1. Ole Miss needed to win two of three over the weekend against South Carolina, both for some momentum entering the final stretch and, more importantly, to get back in position to host an NCAA Tournament regional next month in Oxford.
The Rebels did one better, sweeping the Gamecocks with a win Friday night followed by a pair of victories Saturday.
With the wins, Ole Miss is now 31-12 overall and 13-8 in the Southeastern Conference. Predicting what the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will do is always a risky proposition, but one would have to think if the selections were made today, Ole Miss would be one of 16 host sites.
The magic number to feel awesome about that, I’m guessing, is 18 SEC wins. The Rebels would probably be in good shape with 17, but 18 should definitely do it. That means a 5-4 finish down the stretch, meaning this weekend’s series with Texas A&M (24-22, 5-16) represents a huge opportunity for Ole Miss.
Vanderbilt, which has looked more and more human in recent weeks, comes to Oxford in two weeks before the Rebels travel to Georgia (27-16, 10-11) to finish the regular season. Two over the Aggies and two over the Bulldogs, combined with just one over Vanderbilt, would do it. Anything past that and Ole Miss just might sneak back into the national seed (top eight) discussion.
I leave the baseball analysis to Chase Parham for the most part, but I still think this Ole Miss team can be dangerous. Why? The top of the Rebels’ rotation, Gunnar Hoglund and Doug Nikhazy, give Ole Miss a chance in any series. Drew McDaniel has been serviceable in the third spot, Derek Diamond looks more like himself in some recent bullpen appearances, and the Rebels appear to be finding some now relief options.
Ole Miss’ offense can be explosive, and the mere presence of Tim Elko on the bench — he made a pinch-hitting appearance Saturday, some three weeks after tearing his ACL — is uplifting.
It’s a crazy league, so who knows. That said, Ole Miss needed to make some noise over the weekend against South Carolina. The Rebels did just that.
2. I won’t spend a ton of time on this, but the NCAA is making a fool out of itself with the way it’s handling this COVID-readiness stuff as it pertains to selecting tournament sites.
First, the NCAA said it would choose 16 sites on May 10. Then it said it would select 20 sites as a pool from which to choose the final 16. To date, the NCAA hasn’t backed away from its stance that it needs three weeks to “certify” a stadium as tournament-ready. I keep waiting for someone to tell me what that means. These stadiums have been hosting baseball games all season. They’re all outdoor venues. I know the NCAA wants to look concerned and — for lack of a better word — woke and all of that, but give me a break.
Hell, the NCAA won’t completely back off the mandate that attendance be limited to 50 percent of capacity. Why a school such as Mississippi State or Ole Miss, venues that have hosted more than 10,000 fans routinely this season, should be forced to limit attendance to 50 percent of capacity is beyond me.
The NCAA would never do it, but what it should say at this moment, as protocols continue to be loosened all over the place, is back away from this silly plan and say, “Hey, we’re going to do things like we’ve always done it. We’re going to have a normal NCAA Tournament.”
Again, that won’t happen, but it should.
3. Here’s my weekly ranking of the SEC baseball teams:
1. Arkansas — The Hogs got two of three in Baton Rouge to roll right along.
2. Vanderbilt — As stated above, the ‘Dores look more and more fallible as the weeks roll on.
3. Mississippi State — The Bulldogs are now 14-7 in the league, very much in the national seed conversation.
4. Tennessee — Ditto the Volunteers. They just keep winning.
5. Ole Miss — If the Rebels can get really hot, they can put the NCAA in a tough spot. Can five SEC teams be national seeds? I doubt it.
6. Florida — This was written prior to the end of Sunday’s finale against Vanderbilt, but the Gators have a hosting resume.
7. South Carolina — The Gamecocks may could have survived a series loss in Oxford, but suffering a sweep likely hurts badly.
