McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander
1. Spring football is now just nine days away. It should be chock full of storylines, what with Lane Kiffin taking over the program and with new systems being installed on both sides of the football. Here are five things I’ll be watching as the Rebels push toward the Grove Bowl on April 18:
— Can Matt Corral reclaim his hold on the Ole Miss quarterback job?
Corral was the Rebels’ starter last season until suffering an injury against California. By the time he was healthy enough to play again, the Rebels had moved on to John Rhys Plumlee, basically changing the offense in the process. Plumlee is an exceptional runner but his passing was mediocre at best. Corral, however, only played sparingly the rest of the season, and when he did get opportunities, his decision-making was called into question
Corral never entered the transfer portal, but it was widely assumed he was leaving Ole Miss had Matt Luke been retained for another season. With Kiffin in Oxford, Corral figures to get a real shot at the starting job. He certainly has the athleticism and arm talent to excel at the college level, but his decision-making — and his penchant for turnovers — must improve.
— Can Elijah Moore change the narrative?
Moore caught 67 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns last season, but he’s remembered more for the fake-pee-heard-round-the-world penalty at the end of the Rebels’ loss at Mississippi State. That’s not exactly fair, but you know the rest of that story. Moore is going to be asked about it repeatedly, until he gives journalists covering the team and the league something else to talk about. Kiffin is known for building offenses around his best tools, and Moore has the talent to be an elite wide receiver.
— Is there enough up front on defense?
Benito Jones is gone. So is Josaih Coatney. So is Qaadir Sheppard. That’s a lot of talent and experience lost from an already-thin defensive line. Ole Miss has some talent remaining, however. Sam Williams should be an impact senior. Ryder Anderson and Quentin Bivens return. Ole Miss has high hopes for Ledarrius Cox. Freshman Demon Clowney will get a long look as well. Bottom line: There is a lot of work to be done to make the defensive line serviceable, much less a strength. Ole Miss simply hasn’t had the success recruiting defensive linemen that is needed to hold up in the Southeastern Conference.
— Can Ole Miss gain recruiting momentum this spring?
Speaking of needing defensive linemen, look for the Rebels to use spring practice as a platform for recruiting. Specifically, Ole Miss will be bringing in coveted recruits for practices, letting them get a feel for the program but also to show them the opportunity for early playing time that is abundant on the roster. Ole Miss’ message so far in this recruiting cycle has been pretty simple. The Rebels are telling top prospects they need ballers. It’s not a lie.
— Can Kiffin revitalize a program without even playing a game?
Kiffin has opened three practices to fans, and that doesn’t include the April 18 Grove Bowl. It’s a stroke of brilliance, really. It serves two purposes. One, it lets people embrace the program again. Two, it lets fans see for themselves that this is still a bit of a rebuild. There’s talent in spots, but it’s a roster that is thin on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Still, Kiffin has brought excitement to Oxford. Season tickets are selling at a brisk pace. Fans are engaged. The schedule is brutal, but Kiffin has brought hope back to a fan base that had basically lost that. To his credit, Kiffin avoids coachspeak. He tells it like it is, and I expect that messaging to be a bit sobering at times this spring.
Kiffin also knows coaches don’t get forever to rebuild anymore. He’ll move quickly to shore up deficiencies, and I expect the Rebels to be active in the grad transfer and transfer markets after spring concludes. That action, along with the continued pursuit of five-star running back Zachary Evans, is the stuff that keeps fans excited and engaged.
2. The Southeastern Conference Tournament is set. Ole Miss and Georgia, two teams that will do some real soul-searching this offseason, tip things off Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena. The winner gets Florida, which lost in devastating fashion to Kentucky on Saturday, around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Kentucky, Auburn, LSU and Florida (probably) are in the NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State, which demolished Ole Miss Saturday night in Starkville, probably has work to do. Everybody else, in all likelihood, would have to cut down nets on Sunday afternoon to hear their names called on the NCAA Tournament selection show.
