The Ole Miss men’s basketball team started practice this past Friday, and senior guard Marshall Henderson was in full participation. He will miss some games when the season rolls around, but the specific number of games has not been identified yet.
The Rebels will need to replace Henderson’s Southeastern Conference-leading 20.1 points per games as he was suspended this offseason for a violation of team rules.
“He’s completely aware of the predicament he’s put us in,” Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said. “But he’s owned it.”
According to Kennedy, Henderson has met all of the requirements the administration set for him. Because of that, Henderson has not missed and will not miss any practice time. His suspension will be served once games begin.
The Ole Miss offense was centered around Henderson last season, as he posted the highest usage rate, 30.1 percent, on the team. The signature play of the 2012-13 season was Henderson running off of multiple baseline screens in order to get an open three, which led to him launching 15.3 field goals and 6.5 threes per game.
All of that will have to be replaced. From the guard spot, Kennedy will rely on juniors Jarvis Summers and LaDarius White to take on bigger roles.
“Their position changes tremendously as it relates to what is demanded of them,” Kennedy said of the two guards.
Last season, the two did not equal Henderson’s point production, as Summers averaged 9.1 points per games, while White added another 6.4. Their efficiency will have to rise early in the season, as they combined to shoot 13.4 shots per game, nearly what Henderson shot himself.
Also, Kennedy expects sophomore Anthony Perez to make a big leap this season.
“More so than anybody in the program, people will be amazed at his progression,” Kennedy said.
Perez averaged under seven minutes and two points per game last season. He wasn’t consistently in the rotation until forwards Aaron Jones and Demarco Cox suffered injuries causing them to miss the remainder of the season. This forced Perez, who is six-foot-nine, to play out of position in the post, which affected his efficiency.
Moving back to the wing position, Perez should be more comfortable and could play his way into the rotation when Henderson is out.
“Here’s a guy that’s got tremendous physical ability,” Kennedy said. “That’ll show pretty early most especially in lieu of Marshall’s absence.”
Sophomore guard Derrick Millinghaus may see an increase in playing time. Millinghaus was third on the team in points per minute played, but was stuck behind Jarvis Summers, the starter at point guard. Ole Miss may need his willingness to shoot, as he was second to only Henderson in field goals attempted per minute played.
While it is not clear how many games Henderson will miss, he could potentially be sidelined for the Barclays Classic, where Ole Miss will face Georgia Tech and either Penn State or St. John’s. Those will be games five and six of the season and the first games against teams from power conferences.
If his suspension drags out longer, games seven and eight are at Kansas State and home against Oregon, the two big games on the nonconference schedule for Ole Miss.
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