1. Is Ole Miss an NCAA Tournament team next year in basketball?
David Collier (@DavidLCollier): It may be too early to tell, but I think they will be right there on the cusp. The backcourt will only be better with virtually everyone returning. However, they will need to get good play from the front court. Aaron Jones and Demarco Cox need to bounce back from injury and play valuable minutes, Anthony Perez needs to put on some weight so he can play both inside and out, and the freshmen (Dwight Coleby and Sebastian Saiz) need to be ready to hit the ground running. Head coach Andy Kennedy will have to play around with the lineup on the floor, but a frontcourt by committee could work for the Rebels.
Tyler Bischoff (@Tyler_RSR): Last year Ole Miss had one of their best players in history, Murphy Holloway, the best shot blocker in school history, Reggie Buckner, the leading scorer in the SEC, Marshall Henderson, and posted the best defensive efficiency rating in Andy Kennedy’s tenure. But they were only a 12 seed, and still lost to South Carolina, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. With Holloway, Buckner and Nick Williams departing, Ole Miss will be hard pressed to duplicate that result. Maybe Aaron Jones, Demarco Cox and the incoming freshman make a splash, and maybe the defense will remain efficient, but next year looks like a step back.
John Luke McCord (@JLgrindin): I do believe Ole Miss is an NCAA tournament team next year. They will be returning a deep backcourt and a long-talented frontcourt. I feel like with the schedule setting up the way it has as far as non-conference the RPI will be there. I also feel like Ole Miss will be more in the public eye, because of coming off of an NCAA tournament birth and the allure of Marshall Henderson. People will watch Ole Miss play all season, not just when the SEC tournament rolls around. I like their chances.
2. How much more pressure is on the baseball team next season after having Mississippi State go to Omaha this year?
Collier: Although some may think it makes an impact, Mississippi State’s success in any sport should not impact what Ole Miss does. There’s no doubt it will only make the fans more vocal in their displeasure with the baseball program, but the athletic department can’t react based on what happens in Starkville. Ole Miss is not trying to just be the best team in the state of Mississippi, but they are trying to win SEC and national championships. They can never get to that level if they are only worried about beating their in-state rival.
Bischoff: Fans wise the pressure is amped up. Anything your rival does, you have to do better. But from the administration and coaching angle, it doesn’t add extra pressure. There will already be tremendous pressure on Mike Bianco to impress next year. The fans don’t want to see Mississippi State exceeding Ole Miss, but the people making decisions don’t see it as a detriment.
McCord: I think there is a lot of pressure from within the program right now, as far as the fans and their assessment of Mike Bianco and his contract situation. So the pressure will be there with what MSU has done and could do next season. However, I think more of the pressure is from within.
3. If Ole Miss is successful in football again this season, do you think other schools will begin to gain interest in Freeze and potentially get him to leave?
Collier: People certainly have Hugh Freeze’s name on their radar after a successful first season on the field and a top 5 recruiting class in February, but they will need to see more progression before people come calling. If it does happen, I don’t think Ole Miss fans should be worried. Freeze is from north Mississippi, and I really do believe this is his dream job. Some could say money talks, but Ole Miss has shown in the past they can pay a top 15 (and maybe even top 10) salary. Other schools could certainly offer more, but the Rebels would likely make an offer that would be enough to keep him in Oxford.
Bischoff: Absolutely. His recruiting ability will be a desire for many programs. But would he actually leave? Ole Miss is not a destination job for the majority of coaches. A lot of coaches would use Ole Miss as a stepping stone to a more desirable job. The key for this program is to find a successful coach that really wants to stay in Oxford. Of course Hugh Freeze has said this is his dream job, but how many coaches have said similar things and still bolted? Tuberville anyone?
McCord: I think programs could very well come after Freeze if he does well this upcoming season, however, I think the chances that he actually leaves are slim. Many top programs in the SEC seem to be set with their coaches and I think only a top tier SEC program could ever sway him, but even so, he seems comfortable coaching near his hometown.
4. Over/Under
Football: 6 wins?
Basketball: 20 wins?
Baseball: 35 wins?
Collier: Ross Bjork’s first year as athletics director saw a lot of success in the major sports, and I expect that trend to continue in 2013-14. I’ll take the over for football and basketball, as I predict seven or eight wins for football and basketball will be on the cusp of another NCAA Tournament experience. However, I will take the under for baseball. The incoming recruiting class could certainly come in and make a huge impact and get the Rebels over the 35 win mark, but looking at the roster for next year, it’s too much of a risk to say over.
Bischoff: Football – Six wins is a tough number. I’ll take the under. There are games that Ole Miss fans are counting as wins that will be very tough. Vanderbilt, Auburn, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi State are certainly not automatic wins. This team was losing to Central Arkansas at halftime, and never beat a big time opponent. Basketball – If there is one thing Andy Kennedy does it is win 20 games in a season. If we are just looking at the regular season, I’ll take the under. There are no powerhouses on the non conference schedule, but a lot of decent teams. Ole Miss will not be consistent enough to win them all plus a .500 conference record will be about 18 wins. They might get to or over 20 with postseason play though. Baseball – Under again. A ridiculous start to the season and a .500 conference record plus two postseason wins got Ole Miss to 38. Can they start 18-1 again? Doubtful. .500 in the SEC? Possible. The postseason could also get the baseball team over, but for the regular season, under.
McCord: Football: over, 8
Basketball: right at
Baseball: over, 36
