Ole Miss Power Rankings: Basketball (?!?) and Baseball Back Edition

If you hoped your February and March would contain not one but two Ole Miss teams with the ability to bring you joy and agony, you may have gotten your wish. After Tuesday night’s 83-58 trashing of Mississippi State, the Ole Miss basketball team appears to have its house in order and potentially could be playing meaningful basketball games in the coming weeks.

The Rebels have won their last three games by 14, 17, and 25 points and did so against three teams in the top six of the conference. If you do the math, it means a 33-point win over Kentucky on Saturday is inevitable.

With seven conference games remaining, a 5-2 finish gets them to .500 in the conference and 18 overall wins. Make a little magic happen in the conference tournament and maybe, just maybe, HELLO, DAYTON, OHIO AND OUR FELLOW 11-SEED PROVIDENCE OR SOMEONE LIKE THAT.

Speaking of potential postseason play, the baseball team, on Friday against Louisville, launches its quest to have us all screaming about a regional or Super Regional loss at the end of the season. I have the first bunt of the season occurring in the second inning of Friday’s game.

(1) Breein Tyree

Our New Jersey-native son went out and dropped a 40, 5, and 4 against Mississippi State and looked like someone who was taking out two months of frustration against a team that couldn’t guard him.

According to the stats wizards out there, he outscored the entire State team by himself in the second half.

In the second half, things got so desperate for the Bulldogs they resorted to unconventional defensive methods.

Although the 45-degree angle pogo stick approach did not work this time, that’s no reason to put it on the shelf for the rest of the season.

(2) Efficiency

Tyree got his 40 points on just 22 shots, which scored a perfect 10 out of 10 on We Love To See It. He was 9-12 inside the three-point line (LOL DO YOU INTERIOR DEFENSE, DOG BROS) and 10-11 at the free throw line, which is moderately acceptable.

Obviously, he’s not going to score 40 points in every game the rest of the way (OR WILL HE), but if he can keep up the efficiency, opportunities will open for other players on the floor.

(3) The Starting Lineup

Perhaps the most ridiculous stat from Tuesday night’s game is that, in a 25-point win, this is what Ole Miss’ bench contributed:

• 0 points
• 3 rebounds
• 2 turnovers
• 3 fouls

That’s it!

Granted, outside of Antavion Collum, who played 28 minutes, Kermit Davis gave the rest of the bench 10 minutes of action, with three of those minutes coming at the end of the game. One would think Ole Miss will need a smidgen or 12 more out of the bench in the weeks ahead. But maybe not!

(4) Kermit Davis

Our tea-sippin’ coach has found a way to either press the right buttons and/or is seeing what happens if he just plays six guys. It’s also possible this team needed time to figure itself out. It’s also possible this is just a streak in a sport filled with streaky performances by college players who are prone to good and bad streaks.

Whatever the magic formula, Davis has his team in a position to make a run to get into BOB, YOU CAN’T COUNT OUT OLE MISS, THEY KEEP WINNING GAMES. As I said earlier, 5-2 the rest of the way is probably the minimum requirement and a real possibility.

Look at the rest of the schedule:

• at Kentucky
• at Missouri
• Alabama
• at Auburn
• Vanderbilt
• Missouri
• at Mississippi State

The obvious losses are to Kentucky and Auburn but, thanks to the SEC not being good, there are no impossible games. As someone who like to gamble with the monies, I’d probably add Mississippi State as another loss, but even so, 4-3 gets you to 17-13 (8-10), with a chance to win games in the SEC Tournament.

Again, I’ve always said Dayton, Ohio is a lovely place to visit in early March.

(5) Bringing The Arts To The People

LET THE IVORY SING.

(6) When You Beat Your Rival By 25 Points And You Remember That The Colonel Reb Costume Is Collecting Mildew In The Tad Pad Basement

(7) BASEBALL BACK

Our bunt-loving, platoon-enjoying head coach Mike Bianco begins his 20th season in Oxford on Friday. I’m a bandwagon Ole Miss baseball fan and usually wait until the last few weeks of the regular season before committing to what I know will cause me pain and suffering.

However, one of my favorite things about writing for Red Cup Rebellion dot com is getting to live the baseball season through the other writers who are locked in and can provide legitimate baseball #content that is not BAN BUNTS or I PRONOUNCE IT HAWG-LUND.

Read what they have to say because they know what’s going on, but I will still provide you with all the anti-bunt content you need.

(8) to (10) Power Rankings Within The Power Rankings

In an unprecedented moment in these Power Rankings, I give you rankings within the rankings. Has it ever been done before? It’s hard to say, but people are talking about it, some with tears in their eyes, and we’ve spotted all the talk. This could be big, very big, very soon.

Let us now turn our attention to the Most Ole Miss Names On The Baseball Roster Power Rankings Within The Power Rankings:

(1) Knox Loposer

(2) Hayden Leatherwood

(2) Hayden Dunhurst

FIND ANOTHER HAYDEN SO WE CAN HAVE A TRIUMVIRATE OF HAYDENS. SURELY NOTHING CAN STAND IN THE FACE OF THAT MANY HAYDENS.

(4) Greer Holston

(5) Braden Forsyth

A cousin to the Haydens!

(6) Gunnar Hoglund

“HAWG-LUND.”

“It’s Hogue-lund.”

“HAWG-LUND.”

“Hogue-lund.”

“HAWG-LUND.”

“Why are you so stupid?”

(7) Jackson Kimbrell

If your first name is the same as the capital of Mississippi, you’re on the list. These are the rules.

(8) John Rhys Plumlee

Two first names also gets you on the list. Unrelated, pls learn to throw so we can have options at quarterback.

(9) Logan Savell

(10) Cael Baker

Any “ae” combination is a lock.

I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up Derek Diamond, who may be a weekend starter. While not a peak Ole Miss name, it’s certainly the name of a future Nicolas Cage character or already the name of a Nicolas Cage character in a movie that’s in post-production.

“Why yes, I am Doctor Derek Diamond, and I know how to find the Ice Chalice.”

WE HAVE TITLE.