Weekend Preview

We are approaching the third weekend of SEC play this coming weekend. The Rebels go on the road to Auburn to take on the Tigers. The Tigers have started out cold going 0-6 in the first two weeks of conference play. A stat that scares me. Auburn played very well in non-conference games this year and beat some good opponents including a series win over Arizona State. As it is every weekend, the Rebels need to avoid a sweep. I think the Rebels take 2 of 3 this weekend. It is imperitive the Rebels win the Friday night game this week. The past two weeks the Rebels have blown a lead on Friday. Luckily they have bounced back on Saturday. But this team really needs a Friday night win. Here is a preview from the SID:

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:Auburn enters the weekend series with the Rebels boasting a 19-9 overall record despite an 0-6 SEC mark. Josh Donaldson leads the Tiger offense with a .364 batting average, 8 home runs and 34 RBI. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .303 on the year with 21 home runs. Scott Shuman leads the Auburn pitching staff with a 4-1 record and a 0.60 ERA in 15.0 innings of work and 12 appearances as a closer. He has posted three saves, struck out 17 and walked 17 batters on the year for the Tigers.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
FRIDAY, 6 P.M.AU - Paul Burnside (So., RHP, 4-0, 36.2 IP, 3.68 ERA)
OM - Will Kline (Jr., RHP, 3-1, 49.1 IP, 2.74 ERA)NOTING KLINE: Will Kline enters Friday’s contest coming off his first loss of the season against #25 Alabama. Kline has struck out a team-leading56 batters, 20 shy of his season total from a year ago. Kline has only walked 18 batters on the year and is holding opponents to a .180 batting average

SATURDAY, 2 P.M.
AU - Evan Crawford (So., LHP, 3-2, 30.2 IP, 5.58 ERA)
OM - Lance Lynn (So., RHP, 2-2, 44.0 IP, 2.05 ERA)NOTING LYNN: Lance Lynn worked a career-long 9.0 innings aginst #25 Alabama on Saturday, striking out 10 and walking only one as he took no decision. Ole Miss rallied in the 11th inning to claim the win. Lynn has been holding opponents to a .196 batting average and has posted 51 strikeouts to 15 walks.

SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
AU - Taylor Thompson (Fr., RHP, 3-0, 29.0 IP, 3.72 ERA)
OM - Craig Rodriguez (Sr., LHP, 1-0, 19.2 IP, 2.75 ERA)NOTING RODRIGUEZ: Craig Rodriguez makes his first start of the season when he will take the mound against Auburn on Sunday. Rodriguez pitched a complete-game victory against the Tigers last season in the first game of a double-header in Oxford. He has struck out 14 and walked nine on the season, allowing 6 earned runs on 20 hits this season.

Rebels Win in the Ninth

(SID) PEARL, Miss. – The Rebels came up with the big hit when needed on Tuesday as No. 13 Ole Miss (19-8, 3-3 SEC) defeated Southern Miss 6-5 on a bases loaded sacrifice fly from Cody Overbeck at Trustmark Park.

Ole Miss loaded the bases on three straight at bats before Overbeck drove the winning run across with his sac fly to right field to end the game.

It was a game of rallies as Southern Miss went ahead 3-0 before the Rebels recorded three home runs in four at bats in the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Golden Eagles reclaimed the lead with a two run fifth inning before the Rebels added runs in the eighth and ninth to claim the win.

Cody Satterwhite (2-0) picked up the win in relief as he entered the game in the ninth with the score tied at five. The sophomore allowed one hit and struck out one before the Rebels claimed the win in the bottom of the inning. Nathan Baker started the game for the Rebels, going 3.2 innings with three runs on two hits, including a two-run home run, as he walked two and struck out two.

A Look at a Basketball Signee

(SID) ATLANTA -- Following a stellar senior prep campaign, Ole Miss basketball signee Zach Graham was honored on the Metro Atlanta Boys Team, as announced Wednesday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The winners will be recognized at the Tipoff Club's Naismith Awards Banquet presented by Delta Air Lines on April 5 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
A 6-foot-5 wing at Peachtree Ridge High School, Graham averaged 20.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists and earned All-State distinctintion for the second straight year. He quarterbacked the football team to a state title in the fall and directed the basketball squad to a 27-4 record.

