In Case Some State Fans Talk Basketball

I'm Back

Due to my sabatical from the Univeristy this weekend, there were no posts on the games. The basketball game was not shown on t.v. where I was. I will return to posting tonight but will not have detailed wrap-ups on the game. Will try to have some more research stories up soon.

Good News For Reed

The Celtics made a lot of moves today before the NBA trade deadline, they basically dealt four players(Payton, Gugliota, Stewart to Atlanta, Welsh to Cleveland) and got one in return (antoine walker) plus a draft pick. This opens up a permanent spot for Reed on the 12 man roster for the rest of the year. He will be available to play everyday now, not just when someone is hurt.

Director of Football External Affairs

Hugh Freeze

Another Staff Addition

Ole Miss head football coach Ed Orgeron announced Wednesday his selection of Hugh Freeze to join his staff as Assistant Athletics Director for Football External Affairs. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
"Hugh Freeze has compiled an outstanding high school career at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tenn.," Orgeron said. "He is a great high school football coach who will bring strong organization skills to our staff."
The position calls for Freeze to manage the day-to-day external affairs as they relate to the University of Mississippi's football program. He will serve as liaison with external parties and supervise on-campus recruiting activities, coordinate visits with NFL scouts and officials, develop relations with high school and junior college coaches, and coordinate the spring coaching clinic.
"I'm very honored and excited to become a part of the Ole Miss football staff," Freeze said. "I look forward to working with Coach O and helping Ole Miss become Southeastern Conference champions."
Freeze will join the Ole Miss football staff after serving the last 13 years in the field of education as a classroom teacher, coach and administrator, all at Briarcrest Christian School. He presently serves as Dean of Students, head football coach, and head girls' basketball coach.

Freeze was the high school coach of former Memphis City standouts Charles Harris and Will Drummond.

Another Staff Addition

Ole Miss head football coach Ed Orgeron announced Wednesday his selection of Hugh Freeze to join his staff as Assistant Athletics Director for Football External Affairs. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
"Hugh Freeze has compiled an outstanding high school career at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tenn.," Orgeron said. "He is a great high school football coach who will bring strong organization skills to our staff."
The position calls for Freeze to manage the day-to-day external affairs as they relate to the University of Mississippi's football program. He will serve as liaison with external parties and supervise on-campus recruiting activities, coordinate visits with NFL scouts and officials, develop relations with high school and junior college coaches, and coordinate the spring coaching clinic.
"I'm very honored and excited to become a part of the Ole Miss football staff," Freeze said. "I look forward to working with Coach O and helping Ole Miss become Southeastern Conference champions."
Freeze will join the Ole Miss football staff after serving the last 13 years in the field of education as a classroom teacher, coach and administrator, all at Briarcrest Christian School. He presently serves as Dean of Students, head football coach, and head girls' basketball coach.

Freeze is the coach of former high school standouts Charles Harris and Will Drummond.

Assistant D-Backs Coach

Tony Hughes

Assistant D-Backs Coach Hired

Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron announced Tuesday that he has selected Tony Hughes to join his Rebel staff as assistant defensive backs coach. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
"Tony Hughes brings a wealth of knowledge and coaching experience to our staff," Orgeron said. "His strong background of having coached many years in this state also makes him a key element when it comes to our recruiting the state of Mississippi."
Hughes, a 13-year veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks, comes to Ole Miss after serving the last two years at Louisiana Tech, having coached outside linebackers in 2004 and cornerbacks in 2003. The 2004 campaign also marked his 21st season in the coaching profession.
Prior to joining the Louisiana Tech staff, Hughes had spent the previous 10 years on the coaching staff at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss., where he served as the defensive coordinator for one year and the defensive secondary coach during his first nine seasons.
During his tenure at Hinds, which also saw him coach the men's track team, Hughes helped lead the Eagles to Region XXIII Championships five times, including 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000, while compiling an impressive mark of 53-6 during those five seasons. Hinds was also the Region XXIII runner-up in 1999.

The Goose Is Loose

The Ole Miss baseball team defeated Belmont 18-0 this afternoon. The highlight of the afternoon was seeing Michael "Goose" Wakefield on the mound for the Rebels. Wakefield was put in the game in the eighth inning. The small section of students in the stands cheered loudly for the Goose. David Kellum and Richard Cross of the Ole Miss broadcasting team commented on the crowd noise. The crowd was yelling GOOOOOOSE and they thought they were yelling BOOOOOOOOO. It was a fun game to attend and glad to see my friend get into the game. The Rebels return to action this weekend for a three game series against Southern Illinois.

