Rebels Defeat SMU, Barely
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Jan 4, 2012 5:31 PM EST
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PrintTerrence Henry's late heroics gave the Rebels the two-points worth of breathing room they would need to beat SMU last night in the Tad Pad. After a 50-48 decision which remained close the entirety of the game - there were a half-dozen lead changes - the Rebels closed out their nonconference play and earned their tenth win of the season. Ole Miss snapped a three-game losing streak with the win, garnering some much needed momentum heading into the SEC opener against LSU on the 7th in Baton Rouge.
Henry led the team in scoring with 13 points. Behind him were Jarvis Summers, Maurice Aniefiok, and Reginald Buckner, all with eight. Buckner was a basket shy of a double-double, as he stepped into the injured Murphy Holloway's place to bring down 11 rebounds. Other than that, the only other statistic worthy of mention was the team's collective 14-of-17 from the charity stripe. That's encouraging.
Really though, none of this is really anything over which to get excited. SMU's not a good team, and we played them pretty poorly all things considered.
After the jump, see a poll which I think should be of interest to Rebel basketball fans at this juncture with a significant circumstance of last night's game in mind.
The question I'd like you to answer is simply, "Is Jelan Kendrick worth the trouble?"
Last night, the former McDonald's All-American (something which I feel obliged to mention every time I write about him) sat out again against a lackluster opponent due to a "coach's decision," a wildly vague term which can usually be translated into something like "skipped a practice." Considering his past and the difficulties we've had getting him on the floor, should we give him a few more opportunities to prove his mettle, value, and potential, or should we just expect him to transfer to South Alabama (and lead them to the Sweet Sixteen in two years)?
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I know I was skeptical earlier and the two “coach’s decisions” are all the more reason to be skeptical, but after watching them in person for the first time since the Miami game. The games that were on TV I watched, but it’s not the same. Other than Jarvis Summers and maybe, sometimes, Terrance Henry no one on the team can create their own shot.
That’s not the end of the world, if you run an offense with sets and plays that lead to easy baskets or isolate players in position to score, but that’s not where the offense is right now. When this team can’t score in transition, it ends up with Summers trying to penetrate and find the open man with no one moving around him and standing around the perimeter which leads to contested shots, particularly from the perimeter, or turnovers.
Kendrick, like Summers, can create his own shot and find the open guy. It was only one game and, even then, it was a loss, but the offense seemed to flow when both Kendrick and Summers were in the game at the same time. I’m not saying Kendrick should start (because he shouldn’t at this point), but he’s a more consistent off the bench than Nelson right now and more of an offensive option than Aniefiok (not to take anything away from his efforts on defense).
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.
Aniefiok got way too many minutes last night.
Am I the only one that thinks that dude is fucking awful?
That was a called play, and I called it Brotha!!! HYYAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
by Catfish Powe-boy on Jan 4, 2012 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
Is he worth the trouble? Hard to say
I don’t know what trouble he’s gotten into. He’s always been a little “different” and AK knew that when he took him on. The kid marches to the beat of his own drum, for better or worse. I don’t think basketball is Kendrick’s #1 priority, so it isn’t shocking to me if he skips a practice or is running late because he was playing call of warfare and lost track of time in the dorm room. They couldn’t control that at Memphis, and kids don’t change their habits overnight.
Do we need him? Yeah, absolutely. We have looked awful the past four games. I’m not sure what’s going on, but we haven’t been playing with much fire or effort for the past five games or so. Our offensive issues are a mix of the players we have and the ridiculously bad coaching/strategy AK employs. But, there is a distinct difference in the way this team plays now when compared to games earlier in the season. Maybe it’s a lack of confidence, maybe AK is fed up with the players and they’re fed up with him throwing them under the bus in every interview he gives? I don’t know. But it’s beginning to look a lot like our most recent football season, and that sucks all around.
I voted I'm not sure
He’s been eligible for 5 games, been benched for two, threw up a goose egg in two, and looked like a star in the making in one. So who knows? On a team with an offense as anemic has ours, his ability to get to the basket would be a huge asset, were his haed out of his ass long enough to do such.
And while some of it certainly coincides with the locale of the games, the opponents, and Murph’s injury, we’re 10-1 when Kendrick doesn’t play, 0-3 when he does. I’m not sayin… I’m just sayin…
I listen for the voice inside my head... nothin... I'll do this one myself
I said yes, but thats subject to spontaneous, emotion-driven change.
Obviously as a McDonald’s All-American he’s got to be extremely talented, and I’d like to see him have more opportunities to showcase that. Said opportunities, however, correlate directly to his behavior off the court, which, despite already being kicked off of one team, apparently has not been too great. He’s on a short leash, but I don’t think we chase him out of the yard quite yet. Just please live up to your potential and don’t fuck this up Kendrick.
That was a called play, and I called it Brotha!!! HYYAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
by Catfish Powe-boy on Jan 4, 2012 7:44 PM EST reply actions
We're already pretty much
Out of the running for a tournament berth unless we go like 11-5 in SEC play, which ain’t happening. At this point, we’ve looked so bad I worry we may have trouble qualifying for the NIT.
by bball1984 on Jan 4, 2012 10:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
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