Lady Rebel Story Comes to an End

(AP)DAYTON, OHIO — To beat Tennessee, Ole Miss needed to play a nearly perfect game.
Instead, Candace Parker and the Lady Vols did.With Parker dominating at both ends and the talented Lady Vols getting contributions from almost everybody else on the roster, they rolled over the Rebels and into their 17th Final Four 98-62 tonight.By winning the Dayton Regional, top-seeded Tennessee (32-3) moves on to play either Purdue or North Carolina in the national semifinals in Cleveland on Sunday. LSU (30-7) and Rutgers (26-8) meet in the other game.Parker scored 24 points and had 14 rebounds, but she dictated the game in many ways. She hit 10 of 14 shots from the field and also had three assists, three steals and five blocked shots in a virtual highlight film of a game.She might have posted even gaudier numbers if coach Pat Summitt hadn’t rested her at the end of the first half and for the final 12:10 of the game.Sidney Spencer had 16 of her 22 points in the second half. Shannon Bobbitt had 14 points, including 10 of Tennessee’s first 24 in a fast start. Alberta Auguste added 12 points.Armintie Price dazzled for 30 points for seventh-seeded Ole Miss (24-11), which has been within a game of the Final Four five times and has lost every time. Ashley Awkward chipped in with 14 points.

What Will You Do?

Tomorrow is a big day for Mississippi sports. My question to you is which game do you have the most interest in and which game will you follow the most.

1) The Ole Miss-Southern Miss baseball game at Trustmark Park in Jackson. For those of you in Jackson the game is sold out, but they are selling standing room only tickets, I am sure all those people that bought tickets will not show up though and there should be available seats for those that want to go.

2) The Ole Miss-Tennessee womens basketball game on ESPN. The game will decide who goes to the final four in the women's NCAA Tournament. UT has the tradition but Ole Miss has alot of momentum and alot of people pulling for them. If Carol Ross can get this team past Pat Summit and into the Final Four it will be the story of the tournament, if it is not already.

3) The Mississippi State-West Virginia game on ESPN2 which is a part of the final four of the NIT in NYC. The Bulldogs have been playing very well as of late and this would be a big deal for State and gets them alot of national exposure.

So which game will you pay the most attention to tomorrow night. They are all big games and mean alot to each of the teams participating.

Bianco's Rebs Win Series

It was a great weekend in Oxford. The Rebels really brought their bats out today and made the Tide pay for it. After opening with a tough loss, the Rebels fought back and won in extra innings Saturday afternoon and led the entire game today. It is obvious the Rebels are still having some troubles on the mound with pitchers coming out of the bullpen. Anyways a great couple of wins for the Rebs.


(SID)OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebels put on up five runs in the first inning and never looked back as No. 13 Ole Miss (18-8, 3-3 SEC) took the series from No. 25 Alabama (17-10, 3-3 SEC) by a score of 15-9 behind the bat of Zack Cozart on Sunday.

Cozart led a Rebel offense that pounded out 20 hits on the day as the shortstop was 5-for-5 at the plate with four runs scored and four RBI, including a three-run home run in the seventh to push Ole Miss to the final margin of victory.

Six Rebels recorded double-digit hits on the afternoon as Logan Power went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI and Andrew Clark was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Justin Cryer (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, turning in 2.1 innings of work as he entered the game to relieve starter Brett Bukvich in the third inning. Cryer got the Rebels out of the inning after Alabama scored three runs. The freshman allowed three runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in his time on the mound.

