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McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander

10 Weekend Thoughts is presented by Harry Alexander.
10 Weekend Thoughts is presented by Harry Alexander.
Rebels guard Luis Rodriguez (15) handles the ball against Texas A&M Aggies guard Jay Jay Chandler (0) during the first half at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
Rebels guard Luis Rodriguez (15) handles the ball against Texas A&M Aggies guard Jay Jay Chandler (0) during the first half at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

1. Before the season, before teams were allowed to practice together, Ole Miss' players would gather in Abbeville, Miss., just north of Oxford, for impromptu workouts.

"We were working out in the hot gym, in the sweaty gym, playing pickup," Ole Miss guard Jarkel Joiner said. "I've been in the trenches with this team and I know what type of dudes they are. I always had confidence we'd turn it around. We just have to keep doing it."

What a difference a week makes. A week ago, following losses to Florida and Georgia, the Rebels' season felt like one on the brink. A week later, after wins over Mississippi State and Texas A&M, the Rebels still have plenty of work to do, but there is reason for hope.

Ole Miss' NET rating is No. 65 as of Sunday, nowhere near where it needs to be to land an NCAA Tournament bid, but high enough to have some optimism, assuming the Rebels can build on a big week and not revert back to the struggles that dug an early-season hole.

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Ole Miss' Kermit Davis
Ole Miss' Kermit Davis

2. This team's identity has to be defense.

And this past week, in wins over fellow SEC West members, the Rebels looked very comfortable in their own skin.

"For about 25 minutes, that was about as best we've been," Ole Miss coach Davis said, referring to a stretch against Texas A&M. "We got our hands on a ton of balls at the end of the first half and the start of the second half."

This team is finding an identity. It's guard-oriented on offense and very active on defense. Romello White and Khadim Sy can be rim-protectors and active parts of the offense as well. KJ Buffen is a glue guy on both sides of the floor. The bench has options, including freshman Matthew Murrell, who finally is starting to look comfortable on both ends.

"I really thought we kept the ball out of the paint a lot with our 1-3-1 and our 2-3 zone," Davis said. "I thought in the second half, we played more downhill, played more vertical and it was good to go to the line. That's when our team really started playing well."

Scoring remains an issue at times. At this point, it is what it is.

"We're not the prettiest offensive team," Davis said. "We don't make a ton of 3s. I think we'll make more but we're going to have to win some games unconventional, maybe in the 60s. We're coming off a week where we give up (an average of) 48 points in two SEC games. ...I told them we're an elite defensive team against mid-majors and we're average defensive team against Power-5 competition. I think they took that to heart and those guys have been committed on that end."

"We wanted to show we could do it against mid-majors and I feel like we're showing that," Joiner said.

Arkansas' Eric Musselman
Arkansas' Eric Musselman (Arkansas Athletics)

3. Lots of opportunities ahead, starting with Wednesday.

"It's a great opportunity for us at Arkansas. It's a Quad 1 game against a good team. They're playing well. They've won a couple in a row now over Auburn and Vanderbilt. I know our guys are looking forward to it."

"I think our guys are looking forward to going back on the road," Davis said.

"We have to lock in even more now," Joiner said. "We're playing on the road and Coach was harping on that in the locker room after this game. We have to have our best preparation in practice this week. This has to be our best practice week."

Arkansas is No. 32 in the NET. Ole Miss travels to Georgia on Saturday. The Bulldogs are No. 102. Auburn, Tennessee and Missouri await soon as well. The Tigers are No. 64, the Volunteers are No. 12, and Missouri, who Ole Miss will play twice this month, is No. 23.

Chances to enhance the resume abound. There's just not much margin for error. Ole Miss seems to know it. Last week, they played like a desperate team. That must continue to have a chance to get back into the tournament conversation.


4. It's time for my weekly ranking of the SEC.

1. Alabama -- The Tide didn't play well but beat Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa. They're an excellent team.

2. Missouri -- Look out for Cuonzo Martin's Tigers. They're tenacious.

3. Florida -- Mike White is doing a phenomenal job.

4. LSU -- Will Wade shouldn't be on an SEC sideline. He just shouldn't.

5. Tennessee -- The Volunteers are very good, but the league has exposed them as quite fallible.

6. Arkansas -- The Razorbacks are eccentric. Their win over Auburn earlier in the week could prove to be huge. We'll see.

