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1. Ole Miss picked up its 20th win of the season Saturday night. I’ll put it in perspective and dive into the big picture in a moment. First, here’s the story from Ole Miss Athletics:
COLUMBIA, Mo. - A second-half comeback attempt by their opponents was denied as the Ole Miss men's basketball team picked up their 20th win of the season in an 84-78 road victory on Saturday night in Mizzou Arena.
A dunk by Moussa Cisse followed by a steal-and-score by Matthew Murrell put Ole Miss (20-9, 7-9 SEC) up 5-2 early. The two team's traded blows for the next few minutes, before the Rebels began to pull away. Starting off with a 14-2 run to go up 27-17 and force a timeout by Missouri (8-21, 0-16 SEC), Ole Miss stretched it even further to a run of 22-3 to go up 35-18 at the under-four-minute media timeout.
The Rebels defense held the Tigers to 26 points in the first half behind five blocks from Jamarion Sharp, leading by a score of 45-26 at the break.
Early in the second period, Murrell's fourth make from beyond the arc gave Ole Miss a 49-30 advantage with 18 minutes on the clock. However, Missouri cut the Rebels lead to seven with four minutes left to play by way of an 8-0 run. A pair of makes from the charity stripe by TJ Caldwell made it a 73-65 game with three minutes on the board.
A two-point game with just under two minutes to go, Caldwell was sent back to the free throw line, going 1-2 to set the score at 74-71. Jaemyn Brakefield would use a flurry of moves to find the basket on the next possession for Ole Miss to put the Rebels up five.
Murrell secured his ninth 20-point game of the season with two free throws, giving Ole Miss the cushion they needed to lock up the win.
Behind 21 points, Murrell connected on five shots from beyond the arc, giving him 214 in his career at Ole Miss to tie him with Joe Harvell for fifth-most in program history. Brakefield added 19 points on the evening by getting to the free throw line effectively, sinking 10 in a game for the second time this season.
Jaylen Murray scored 16 on the evening behind four makes from three.
On the defensive end, Sharp finished with six blocked shots, tying him with Aaron Jones in 2013-14 and Reginald Buckner in 2013-14 for the third-most in a single season at Ole Miss with 69. He also climbed the all-time NCAA blocks leaderboard, moving from 60th to 55th.
Missouri was led by Sean East II with 27 points, going 10-12 shooting from the floor.
Up next for the Rebels is their final regular season road game, as they take a quick turnaround and travel to Athens to face Georgia on Tuesday, March 5 at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
After the game, commentators on the SEC Network contended Ole Miss would make the NCAA Tournament if it can finish the regular season with wins over Georgia and Texas A&M. Is that just pro-SEC bluster? Could they be right? I have my doubts, honestly, but if you buy the idea that the league is going to get eight bids, either Ole Miss or Texas A&M, should one get to 9-9 in league play, would be in the mix.
Maybe the SEC Tournament next week in Nashville will matter. Historically, it doesn’t, but this is a relatively new era still in regards to what the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee weighs, and major conferences have fared well in this era.
In short: Ole Miss has a tall hill to climb, but there could still be a whole lot to play for over the next 12 days or so.
2. Up next: Georgia.
Let’s be clear here. Ole Miss can’t lose to Georgia and harbor any hopes. Period. End of story.
The Bulldogs were crushed by Texas A&M Saturday. Here’s the story from my colleague at Rivals, Anthony Dasher:
Another game, another all-to-familiar failure to finish resulted in another loss at Stegeman Coliseum, this time to Texas A&M, 70-56.
The defeat drops the Bulldogs to 15-14, 5-11 in the SEC with just two games remaining in the regular season.
It was ugly.
Georgia attempted a season-high 41 3-point attempts, making just 10, while failing to score a point over the game’s final 6:35.
The Bulldogs made only 2 of their 20 3-point attempts in the second half.
Blue Cain led the Bulldogs with 11 points, followed by Jabri Abdur-Rahim with 10.