Ross Keeps Rolling

Armintie Price scored 31 points, Ashley Awkward added 25 for Ole Miss, which fastbreaked and trapped its way to a 90-82 win over Oklahoma on Sunday in the Dayton Regional. Next up for the Rebels (24-10) is Tennessee on Tuesday, with a spot in the Final Four awaiting the winner.
The Lady Vols, who beat Marist 65-46, topped Ole Miss 81-69 at home on Feb. 15 in their only meeting this season.
Ole Miss' frantic and frenetic defense completely set the tone. The Rebels came out running and never stopped, denying passes, harassing shooters and trapping surprised Sooners whether they were in the corner or the middle of the floor.
Averaging 18 turnovers a game, Oklahoma had 15 by halftime and finished with 26. The Rebels piled up 16 steals.
Paris led Oklahoma (28-5) with 31 points and 20 rebounds. But no other Sooner was in double figures in either category.
Price also had 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals - making her only the second player in NCAA history to have 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists and 400 steals. She joined Cheryl Miller.

Weekend Preview

It is a big weekend for the Ole Miss baseball team and its fans. It is the openeing weekend for SEC baseball in Oxford against a pretty good Alabama team. The Rebels are coming off a series against #1 ranked Vanderbilt where they lost two of the three games in the last inning. The Rebs really need to win this series to keep the confidence of the team and its fans up. I feel like Bianco and clan should take care of the Tide this weekend. It is going to be great weather and it should be an outstanding crowd in Oxford this weekend. Here are some notes from the SID:

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
FRIDAY, 6:30 P.M.
UA - Miers Quigley (So., LHP, 4-0, 37.1 IP, 2.17 ERA)
OM - Will Kline (Jr., RHP, 3-0, 42.0 IP, 1.93 ERA)NOTING KLINE: Will Kline enters Friday’s contest with a perfect 3-0 record in six appearances on the year. He has struck out a team-high 51 batters and walked 14 on the year. Kline worked a season-long 8.1 innings against #1 Vanderbilt last week in a 3-2 Rebel loss in 10 innings as he went toe-to-toe with David Price.

SATURDAY, 1:30 P.M.
UA - Bernard Robert (Sr., RHP, 3-3, 29.2 IP, 3.64 ERA)
OM - Lance Lynn (So., RHP, 2-2, 35.0 IP, 2.06 ERA)NOTING LYNN: Lance Lynn earned SEC and NCBWA Pitcher of the Week honors after posting a one-hitter in a career-long 8.0 innings against #1 Vanderbilt on Saturday. Lynn has struck out 41 batters on the season and walked 14 in his six apperanaces. Lynn is holding batters to a .189 opposing batting average. He is the only starter not to give up a home run.

SUNDAY, 1:30 P.M.
UA - TBA
OM - Brett Bukvich (So., LHP, 3-1, 34.1 IP, 2.88 ERA)NOTING BUKVICH: Brett Bukvich enters the weekend coming off no decision at Vanderbilt over the weekend. The sophomore southpaw has posted 22 strikeouts and 7 walks on the season and is holding opposing batters to a .217 average through his six appearances.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE:Alabama enters the weekend series coming off a 3-1 win over Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide is led by Emeel Salem at the plate with a .394 average, four home runs and 19 RBI. He is the top steals leader with 18-of-21 successful steals. Tommy Hunter leads the Alabama pitching staff with a 1.56 ERA, 45 strikeouts and 5 walks as he has filled the starter and closer roles this season. As a team, Alabama is hitting .317 on the year and the pitching staff has turned in a 3.02 ERA on the way to a 16-8 record.

Lady Rebels Shock the World

This win for the Lady Rebels has gotten them alot of publicity today from the lead on Sportscenter to Shepard Smith dedicating about two minutes on his show to it today. If you did not see Studio B this afternoon try and find the link. Shepard really gave us some publicity today. I would like to point out a couple of stats from last night's game:

Price had three steals and needs just four more for 400 in her career. That would make her just the second player in women's NCAA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists and 400 steals. The other is former USC star Cheryl Miller.

The Lady Rebs shot 88.9% from the free throw line. That is amazing

(SID) HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -Maryland fell into Ole Miss' trap and the defending NCAA champion never got out.

Ole Miss (23-10) used its stifling defense to steal the ball 15 times and force 29 Maryland turnovers and the Rebels upset the No. 2 seed Terrapins 89-78 in the Dayton Regional on Tuesday night.

Armintie Price scored 29 points to lead the Rebels, the same Ole Miss team that was blown out by the Terps 110-79 at a tournament in the Bahamas in November. This time there was a lot more on the line.