8. Alabama — At 11-10 in the league, Alabama has put itself in position to make the NCAA Tournament.
9. Kentucky — The Wildcats are a bubble team at 10-11 in the league.
10. Georgia — See Kentucky.
11. LSU — After winning two in a row in Oxford, LSU had some momentum. Since then, the Tigers are 1-3.
12. Texas A&M — The Aggies are salty at times, but they’re 5-16 for a reason.
13. Auburn — The Tigers are 5-16 in the league, which is baffling when you watch them play. They look better than that.
14. Missouri — These Tigers at least have an excuse to be 5-16 in the league. The school just isn’t invested in baseball.
4. It was an interesting week for Ole Miss football. On Tuesday, just days after the Rebels wrapped up spring drills with the Grove Bowl, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin fired offensive line coach Randy Clements.
As of this writing, at least to my knowledge, Kiffin has not named Clements’ replacement.
Here’s my take, boiled down, on this:
First, it’s Kiffin’s program and he can do what he pleases with his staff. If he thinks Clements isn’t a good enough developer or recruiter or if he feels Clements isn’t bought-in enough, it’s his prerogative to make a change. I’m not sure how anyone can say or feel differently.
However, the timing of this is odd, and there’s no getting around that, either.
We can all have a sourcing competition regarding who knew what and when. My sources have consistently told me Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby had no idea Clements was going to be fired when he went to work on Tuesday. They’ve consistently said Lebby was none too happy with the development, either. Others have said otherwise.
Look, Kiffin has a very tight circle, and I’ll freely admit it I don’t know him and haven’t spoken to him about this (or anything, really). However, it’s my job as a reporter to dig around and discover what I can. That’s what I did. That’s what I’ll do.
Clements’ firing doesn’t mean the program is out of control or anything like that. Anyone who is saying that is searching for a negative. On the flip side, it’s more than fair to question the timing of something like this and wonder if there will be any fallout. Anyone covering the program who doesn’t at least explore that idea needs to take off his or her red- and blue-tinted glasses.
5. Elijah Moore didn’t have to wait long Friday night to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.
The former Ole Miss wide receiver was the second pick of the second round, joining second overall pick Zach Wilson with the New York Jets.
Moore hauled in a school record 86 receptions for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns during his last season in a Rebel uniform. Moore led the country in receiving yards per game (149.1) and receptions per game (10.8). Moore finished No. 18 nationally with eight receiving touchdowns and No. 12 in all-purpose yards (158.3 ypg).
Moore, who elected to forgo the final two games of the season to prepare for this month's draft, ranks No. 3 on Ole Miss' single season record books with 1,193 receiving yards, just 127 yards shy of A.J. Brown's 1,320 yards in 2018.
The Biletnikoff finalist concluded the 2020 season just 13 catches short of Treadwell's career mark of 202 receptions and recorded 10 or more receptions in seven of the eight games this season.
In the Ole Miss career season record book, Moore finished tied for third in receptions (189), No. 4 in receiving yardage (2,441) and No. 6 in receiving touchdowns (16). He's the only Rebel in school history to surpass the 200-yard receiving mark three times in a career, all of which came in 2020 for the junior.
Former Ole Miss offensive lineman Royce Newman was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round Saturday with the 142nd overall pick.
Newman started all 10 games in 2020 at right tackle for the Rebels. The redshirt senior appeared in 43 career contests for Ole Miss, including 22 consecutive starts. Newman allowed just three sacks this past season in 847 pass blocks over the last two seasons.
The native of Nashville, Illinois, was part of an Ole Miss offense that ranked top 20 in the FBS in nine separate offensive categories last season, including No. 3 in total offense per game (555.5).
With two Ole Miss players selected in this year's NFL Draft, the Rebels have now had 302 players selected in a professional draft in program history.
Former Ole Miss tight end Kenny Yeboah signed a free agent deal with the Jets on Saturday, saying on Twitter he would remember the slight “forever,” adding, “I promise you, Jets Nation, it’s a new era.”
6. Once again, the SEC dominated the NFL Draft. Before Saturday was done, the league had seen 65 SEC players have their names called in the seven-round draft.
For the 10th time in the last 11 years, the SEC once again led the nation in First Round NFL Draft selections, as the league produced 12 opening-round draft picks, which tied for the second most in history.
