Averaging just above 15 points and 11 rebounds per game, senior forward Sebastian Saiz brings maturity and experience to a Rebel lineup in desperate need of consistency. He leads the SEC not only in rebounds (by more than three per game) but also double-doubles. Yet, regardless of how impressive his stats may be, he brings more to the table than numbers show. Both on and off the court, Saiz exemplifies what it means to be a leader for Ole Miss.
Sebastian Saiz (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
Entering his fourth season as a starter for the Rebels, Saiz finds himself as one of only two seniors, a distinction he shares with Rasheed Brooks, on the team. While the Rebels have seen their fair share of ups and downs this season, Saiz remains constant in his approach to the rest of the year.
“I think when teams start thinking about the big picture, they forget about the importance in the single games,” Saiz said. “We’ve got to focus on one game at a time, put our heads down and knock the chips off our shoulders for now.”
For head coach Andy Kennedy, winning games starts with dominating the boards, a task Saiz seems to do rather well.
“Coach told me at the beginning of the year, if we want to win games this year I’ve got to be the leading rebounder in the SEC, and that’s what we’ve done so far,” Saiz said. “I’m just trying to go get the ball.”
At 6 feet, 9 inches and 240 pounds, rebounding seems to come naturally to the Madrid, Spain, native. On average, he pulls down an impressive 11.5 per game.
“Yeah, it’s been my thing since I started playing basketball,” Saiz said. “It’s something not everybody does. The ball is over there; it’s not easy – you’ve just got to go and get it.”
For such a big man, he is remarkably comfortable with the ball in his hands and continues to add new dimensions to his game. Last season, Saiz worked tirelessly on mid-range jumpers, but this year, he has a new goal.
“Every summer, I look what I need to improve, and I work on it the whole summer,” Saiz said. “Last year was shooting twos and pulling up, and I got it done. This year it’s the three-point line. I think I’m doing pretty good with it, just got to keep my percentages up. It helps the game a lot, because once you get it out, people are going to try to guard you outside. Then you can penetrate, and that helps.”
Saiz and the Rebels will have a tough road ahead if they want to make a return to the NCAA tournament. He’s been there once before, in 2015, and that experience is something he wants to replicate this season. Saiz knows it won’t be easy, but with hard work, the sky’s the limit for this talented Rebels team.
“I just try to appreciate how hard it is to make it,” Saiz said. “I know what it takes, and I think that going one game at a time is the best option we have.”