Ole Miss will play No. 3 Oklahoma in the Dayton Regional semifinals. The third-seeded Sooners beat Marquette 78-47 on Monday.

Rebs Get By Jags

(SID) MOBILE, Ala. – The Rebels used a six run sixth inning, capped by a three-run home run from Cody Overbeck, as No. 13 Ole Miss (16-7) took down South Alabama (14-9) by a score of 8-6 on Tuesday.

Ole Miss rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the sixth and added a single run in the ninth on an infield single from Fuller Smith to score Logan Power for the final margin of victory.

Overbeck led the Rebels at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance and four RBI on the afternoon. Justin Henry went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI as the Rebels came from behind and held on behind closer Scott Bittle to secure the win.

Nathan Baker (3-1) picked up the win for the Rebels as he worked 6.0 innings with two runs on three hits a walk and three strikeouts. Bittle entered with two outs in the eighth and worked 1.1 innings with one hit, a walk and three strikeouts to secure the win. It was the seventh save of the season for Bittle.

“It was a hard-fought game,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “We blew some opportunities to score early, but we were able to answer with several good at bats in the sixth inning, including Cody Overbeck’s home run. I am especially proud of Scott Bittle for coming back from the weekend and pitching the way he did to secure the game for us.”

Wade Re-Signs With Redskins

The former Greenwood resident and Jackson Prep graduate has officialy resigned with the Washington Redskins.

(NFL)The Redskins have re-signed veteran offensive lineman Todd Wade, the team announced on Tuesday. Wade is a 6-8, 317-pounder who has played offensive tackle in his seven years in the NFL.

Wade originally signed with the Redskins in September 2006 and he served as Jon Jansen's backup at right tackle all last season.

In Week 15, with Jansen sidelined due to the calf injury, Wade stepped in. The line didn't miss a beat, as the offense compiled 161 rushing yards and yielded just one sack.

Wade was originally a second round draft choice for the Miami Dolphins in 2000 out of the University of Mississippi. In his NFL career, he has played in 87 games with 86 starts at the tackle position.

Before joining the Redskins, Wade spent the previous two seasons with the Houston Texans, where he played in 23 games with 22 starts over the course of two years.

He started and played in the Texans' first nine games in 2005 before his season was cut short by a knee injury. He was released by the Texans in July 2006.

Season Over

The Ole Miss basketball season came to an end tonight as Clemson dominated the Rebels 89-68 on their home court. It was a sloppy game for the Rebels who hung with the Tigers for about 15 minutes, before they hit rock bottom. As an avid reader of the blog Adam C. put it "This game was as ugly as Eniel Polynice's hair."

Ole Miss was lead in scoring by Todd Abernathy with 18 points. Aside from that I am not sure if anyone else scored. Dwayne Curtis chipped in 15 points, but as Andy Kennedy put it "those points did not really matter, because they came at the wrong time" The two main scoring guards Bam Doyne and Clarence Sanders only combined for 18 points.

Bam Doyne picked up 3 fouls early in the game, which led to substitutions that killed the Rebels. Kennedy decided to go with Rodney Jones who struggled for most of the game. Kennedy said in post game, "I don't know if I had put Jones in since the Delta State game." Bam's stupidity cost us again in the second half when he picked up his fourth foul less than a minute into the second half. Inexcusable for a senior.

I will give credit where credit is due though. Clemson played well and turned up the tempo on the Rebs. Five of the Tigers scored in double digits and their defense was oustanding. The full court press has almost a version of the old "40 Minutes of Hell"

All in all it was probably the worst game I saw the Rebels play all year. It seemed like to me the Rebels gave up way to early. But I understand, stealing an analogy from the boss, the check engine light finally gave out and the engine just died. Kennedy got alot more out of this team than anyone ever could have.

I will do a wrap up of the season later this week, but this team has alot to build on. But are losing some players they are really going to miss. The coaching staff is already on the road recruiting as I type this to replace these players. I just hate the season ended in a game like tonight.

Overall though, I was very very pleased with the way the season went.