During the last 15 NFL Drafts, the SEC has a nation-leading 147 players taken in the opening round, an average of nearly 10 per season.The SEC had 10 of the first 20 selections of the 2021 NFL Draft. The SEC now has 123 First Round NFL Draft selections since 2010. Since 2010, the SEC has over double (123) the total amount of First Round selections than the next closest conference (ACC - 60).
I realize this is a “duh” statement, but this is why recruiting is so critical as Ole Miss tries to make itself a contender in the SEC under Kiffin. It’s cute to say coaching wins games in this league, and make no mistake, it matters. However, this is a league where games are decided by talent. The NCAA dead period ends on May 31. Starting June 1, Kiffin and Co. are on the clock. They’re off to a great start in Oxford. That’s for sure. However, their ability — or lack thereof — to compete for championships will be decided by their ability to recruit future NFL Draft picks.
7. It was a historic week of sorts for Ole Miss soccer.
The 24th-ranked Rebels punched their ticket to their second Sweet 16 in program history, advancing past No. 8 national seed USC, 3-2 on penalty kicks, in a come-from-behind shootout victory. Ashley Orkus made 11 total saves as the Rebels continued their magical run in North Carolina.
Goals from Haleigh Stackpole and Ramsey Davis helped the Rebels battle back from a two-goal halftime deficit and another wild penalty shootout marked an instant classic for head coach Matt Mott and his program.
Ole Miss will now move on to Cary, North Carolina, where the remainder of the NCAA Soccer Championship will take place. The Rebels will play Duke on Wednesday, May 5, at noon CDT at WakeMed.
Elsewhere in Ole Miss sports, Ole Miss softball (34-16) took both games of its doubleheader on Saturday over No. 25 UCF (34-15-1), celebrating Senior Day by completing the sweep over the Knights at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
Prior to the day's action, Ole Miss celebrated it's 10-member senior class, celebrating the careers of Ava Tillmann, Sydney Gutierrez, Kacey Hvitved, Jessica Puk, Anna Borgen, Ally Mena, Autumn Gillespie, Abbey Latham, Kelsha Loftin and Gabby Alvarez as well as managers Allison Stark and Alexus Coleman.
Ole Miss will close out the regular season next weekend, heading to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a three-game series against Alabama. The Rebels and Crimson Tide will matchup Thursday through Saturday, with the first two games streaming on SEC Network + and Saturday's finale airing on the SEC Network.
In women’s tennis, Ole Miss women's tennis received two individual conference season awards as released by the SEC on Thursday. Sabina Machalova garnered First Team All-SEC and TIphanie Fiquet was recognized with Second Team All-SEC plaudits.
Machalova earned her second career All-SEC accolade after placing on the All-SEC Second Team as a freshman in 2018. She was recognized with her first first team award after an impressive season for the Rebels in 2021. Machalova led the Rebels as the team's highest-ranked singles player for the entirety of the season. She peaked in the Oracle/ITA individual rankings at No. 16 on March 24 and concluded the regular season ranked No. 26 nationally. In doubles, she ranked as high as No. 24 alongside Alexa Bortles. Machalova played primarily at both No. 1 Singles and No. 1 Doubles for the Rebels. She earned an 8-7 singles dual record (5-5 SEC) and had six doubles wins in the regular season. Machalova had three ranked singles wins, all versus top-50 opponents. She also earned a victory in doubles versus the No. 3 nationally ranked team in the nation, Sara Daavettila and Alexa Graham (Jan. 23 at No. 1 UNC).
Fiquet earned her first All-SEC award in her first season competing as an Ole Miss Rebel. Fiquet was a consistent winner this season for the Rebels in both singles and doubles. In singles she compiled a 9-5 (5-4 SEC) dual record including three ranked victories. Fiquet peaked in the national rankings at No. 40 (March 17) and concluded the regular season ranked No. 59. She earned the SEC Player of the Week award on March 10 after earning victories in both singles and doubles in the Rebels' win at No. 19 LSU (March 5). In doubles, Fiquet went 8-7 (4-4 SEC) and was 3-1 at No 2 doubles for the Rebels.
