Delta State guard Alister Chisholm looks for room past Mississippi forwards M.J. Rhett (4) and Anthony Perez (13) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game in Oxford, Miss., Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. Mississippi won 97-58. (Photo/Thomas Graning)
Ole Miss lost a lot in their frontcourt this offseason.
The team took a big hit when center Dwight Coleby announced he was transferring despite being in line to start this season after senior power forward/centers M.J. Rhett and Aaron Jones graduated. Coleby averaged 5.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game last season, while Rhett improved throughout the season and finished the year with 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Without Coleby, the Rebels are expected to eschew the normal two, big men lineup and go smaller and faster. Coleby was likely the starter at center and will be replaced by junior Sebastian Saiz, who most likely would’ve started at power forward next to him.
Saiz stands at 6 foot 9 inches, 233 pounds and averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocked shot a game; he started 32 games last season. Saiz showed great improvement from his freshman to sophomore year, upping his field goal percentage from 46.7 to 57.8 percent. If Saiz can keep improving his overall game in a similar fashion, Saiz could be one of the stars of the team and provide a steady presence in the middle.
The vacancy at the power forward spot should be fixed by the arrival of Tomasz Gielo. Gielo is a graduate transfer from Liberty and a member of the Polish National Basketball Team. Gielo is also 6 foot 9 inches and should immediately help the Rebels with stretching the floor and three-point shooting, as he shot 40.4 percent from the three his junior year at Liberty.
Gielo should fill a stretch-four role for the Rebels and give the Rebels a scoring boost. Gielo averaged 10.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game his junior year, and was off to a great start to his senior year, averaging 12 points and 6.3 rebounds before a season ending injury that resulted in him getting a medical redshirt.
Ole Miss also returns senior Anthony Perez, who will now likely see a lot of time at power forward, and maybe even at center. Perez has one of the highest ceilings on the team due to his ball skills and shooting ability at his height, but hasn’t yet seen the production of which he seems capable.
If he does fills that gap this year, it could be a huge senior season for him. Perez fits as more of a small forward with his three-point shooting and ball-handling prowess, but should be able to transition to a stretch four role this season.
Behind those three, the Rebels will have to try Terry Brutus and sophomore Marcanvis Hymon as backup power forwards. Both are 6-foot-6-inch men and are more natural small forwards, but Brutus spent some time at power forward his freshman year. Brutus has been rehabbing from an injury since sophomore year, but should be ready to play this season. Meanwhile, Hymon didn’t play much last season, but showed great promise in high school, averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and three assists per game. His athleticism coupled with his ability to hit the boards and reject shots should make him a perfect fit for the Rebels lineup as a small-ball four.
Overall, the new frontcourt lineup for Ole Miss will likely flourish against some teams, but struggle against bigger teams. The new lineup will have trouble rebounding and defending in the post against traditional lineups. The key will be for the small lineup to spread the floor, opening driving lanes for the Rebel’s guards, and make the extra pass to find the open shot on the perimeter which should help offset the rebounding disadvantage and rim protection problems they will face at some point during the season.
