what we know now and knowing what they — especially Fauci knew then — I’m having a difficult time letting it go. We know now schools shouldn’t have closed. We know now that the virus almost certainly was leaked by a Chinese lab. We know now — and I strongly suspect Fauci knew then — the virus wasn’t all that harmful to young people. We know death tolls were massively inflated. Fauci and Co. knew that in real time.
We shut down anyway. I remember those days three years ago so vividly. I watched my oldest all but shut down. I watched my youngest get in the driveway and shoot baskets until he was absolutely spent and then play video games until the early hours of the morning. That’s how he stayed in touch, I discovered, with his friends. They talked over the headsets.
Only my middle child, then a student at Oxford High, was basically unaffected.
Months later, my oldest went through a virtual year of college. So stupid. My younger two went through the 12th and eighth grades, respectively, masked and socially distanced. Maybe even more stupid.
I was, as I always am, very focused on my children, but I was worried about my livelihood. I poured myself into work. Now, three years later, I put myself in my kids’ situations and think about how utterly confusing and depressing it must’ve been. Then I think about other kids who didn’t have it nearly as good as mine did.
I’m not ready to let it go. I don’t want to move on. I’m still infuriated. I want those responsible to pay. Maybe it’s just this time of year. Maybe it’s just something about the way the plants are starting to bloom and the way the sun looks around 6 p.m. each day, but the memories are fresh.
I view what happened as a crime now. Maybe I view myself as an accessory of sorts. I shouldn’t have been so naive, so stupid. I should have fought more vigorously for the young people who didn’t have a voice.
But I didn’t. I trusted, at least until the summer of fiery but mostly peaceful riots. By then, the fraud had been perpetuated. The damage was done.
I’ll never trust authority again. I hope a lot of young people don’t, either. They were lied to. They had precious times taken from them, intentionally. It was criminal.
On Friday, the stir-fry was good. I poured a beer and turned on the outdoor TV. Our oldest was safely in Houston, the first leg of a spring break vacation with so many of those great friends she missed so badly three years ago when her freshman year of college was cut short. I moved on mentally and had a nice Friday night at home. There were NCAA Tournament games to watch, college baseball games to keep up with.
We could’ve and should’ve had all of that three years ago. Here’s hoping the people who lied to us then, knowing the ramifications would be deadly, are ultimately held accountable, if not in the eyes of the law, at least in the eyes of history
9a. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 177 — Crème Brûlée Pie.
Making this pie is by far one of the simplest things you can make to create something extraordinary. By all means, throw some fruit in the mix and you will be cooking with gas.
Tidbit #1: I will beat this drum until there is no drum, *always make desserts the day ahead. You will always need them to cool down properly and it is easier for you to focus on other things than trying to make an entire meal in a few hours or minutes.
Tidbit #2: You will need to refrigerate the pastry cream for 1-2 hours in a bowl with plastic wrap on top of the cream. This is to ensure the entire mixture cools downs evenly and also that there isn’t a “crust” on top of the cream. So make sure the plastic wrap is on top of the cream not just on the rim of the bowl.
Tidbit #2.1: Once the cream has cooled down, you will need to re-whisk it for about 30 seconds before putting it into your cooked puff pastry round.
Tidbit #2.2: If you did this dish using a mini-cupcake pan to make minis, this would be a great dish for a party.
Tidbit #3: For your caramel, place the outside pie ring on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour a heavy layer of sugar into the middle. Place the sheet tray in the oven on the high broil setting. Once the mixture is caramelized, take it from the oven, let it cool, and then place it on top of the tart.
Things you will need:
6 people
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Rest time - 2 hours
Glass of Champagne
Utensils needed:
Work surface and pairing knife
2 Mixing bowls
Stove top and oven
Saucepot
Digital scale
Pie Pan
Plastic Wrap
Rubber spatula
Fridge
Pie weights and parchment paper
Baking tray
Ingredients needed:
1 Puff pastry dough
500 grams of whole milk
60 + 60 grams of sugar
1 Vanilla bean scraped
50 grams cornstarch
100 grams egg yolks
50 grams butter
Extra sugar for the topping
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Turn your oven to 350°F and place your puff pastry in your pre-greased pan followed by the parchment paper with the pie weights. Cook until golden brown on the edges and then take from the oven to let cool to room temperature.
Step 1.2: While the tart is cooking, add the milk and the first portion of sugar to the pot along with the scraped vanilla bean. Bring to a slow smoking around medium heat.