7. Ole Miss -- The Rebels could so easily be 5-2 in the league. It's the stuff that can haunt in March.

8. Auburn -- God, I love Sharife Cooper.

9. Mississippi State -- Rough week for the Bulldogs should cause some soul-searching in Starkville.

10. Kentucky -- At some point, you are what your record says you are.

11. Texas A&M -- The Aggies are very good on defense.

12. Georgia -- There's no Dwayne Wade to bail out Tom Crean. Ole Miss has to win in Athens in Saturday. Simple as that.

13. South Carolina -- No SEC team has been more wrecked by COVID than the Gamecocks.

14. Vanderbilt -- Jerry Stackhouse is in completely over his head.

John David Baker
John David Baker (TrojanSports.com)

5. Ole Miss reportedly hired USC tight ends coach John David Baker to the same position in Oxford on Friday. While the school hasn’t confirmed the report, Baker was rumored to be in Oxford on Saturday.

Baker has been heralded USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s right-hand man since 2016, when the duo worked together at North Texas. Baker is considered an elite recruiter and a rising star in the business. I suspect adding some SEC experience to his resume, plus the chance to learn from Lane Kiffin and Jeff Lebby, made the gig at Ole Miss too attractive to turn down.

Ole Miss is also looking for a defensive line coach. The two names that pop up most in the rumor mill are current defensive staffer Marquise Watson and veteran assistant Jimmy Brumbaugh.

Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin
Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin ()

6. Speaking of Kiffin, can we please stop with the stupidity that is the speculation regarding Kiffin returning to Knoxville to coach the Volunteers?

Listen, I don't doubt for one minute Kiffin did some trolling that led to speculation he wanted the job, one he held for one season in 2009. However, Kiffin to Tennessee makes no sense for either side.

He's been at Ole Miss for one season. The Rebels return a plethora of offensive talent and are just now coming out from the shadows of NCAA sanctions. Tennessee, on the other hand, is at the precipice of falling into the NCAA valley Ole Miss knows all too well.

Look, I don't personally believe Kiffin is going to be at Ole Miss a long time. I just don't. I think he's going to win and the suitors are going to keep coming. Ole Miss is paying him handsomely and will give him what he wants, but I do think the day comes when he departs Oxford for a different stage.

However, that day clearly isn't today, and that next stop simply isn't Tennessee. Personally, I think there are six SEC jobs -- Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M -- that are better than Tennessee. And right now, with NCAA sanctions looming years from now and with the purgatory that is the waiting just now settling in over Knoxville, Ole Miss is clearly a better job.

Kiffin attracts the rumor mill, and I think he likes it that way. However, sometimes logic needs to be applied to be rumors. This one, as ridiculous and click-baity as it is, is illogical.

By the way, as of this writing, there's a lot of P.J. Fleck buzz around the Tennessee job. See, that makes some sense.

Tywone Malone
Tywone Malone (Rivals.com)

7. Four-star defensive tackle Tywone Malone was in Oxford for an extended visit this weekend.

A dead period that has been in place since early March prevented Malone from having face-to-face interaction with coaches or from visiting the facilities, but he met plenty of current Ole Miss players and, from all indications, the visit went perfectly.

I'm not a FutureCast guy, but if I were, mine would be solidly on Ole Miss for Malone.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Green Bay Packers during the NFC championship game Sunday, January 24, 2021, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Green Bay Packers during the NFC championship game Sunday, January 24, 2021, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. (Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

8. Super Bowl LV is set.

Tom Brady and the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face defending champion Kansas City in Tampa, Fla., in two weeks.

It will be a battle between arguably the greatest team sports player of all time (Brady) and the only guy on the planet who has a realistic chance of taking that title away from him (Patrick Mahomes).

It's difficult to even put into words what Brady's NFC championship in his first season in Tampa Bay means. He led the Bucs to wins in Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay en route to a home Super Bowl shot.

Mahomes, meanwhile, overcame a concussion last week against Cleveland and played a superb game in a win Sunday over Buffalo.

It's a fitting ending to the craziest season we've all ever seen -- the best there ever was versus the heir apparent.

Burton Webb authors Taste of the Place each week on 10 Weekend Thoughts.
Burton Webb authors Taste of the Place each week on 10 Weekend Thoughts.
Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli

9. It’s time to eat, so here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 71: Pasta e Fagioli.

What's not to love about a soup that has lard in it? This is one of those soups that is traditional in many households throughout Italy, and of course, everyone has their version of this tasty classic. The best I have ever had was just south of Siena, Italy, in a small village called Isola d’Arbia. Eating this while looking over the amazing scenery, surreal.

Tidbit #1: This soup can again be open to interpretation. It doesn’t really say what kind of beans to use, or even pasta for that matter. The beans will be on your preference yet for the pasta, try to always have a mini farfalle, macaroni, or rotini. It is easier to scoop up with your spoon.

