1. Spring football is (almost) over.
The Rebels will practice Monday, but Saturday's Grove Bowl basically marked the end of a spring full of newness for Ole Miss football.
New offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez and new defensive coordinator Mike Macintyre have begun putting their stamp on the program. We didn't see too much on Saturday, as the Rebels weren't going to give anything away the one day of the spring that the public and media (and a national television audience) could see team drills.
Here's what I deciphered from comments Saturday after the Rebels' defense held off the offense in the scrimmage at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium: There's more confidence and optimism now than there was at the end of last season, but there's no denying the 2019 Rebels are going to be a young, thin team. This offseason is critical. Young players on both sides of the football are going to have to get stronger over the next five months. Newcomers are going to have to play, even in spots where youth can be exploited by opponents.
"This will be the most important summer for most of these guys that they've ever had," Rodriguez said. "It's a really important summer for our staff as well. We've got a great strength staff and it's going to be a really, really important summer for them just to get in our guys in the type of shape they need to be in to play in this offense, because right now, they're not in it."
There's no sugar-coating it.
"We're young but we're not going to be deep either," Rodriguez said. "We need to be a whole lot deeper, and unfortunately or fortunately, whatever the case may be, it's going to be with some new faces."
Rodriguez said he's confident the Rebels will be better in three months. They have to be. As it stands, there's just so precious little margin for error. A big worry, at least in my opinion, is the lack of depth on the offensive line. Rodriguez said of the seven freshmen offensive line coming, "a couple of them have to play," adding he wouldn't rule out one of those newcomers assuming a starting spot.
"That's usually where inexperience shows up the most -- up front," Rodriguez said.
Defensively, MacIntyre said the Rebels got a lot installed in the spring but there's a lot left to do.
Luke said he's glad the Rebels don't play anytime soon. His team has to get better but left the spring pleased.
"We had a lot of young guys stepping up," Luke said. "It's always hard to tell in the spring because you think more about players, not plays. You think about guys developing that depth and getting ready to go."
2. Matt Corral is clearly the leader of Ole Miss' offense. It's a big load for a redshirt freshman, but frankly, he has no choice but to assume it. I asked him about that on Saturday, and the Rebels' quarterback said he's always felt like he was ready for this spot.
3. In case there was any doubt regarding the leader of Ole Miss' defense going into the spring, linebacker Mohamed Sanogo eliminated that doubt over the course of the last six weeks. Learning a new defense with a club on his hand, Sanogo embraced that role during the spring. More importantly, he talked about his need to take that role even further this summer.
4. Ole Miss baseball had an interesting week, losing a game to lowly North Alabama on Tuesday and then responding with a sweep of Florida at Swayze Field.
The Rebels, for all the drama and angst midweek losses have caused, are now in a three-way tie with LSU and Arkansas for first place in the SEC West. Kentucky, 2-10 in the SEC, heads to Oxford this weekend. In other words, the Rebels have a real chance of getting to the midway point in the league race with 10 or more SEC wins.
From a hosting perspective, Ole Miss likely needs 17 league wins to be in the conversation. Eighteen or 19 wins, at least in my opinion from following SEC baseball over the past two decades, would make hosting a near certainty.
There's a lot of baseball left, and Ole Miss can't afford too many days like Tuesday, but the Rebels' offense is clicking in recent weeks, the bullpen is improving and the starting pitching has generally been consistent.
This wouldn't be the first Mike Bianco-coached team to struggle a bit early, figure itself out and close the regular season strong. I'm not saying that's going to happen to this team, as frankly, I don't see enough to have a strong opinion, but outside of the inexplicable loss to North Alabama, there are some signs that the Rebels are trending in that direction.
5. Breein Tyree has decided to test the NBA waters.
I'm not particularly surprised. Tyree earned All-SEC honors this season, leading the Rebels in scoring, He can score at three levels and has a dynamic mid-range game.
Tyree won't hire an agent, meaning he can take his name out of the draft and return to Ole Miss for his senior season, a la Terence Davis a year ago.
I fully expect that's what will happen. Tyree, I believe, will be told he needs to work on his defense and improve his ball-handling skills. He's not tall enough to be an NBA shooting guard, so if he's going to play the point, he's got to become more proficient with his handle. However, I expect his biggest challenge is going to be becoming a tougher defender.
Tyree was, at times, a detriment on the defensive end this past season. He's got to become more ferocious, for lack of a better word, on that end. I suspect he'll be challenged to get stronger physically and to become a more fundamentally sound, dialed-in defender.
If he takes that advice to heart, Ole Miss is going to have a very special senior guard on its roster next season.
6. McKinnley Jackson visited Ole Miss Saturday.
You'll hear his name a lot between now and the first Wednesday in February. The state's top player said he wanted to see what MacIntyre's defense looked like, knowing Ole Miss has a recent reputation of producing offensive players and having already heard a lot about Corral.