Lynn Recognized by Conference

BIRMIGHAM, Ala. – Ole Miss sophomore right-hander Lance Lynn was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week for his dominating performance in last Saturday’s 6-1 win over No. 1 Vanderbilt, the league office announced Monday.

Lynn carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against one of the SEC’s top offenses. Only four Commodores reached base and just one advanced past first. The Brownsburg, Ind., native struck out five, walked three and allowed only one hit and one run (unearned) in a career-long 8.0 innings of work for his second win of the season.

Lady Rebs Stay Alive in NCAA Tourney

(SID)HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Armintie Price and her Ole Miss teammates pressed TCU right out of the NCAA tournament.

Price scored 21 points and these running Rebels scored 39 points off 23 turnovers, beating TCU 88-74 Sunday in the first round of the Dayton Regional.

Ole Miss (22-10) won in the NCAAs for the first time since 1994, posting its highest-scoring game ever in the tournament.

After losing five of their last six games, including a 52-46 defeat to LSU in the SEC tournament, the Rebels came out with a full-court trap. They finished with 12 steals, and used their defense to pull away late in the first half.

Rebels Let Another Slip Away

We can question several differenct moves that were made today with defensive substitutions but I am going to let this go a few more games, before I start calling out people. The Rebels just let this one get away from them. It was a tough loss for the Rebels, who let two games get away from them in the last innings this weekend. All in all Ole Miss took the #1 team in the nation and could have easily swept them. They handed Vandy their first loss of the season on Saturday. Yeah alot of people will be upset over this weekend, but I think it was a good one for the Rebs. All those whackos on the Spirit will thing the world has come to an end after we lost two games the way we did.

Bottom line is, we need to win the mid-week game at South Alabama. Hopefully our resident Mobile reader, Cook, will be in attendance to cheer the Rebels on and represent us. It will be a tough game before the weekend series with Alabama.

(AP)NASHVILLE — It went down to the wire again on Sunday as No. 14 Ole Miss (15-7, 1-2 SEC) rallied to take the lead in the ninth inning only to see No. 1 Vanderbilt (21-1, 2-1 SEC) rally with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to take the series with a 7-6 win over the Rebels on Sunday.

Zack Cozart went 4-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI to pace the Rebel offense while Cody Overbeck hit his fourth home run of the season to get the Rebels on the board in the second inning.

Scott Bittle (1-3) took the loss as he allowed two unearned runs on four hits in the ninth inning. Starter Brett Bukvich worked 4· innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts before leaving in the fifth. Cody Satterwhite then entered, working 3‚ innings with a run on five hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Casey Weathers (3-0) picked up the win for Vanderbilt after being on the hook for the loss following the Rebel rally in the top half of the ninth. Weathers allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 2 innings of work. Starter Brett Jacobson gave up four runs on nine hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in 5‚ innings of work.

Lynn and Team Get Revenge

The Rebels came back and turned it on early as they defeated Vanderbilt this afternoon. The Rebels really put together a good game and finally got some runs to back up some excellent pitching. Tomorrow should be interesting.

(SID)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Lance Lynn turned in a dominant performance on the mound, holding a no-hitter into the eighth inning, as No. 14 Ole Miss (15-6, 1-1 SEC) used 11 hits to take down No. 1 Vanderbilt (20-1, 1-1 SEC) by a score of 6-1 on Saturday.

It was the first loss of the season for the top-ranked Commodores as Ole Miss jumped on Vanderbilt early with five runs in the first two innings and Lynn held the Commodores in check at the plate.

Lynn (2-2) picked up his second win of the season as he gave up the one run unearned run on one hit with three walks and five strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work. Craig Rodriguez got the Rebels through the ninth inning with a walk and a strikeout as he preserved the one-hit performance for the Rebel pitching staff.

As Expected

As expected this was a great baseball game tonight. Unfortunately Vandy was able to get past the Rebs 3-2 in extra innings. It was a pitchers fight back and forth for most of the game. In the long run Price from Vandy pitched all ten innings and picked up the win for the Dores. Unfortunately for Will Kline he gets a no decision. The second of the season for him after he pitched an outstanding game to get a no decision. This game was everything it was meant to be with two of the best teams in the league/nation having to go to extra innings to settle the fight. Should be an interesting rest of the weekend in Nashville.