Where's Charlie?

Charlie Babineaux has been spotted around Oxford for the past couple of weeks. The fan favorite from last year's baseball team has had many fans raising the question, "Where is Babs now?" I have done some research and found Charlie was drafted by the San Francisco Giants. He was placed in single A ball -playing for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes which is in Keizer, Oregon. Babineaux played in 55 games last year and batted .246 with 8 homeruns. Hopefully Charlie will catch on with the Giants organization.

Rebels on MLB 40 Man Rosters

Four former Ole Miss baseball players have been anounced on different Major League team's official 40 man rosters. While these rosters may change during Spring Training, it is good to see some former Rebels on the roster. Those listed are Bobby Kielty - Oakland A's, David Dellucci - Texas Rangers (my favorite), Ryan Buckvich - Sand Diego Padres, Jeff Fassero - San Francisco Giants. The only name I notice missing is Micky Callaway who I believe was pitching for the Rangers.

Movin On UP

The Ole Miss men's tennis team moved up a spot to No. 5 in the latest ITA National Rankings released Tuesday, after advancing to the semifinals at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor last weekend in Chicago. Also, Senior Catalin Card was named SEC Player of the Week.

Did We Really Win??

Tommie Eddie hit two free throws with 32.7 seconds left to lift Mississippi to a 60-58 victory over Tennessee on Saturday night.
After Eddie's free throws made it 59-58, the Volunteers got the ball back and called time out with 14.3 seconds left. But Dane Bradshaw missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
Cavadas Nunnery made it a two-point game with a free throw with less than a second remaining. He missed his second attempt and time expired during the rebound.
Eddie was dominant late in the game, scoring 11 of his 21 points in the final 11 minutes of the second half.
Kendrick Fox added 13 points for Mississippi (13-13, 4-9 Southeastern Conference), which snapped a three-game losing streak and got back to .500 with three games left before the league tournament.
It was a tight game throughout with six ties and 14 lead changes.
Freshman Chris Lofton's 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining gave the Volunteers a 58-57 lead. Eddie was fouled in the paint on the Rebels' ensuing possession, and made both free throws to give Ole Miss the lead for good.
Lofton had 17 points and C.J. Watson added 16 for Tennessee (11-14, 4-8), which has lost three straight and seven of eight.

The Rebels do not play again for another week. They will travel to the Hump to take on MS State. Ole Miss still has a slight chance of an NIT birth, but will have to really fight for it.

Rebs Go 2-1

This weekend at the Coca-Cola Classic in Houston, Ole Miss won two games and lost one. Ole Miss defeated Lamar and SouthWest Missouri State. The first loss of the season came to the hands of Rice. This was a game the Rebels really should have won. A three run homer in the seventh put the Rice Owls up for good. Ole Miss now begins an impressive 18 game homestand. Yes, that is correct 18 home games in a row.

Rocky Tops Comes to the Pad

Ole Miss looks to rebound from a three game losing streak, after suffering their worst loss in five years against Florida on Wednesday. The Rebels(12-13, 3-9) are below .500 for the first time since early in the season. The game was so bad on Wednesday that Ed Glass was the leading scorer. Tennessee(11-13,4-7) comes into the game being led by former Memphis Tiger Scooter McFadgon. McFadgon and Rebel Junior Londrick Nolen played high-school ball together in Memphis. I have no idea who will step up and be the leading scorer for the Rebels it seems like every game there is only one person that does something good. However, this should be a win for the Rebels. Coach Buzz Peterson and his Vols have been struggling this season. The game time has been moved to 4:00 and will be broadcast on Fox SportsSouth. I will not be in attendance, missing my second game in a row. Which I can not remember the last time that happened. I will be traveling to Greenwood for a party. Hopefully a field correspondent for WorldClassGlass will be reporting and will have a story for us before Monday.