In men’s tennis, The Ole Miss men's tennis team received four awards for four different student-athletes in the 2021 postseason honors released by the conference on Friday. Finn Reynolds and Tim Sandkaulen earned First Team All-SEC Honors, Nikola Slavic made Second-Team All-SEC and John Hallquist Lithén was named All-Freshman.
The four Rebels are tied with Texas A&M for the second most players recognized, one behind SEC regular season champion Florida.
Reynolds earned his first All-SEC honor, placing on the first team. Reynolds concluded the regular season ranked No. 1 in doubles and No. 14 in singles and was the highest aggregate-ranked player in the SEC (15). He peaked in the Oracle/ITA singles rankings at No. 11 (March 30). He compiled a 10-8 (6-5 SEC) record in singles, including four ranked victories (two versus top-15 opponents).
Sandkaulen was voted All-SEC for the third time in his Ole Miss career. Sandkaulen earned his second First Team All-SEC award after earning the distinction as a sophomore in 2018. At No. 1 and No. 2 singles for Ole Miss, Sandkaulen earned seven victories and compiled a 6-5 SEC record. He won four matches versus ranked opponents this season. He concluded the regular season ranked No. 46 in singles and improved to No. 33 in the most recent postseason rankings (April 28).
Reynolds and Sandkaulen concluded the regular season ranked the No. 1 doubles team in the country. They earned a 13-2 (7-1 SEC) record including an outstanding 6-1 mark versus top-50 opponents. The Rebel duo closed out the regular season on a seven-match win streak. In the post season, the tandem extended their streak with another top-50 victory in the Rebels' win over No. 39 LSU (April 20).
Slavic earned his first career All-SEC honor, placing on the second team. Slavic performed in the biggest of matches for the Rebels this season. He concluded the regular season ranked No. 27 in singles. Competing primarily at No. 3 singles, Slavic earned 12 victories this season and was an outstanding 8-3 versus ranked opponents. He also had a 7-5 record versus SEC opponents in 2021. Slavic was named SEC Newcomer of the Week twice this season, tied for the most in the conference.
Lithén was voted to the All-Freshman team as a singles specialist. Lithén competed primarily between No. 4 and No. 5 singles for the Rebels. He compiled a 12-6 overall record and an 8-4 SEC record in his first collegiate campaign. Lithén was known for dominating his opponents quickly for the Rebels, earning 10 of 12 singles victories in straight sets. He had a four-match win streak on two separate occasions this season. Lithén was voted the SEC Freshman of the Week on March 31 after winning individually in the Rebels' match victory over No. 11 Mississippi State.
8. Kermit Davis talked about his signing class earlier this week, noting that he believes the Rebels added a “great mixture” of transfers and newcomers.
"I'm really proud of our staff and coaches, the job they did in the spring recruiting period," Davis said. “We signed three quality transfers to go along with four really good high school players. I think we've got a really good mixture of height, versatility, shooting and experience with our three transfers. I know everybody in college basketball is working to stay older, but I still think you've got to get a good mixture of young players that you can develop. I think we've got both in this class to go along with the returning guys."
The newest Rebels are transfers Jaemyn Brakefield, Nysier Brooks and Tye Fagan and high school signees Daeshun Ruffin, Grant Slatten, Eric Van Der Heijden and James White.
Davis didn’t rule out another addition, saying simply he didn’t believe “anybody is ever done in recruiting, really in any class, whether it’s ’21, ’22 or ’23.”
The Rebels have also not ruled out the return of Khadim Sy, who entered the transfer portal but could return to the Rebels’ roster in the fall.
Davis said he expects to see a big jump from Matthew Murrell, who struggled at times as a freshman. Davis pointed at the sophomore seasons of Florida’s Tre Mann and former Ole Miss stars Terence Davis and Breein Tyree.
“The one thing you know about Matt is he wants to be coached, he’s not afraid to be coached, he’s got a great support system at home and I think he’ll make a great jump,” Davis said.
Davis also hinted at freeing up Brakefield and other bigs to shoot from the 3-point line and operating with a faster pace on offense next season.