(SID)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It was a pitchers duel as billed on Friday, but the top-ranked Commodores came up with the hit in the end as No. 14 Ole Miss (14-6) fell to No. 1 Vanderbilt (20-0) 3-2 in 10 innings as the Commodores rallied late for the win.

Ole Miss took the 2-0 lead with runs in the fifth and sixth, but Vanderbilt scored in the sixth and the ninth to force extra innings before claiming the win in the 10th on a single from Jonathan White to score Pedro Alvarez from second.

Scott Bittle (1-2) suffered the loss in relief for the Rebels as he worked 1.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. Bittle entered the game in the ninth to relieve starter Will Kline who worked 8.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

David Price (5-0) picked up the win for the Commodores as he worked a complete game, allowing only two runs on four hits with two walks and 14 strikeouts.

Zach Miller led the Rebels at the plate as he went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Zack Cozart drove in the other run for the Rebels with a sacrifice fly in the sixth to put Ole Miss on top 2-0.

Another "Misunderstanding" in Starkville

So Rick, what you are trying to tell me is that the police are wrong and you are right? That the police were wrong on the suspended license and controlled substance posession it was a misunderstanding on their end. So Rick, what you are also trying to tell me is that the Zanax was not Dedrick's. That it was someone else's? Oh ok Rick I am supposed to believe that. If it is such a misunderstanding,WHY DID SLATER HAVE TO POST $1,040 BAIL? Last time I checked if it is a misunderstanding then the police usually let you go on your own recognance. Maybe someone around here with a law degree or in law school can clear this one up for me.

Oh, by the way Slater will be playing on Saturday. So basically at you can be cuffed, booked and jailed on Wednesday and suit up to play on Saturday. Thata boy Rick.

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball coach Rick Stansbury said this afternoon that Dietric Slater will play in Saturday’s NIT second-round game against Bradley, and that news of his Wednesday arrest was overblown.

Slater, a starting forward for the Bulldogs, was arrested around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday by Starkville police and charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, driving on a suspended driver’s license and not wearing a seat belt, police chief David Lindley said.

Stansbury said he knew all of the details of Slater’s arrest when he made a statement this morning downplaying the incident.

“All it was is he got pulled over with a suspended driver’s license that really wasn’t suspended,” Stansbury said this morning. “They had taken care of it. He was immediately released after they found out all the truth to the situation.”

Stansbury said the license suspension was the result of Slater’s record not reflecting a traffic fine he had recently paid. He also said the one pill of Xanex found by police belonged to the woman who owns the SUV Slater was driving, a 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer. Stansbury said he did not know the woman’s name. Xanax is a prescription drug used to treat anxiety.

“At the end of the day, (the seat belt violation ticket is) all he’s got,” Stansbury said.

A message left for Lindley was not immediately returned this afternoon.

MSU dean of students Michael White said he didn’t know the details of Slater’s case, but speaking generally, said that “a seat belt violation and a suspended driver’s license would probably not affect his status as a student at Mississippi State.”

White said the controlled substance charge “would be investigated and looked at pretty closely.”

Slater posted $1,040.50 bond at the Starkville police station and was released, Lindley said earlier.

Rebs-Tigers on Tube

(C-L)OXFORD — Ole Miss will play at Clemson in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament on Monday at 6 p.m.

The game time was announced today. It will be televised by ESPN.

Ole Miss (21-12) advanced with a 73-59 win against Appalachian State on Wednesday.

It set a school record for home wins in a season (16) and propelled the Rebels into the second-round of the 32-team tournament. Clemson — which is 15-0 against non-conference teams — beat East Tennessee State 64-57 in Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Ole Miss-Clemson winner will play either San Diego State or Syracuse in the third round Wednesday.

Clemson leads the all-time series 2-1, but the teams haven’t met since Ole Miss’ 53-49 win in the first round of the NIT in 1982.

