McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander
1. Spring football begins Tuesday. The Rebels will practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then have open practices on Saturdays for the next five weeks, wrapping up with the Grove Bowl at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on April 24.
Ole Miss returns 66 lettermen from last year's squad. That includes quarterback Matt Corral and running back Jerrion Ealy. It also includes second-year coach Lane Kiffin, both coordinators and most of the Rebels' coaching staff from 2020.
Saturday morning practices inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be open to the public -- in large part because that allows prospects to attend practices despite the ongoing NCAA dead period.
Ole Miss must replace wide receiver Elijah Moore and offensive tackle Royce Newman on that side of the football. The Rebels brought in a top-20 signing class in December and February, and many of those players are enrolled and going through spring drills.
2. Back in the fall, no one really knew what to expect from Ole Miss. The pandemic had forced Kiffin's first team home in mid-March. There was no spring practice. There was no traditional summer.
After a 5-5 season, one that included a win in the Outback Bowl over Indiana and narrow losses to Alabama, Auburn and LSU, expectations are high entering the spring.
It's my opinion this could be and should be quite an exciting fall in Oxford. The Rebels should be much improved on defense and with Kiffin, Corral and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby all together for a second season, I expect the offense to be very explosive yet again.
Throw in what should be a fully open stadium and a schedule that is favorable for early momentum and it should be a wild time when the season rolls around. The next few weeks will serve as nothing more than a small appetizer for what's to come but there are enough compelling storylines to follow between Tuesday and the Grove Bowl.
3. Ole Miss' basketball season came to an end Friday night in Frisco, Texas, as the Rebels dropped a first-round NIT game to Louisiana Tech.
If you want to hear Kermit Davis' thoughts on the loss to the Bulldogs, watch the video posted above. It's the NIT. Occasionally, it's a potential building block for a young team returning en masse the next season. However, for a veteran-laden team that was oh-so-close to an NCAA Tournament bid, NIT stands for Not In the Tournament. I draw no conclusions whatsoever from a loss in that setting. None.
However, it's more than fair to turn attention to the 2021-22 season. Ole Miss got a taste of life without Devontae Shuler on Friday night. KJ Buffen has entered the transfer portal. Romello White's brief Ole Miss career is over.
Jarkel Joiner, Matthew Murrell, Austin Crowley, Sammy Hunter, Robert Allen, Luis Rodriguez and possibly Dude Collum are expected back next fall. The Rebels have signed three high school players, meaning Ole Miss is going to be active in the transfer portal, looking to sign 3-4 players.
A coaching friend of mine called the portal something akin to "speed-dating," meaning it's just a free-for-all of conversations as players and coaches search for something that feels like a fit.
Ole Miss needs to add a big man from the portal, and the Rebels almost certainly will be searching for a point guard and at least one shooting threat.
It was a weird year, and there's no doubt Ole Miss' early COVID issues were impactful in a negative way. Still, it was a missed opportunity of sorts for Ole Miss, and that frustration is going to turn up the urgency moving forward.
4. Ole Miss' women's team, meanwhile, is hoping some WNIT momentum can be carried over to the 2021-22 season.
The Rebels built on a Friday win over Samford with a second-round win over Tulane Saturday.
Here's the press release from Ole Miss Media Relations:
COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. – Tulane led for all but 1:10 of action heading into the final quarter, but the Ole Miss women's basketball team would not be denied, standing behind a ferocious defense and timely runs toward a 72-61 victory over the Green Wave on Saturday night.
With the win, Ole Miss now advances to the third round of the WNIT for the first time since 2015, where a showdown with Colorado (12-10) awaits the Rebels on Monday night at 7 p.m. CT.
Ole Miss (13-11) and Tulane (18-9) both packed their defenses in their suitcase Saturday night, forcing a combined 42 turnovers on a total of 23 steals. It was the Rebels who took control last, though, battling back from what was at one point an eight-point deficit for the win. In total, there were six lead changes and the score was tied nine times, but Ole Miss flourished in the fourth quarter, winning the frame 20-11. Key in that final quarter was the charity stripe, as the Rebels beat Tulane at their own game with free tries. Entering the game, Tulane ranked in the top-35 nationally in both free throws attempts and made, but it was Ole Miss who ended up with a monstrous 25-of-30 clip – with a 10-of-11 mark in the fourth quarter alone.
"Great effort, great competitive game tonight. (Tulane is) a great team who is used to winning," said acting head coach Shay Robinson. "We knew it was going to be a battle in the trenches. We finally started getting back to what we do and who we are in the second half. Dictating on defense, controlling the glass, and punching it inside where we had our advantage. And then I thought we did a better job of taking care of the basketball versus the press, being more poised and controlled and getting the shot we want as a team. We were kind of forcing it and being a little selfish in the first half, not playing controlled, settled basketball. We just got back to our identity and our intensity in the second half. I'm so proud of the girls, they came together as a team and pulled out a tough game."
5. Ole Miss baseball swept Auburn over the weekend, capping it off with a wild 19-11 win over the Tigers Sunday.
The fourth-ranked Rebels are now 16-4 overall and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference. The Rebels face Central Arkansas Tuesday in Oxford before heading to Tuscaloosa for a three-game series against Alabama beginning Thursday. The Crimson Tide took one of three games over the weekend at Arkansas, whipping the Razorbacks Friday before losing Saturday and Sunday.