Tidbit #2: For the lard stated above, it is not obligatory to make this recipe. You can substitute bacon in its place. Just small chop the bacon and sauté it for 6 minutes on medium heat before adding the onions.

Tidbit #3: I like to cook the pasta in a separate sauce pot for this recipe because you can’t gauge the correct amount of water that they will absorb if you put them directly in the pot. Also, you get a little more salt this way from the pasta water.

Tidbit 3.1: After the pasta is cooked and before you drain it, save 2 cups of the “pasta water” for later.

Tidbit #4 (Last one): For soups, you want to make them easy in terms of ingredients so that you can always remember how to make them. This soup is about the “2’s”, which you will see soon.

Things you will need:

3-4 People

A glass of Chianti

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Equipment needed:

1 Work surface and a Chef’s knife

1 Peeler

2 Medium sauce pots

1 Wooden spoon

1 Colander

Measuring cups of 1 cup, 1 tbsp, and 1 tsp

1 Stovetop

Ingredients needed:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Yellow onions, chopped medium

2 Carrots, chopped medium

2 Stalks of celery, chopped medium

1/2 Cup lard or 2 slices of Wright’s Smoked Bacon

6 Cloves of garlic, sliced

1 Pinch red chili flakes

2 Tbsp of tomato paste (heaping)

2.5 Cups of white beans (from a can, water drained off)

2 Sprigs of rosemary or 1 tbsp

4 Leaves of sage or 1 tbsp

2 Cups of pasta

5 Cups of water

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Step 1: Place one of the sauce pots on the stove on medium heat. After 2 minutes, add the oil followed by the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 4 minutes together.

Step 2: Now scoot your vegetables to one half of the pot, add your lard and let melt. Once it melts, add your sliced garlic and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute while stirring with your spoon. Add the tomato paste, and then mix everything in the pot together.

Step 3: Put your beans of choice into the pot along with the two herbs. Mix. Now, add enough water to the pot so that everything in it is “swimming” but not “drowning”, about 5 cups. Add 2 pinches of salt and 1 pinch of pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking with a lid on for 30 minutes.

Step 4: While your soup is cooking, go ahead and boil your pasta. Make sure to put enough salt in the water, it should taste like the sea.

Step 5 (Last step): After 30 minutes, turn your heat off and add the pasta to the “soup pot” now along with the pasta water. Give your soup a few minutes to mesh in its flavors before tasting and if needed, adjust for salt and pepper. For serving, add grated parmesan to each bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. Some nice focaccia here is amazing as well. From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!

Alabama's Mac Jones
Alabama's Mac Jones

10. We will have coverage of Ole Miss basketball, baseball, football recruiting and whatever else comes about this week on RebelGrove.com. There won't be a 10 Weekend Thoughts next Sunday, as I'll be driving back to Oxford that day.

Here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:

NFL draft: Packed with top prospects, Senior Bowl will forge on amid the pandemic

The Colts’ Nick Sirianni tried to run away from coaching but failed: ‘I was literally born into it’ – The Athletic

Tom Brady, Drew Brees and how their memorable moment was captured: Media Circus

Donovan Mitchell shuts out critics, excels for Utah Jazz – The Athletic

The final days of James Harden with the Houston Rockets – The Athletic

USC hires Clay McGuire: Trojans’ new O-line coach has tall task – The Athletic

Hunter Yurachek addresses state of Arkansas Razorbacks athletics (Note: I linked this because of Yurachek's statement about full attendance in the fall. There's no other reason. Save the emails.)

Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant not having as much fun playing baseball as before

After Curt Schilling Supports Capitol Insurrection, Numerous Hall Of Fame Voters Ask To Amend Ballots

Trust in media hits new crisis low - Axios

Wisconsin Bars Welcome Crowds After Court Strikes Down 'Safer At Home' Bans : Coronavirus Updates - NPR.org

Op-Ed: Throw Away Your Mask After COVID Vaccination? | MedPage Today

Biden's pause on oil cause for big concern in New Mexico

Making Sense of the Minimum Wage: A Roadmap for Navigating Recent Research | Cato Institute

China becomes only major world economy to report growth in 2020 | TheHill

Trump and the Failure of the Expert Class - WSJ

Fox News' Janice Dean called to run against Cuomo in 2022

Twitter suspends 'Antifa' accounts with over 71K followers

Oaktree's Howard Marks on unrealized capital gains tax, Janet Yellen

Woman Behind Bernie's Mittens Quit Making Them Because Taxes Killed Her Business

It’s a secret: California keeps key virus data from public

NY lawmakers appeal to Biden for COVID-19 death data in nursing homes

Opinion | How About a Little Sobriety, Please? - POLITICO

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