"It's home. It's close to me," the George County defensive lineman said, "That's the main thing."
Jackson isn't ready to pare his list down, though he's visited Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Clemson already this year.
Jackson said he's also looking for what different schools offer in terms of life after football.
My take: I've never met Jackson before, so it's hard to form much of an opinion regarding his thoughts. I did think there's a real chance this comes down to an Ole Miss-Mississippi State battle.
"It would be a nice experience," Jackson said of playing in the Egg Bowl one day. "I don't know what team I'd be on. I don't know what color I'd wear."
7. Austin Keys was back on campus Saturday, and even though the Seminary, Mississippi, linebacker is drawing more recruiting attention, his commitment to Ole Miss appears to be rock solid.
"This is home," Keys said. "This is where I want to be."
Keys has made numerous trips to Oxford this spring, checking out the linebackers and the Rebels' new scheme.
"They said it looks like I fit into the scheme perfect," Keys said. "I can be the inside guy because I'm so good at watching and knowing plays."
Keys said he's gotten to know Ole Miss' new linebackers coaches, Tyrone Nix and Jeff Koonz, well.
"And me and Coach Luke, we're close, as close as possible," Keys said.
Mississippi State, Southern Miss, South Alabama and Arkansas State are also recruiting Keys, but he said unless something unforeseen happens this fall, he's Oxford-bound after his senior season.
8. It's Virginia and Texas Tech for the national title Monday night.
I have so many thoughts about the end of Virginia's win over Auburn Saturday. The officials simply can't miss that double dribble, but they did. Auburn's defense on Virginia's last possession was awful. How do you screw up a switch right there? How? The foul call was right. Kyle Guy had brass ones to stand there and knock down three free throws in that moment. And on and on.
Congratulations to Auburn on a magical run. I'd rather get blown out or beaten by a half-court shot than lose like that.
I suspect Virginia's testing of the basketball gods is going to get the Cavaliers beat Monday. It feels like Texas Tech is simply a better team.
My pick: Texas Tech 62, Virginia 58
9. After a week away, our favorite bartender, Jonathan Howard, is back with this week's Drink of the Week. Here's Jonathan:
The Grove Bowl in in the books and now we wait out the summer to see just how much our freshmen and transfers develop. We have new identities and new blood so we get a bit of a reset. So, with a fresh start in mind, how about a aperitif cocktail that was a "happy mistake?"
Yes, pun intended. So the Negroni Sbagliato is your drink of the week.
It’s rare that we can trace a drink’s lineage so clearly. The Americano was a very popular aperitif cocktail created in Italy, made with sweet vermouth, bitter Campari and soda water.
In 1919 or 1920, Florentine playboy Count Cammillo Negroni came into his favorite watering hole and asked the bartender for something stronger than his usual drink. The bartender replaced the soda water with gin in the Americano and named it after his patron. The Negroni was born.
Later, a bartender was preparing a Negroni for a customer and somehow mistakenly added sparkling wine to the drink instead of gin. This new drink was called the Negroni Sbagliato, meaning ‘mistaken’ or ‘wrong’ or ‘bungled.' It, too, is delicious, slightly bitter, and refreshingly bubbly. A happy mistake, if you will. So try this one before your next meal., It's fizzy, with a slight bit of bitter and sweet.
Cheers!
Negroni Sbagliato
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
1 oz. Sparkling Wine
Directions: In a rocks glass, add Campari and Sweet Vermouth, add a couple pieces of ice and give a brief stir. Top with more ice and pour in champagne. Give it another extremely brief stir then garnish with an orange.
10. We will have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, football recruiting and basketball recruiting this week. Until then, here are some links of interest to me _ and hopefully, to you _ for your reading pleasure:
Why this generationally unsexy NCAA title game is a sign of things to come
This College Basketball Team Banned Smartphones. Now It's in the Final Four
Kyle Guy's Response to the UMBC Loss Has Redefined Him and Recharged Virginia's Chances
Column: The humanity, and dignity, of a whistle - The San Diego Union-Tribune
The unspeakable pain behind Samir Doughty’s unflappable poise – The Athletic
AuburnSports.com - ADOB: A true show of character
'This can't be real' - How Browns pulled off Odell Beckham Jr. trade
What Happened in Green Bay | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights
Finding Jobu: Who has the good-luck charm from ‘Major League’ 25 years later? - sports.yahoo.com
‘His knee is never going to feel the same’: What Souza’s brutal injury means – The Athletic
Greg Eisworth: The 'Incredible Hulk' of Iowa State football
How Tim Howard’s love for basketball helped bring soccer to Memphis – The Athletic
The Exit Interview: Dwyane Wade on Rings, Retirement, (And a Few Regrets)
Dirk's skills on display at the 1998 Nike Hoop Summit (0:57)
‘It was carnage’: The oral history of the Mariners’ pickup basketball game from hell