Rocky Tops Comes to the Pad

Ole Miss looks to rebound from a three game losing streak, after suffering their worst loss in five years against Florida on Wednesday. The Rebels(12-13, 3-9) are below .500 for the first time since early in the season. The game was so bad on Wednesday that Ed Glass was the leading scorer. Tennessee(11-13,4-7) comes into the game being led by former Memphis Tiger Scooter McFadgon. McFadgon and Rebel Junior Londrick Nolen played high-school ball together in Memphis. I have no idea who will step up and be the leading scorer for the Rebels it seems like every game there is only one person that does something good. However, this should be a win for the Rebels. Coach Buzz Peterson and his Vols have been struggling this season. The game time has been moved to 4:00 and will be broadcast on Fox SportsSouth. I will not be in attendance, missing my second game in a row. Which I can not remember the last time that happened. I will be traveling to Greenwood for a party. Hopefully a field correspondent for WorldClassGlass will be reporting and will have a story for us before Monday.

Diamond Rebs Win Again

Ole Miss defeated Lamar 5-3 this afternoon. It took the Rebels a while to get going but they finally got it together. Mark Holliman will get a win and Matt Maloney will receive a save. The Rebels move to 2-0 on the season and take on power-house Rice tomorrow afternoon.

SOUTH PANOLA STAR CHARGED

South Panola football star Travis Sanford has been charged with grand larceny and burglary stemming from a break-in at a Batesville grocery store in October.
According to a Feb. 3 indictment in Panola County, Sanford, who turned 19 last month, and an unidentified juvenile are accused of taking $1,200 from Crowson's Grocery on Oct. 22.The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.Sanford, who posted $2,500 bond on Nov. 4, remains enrolled at South Panola. Sandy Beard, owner of Crowson's Grocery, would not comment today.Sanford and South Panola coach Ricky Woods could not be reached for comment. Sanford didn't play in South Panola's 48-16 victory over Southaven on Oct. 24, two days after his alleged involvement in the break-in.A first-team All-State pick at defensive back, Sanford helped nationally ranked South Panola to a second consecutive 15-0 record and Class 5A state title by intercepting. He also caught six touchdowns at wide receiver.Rated as one of the state's top 10 recruits, Sanford bypassed national signing day on Feb. 2. Mississippi State and Ole Miss have been atop his list of college choices, but Sanford isn't expected to meet NCAA freshman eligibility requirements and would likely face a detour to junior college or prep schools even if his legal issues are resolved by the fall.

MISERABLE

Anthony Roberson scored 20 points and Florida went on a 28-3 run to start the second half in routing Mississippi 90-53 on Wednesday night.
Roberson and Matt Walsh combined for seven 3-pointers in the first 15 minutes as the Gators (16-6, 8-3 Southeastern Conference) used their long-range shooting to race out to a 38-19 first-half lead. Walsh finished with 16 points.
It was the second largest win in series history for the Gators, who beat the Rebels 94-47 in 1993. Florida has won six of the last eight games in the series. Ole Miss (12-13, 3-9) had allowed more than 73 points only once all season.
Florida sank 64 percent of its shots against Ole Miss and finished 11 of 17 from long range, including hitting nine straight 3's over one 30-minute stretch. David Lee chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds for the Gators.
Ole Miss had just as many problems offensively. Florida freshman Al Horford tied an O'Connell Center record with seven blocked shots, and the Rebels went more than seven minutes without a basket to start the second half.
Kendrick Fox kept Ole Miss close in the first half, scoring 12 points on four 3-pointers, but he was shut out in the second half and fouled out after only nine minutes of action.
Ed Glass also scored 12 for Ole Miss while Marvin Moore added 11.

A VERY SAD DAY WHEN ED GLASS IS A LEADING SCORER.

Miserable

Ole Miss was blown out of the water by Florida tonight. The Rebels(12-13,3-9) were defeated by the Gators(16-6,8-3) 90-53 in Gainesville. The loss was the second worst in the history between the two teams. Florida shot lights out basketball. Florida sank 64 percent of its shots against Ole Miss and finished 11 of 17 from long range, including hitting nine straight 3's over one 30-minute stretch. The Rebels went more than seven minutes without a basket to start the second half. Ole Miss was led by Kendrick Fox with 12 points all in the first half. Ed Glass also contributed twelve points. You know its bad when a guy like Ed Glass is a leading scorer. For some reason Londrick Nolen played very little in this game, and had ZERO points. This was a very interesting move by Barnes. There will be some interesting story lines over the next several weeks concerning this team. I dunno if something is up are not, but the message boards said Rod made some interesting quotes after the game. The Rebels return to action this Saturday at home against Tennessee. Game time has been changed to 4:00.

