The Rebels, ranked No. 6 in the SEC, are set to face off against conference rival LSU tonight in The Pavilion. The 9-15 Tigers, currently No. 14 in the SEC, have struggled to find wins this season and are currently stuck at the tail end of an 11-game losing streak. Ole Miss (15-10), on the other hand, is hoping to ride the momentum from its recent come-from-behind victory over Auburn. Here are four things to look for during tonight’s game:
Terence Davis (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
Terence Davis making waves
The sophomore guard put up a career high 26 points as the Rebels stormed back from a 20 point deficit to defeat the Auburn Tigers last weekend. After averaging just 1.8 points per game as a freshman, Davis has improved to an impressive 13.6 points per game this season. As an average of the past six games, that number jumps up to 17.6. Improvement has been the name of the game for Davis this year, and if the Rebels have any remaining hope for an NCAA Tournament bid, they’ll need Davis to be at his very best.
Shutting down Antonio Blakeney
A bright spot in an otherwise dull offensive lineup, the sophomore guard from Sarasota, Florida, leads all LSU scorers with 16.5 points per game this season. A member of the 2015 All-SEC Freshman Team and two time SEC Freshman of the Year, he played in all 33 of LSU’s games last year and averaged 18.6 points per game during the final 11-game streak. At 6 feet 4 inches tall, Blakeney commands attention all over the floor, but he’s most dangerous behind the arc. Knocking down a team-best 39 three pointers this year, he promises to be a handful for Neal, Burnett, Tyree and the rest of the Ole Miss guards.
Clutch free throws
Good coaches love to harp on the importance of free throws. As the name implies, they are literally free points. Their importance has not been lost on head coach Andy Kennedy, now taking part in his 11th season in Oxford, who has drilled his team to a .844 (108 of 128) free throw conversion rate over the past five games. After making 25 straight to start the season, Deandre Burnett’s free throw percentage currently stands at .896 (147 of 164), good enough for second in the Southeastern Conference.
Sebastian Saiz (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
Sebastian Saiz continues to own the boards
He’s been a pillar of constancy all season. Power forward Sebastian Saiz is averaging a double-double per game this season (15.2 ppg and 11.4 rpg). As one of only two seniors on the team this year, Saiz leads by example on and off the court. A native of Madrid, he has seen his minutes steadily increase over his four years as an Ole Miss Rebel to almost 34 minutes per game. Even against a relatively toothless LSU team, Kennedy can count on a solid outing from Saiz.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., and fans outside of Oxford can tune in on the SEC Network.
