FILE PHOTO: SHENJINGYUAN ZHANG
Sebastian Saiz reacts during a game earlier this season.
Fresh off two convincing wins over then No. 23 Creighton and Cincinnati in the Emerald Coast Classic, the Ole Miss Rebels return home to host TCU in the second annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge. It was the Rebels’ first victory over a ranked opponent since defeating Wisconsin in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
This Ole Miss basketball team looks completely different since getting upset at home against Charleston Southern in the season opener. Collecting these two wins will be crucial for Ole Miss come NCAA Tournament time. The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee loves teams with quality non-conference wins, and beating a current undefeated TCU squad would do wonders for Ole Miss.
In the midst of the Egg Bowl win for the football team, the basketball team quietly created a few cheers around Oxford in their performance in the Emerald Coast Classic. Junior shooting guard Stefan Moody was named MVP of the tournament and scored a career-high 26 points against Cincinnati. Having Moody and senior point guard Jarvis Summers on the same page will be crucial to the Rebels’ success this season.
On the other hand, TCU is 1-0 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge with a win over Mississippi State on Nov. 29, therefore, winning the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic. The hot-start Horned Frogs haven’t started 7-0 since going 9-0 to start the 1997-1998 season, which was the last time they made the NCAA Tournament. TCU is anchored by their strong defense to start the season. The Horned Frogs only allow 54.7 points per game, which ranks 15th in the country. TCU also rebounds the basketball at an exceptional rate around 40 boards per game, which ranks 21st in the nation. History bodes well for the Frogs as they have never lost the game after a regular-season tournament, going 4-0 in those games.
Impact Player- Ole Miss
Sophomore stretch forward Sebastian Saiz doesn’t put up big numbers on the stat sheet, but he’s shooting the ball efficiently around 70 percent. To go along with his six points, 5.2 rebounds, Saiz has been a real force in the paint for the Rebels. Although the numbers aren’t there, Saiz does a good job of stretching the floor to create scoring opportunities for Summers and Moody. In a big game against TCU, it’s time to see Saiz hit the double-digit mark in either points or rebounds, as he has yet to reach that statistic in any game this season. With a big TCU frontline, Saiz will have a tough challenge scoring in the paint tonight.
Impact Player- TCU
Senior point guard Kyan Anderson is TCU’s active leader in games played with 103, starting 92 of those games. Good play in the backcourt will be crucial in order for TCU to knock off Ole Miss at the Tad Pad, as Anderson will have to guard the likes of Summers, Moody, and senior guard Ledarius White. Anderson leads a very balanced scoring offense with 12.7 points per game. This attack includes eight players on the Horned Frogs average at least 6.7 points per game. If Anderson can get his teammates scoring early, then the Rebels may be in trouble against the leader of the Frogs.