NEW COACH CHRIS RIPPON

New D-Backs Special Team Coach

Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron announced Wednesday the addition of Chris Rippon to his football staff as special teams coordinator and defensive back coach. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
Rippon comes to Ole Miss after spending the last 12 years at Syracuse University, including the final year as assistant head coach, special teams coordinator, and safeties coach.
"Chris Rippon is an excellent football coach with great experience in the area of special teams," Orgeron said. "He also has past experience as a defensive coordinator. We worked together three years at Syracuse and I trust he will do a great job with our special teams and with our defensive backs."
The addition of Rippon has resulted in an assignment change for Orgeron's staff as assistant head coach Shawn Slocum will shift from coaching the secondary to coaching the linebackers.
Rippon led the Syracuse special teams unit in 2004, a position he also held for the Orange from 1995 to 1998 when they were nationally ranked in several categories. In addition, Rippon coached the safeties for the last
In 2003, Rippon's first season working with the safeties, strong safety Diamond Ferri set the Syracuse single-season record for solo tackles by a defensive back (75) and free safety Anthony Smith recorded five interceptions. Smith's theft total was the most by an SU player since 1999.
From 1999 to 2003, Rippon served as Syracuse's defensive coordinator. His 1999 unit was one of the nation's top-15 defenses throughout the season. The following year Syracuse ranked in the top 25 nationally in a number of defensive categories. The 2001 defense accumulated 40 quarterback sacks, the second most in SU history, and 30 turnovers, the most takeaways during the tenure of head coach Paul Pasqualoni.

Former Ole Miss Player Arrested

Iroko Ayodele arrested in Oxford....
"Charged with possession of cocaine with intent and possession of marijuana with intent. Allegedly seized from Ayodele's apartment were close to an ounce of powder cocaine and almost a pound of marijuana along with $707 in cash."
Looks like the MSU football team is not the only one with a drug problem.

The Road To Omaha Has Begun

On what turned out to be a great day for baseball, the Rebels began their season with a stomping of Arkansas State, by a score of 10-0. The #15 Ole Miss Rebels opened the season in front of a very impressive 3,118 fans. I have to say I was extremely impressed with the support of the fans and students in attendance. If the attendance is a sign of things to come, it is going to be a packed house later this spring. Anthony Cupps and Matt Maloney both pitched well for the Rebels. Brian Pettway began the season the right way with a home-run in the sixth inning. As one fan put it the only disappointing thing about today's game was the selection of music played. The Rebels return to action this weekend as they travel to a tournament in Houston. They begin play on Friday against Lamar.

On the Road Again

The Ole Miss basketball team(12-12, 3-8) will travel to Florida(15-6, 7-3) tomorrow night. The Rebels are on a two game loosing streak after getting blown away by Alabama on Saturday. The Gators are a pretty good team, but not as good as previous Florida teams. Although they are plenty good enough to beat the Rebels. Do not look for this to be too much of a contest for the Gators. Surprisingly, the Rebels and Gators have split the last eight meetings between the two teams. Game time is 6p.m. central. For those that have satellite a tape delay of the game will be broadcast on the Sun Network at 10p.m. central.

Ramblings

The Ole Miss golf team won the All South Collegiate Invitational in Florida. Senior Jordan Dempsey tied for first in the event and Sophomore Kyle Ellis tied for third. Looks like Dr. Golf is turning this program around with the goal of returning to the NCAA tournament......................... Expect some coaching changes to be announced within the next several days concerning some administrative positions within the football team. The name of Hugh Freeze from Briarcrest Christian keeps being thrown around. Will keep you updated...................For the fourth time in the last seven years, David Kellum has been named the Mississippi Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters of America. Although I am not the biggest Kellum fan I can agree with this. I mean basically his only competition is Jack Crystal and Jim Ellis.

Opening Day Begins Today

for The Rebels

Something to Think About

Rod Barnes, Mississippi: He won with predecessor Rob Evans' players, but with his own? Not so much. Last spring Barnes revamped his staff after a second straight losing season, then signed his best recruiting class (next year's freshmen). Too late? Shouldn't be. Ole Miss (12-11, 3-7) is bad but overachieving, and Barnes is an alum. He's not upwardly mobile like ... Candidate: UAB coach Mike Anderson

First Pitch --- 2 Days!!!!