I leave the lion's share of the baseball coverage to Chase Parham, but I'll take this moment to remind you of this: The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will place a ton of emphasis on conference record. In other words, all of that angst that came as a result of losses to Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana Tech in the non-league last week was wasted energy.
The SEC is stacked. Getting to 16 wins or more in the league is critical. Ole Miss got off to a great start in that regard over the weekend.
6. It was chilly Friday night, and the cold likely kept a few people away from Swayze Field.
On Saturday, however, a perfect spring day arrived in Oxford, and Swayze Field was absolutely packed. Ole Miss announced a crowd of 10,304 fans Saturday, something I viewed as a celebration of normalcy as much as anything.
As is typically the case, the crowd dropped off a bit on Sunday. People have to get home to get ready for another week and all of that. However, it was a pretty typical Sunday crowd, meaning people are eager to enjoy some sun and some suds with their SEC baseball.
You know where I'm going here. There's going to be pushback, backlash and all sorts of scary threats from the Church of Covid as society pushes to reopen during the 13th month of the pandemic.
I hope fans ignore all of that mess and keep enjoying baseball in spring time. When there are no spikes in the next two weeks -- and the bet here is there won't be -- the media will find something else to use as a scare tactic. Remember: COVID has been great for television ratings and Internet clicks. Also, media members love telling each other how courageous they are to do their jobs during a pandemic. No one, by the way, loves masks more than media members. Wearing a mask has become a badge of virtue.
So ignore the noise. Enjoy the games. The bet here is it's going to be just fine.
7. The first "weekend" of the NCAA Tournament will come to an end Monday. TV ratings are strong. People are watching and engaged, as they always seem to be for the days when 68 teams are pared down to 16.
We've seen more than our share of upsets. The one that captivated my attention was Abilene Christian knocking off Texas Saturday night. The students at Abilene Christian gathered at the football stadium, watching the final minutes of the upset of the Longhorn on the end zone screen.
No matter what happens to Abilene Christian the rest of the way -- the Wildcats play UCLA Monday in Indianapolis -- the tournament is a success for the people in Abilene.
That's the magic of the tournament, of course, and it's the reason a school has to make every effort to be a part of it as frequently as possible.
8. The Major League Baseball season begins in less than two weeks. All that's left for my preseason predictions is picking a World Series winner.
Here's my prediction for the postseason outlook:
American League:
Wildcard game: Angels over White Sox
Division series: Yankees over Angels, Twins over Astros
Championship series: Yankees over Twins
National League:
Wildcard game: Padres over Mets
Division series: Dodgers over Padres, Braves over Brewers
Championship series: Dodgers over Braves
World Series: Yankees over Dodgers
9. It’s time to eat, and with in mind, here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 79 — Beef Stroganoff.
This dish hails from Russia and is traditionally just seared beef and sour cream. Over the years, there have been many variations of what to put in the sauce as well as what to serve it with. I hope you’re ready for the best version.
Tidbit #1: I like to use ribeye meat here. It sears very well and adds that little bit of flavor that you need to take this dish up a notch.
Tidbit #1.2: You will need to slice the steak into 1/2 inch strips, 1 inch maximum.
Tidbit #2: There are so many varieties of the side to this dish that I think it depends on the season, to be honest. For winter: mashed potatoes, now: pasta, summer: French fries, and fall: rice. Choose the version that best fits you. French fries might put you into a food coma.
Things you will need:
2-3 People
Glass of Shiraz
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cook time - 25 minutes
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and chef’s knife
Medium saucepot with lid
Measuring cups
Tongs
Wood spoon
1 Side plate
Stovetop
Ingredients needed:
2 ribeye steaks, 1 pack from the grocery store
1 onion, sliced
20 button mushrooms, sliced
3 cups beef broth
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp paprika
1 pinch red chili flakes
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh chives
Lemon wedges to serve
Sear the beef
Step 1: Place your saucepot on the stove on medium heat. Let sit for 3 minutes before adding the olive oil. After, add 1/3 of your steak strips to sear to golden brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Place in your side bowl after each round.
Step 2: Pour your onions into the pot. Cook for 4 minutes and add the mushrooms. Cook both together for 5 more minutes. Pour in your beef broth and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the mixture has reduced by 1/2.
Finalize the sauce
Step 3: Add your sour cream, paprika, and red chili flakes. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer, then turn the heat off. Add your beef back into the sauce and stir. Adjust for salt and pepper and then serve it up with your favorite side item. Top each with some fresh chives and serve 1 lemon wedge for each portion. Tell your guests to squeeze it on half-way through eating it. It will change everything about the taste in a great way!
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. Last week, my prelude to Thought No. 10 was kind of somber. You'll be happy to know that this weekend, one year after my kids were coming to the realization that their lives as they knew them were being taken away for a while, my kids had a lot of fun. Campbell's Chi Omega team won the SAE kickball championship in Fayetteville. Carson's Mississippi Flood U15 team beat a team from Louisiana and played to ties against teams Bartlett, Tenn., and Chicago. Caroline enjoyed the OHS Chargerettes banquet Sunday evening.
I hope your kids had fun, too.
We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting, basketball recruiting and baseball this week at RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham on NBA Draft, parenthood, pandemic hoops and more – The Athletic
Ron DeSantis on the Pandemic Year: Don’t Trust the Elites - WSJ
Yes, You Can Vacation With Your Unvaccinated Kids - The Atlantic
Border Patrol prevented from talking to media: report | TheHill