“We’re not mature enough, not mentally tough enough to overcome missed shots, and maintain what we were doing, staying the course defensively and being really competitive on the glass,” head Mike White said. “They had their way with us on in the interior the entire second 20 minutes.”
White’s not kidding.
The Aggies (16-13, 7-9) – who held just a one-rebound lead at the half - out-rebounded the Bulldogs in the second, 27-15.
“Not all 41 of our looks were great, but we did have some looks and we needed some of those to go,” White said. “I’m never going to be a guy that says we lost because we didn’t make shots. But we did a really poor job in the second 20 with our fight, with our attention to detail, finishing stops with rebounds.”
Unfortunately, Saturday’s story was not a new one for the Bulldogs who have failed to put two halves together for most of the year.
Abdur-Rahim was asked to pinpoint a reason why that’s been true.
“I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it’s kind of a been a consistent theme,” he said. “We’ve just got to figure out a way to get everybody on the same page for 40 minutes.”
There are not many opportunities to do that.
Georgia – losers of nine of its last 10 games – only has three contests remaining, including Tuesday’s final home game against Ole Miss.
The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season Saturday at Auburn before the SEC Tournament two weeks from now in Nashville.
However, considering how poorly Georgia continues to close out games, it promises to be a short trip.
White acknowledged the effort was not what he hoped to see.
"Yeah, I thought in the last few minutes of the game when they had a double-digit lead, I thought they were certainly quicker to the basketball. I thought the first 30 minutes or so, you had two teams really, really getting after it,” White said. “Unfortunately, we got beat to, again, offensive rebounds. We had missed blockouts at times when there was zero contact and no attention to detail. I thought our guys played really hard in the first 20 to neutralize those guys. It's just unfortunate we weren't able to continue with that competitive spirit at home in the second 20 when shots weren't falling."
A poor night from the perimeter wasn’t Georgia’s only problem.
Not only did Texas A&M dominate the boards the Aggies outscored Georgia 28-17 in the paint.
“They’ve got really good athletes. (Solomon) Washington, (Andersson) Garcia, Jace Carter, even (Tyrece) Radford had 10 rebounds,” Noah Thomasson said. “They do a good job of going to the glass. That’s what they do. That’s what they hang their hats on. We just didn’t do the best job down the stretch in rebounding after doing a good job the first. We’ve just got to play a full 40 minutes.”
3. It’s time for my weekly ranking of SEC basketball teams, with NET ratings in parentheses.
Tennessee (5) — The Volunteers have everything they need to make a deep run.
Alabama (7) — Yes, the Tide lost to the Vols Saturday, but they actually showed some defensive grit.
Kentucky (20) — The Wildcats were down nine fairly late against Arkansas before all that talent showed through. UK is dangerous.
Auburn (6) — Bruce Pearl’s team is a little erratic, but it can absolutely make noise in March.
South Carolina (47) — The Gamecocks’ home win Saturday over Florida was impressive.
Mississippi State (32) — The Bulldogs are a wildcard heading into March. At times, they look elite. At other times, they look pedestrian.
Florida (33) — The Gators are solid, but they seem to lack a knockout punch.
Texas A&M (54) — A huge week looms for the Aggies.
Ole Miss (78) — Ditto. The Rebels are out of runway. But it’s a manageable week.
LSU (87) — If the SEC Tournament started today, assuming I’ve got the tiebreakers right, Ole Miss would play the Tigers in the 8/9 game.
Arkansas (120) — The Hogs are going nowhere, but they pushed Kentucky in Lexington.
Georgia (103) — Mike White’s team seems to be fading.
Vanderbilt (221) — There’s nothing to say.
Missouri (151) — A winless league season is very much in play.
4. There are some interesting and critical games this week in the SEC. Here’s a primer:
Tuesday:
Ole Miss at Georgia — Simply put, Ole Miss needs to win big, but the Rebels must win.
Alabama at Florida — This game could have seeding ramifications for the Gators, and it’s a chance for the Tide to get a meaningful road win to build momentum for the NCAA Tournament.
Wednesday:
Tennessee at South Carolina — It’s a free shot of sorts for the Gamecocks and another chance for Tennessee to prove its mettle.