Here are my predictions for Nashville:
Wednesday:
Ole Miss over Georgia
Arkansas over Vanderbilt
Thursday:
Tennessee over Alabama
Florida over Ole Miss
Missouri over Texas A&M
South Carolina over Arkansas
Friday:
Kentucky over Tennessee
Mississippi State over Florida
Auburn over Missouri
LSU over South Carolina
Saturday:
Kentucky over Mississippi State
Auburn over LSU
Sunday:
Kentucky over Auburn
3. I don't have a ballot for Southeastern Conference awards, as someone as biased as I could never be trusted with something of that nature. If I were awarded the honor of a vote, here's what my ballot would look like:
First-team All-SEC
G Mason Jones, Arkansas
G Skylar Mays, LSU
G Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
F Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
F Nick Edwards, Kentucky
Second-team All-SEC
G Anthony Edwards, Georgia
G Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama
G Immanuel Quickly, Kentucky
C Austin Wiley, Auburn
F Keyontae Johnson, Florida
Third-team All-SEC
G Samir Doughty, Auburn
G Isaiah Joe, Arkansas
F Trendon Watford, LSU
F John Fulkerson, Tennessee
F Kenny Blackshear Jr., Florida
SEC Freshman of the Year: Anthony Edwards, Georgia
SEC Coach of the Year: Bruce Pearl, Auburn
SEC Player of the Year: Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
4. Hopes remain high for freshman forward Sammy Hunter, who has had an up-and-down season for the Rebels. Hunter was dominant at the prep school level and has shown flashes of that dominance at Ole Miss but his inability to consistently rebound the basketball has limited his minutes.
Hunter “just kind of won’t engage and release for the ball,” Davis said. “We do block out drills every day. We’ll do them today. Hit and disengage and go get the ball. He’ll hit but he won’t release. It’s something we’ve worked on and talked about over and over and over. You see the athleticism but that’s one of the reasons his minutes haven’t been as big. You get in those physical games. Guys can be athletic by themselves but can you be athletic in traffic? The great ones can. Even the ones that are not as athletic can be athletic and physical and pursue the ball in traffic. There’s some guys who can dunk a bunch of balls but they can’t finish with people around them because they can’t just physically go through traffic and get through the fray. Sammy has to get better at that.”
5. Meanwhile, another freshman forward, Shon Robinson, has made the most of his redshirt season. The Rebels made a plan for Robinson when he reclassified, giving up his senior season in the process, and everyone believes it has paid off. The 6-foot-11 Robinson is “no doubt about our best natural shot-blocker,” Davis said. “His body, he’s gained more than 20 pounds. He’s been the best he’s been the last two to three weeks in practice. He’s got great hands. He can run, catch, you know. He should have been a senior in high school this year.”
Robinson’s offseason will be critical as his development and growth, both literally and in terms of basketball skills, can’t stop if he’s going to play the role the program envisions for him in 2020-21.
“He’s got to learn just defensively and being physical and staying in stances like a lot of young guys do but he can shoot it,” Davis said. "The biggest thing is he can sprint, catch and finish. He’s a natural passer. He’s a willing learner. He doesn’t fight instruction at all. Those guys usually do great.”
6. Of course, replacing Tyree is going to be Job 1 for Ole Miss. His leadership, his presence, his work ethic and his charisma will be missed. So will his scoring. Davis hopes one player already in the program can help bridge the gap that will be left in Tyree’s absence.
Davis was asked about transfer guard Jarkel Joiner earlier in the week. The veteran coach’s face lit up at the mention of the Oxford native who began his career at UC-Bakersfield before transferring to Ole Miss.
“At times this year _ you can ask Breein _ he’s been our best player in practice, including everybody on our team and that says a lot,” Davis said. "He’s been unbelievable in practice. He’s got one of the greatest motors I’ve coached in 38 years. We kind of built our team at Middle (Tennessee) like that. When I go to the gym, he’s the first one there. He’s athletic. I think he can score. He’s a really, really good on-ball defender. We’re trying to get him better now at reading the off-ball screens and reading the whole floor. He’s going to be an immediate impact for sure.”