Tide Rolls Over Rebels Again

Ole Miss (12-12, 3-8) was blown away by Alabama (19-4, 8-2). Ole Miss really never had a chance in the game as Alabama outscored the Rebels 71-45. Bama was up 10 at half and it was downhill for the Rebels from there. Ole Miss was led by Justin Johnson with 11 points. Ole Miss starters Marvin Moore, Londrick Nolen, Cavadas Nunnery and Tommie Eddie were a combined 4-of-20 shooting for nine points. This is really disappointing. Nolen has really lost his game and made a lot of people mad. The bright spot for the day for the Rebels was the play of Jeremy Parnell who came off the bench to contribute ten points and five rebounds. It does not get any better for the Rebels as they travel to Gainesville on Wednesday to take on the Florida Gators.

Ole Miss Rolls Into T-Town

The struggling Ole Miss basketball team(12-11,3-7) travel to Tuscaloosa to take on No.17 Alabama (18-4, 7-2). The Rebels come into the game after a weeks rest after loosing by a free throw to Arkansas. The last time these two teams met, Ole Miss gave Alabama a run for their money leading for about 30 minutes during the contest. Marvin Moore played well against Arkansas and contributed 23 points. Hopefully Marvin will continue his game as he plays against a team from his home state. Alabama is currently leading the SEC West division race. If history has a way of repeating itself, it does not look good for the Rebels. Alabama leads the series of all games played at Coleman Coliseum 64-8. Game time is at 6 p.m. and can be heard on the Ole Miss Radio Network.

A Victory on The Court

The Ole Miss men's tennis team defeated Mississippi State for the 14th year in a row at the River Hills Club in Jackson. The 6th-ranked Rebels won the doubles point as earlier posted and then got wins at Nos. 1, 2, and 3 singles as the domination continues for their 3rd straight 4-0 shutout in this event. Look for this year's team to be even better than last year, and to make a run for the National Championship.

Another Coach Resigns

Another Ole Miss football coach has resigned. However, this time the coach did nothing wrong. Dennis Slutak, the newly hired special teams coordinator will return to USC. Slutak previously served as special teams coach at USC. He will return as the director of football operations. Slutak leaves Ole Miss after being hired just a little over a month ago.

Its Official

Ole Miss and University of Memphis athletics officials announced Wednesday that they have agreed to move their September 3 season opener in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to Monday, September 5, in order to accommodate a national telecast by ESPN.

"It's great to have Ole Miss and Memphis as part of our Labor Day programming," said ESPN's Dave Brown. "We are pleased to be able to show the head coaching debut of Ed Orgeron at Ole Miss and the return of Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams, who could have entered the National Football League draft early.

"We had a great game between Ole Miss and Memphis two years ago on ESPN2 and we had a full house at the Liberty Bowl."

The telecast will mark the fourth time for the series, which dates back to 1921, to be shown on TV. Jefferson Pilot Sports did the 1998 and 2002 games from Oxford. Dating back to 1952, it will also be the 144th national or regional appearance on television for Ole Miss. The Rebels were on TV four times last season. During the 1997, 1999, and 2001 seasons, Ole Miss had seven television contests each year, while the 2000 season saw a school-record eight appearances on TV.

"We are excited that ESPN chose the Ole Miss-Memphis game to be televised on Labor Day," said Ole Miss Athletics Director Pete Boone.

Orgeron also expressed his approval of the opportunity to begin his head coaching career with a televised game.

"National exposure is important to our program," he said. "We expect our team to be on national television and Memphis will provide great competition. It should be an exciting game."

The Ole Miss-Memphis game is projected to start at 3:30 (Central) and will be part of the Conference USA television package, which it was two years ago. The game will also be part of a triple header being produced by ESPN and ABC. Miami and Florida State are scheduled for ABC following the Ole Miss-Memphis game on ESPN.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

IN SEVEN DAYS??