Mississippi State at Texas A&M — The Bulldogs could use a big road win, but the Aggies simply can’t afford another loss.
Saturday:
Texas A&M at Ole Miss — Assuming the Rebels and Aggies win their midweek games, this could have major NCAA Tournament ramifications.
South Carolina at Mississippi State — Both teams, I suspect, are in, but this game could have the selection’s committee’s collective eye.
Kentucky at Tennessee — No explanation needed. This should be a very fun game to watch.
5. Ole Miss spring football begins later this month. There’s no doubt who the Rebels’ quarterback will be, obviously, as Jaxson Dart has started 25 of Ole Miss’ last 26 games and enters the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
My guess is Dart won’t be handed a heavy workload this spring. He’s proven himself, he had offseason surgery and his most important assets right now are leadership and health.
So the battle for the QB2 spot could be quite interesting. Former LSU quarterback Walker Howard was No. 3 last season behind Dart and Spencer Sanders. The former five-star prospect has all the tools. He will get a long look and likely a decent amount of reps with the starting offense.
Austin Simmons, who has wowed as a left-handed reliever for the Ole Miss baseball team in the early going, also has his eyes on the backup spot. Simmons, a former five-star prospect who reclassified and spent last season redshirting at Ole Miss, has an electric arm and a tremendous upside.
With new transfer rules in place, either Howard or Simmons could jump into the transfer portal in late April. No one expects that, but let’s be serious; that’s a factor every program must consider.
My expectation is the race carries into August and possibly beyond. As long as Dart is healthy, Ole Miss can keep this competition down the road.
6. Speaking of football, recruiting resumes this week after a month-long dead period.
Ackerman, Miss., four-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham is expected on the Ole Miss campus Monday.
Cunningham has some 30-plus offers, including from basically the entirety of the SEC.
I’ll be posting an overview on most of Ole Miss’ Mississippi prospects later in the week and covering the unofficial visit weekends that will be part of the Rebels’ spring practices.
My expectation is Ole Miss will be very selective again this spring and into the summer. The Rebels’ status as a CFP contender is going to put Ole Miss on the radar with elite prospects all over the Southeast. Throw in the likelihood that there is a tremendous amount of turnover after the 2024 season and Ole Miss’ proven efficiency in working the transfer portal and there’s even more reason to believe that Lane Kiffin and Co. won’t settle for prospects they aren’t completely enamored with.
7. College football's 12-team playoff might only last one season.
There is a growing expectation the format will expand to 14 teams as early as 2026. The current CFP television contract expires after the 2025 season.
Yahoo's Ross Dellenger wrote extensively about the possibility over the weekend.
Champions of the SEC and Big Ten would hold exclusive rights on the two first-round byes, according to one version circulated to several college athletic administrators. The version has not been finalized and is only being socialized before more exploratory work on the format, those with knowledge of the model told Yahoo Sports.
Such a concept — guaranteed byes for the Big Ten and SEC — is an unusual but somewhat expected maneuver from college football’s goliaths. It’s also a move that has garnered pushback from administrators outside of those two conferences.
In a 14-team model that officials are socializing with their leagues, the Big Ten and SEC would each receive three automatic qualifiers, with the ACC and Big 12 getting two each and the Group of Five’s best team qualifying as well. Such a model would feature three at-large spots to the highest-ranked teams outside of the automatic qualifiers.
The model calls for the top two seeds to have byes into the second round. Under the 12-team format that will be used this fall and in 2025, the four highest-ranked conference champions are granted byes. In the 14-team version circulating across the country, the ACC and Big 12, the other two major conferences, would not have access to obtaining a bye — an unprecedented move and perhaps a tipping point for some administrators in those leagues.
The seeding and pairings of a 14-team bracket is expected to operate in a similar way to the current structure, where the CFP Selection Committee’s rankings would equate to seeds Nos. 1-14. Pairings of the six first-round games would be made in the normal method, including the No. 8 seed playing 9 and 7 vs. 10, presumably at the home field of the better seed. Notre Dame, as an independent, would be guaranteed one of the three at-large spots if it finished in the top 14 of the CFP’s rankings.