7. Ole Miss' baseball team continued its winning ways over the weekend, blowing out Princeton three straight days to improve to 14-1. The Rebels haven't lost since an Opening Day setback against Louisville last month.
Ole Miss has beaten Louisville (twice), East Carolina, Indiana and Southern Miss, among others, but it gets real this weekend. LSU is headed to town, and even those these Tigers don't appear to be as ferocious as many of their predecessors, it's league play and things can and do change once it begins.
This Ole Miss team appears to have all the markings of a real contender. The starting pitching is excellent. There is legitimate power throughout the lineup. Mike Bianco appears to be settling into a lineup he likes. The bullpen might be an arm short, but there's real talent there. No team, not even Vanderbilt, has a roster without holes.
First, of course, Ole Miss must go to Monroe, La., to play a pair of games against another Ivy League foe, ULM. The good news for the Rebels is the Warhawks are close enough to final exams that they'll be preoccupied. Degrees from the institution don't come easily. Even athletes are held to rigorous academic standards at ULM, so when you see the right fielder take his accounting textbook to the field with him on Tuesday night, you'll know what that's about. The lack of a crowd, by the way, is due to studies, not a lack of love for the mighty Warhawks.
I'm not sure how Ole Miss will be able to focus on the baseball, not with the abundance of scenery and tourism opportunities in northeast Louisiana, but it's a smart move on Bianco's part to test his team's focus on the eve of SEC play.
In all seriousness, Ole Miss looks to be a very good team, maybe even one that can do special things before it's over. How special? We'll start to find out this weekend.
Oh, and P.S., I love the new hat. It looks great.
8. Last week, I made my predictions for the American League. This week, I’m turning my attention to the National League, which features one dominant team and a large handful of teams with real upside but very noticeable holes.
National League East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Washington Nationals
3. New York Mets
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Miami Marlins
National League Central
1. Cincinnati Reds
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Francisco Giants
9. There’s a lot of flu — and worse — flying around, so this is a good time to nourish your body and soul with some chicken noodle soup. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 26: Chicken Noodle Soup.
Well with the changing of weather from cold to hot and back, it is a time that soup needs to come into play. I great soup that is easy to make for yourself when you might be under the weather is also a game changer. Let’s get right into making yourself feel better with this easy to do soup. Tidbits first of course.
Tidbit #1: I like to use the dark meat for a chicken noodle soup because it has more flavor because of the bone aspect to it. We will roast the chicken quarter in the oven first with just a sheet of aluminum foil.
Tidbit #2: A soup is all about how you can layer flavors on top of each other to create something more. The most important aspect is your chicken stock flavor. Start with six cups of chicken stock and reduce it down to 3/4 of its original volume to get a more intense chicken flavor.
Tidbit #3: When you think of soup, you want everything to be able to sit in your “soup spoon”. So for the vegetables, we will need to dice them into what is called a ‘brunoise cut’. Think of tiny, tiny squares. Go slow with your cuts and if you want to get a measurement tool out, it is technically a 2-mm by 2-mm square.
Things you will need:
Enough strength to stand up for 10 minutes
Maybe Netflix or a Sporting Event to distract you
30 Minutes to Prepare
Equipment Needed:
A work surface with a Small Chef’s Knife
1 Medium Sauce pot
1 Large Sauce pot
1 Small Sauté pan
Measuring Cups of 1 Cup, 1 Tsp, and 1/4 Tsp
1 Side Plate
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Sheet of Aluminium Foil
1 Baking Tray
1 Stove Top
1 Oven
1 Pair of Pot Holders
1 Pair of Tongs
A timer on your Phone
Ingredients Needed:
6 Cup of Chicken Stock
1 Cup of Elbow Macaroni or Shell Macaroni
1 Chicken Quarter with Skin-On
1 Bay Leaf
2 Sprigs of Thyme
1 Carrot
1 White Onion
2 Stalks of Celery
1/4 Tsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Butter
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
Step 1: “Mis en Place” your ingredients and turn your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. On your baking tray, form with the aluminum foil a “circle” dam so that when we roast the chicken, no juices leak out. Place your chicken quarter inside and roast for 15 minutes.