Ole Miss Win Continues Roundball Season

It was not pretty, but the Ole Miss basketball team got it together to defeat Appalachian State 73-59 Wednesday night. The win moves the Rebels to 21-12 on the season and breaks a school record for most home wins in a season with 16.

Todd Abernathy was the story tonight as he accounted for 18 points for the Rebels. Todd stepped up tonight in a big way when other guards did not score as much. The Rebels also got 14 points and eight rebounds from Dwayne Curtis as well as 13 points and 11 boards from Kenny Williams. Sanders chipped in 11.

A big part of the loss for Appalachian State was the fact they went on a 6 minute drought in the second half. Appalachian State was a decent team, but in no way were they a NCAA Tournament team like some projected. They were marginal at best.

It was a sloppy game for the Rebels. Probably one of the highest turnover margins this year for the Rebels. They turned the ball over entirely too much including the first 3 possessions of the second half.

Next step for the Rebels is a trip to South Carolina to take on Clemson. Clemson is the number 1 seed in the Ole Miss bracket. The Tigers defeated East Tennessee State tonight to advance to the second round. East Tennessee is coached by Murray Bartow. Coach Kennedy was an assistant to Bartow at UAB. So needless to say we should have a good scouting report prepared for the Tigers.

The game will be Monday night at a time to be determined later. However the game will be on tv in some form or fashion.

Rebs Down Indians

The Ole Miss baseball team took care of business Tuesday night against Arkansas State. The Rebels racked up 20 hits. This was a good win against a team they have lost too and struggled with over the past couple of years.

The Rebels open SEC play this weekend against Vanderbilt who is undefeated on the season thus far. The Rebels truly need to avoid a sweep this weekend.


(SID) JONESBORO, Ark. – The Rebels pounded out a season-high 21 hits to score a season-high 14 runs as No. 14 Ole Miss (14-5) defeated Arkansas State (8-9) by a score of 14-1 on Tuesday.

The Rebel offense took control of the game early, highlighted by an in-park home run from Jordan Henry in the second inning, before Ole Miss broke the game open with a six run fifth inning.

Jordan Henry led the Rebels with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate with three runs and two RBI. He also drew a walk on the night. Logan Power finished the day 3-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored. Six Rebels notched multiple hits on the night.

Nathan Baker (2-1) picked up the win for the Rebels as he turned in 5.0 innings of work with one run on three hits as he walked none and struck out three batters. Four other pitchers saw action on the mound for the Rebels as Jesse Simpson, Rory McKean, Phillip Irwin and Justin Cryer all turned in an inning of work each.

It's Here Again

The infamous Worldclassglass Tourney Pick'em is back. No there will not be thousands of dollars in prizes or Pontiac Grand Prix's given away, but you will have the opportunity to be crowned champion on the Worldclassglass blog. The Pick'em is open to everyday readers of the blog like Trey C., Sam H., and Sparky and those that come around every now and then like posters Studdard, Drew, or Matt. It is open to all who wish to play.

It is easy to sign up and only takes a few seconds to register. This year's tourney will be hosted on ESPN. There are no real rules to this event, but I only ask that you keep it to one submission per person. I hate it when somebody submits 5 different brackets with different winners.

Here is the link to register, you have until the first game on March 15th before it locks you out. I hope a few of yall will participate:

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage

Join the private group

ID: worldclassglass
Password: mississippi

Back in the Big Dance

(SID)INDIANAPOLIS---The 64-team field competing for the 2007 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee with the Ole Miss Rebels earning their third bid under head coach Carol Ross and the 17th overall in program history.
“Well we are back in the ‘Big Dance,’” said Ross, who owns a 74-49 overall mark as the leader of the Rebels. “We are excited about the opportunity to compete for a national championship. Only 64 teams get that privilege in women’s basketball and we are thrilled that Ole Miss is one of those teams.”
Ole Miss, who earned a No. 7 seed in the Dayton Region, will travel to Hartford, Ct., for its first round match-up against the No. 10 seed Texas Christian (21-10) at 12 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, March 18. The Rebels and Horned Frogs have met twice before with Ole Miss picking up wins in both games. TCU, who finished fourth in the Mountain West Confernce, is led by junior guard Adrienne Ross, the MWC Co-Player of the Year, who averages 17.5 points and 3.0 steals per game.