The idea, of course, has been the source of great consternation from leagues not named the Big Ten or the SEC, as well as media types. Personally, I don't understand the angst. Right now, the Big Ten and the SEC wield the power, and the two strongest leagues in college sports would be foolish not to exercise the leverage they hold over the rest of the industry.
Maybe that changes down the road. Things do, after all, change. However, for now, there's no reason for the SEC and the Big Ten to give the rest of college athletics more than a few scraps. This format, frankly, is kind to the Big 12 and the ACC, especially considering the fact that several ACC teams are believed to be privately exploring their options and one, Florida State, has publicly stated its desire to leave the ACC for greener pastures.
Kingdoms collapse. Eras end. But right now, the SEC and the Big Ten are undisputed kings. The people calling for them to voluntarily share their crowns are the same ones fishing for mermaids and hunting for unicorns. The CFP is going to make everyone a mint because of the two most powerful leagues. It's really that simple.
8. The SEC women's basketball tournament begins this week in South Carolina. Ole Miss will be the No. 3 seed after blowing out Arkansas Sunday in Oxford. Here's the story from UM Media Relations:
The Rebels keep rolling, as Ole Miss women's basketball cruised to a senior day victory and its 12th SEC win over Arkansas, 87-43. Now on a six-game winning streak, Ole Miss finished third overall in conference for its highest finish since 1991-92 and earned 12 SEC wins for the first time in school history.
Highlighting Snudda Collins, Marquesha Davis, Elauna Eaton, Rita Igbokwe, and Madison Scott on Ole Miss' (22-7, 12-4 SEC) senior day, the Rebels snagged its fourth straight win over Arkansas (18-13, 6-10 SEC). The quartet of Collins, Davis, Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams each recorded double-figures in scoring with Collins leading the way with 18 points. Scott flirted with a triple-double in her sixth double-double this season and her 27th career overall with 14 points, 13 rebounds and eight rebounds.For the sixth consecutive game, Todd-Williams notched double-digit points with 15 points and added six rebounds, while Davis added 12 points.
Holding its opponent to under 50 points for the 11th time this season, the Rebels set a program record by keeping the most opponents under a threshold in a single–season and held Arkansas so its season-low. Rejecting eight shots against the Razorbacks, Ole Miss also broke the single-season block record with 177 and counting.Coming out hot with a 6-0 run, Collins began on fire for Ole Miss as the Rebels jumped out to an 18-9 lead in the early minutes. With Collins exploding with 12 points in the first, the most by a Rebel in a single-quarter this season, Ole Miss took off on a 16-2 run to wrap the first quarter with a lead at 27-11.
As the Razorbacks began to drain the three-ball, the Rebels entered a small scoring lull as Arkansas worked to tighten the gap. The efforts of Collins, Davis and Scott kept the Rebels moving to stay in front of the Razorbacks heading into the half up at 48-32.
Finding its way to the charity stripe, Ole Miss continued to expand its lead and flex its defensive muscle over the Razorbacks. Restricting Arkansas from reaching the basket for over the first seven minutes of the third quarter and only allowing one field goal, the Rebels expanded their grip, 64-36.
Beginning the final quarter on a 15-1 run, the Rebels put the Razorbacks in the rear view mirror to wrap up the regular season with its 12th conference win and defeat Arkansas by 44 in scoring its most points in an SEC game this season, 87-43.
Clinching a No. 3 finish in the SEC, Ole Miss earns a double-bye to the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday (March 8). Ole Miss will play the winner of game six at approximately 7 p.m. CST on SEC Network.
Here are my predictions for the tournament:
Wednesday:
Kentucky over Georgia
Florida over Missouri
Thursday:
Mississippi State over Texas A&M
Tennessee over Kentucky
Auburn over Arkansas
Vanderbilt over Florida
Quarterfinals:
South Carolina over Mississippi State
Alabama over Tennessee
LSU over Auburn
Ole Miss over Vanderbilt
Semifinals:
South Carolina over Alabama
LSU over Ole Miss
Finals:
South Carolina over LSU
8b. The Major League Baseball season begins on March 20 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres playing a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea.
