Vanderbilt and Ole Miss Battle in Oxford as Regular Season Winds down

Oxford, Ms.- It's been a forgettable season for both the Vanderbilt Commodores and Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball teams in 2019-20, so much so that both teams could desperately use another win in their final three regualra seasons games before heading into the SEC Tournament on Match 11-15 in Nashville.

Currently 13-15 overall and 4-11 in SEC play, head coach Kermit Davis' Rebels are just three games ahead of the Commodores, 9-19, 1-14 in the conference standings, and while it seems unlikely that the Commodoes would win their final three games of the season and escape the basement of the standings, the Rebels can seal that fate for their oppenents and guarantee they themselves will not finish the season last in the league with a home win later today.

The Rebels, much like the Commodores struggle to score the basketball while also struggle stoping opponents at the same time. Ole Miss averages just 69.3 ppg offensively while allowing 68.4 ppg defensively.

Those numbers, like those of the Commodores show why the Rebels are next to last in league play.

Guard Breein Tyree leads Ole Miss in scoring, knocking down an average of 20.4 ppg this season. He leads three Rebels in double figures as fellow guards Devontae Shuler (11.4) and Blake Hinson (10.2) all average double digits on the year.

Shuler is also the team leader in steals and assists, averaging 3.4 assists ans 1.8 steals per contest.

Sophomore KJ Buffen provides the inside presence for the Rebels. At just 6'7" 220, Buffen is not a large physical presence, but plays like one, averaging 9.9 ppg, collecting 5/9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocked shots while hitting 50.5% of his shots from the field.

Khadim Sy, the 6'10" 240 junior from Senegal has the body type that has given the Commodores fits this season, and could see his number jump in this one. Currently averaging 8.9 ppg and 5.6 rebounds, like Buffen, he too shoots well (50.3%) from the floor.

The Rebels, like most everyone else are deeped than Vanderbilt, as Davis uses ten players, all of whom have appeared in twenty or more games and all logging more than ten minutes per game for the season.

Nothing comes easy for the Commodores this season, but this is certainly a game that the black & gold should not be totally counted out of before tipoff. The Rebels have their own issues and the team that can shoot the basketball best seems the best bet to win this one as neither team would be considered outstanding shooting teams.

Tipoff is scheduled for noon CST. at The Pavillion in Oxford and can bee seen locally on the SEC Network.