2008 Ole Miss Basketball Predictions & Season Preview
Written October 17, 2008 by Luke Knight
Andy Kennedy has led the Ole Miss Rebels to back-to-back NIT berths, the first of which was the program’s first postseason appearance in five years. Last season, the Rebels were 24-11 overall and 7-9 in the SEC, which was a three-game improvement in wins, but one less in the SEC. Ole Miss has won 32 of 35 home games under Andy Kennedy, but two of the losses were last year against Auburn and South Carolina and probably kept the Rebels out of the NCAA. The team reached the semifinals of the NIT falling to Ohio State 81-69. Freshman point guard, Chris Warren was a big component last season to the Rebels’ winning ways. He excelled in a backcourt that was thin in experience and was a huge question mark going into the season. This season, with three senior post players being gone, the front court will be inexperienced and the backcourt will be whether the Rebels’ experience lies. Only Malcolm White has any game-day experience in the front court. Still this team has plenty returning and plenty coming in, and BetUS has this team at +450 odds of winning the SEC West.
Forwards Terrance Henry and Murphy Holloway, both rated among the nation’s top 150 players, are the leading candidates to emerge in the frontcourt as Warren did in the backcourt last season. Both players are strong around the basket, but both also have the ability to extend the defense. Henry is a 3-point threat and Holloway is capable of shooting from 15-feet out. Redshirt freshman Kevin Cantinol and juco transfer DeAundre Cranston can come off the bench when Kennedy wants to add some bulk. Malcolm White, a top 100 signee last year averaged 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds, and will be expected to put up better numbers with more minutes, as he averaged only 6.7 minutes per game last season. The three senior frontcourt players last season allowed the Rebels to bring White along slowly, but they will expect his growth from year one to year two to solidify the young frontcourt.
Chris Warren led the team in scoring with 15.8 points and 3-point shooting in both makes with 103 and percentage at 38.9. Junior David Huertas, a transfer from Florida, improved his game over the last third of the season averaging 16.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and four 3-pointers made over the last eight games and scored 29 points in the Rebels’ SEC Tournament loss to Georgia. Junior Eniel Polynice is an excellent penetrator and the team’s best on-ball defender. He will be more effective if he fine-tunes a 15-foot jumper. Zach Graham, a sophomore, can be a big shooting guard or an athletic match-up problem for opposing small forwards.
Final Analysis
The Rebels are in the same position they were last season, only the inexperience is in the frontcourt this season and the experience is in the backcourt. Kennedy certainly appears to have brought in talent that could emerge in the frontcourt. The backcourt with Warren, Huertas, and Polynice will have to continue the pace they set at the end of last season for Ole Miss to be successful. The Rebels should get effective post-play by committee. If Henry and Holloway emerge in the frontcourt this season, then Ole Miss could challenge for the SEC Western Division. We have Ole Miss competing in the SEC West, and snagging an NCAA Tournament bid this season. Check out BetUS where the Rebels are +10000 odds to win the National Championship this season.
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