The rest of MLB begins eight days later on March 28.
Today, I make my sure-to-go-laughingly wrong predictions for the American League. I’ll do the same for the National League next week.
American League East:
Baltimore Orioles 91-71
Toronto Blue Jays 89-73
New York Yankees 87-75
Tampa Bay Rays 82-80
Boston Red Sox 77-82
American League Central:
Cleveland Guardians 86-76
Minnesota Twins 85-77
Detroit Tigers 77-85
Kansas City Royals 75-87
Chicago White Sox 69-93
American League West:
Houston Astros 89-73
Texas Rangers 88-74
Seattle Mariners 85-77
Los Angeles Angels 78-84
Oakland A’s 70-92
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 225 — Chicken Anglais.
When you live in a different country, sometimes that country calls dishes the name of that country. This is one of those times. Yet, I believe it to be more of a Netherlands vibe.
Tidbit #1: Whenever you cook chicken in the oven, the first pan sear the top very well. Then when you flip it over, add in water or chicken stock before placing it in the oven. In this way, you will have a broth at the end that you can use to make a pan sauce and the liquid helps to insulate the cooking of the chicken while in the oven = more tender.
Tidbit #2: For the cabbage, start it first so that by the time your chicken has been pulled from the oven and rested it will be time to serve everything together. Tidbit #3: Search for yellow apples for the final touch. They are not as acidic and will help balance the flavors of the dish. Also, it will give a good freshness.
Things you will need:
4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Glass of Chardonnay
Utensils needed:
Chef's knife and cutting board
2 Large skillets
Tongs
Serving platter
Ingredients needed:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast filets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Cabbage:
1 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
Decoration -
Yellow Apples
Mise en Place:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In the first large skillet, add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Add sliced onions and minced garlic, cooking until softened.
Step 1.2: Add thinly sliced red cabbage to the skillet and cook until slightly wilted. After, stir in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender.
Step 2: Season the chicken breast filets with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in the second skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breast filets until golden brown, and pour a cup of water or some of that chardonnay into the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Step 3: Pull the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Assemble the finishing touches to the cabbage by tasting for salt and pepper.
Final:
Step 4: Assemble the plate as in the picture and dice the apples just before serving. Stir in some butter to the drippings left in the pan with the chicken and pour over the top if you would like.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss basketball, baseball, football recruiting 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:
Sources: College football leaders nearing adoption of helmet communications
Ray Davis grew up homeless, now he seeks to be a 'name you'll remember forever'
As NFL draft nears, Caleb Williams and team intend on owning the process
NFL combine QB rankings: How do executives, coaches view the top 6 prospects?
Russini: What I'm hearing at the NFL combine on the Bears, Kirk Cousins and more
Mueller: Why the Bears could trade the No. 1 pick ... and Justin Fields, too
How Duke Tobin, Bengals are managing a winning position with Tee Higgins
FMIA: It's Time. Who's Complaining? Not Me.
Toronto tall tales of Zach Edey: On the ice, the diamond ... and 'What's a Purdue?'
Nuggets provide reminder to NBA that they are still firmly on the throne
Amick: As LeBron adds to legacy, the age-old GOAT debate has shifted
LeBron James May Have To Wait Until 2025 For Bronny To Join Him In The NBA
Bronny to decide on draft based on team interest
Why the NBA's next media rights deal is at the center of the new 65-game rule
The massive change sweeping through MLB coaching: ‘What took us so long?’
Kris Bryant left the spotlight behind in Chicago; in Colorado, his burden is different
Inside the new game — Paco Ball — that is the talk of Phillies camp
A shift in Shota Imanaga's mindset with his fastball will be the key to his success
Cubs’ Michael Busch can relax knowing that he’ll get runway to prove himself
Permanent concussion subs introduced into football's laws
The Un-American Campaign against Donald Trump | National Review