Friday Night Starter

Sometimes, the best pitchers are the ones that lull hitters to sleep. They are the ones who keep hitters off balance – mixing a little of this with a little of that – and before you know it, it is the seventh inning and your team has yet to score a run.
Then, there is the case of the pitcher who pitches so well, he can lull his own team to sleep.
Ole Miss first baseman/pitcher Stephen Head said that Rebel ace pitcher Mark Holliman would occasionally do just that last season. Head said the Rebel hitters knew they didn’t have to score many runs when Holliman was on the mound, and sometimes they would get lax once they took a lead.
“I think maybe it hurt us last year,” Head said. “I know we scored in the third inning against Arkansas (May 7), and I said, ‘This one is over.’ He threw almost a perfect game, and we beat them 1-0. It is almost bad to the point that he pitches so well that it takes the pressure off of us. We just don’t score as many runs. If we score two runs, we think the game is over.”
Holliman allowed just three hits in the complete-game shutout against Arkansas in a key win late last season.
As Holliman (9-3 with a 3.05 ERA last season) gets ready for this season, which the Rebels open against Arkansas State on Feb. 15, he said he likes the pressure of a low-scoring game.
“I don’t go into the game looking for them to score a lot of runs,” Holliman said. “I like them having to depend on me. I like being the person who is going to go out there and only give up one run. Once they get a couple of runs, I look at it like it’s over.”
Holliman, who was selected first-team All-SEC last season, is slated to get his first action this season against Lamar Friday, Feb. 18, when the Rebels open the Rice Tournament in Houston.
He brings continuity at the top of a Rebel staff that returns six pitchers who threw at least 25 innings last season. It will be the first time since 2002 that the Rebels have returned their Friday-night ace.
It’s a fact that has head coach Mike Bianco feeling a little bit more comfortable.
“When you’re searching for a Friday night guy, it can be a little scary when you start the season,” Bianco said. “We realize that you have to play the game and that you have to win and that Mark is going to have to have another big year. That being said, it makes you feel a little bit better than if you had a new junior college guy or another new guy. We know we have a guy who filled that role last year and was super dominant.”
Not only are the Rebels retuning an ace, they are returning a guy who finished first-team All-SEC last season. Ole Miss catcher Barry Gunther compared Holliman to former Vanderbilt pitcher Jeremy Sowers, who was the sixth pick in last June’s Major League Baseball draft. He said Holliman is a guy opposing teams will dread to face.
“He’s one of those guys who is so dominant,” Gunther said. “He brings the ball at 95 or 96 miles an hour, and he throws four different pitches. I don’t care if you’re in triple-A or in the Major Leagues, it’s definitely hard to hit a guy who throws at that level.”
Gunther also wasn’t immune to feeling extra-relaxed when Holliman was in the mound. In his case, the somniferous effects set in while he was catching.
“I remember the games against Alabama and Mississippi State last season; I could fall asleep back there,” Gunther said. “I put the glove down, and he didn’t miss. I didn’t have to move. When he’s on, guys have no shot.”
The Rebels will certainly depend on Holliman to be on again this season.
With pitchers Head, Anthony Cupps, Eric Fowler, Brian Pettway and Matt Maloney all joining Holliman as returnees, the pitching staff looks to be the strength of this year’s team.
And Holliman is the rock of that staff.
Last season, the Rebels won their first five SEC Friday night games that Holliman started. And it is Friday night victories that give a team momentum for the rest of the weekend.
Holliman said he took the summer off of pitching in order to lift weights and build his arm strength. He added that he worked on improving mechanical flaws and will still throw all four pitches – fastball, slider, changeup, curveball – that he threw last season.
“I went back and looked at everything that happened last year,” Holliman said.
“I’m going to stick with what I’ve been doing. I just want to build on that.”
Holliman said that he doesn’t feel pressure to carry the pitching staff.
“There are so many talented guys behind me that I know that if something does happen to me, I know I’ve got somebody who is going to back me up and get them out,” Holliman said.
“I’m not the only player out there.”

Countdown To The First Pitch

The Ole Miss Baseball team will have its first game of the season in seven days. Ole Miss opens play against Arkansas State. The Indians come into town being coached by former Ole Miss assistant coach and player Kevin Kessinger along with former player Brad Henderson. Arkansas State has had the Rebels number over the past several years. Somehow it seems Arkansas State seems to beat the Rebels at least once during the season. Over the next several days we will be trying to preview members of the baseball team. I will be trying to do my own articles but alot will be from the Daily Mississippian.

Rebs Do It Again

I was out of town this weekend this weekend, so was not able to attend the game. However, I was able to catch some of it on t.v. Ole Miss lost to Arkansas 66-65 on Saturday ending Arkansas 13 game road losing streak. The Rebels move to 12-11 and 3-7 in the SEC. The chance of postseason play does not look good now. The Rebs really needed to win these type of games. Marvin Moore came off the bench to lead all Rebel scorers with 22 points. Londrick Nolen contributed his usual 11. The Rebels were a miserable 2-16 from 3-point range. Many fans have questioned the referees in this game. A total of 51 fouls were called during the games. The most questionable was a call with 2.2 seconds left in which Arkansas made a free throw to win the game. The Rebels have Wednesday off before traveling to Alabama on Saturday.

