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College basketball support staffs are essential components of college basketball programs' success. They print shot sheets, help with coaches' court stools, and warm the team up prior to tipoff. At Ole Miss, they also challenge their counterparts at opponents' programs to pick-up games the night before each team's scholarship players take the court.
The Rebel staffers' first game -- a close 68-65 affair, which apparently ended on a buzzer-beating three -- took place the night before the Basketbears dropped Memphis, 85-79, in the Grindhouse. Monday, with Troy in Oxford before Tuesday's proceedings in the Tad Pad, the Rebs' managers stomped the Trojans' managers big time, 84-54. That moves them to 2-0 before SEC play commences, and undefeated both at home and on the road.
Men's basketball graduate assistant Kory Keys has donned the role of curator for the staffers' season, which is noble, insofar as beat writing brings with it all the attendant Twitter eggs and hate mail.
BREAKING: Rebel support staff defeats Memphis support staff, 68-65 pic.twitter.com/5SriR1KNXN
— Kory Keys (@KoryKeys) December 18, 2015
This sort of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern interest is wonderful. You can follow the latest updates on the Rebel basketball managers here and further ponder the question of who, technically, will have played the first game in the Pavilion come its January opening.
Rebel managers defeat Troy managers 84-54. @TheRealAddisonH and @trey_patton both had 20+ points and the whole team let it rain from deep
— Rebel Bball Managers (@UMbballmanagers) December 22, 2015