Ole Miss Basketball Game Three Opponent Preview: Chattanooga Mocs
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss Rebels have won two games in a row and are hoping to make it three as they host the Chattanooga Mocs in their third home game of the season on Tuesday at the SJB Pavilion.
The Rebels took down the Florida Atlantic Owls 80-67 last week, but there are still several adjustments they need to make ahead of their next game. Ole Miss turned the ball over ten times, leading to an extra 14 points for the Owls. They allowed the Owls to grab 14 offensive rebounds and shoot 38 percent from behind the arc. The Rebels also shot poorly from the free throw line at only 67 percent as a team.
Here is a preview of what the Rebels can expect from Tuesday’s matchup against the Mocs.
Chattanooga Mocs
2022 Record: 1-1
Head Coach: Dan Earl (1st season)
Leaders
Guard: Dalvin White
Senior guard Dalvin White dressed in 31 games during the 2021 season and averaged 8.7 PPG, 3.9 APG, and 0.8 SPG. White shot 41.1 percent from the field, a respectable 37.9 percent from deep, and an impressive 86 percent from the free throw line.
In the Mocs’ first two games of this season White is averaging 6.5 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 1 SPG.
Guard: A.J. Caldwell
Redshirt senior guard A.J. Caldwell is running it back for his fifth season with the Mocs. Caldwell is not known as a prolific scorer as he has never averaged more than seven points in a season. His leadership and size at the guard position allowed him to see the floor for 28.5 MPG in 35 games last year. Caldwell stands at 6’5 and averaged 4.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 0.7 SPG last year.
He is currently averaging 7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG this season. He is also shooting 55.6 percent from the field, 40 percent from behind the arc, and 100 percent from the foul line.
Center: Jake Stephens
Senior center Jake Stephens played in 30 games in 2021 and averaged 19.6 PPG, 9 RPG, and 2 BPG. He also shot 55.1 percent from the field, 49 percent from the three-point line, and 80.4 percent from the charity stripe.
In his first two games this season he is already averaging 19.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. The big man does, however, turn the ball over four times a game, so the Rebels should look to double-team Stephens whenever he has his back to the basket.
Players to watch
Guard: Jamaal Walker
Hometown native and redshirt sophomore Jamaal Walker only played in nine games in 2021 and averaged 4.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 0.4 APG. It seems all he needed was some extra run as he has quickly found success in 2022.
In his first game this year, he saw the floor for 22 minutes. He scored 15 points, two rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. He did this on an extremely efficient shooting night too going 75 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from the three-point line and 100 percent from the free throw line.
Guard: Brody Robinson
Freshman guard Brody Robinson only stands at 5’10 and weighs 150 pounds. Despite his lack of size, Robinson is averaging 5.5 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.5 RPG in only 16.5 MPG. He is shooting a staggering 80 percent from the field and 75 percent from deep. While this is a small sample size, his PER 36, which is what a player would average if given 36 minutes of playing time, is 12 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 5.4 APG.
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