“I think offensively you’ll see more possessions,” Davis said. “I think we can play faster in transition. I think our skill level has improved. I think our 3-point shooting has improved.”
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef with a recipe for you to master in time for next weekend. Here’s Taste of the Place, Lesson 85: Eggs Benedict (Mother’s Day Brunch).
With restrictions being lifted everywhere, you might steer clear of the restaurants for next Sunday. If you do, here is a go-to recipe for yourself that always impresses.
Tidbit #1: You won’t need to multi-task by poaching the eggs the day before. The way to do this is to get your water simmering in a saucepan. After, add enough vinegar to the water to lightly smell it, a few drops. After, crack your egg into a bowl and then slowly pour into the water. Cook for 2 minutes each. After it floats, place it in a bowl of cold water. Place in the fridge after.
Tidbit #1.2: To reheat the egg, pour most of the cold water out of the bowl and then pour warm/hot water into the bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes and then plate on top of your English muffins. Cool trick.
Tidbit #2: You can either have Canadian bacon, cured salmon, avocado, or asparagus wrapped in bacon to go with your poached eggs. Your choice for this aspect.
Tidbit #3: Lastly, before you sauce your eggs with the hollandaise sauce, make sure to add a sprinkle of salt to the top of each egg. It will enhance the flavor.
Things you will need:
4 People
Glass of Rosé
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cook time - 20 minutes
Utensils needed:
Medium saucepot
Spider
2 medium mixing bowls
1 small mixing bowl
Whisk
Small saute pan
Measuring cups
Fridge
Towel
Stove Top
Toaster Oven
Ingredients needed:
8 Eggs (to poach)
3 Egg yolks (hollandaise sauce)
2 tsp white vinegar
Water from the faucet
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1.5 sticks butter
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Salt
Poach the eggs
Step 1: Fill water 3/4th of the way full in the saucepot. After, bring to a slow simmer on the stovetop. Add the vinegar.
Step 2: Now, crack 1 egg into the small mixing bowl. Swirl the water in the saucepot using your spider. Then slowly add the cracked egg in the middle. Cook for 2 minutes or until it floats a little. Place after into one of the mixing bowls with the cold water. Repeat until all are poached and then place in the fridge.
Hollandaise Sauce
Step 3: For the day of, get that medium saucepot back out and fill 1/2 full with water. Bring the water to a slow simmer. In your other mixing bowl, add the 3 egg yolks, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Whisk.
Step 4: Add the butter to the saucepan and put it on the stove on medium-high heat. Cook until you no longer hear any “sizzling”. Pull from the heat.
Step 4.1: Place the bowl on top of the simmering water. At this point, you will whisk the mixture for about 4 minutes so that the eggs cook. Scrape the sides as needed. You want the mixture to be the thickness of honey. Then pull from the heat.
Step 5: Now slowly add your cooked butter, all of it, to the egg mixture while whisking. After, add the hot sauce and taste. Adjust for salt. If you want your sauce thinner, add a few tablespoons of cold water and whisk.
Assemble
Step 6: Take your eggs out of the fridge and pour out the cold water and replace it with warm/hot water. Toast your English muffins and add your topping of choice. Then it is time for the eggs after followed by the hollandaise sauce. Garnish with green onions for color or paprika. Serve with a side salad.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit and Happy Mother’s Day to all next Sunday!
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, football recruiting, spring sports and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:
If this is bad right now, try replacing Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javy Baez
To understand Akil Baddoo's play, you must first know his heart
In Stunning Change, Florida Aims to Delay NIL Law One Year
NCAA athletes and the hidden industry of name, image, likeness - Sports Illustrated
Powerful teachers union influenced CDC on school reopenings, emails show
Over 450 past Jeopardy contestants call on show to address alleged 'white power' symbol
James Carville thinks the Democratic Party has a “wokeness” problem - Vox
Derek Chauvin Juror: ‘We All Agreed at Some Point That It Was Too Much’
American Vets See Echoes of Vietnam in Afghanistan Withdrawal Plan
What really happened at Basecamp - Platformer