Step 1.2: While your chicken is roasting, begin to reduce the chicken stock to 3/4 of its original volume on medium high heat in your large sauce pot. Then turn off the heat. Also, dice your vegetables and place to the side of your work surface.
Step 2: Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and place on your side plate. Pour the juices left over in the aluminum foil into your sauté pan. Add your two tablespoons of butter as well and turn to medium heat.
Step 2.1: In your other sauce pot, add water to 3/4 of the way full and bring to a boil. Add two tsp of salt and then boil your pasta for just five minutes, not more.
Step 2.2: In that sauce pan, add all of your vegetables and sauté for three minutes. After, add your chili powder, bay leaf, and thyme to the pan. Continue to cook for one more minute. Pull from the heat.
Step 3: Being careful, pull the chicken meat from the bones and place in your sauté pan. Add two grinds of black pepper. Now add your pasta to the sauce pan and mix everything together.
Step 4 (Last Step): Place everything in the sauce pan into the large sauce pot and turn your heat to medium. Taste the “soup water” to see if you would like any more salt added. From there, let it get hot and there you go. A quick soup for yourself that you can reheat in the microwave or on the stove top for the days to come.
Bonus Step: Place the bones of the roasted chicken quarter into the soup before placing it into a container and in the fridge. It will add more flavor to the water as it sits. So from the Mississippian in Paris, get your rest and eat some great soup. Bon appetite!
10. I use this space as a personal journal sometimes, so if you’d like to skip past it, that’s fine. OK, you were warned.
Our youngest daughter, Caroline, turns 17 Friday. Caroline used to joke about being the overlooked middle child, but no one was overlooking her then and damn sure no one is overlooking her now. She’s the most driven, hard-working kid I know. The hours she has put into dancing, both for her school and for her dance company, blow me away. Often, she’s dancing until 8 or 8:30 p.m., only to come home, eat dinner, go upstairs and study for hours. She’s crushing it in the classroom, holding down a job, basically mentoring younger dancers and being a great friend to a really cool group of girls that I’m going to hate to see graduate from Oxford High School in 14 months.
We couldn’t be more proud of the young woman she’s become. Caroline, in case you ever read this or look back on this, you inspire me. The way you manage your time, the way you touch others, the way push for your dreams, always with a smile on your face, is a skill most simply don’t have. And you have it in spades.
Caroline has a big year ahead. She’s finishing up her junior year, going through the process of picking a college, gearing up for another run at the state championship in dance with the Chargerettes and more. She’s in Orlando as I type this, competing with the Chargerettes in the NDA national championships. She’ll get back late Tuesday after a much-deserved fun day with her friends at Disney World.
Knowing her, she’ll get back to work. She doesn’t slow down much. She’s got goals to pursue and dreams to chase.
Happy birthday, Caroline. Here’s hoping you have many, many, many more.
We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, basketball, football recruiting and more this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me _ and hopefully, to you _ for your reading pleasure:
The enduring pain of Dick Vitale – The Athletic
What does an official visit to Tennessee look like? Inside a jam-packed weekend – The Athletic
Vanessa Bryant's attorney demands answers for alleged photo sharing - Sports Illustrated
‘Like a ghost’: Barry Bonds comes to terms with his legacy in a changing sport – The Athletic
Fate or happenstance? On Davey, Dusty and what ifs that spawn four decades – The Athletic
Big Data Darvish: Yu goes into the Cubs’ Ivy to find answers
26th men: Steven Souza Jr., Ian Miller trying to find a home on the Cubs’ roster – The Athletic
MLB’s Winning and Losing Efforts to Conquer TV, Part III: Danger Lurks | FanGraphs Baseball
2020 becomes the dementia campaign - POLITICO
Ben Affleck Tried to Drink Away the Pain. Now He’s Trying Honesty.