Step 1.3: In the mixing bowl, add the second portion of sugar with the cornstarch and egg yolks. Whisk. Once the milk mixture is hot, pour it into the mixing bowl while whisking. Then, pour all of the contents in the mixing bowl back into the sauce pot to continue the cooking. You will cook on medium-high heat while whisking until bubbles pop from the cream. Pull from the heat.
Step 2: Add the cold butter to the sauce pot and whisk until dissolved. Then, pour into your 2nd mixing bowl, wrap with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Final
Step 3: Turn your oven to the broil setting and spread your sugar on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brûlée the sugar in the oven and then let it cool.
Step 4: Assemble the pie by pouring the re-whisked cream from the fridge into the puff pastry shell and assemble the burnt sugar pieces on top for a wonderful look.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
9b. And here’s Lesson 178 — Steak and Anchovies.
So this dish originated from the coast of France by the fisherman. It combines the salty kick that is awesome when paired with a steak—the best of both worlds.
Tidbit #1: Did you know that anchovies are in Worcestershire sauce? Yep. You have been eating meat and anchovies for a little while then if you have used this sauce before with your meat. So not out of the ordinary.
Tidbit #2: For buying anchovies, you want them stored in olive oil. If they aren’t, they usually will have too much of a salty flavor that is both not agreeable for your tastebuds and the salt content is way too high.
Tidbit #3: Before you chop your green olives up, place them on a paper towel to absorb some of the brine. This will produce a cleaner finish while eating them.
Tidbit #4: After you have seared your steak on both sides, pull the pan from the heat and add in your butter. Spoon it on top of the steak for 1 minute while it is melting. Then place the steak on a serving plate to let cool. Yes, pour the butter over the top.
Things you will need:
2 people
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 8 minutes
Rest time - 5 minutes
Glass of sherry
Utensils needed:
Work surface and chef’s knife
Saute pan
Stovetop
Mixing bowl
Spoon
Measuring cups
Tongs
Ingredients needed:
1 Hanger steak
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
10 Anchovie filets finely chopped
1 Tsp Anchovie paste
10 Green olives finely chopped
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tsp chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Place your sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season your steak by rubbing the olive oil around it and cracked black pepper on both sides. Sear in the pan on both sides for 1-3 minutes.
Step 1.2: Pull the pan from the heat and add in the cold butter. Spoon over the steak while inclining the sauté pan for 1 minute. Transfer the steak to your serving plate to cool.
Step 2: Add into the mixing bowl the rest of the ingredients and mix using your spoon. Let sit for 1 minute and then taste for salt and pepper.
Final
Step 3: With the flavors marinated for the anchovies and olives, place a spoon full beside the steak. Enjoy!
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. I’m not sure what the schedule for next weekend’s Thoughts is. Our middle child, Caroline, is home this week for spring break, recovering from shoulder surgery. I’m driving her back to Fayetteville next weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, so either way, I’m driving on Sunday.
I’ll figure something out, I’m sure.
Regardless, this week, we’ll have coverage of Ole Miss football, baseball, basketball recruiting, football recruiting and whatever else might pop up on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:
The Raiders' winding path to Jimmy Garoppolo and the other QB options they explored
Pompei: Bears' rebuilding plan off to a good start, but there's a long way to go
How the Bengals landed a franchise left tackle from 'out of nowhere'
Explaining the rift between the NFLPA and the Bengals
'It will be fun to see': Padres provide a glimpse of their full-strength offense
The change-of-scenery Cubs hope a turnaround starts with former MVP Cody Bellinger
Rosenthal: In WBC, Tim Anderson jumping to a new level of stardom with Team USA
Inside Edwin Diaz’s first 48 hours since his WBC injury: 'There is some optimism' for return in 2023
Greenberg: As MLB makes big changes, Theo Epstein finds himself back in the picture
Canada's Gilgeous-Alexander is matching Nash's greatness, but could he surpass it?
Who leads the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year race? Bam? Brook? Giannis?
What happens when a top NHL coach takes the helm of a Pee Wee team?
What's it like to be an official in the final moments of a huge game? 'I was dead and right'
12 Italian Dishes Everyone Should Know How to Cook, According to Chefs
Salena Zito: After two centuries, a dairy farm family near East Palestine worries for the future
Will food price inflation spur Mississippi to drop or eliminate the sales tax on food?
A Four-Decade Secret: One Man’s Story of Sabotaging Carter’s Re-election