Pigs Return to the Pad

I had to get these game notes from the Arkansas Sports Information Department, because the Ole Miss SID evidently did not feel like posting these two days before the game. Ole Miss(12-10,3-6) looks to add another win as they take on the University of Arkansas(14-7, 2-6) on Saturday. Surprisingly, Ole Miss leads the series against Arkansas, since they joined the SEC 14-13. The Rebels lost to the Razorbacks earlier in the year 69-46. However, senior Tommie Eddie did not play in that game, due to academic reasons. Look for Eddie to provide the spark this team missed in their last meeting against the Pigs. Arkansas is a decent team that the Rebels can play with, and can beat. However the Rebels can not make stupid mistakes and must play 40 minutes of basketball. Hopefully, the Rebels will pull together and start another winning streak as they make the push for a post-season bid. We must win our home games in order to have a shot at the NIT. The game begins at 4:00 and is being televised by Fox SportsSouth.

Lady Rebs fall to Tigers

The Ole Miss Lady Rebels lost to the number one team in the nation tonight. The LSU Lady Tigers defeated the Lady Rebels 82-58. LSU is a very good team that really hits the boards hard. Best rebounding team, men or women I have seen all season. They just find a way to score and are definitely a top 5 team in the nation. For the Lady Rebels they really good not find their groove tonight. They cut the lead to about 7 in the second half, but LSU ran away with it from their. "Downtown" Carletta Brown led all Rebel scorers with 17 points. The attendance tonight was about 3,900, which was probably the same as the men's game last night. On another note, Christie Sides, the former MPSA standout from the mid-90's is an assistant coach for LSU. I remember watching her play at Hillcrest in the state tournament, she was really good, and held many MPSA records for a while. It does not get easier for the Lady Rebels as the travel to Tennessee later this week.

Its Been A While

Ole Miss defeated Auburn tonight 70-55, in front of a miserable crowd. The crowd was so bad, they did not even announce the attendance. Ole Miss moves to 12-10 and 3-6 in the SEC as they battle hard to get in the NIT. Ole Miss led for the entire game, but they almost returned to their old ways. Auburn almost inched back into the lead mid-way through the second half. Ole Miss was led by Justin Johnson with 19 points, and Senior Tommie Eddie contributed 18. The Rebels were 11 for 25 from the three point line. Hopefully this win will boost the Rebels confidence. Ole Miss will next take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday.

Absolutely Amazing

For those of you that have not seen this, it is absolutely amazing. Here is the story:Sophomore guard Jordan Snipes made a 92-foot shot as time expired in overtime to give visiting Guilford a stunning 91-89 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men’s basketball win over league-leading Randolph-Macon Monday night.


Thanks to Replayreb for this link www.travisthomasdesign.com/replay/guilford_013105.wmv

Big Couple of Days in Ole Miss Sports

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a busy two day stretch for U.M.A.A..........First of all, tomorrow is national signing day for football. For those of you that you have been watching film on your favorite recruit on the O.M. Spirit, and falling for all the mis-information Yancy has been feeding you, tomorrow is your day. I do not get all wound up in the recruiting process, because half these "academic all stars" will not even qualify for school, it happens every year. Although I am concerned with our recruiting class, I will not speculate who might go where. I will give a wrap up of recruiting later in the week....................The Ole Miss basketball team returns home to take on Auburn. Ole Miss beat Auburn earlier in the year on the Plains. However, that is when we played 40 minutes of basketball instead of 32. At any rate Ole Miss (11-10, 2-6) continue to be led by Londrick Nolen with 12.3 points, although his ppg is dropping every game. A change will most likely happen in the starting lineup. Todd Abernathy will return to a starting role in the place of Justin Johnson. Auburn(10-9,1-5) is the smallest team in the SEC. This is the one team Ole Miss matches up well against. Hopefully Marvin Moore will come up big again like the last Auburn game in which he scored 24 points. If the Rebels want to salvage their season they have got to win.....................................The other big thing this week is the Lady Rebels basketball game. Coach Carol Ross and her team takes on the number one team in the nation on Thursday against LSU. The marketing people have really been building this game up. However, the Lady Rebs have a big uphill battle in this game, the fightin tigers are just to good.