Henry Named Player of Week

Ole Miss second baseman Justin Henry was named Southeastern Conference player of the week for his performance last week in leading the Rebels to a 4-1 record and a three-game series victory over UCLA.Henry hit .636. He was 14 of 22, with five multiple-hit games. He capped his weekend with a 4-for-4 performance in Sunday's 4-1 series-clinching victory over UCLA.The Vicksburg native hit .714 (10 for 14) against the Bruins. Henry leads the Rebels with a .447 batting average and is one of six Rebels hitting above .300 .Ole Miss' next game is Tuesday at Arkansas State. The Rebels then open Seastern Conference play on the road with a three-game series this weekend at top-ranked Vanderbilt. The first game is set for 7 p.m. on Friday.(C-L)

Rebels Continue the Basketball Season

Ole Miss received an invitation to the NIT tonight as a number four seed. The Rebels will take on Appalachian State on Wenesday. App State will be a five seed and has a 25-7 record on the season. This will not be an easy game for the Rebels as App State is a pretty good team. More on them in the next couple of days.

On a side note MSU somehow received a #1 seed in the tournament. How this happened I have no idea. Currently MSU has a #65 RPI. Higher than the following teams who also received invitations to the NIT but received higher seeds than MSU: Bradley, Michigan, Utah St, Florida St, West Virginia, UMASS, Alabama, Drexel, OK State, Georgia, Kansas St, Ole Miss, Appalachian State, Missouri St,Syracuse.

No I do not believe Ole Miss deserves a #1 seed, I think they deserved a seed about where they are. But I in no way think that MSU should have received a #1 seed and play the Valley. They have the least amount of wins as anybody in the NIT field.

Someone explain this to me.

Rebs Defeat Bruins

Ole Miss picked up game three today to win the UCLA series by defeating the Bruins 2 out of the 3 games this weekend. As stated earlier I was not in Oxford this weekend, but I understand their was a very controversial call to end game 2 yesterday. Would love to hear comments.

(SID Report)
OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebels continued to swing the bats well on Sunday as No. 16 Ole Miss (13-5) notched 10 hits on the way to a 4-1 win over No. 23 UCLA (8-9). The win gave the Rebels the series two games to one.

Justin Henry led the offensive output for the Rebels as he went 4-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. Zach Miller was also 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored on the afternoon, while C.J. Ketchum was 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Brett Bukvich (3-1) picked up the win as he held the Bruins to one run on five hits in his 7.1 innings on the mound. Bukvich walked one and struck out three. Scott Bittle picked up his sixth save of the season as he held the Bruins hitless over the final 1.2 innings with a walk and five strikeouts

Rebels Lose to #1 Gators in Atlanta

I made my way over to Atlanta Saturday afternoon for the slim chance the Rebels could pull off an upset. As pretty much expected Ole Miss was lost to Florida 80-59 in the semi finals of the SEC Tournament. Florida would go on to win the tournament and pick up the #1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Florida was just too much for the Rebels on Saturday. Ole Miss never could get an open shot all day long. And when the Rebels could make a shot and cut the lead some, Florida answered every time down the court. The Gators might have slacked a few games about 2 weeks ago. But they are looking real good at this point.

Once again Ole Miss was led by Clarence Sanders who put up 21 points for the Rebs. Kenny Williams got into some foul trouble early but still managed 9 points and 12 rebounds. He was the only big man in the normal three man rotation who was able to contribute. Hurt toe or not Dwayne Curtis continued to still be slow on defense and miss lay ups. As one fan in my group stood up and let everyone in our section know what was on his mind by shouting "Dwayne Curtis, you just suck" I can't say I disagree. Another in the line of Barnes recruits who were terribly overrated.

On a side note Todd Abernathy pitched in 8 points to put him in the 1,000 point club for his career. Todd was a solid player in his four years with the Rebels. He came out every night and fought hard. He might not be the best point guard in the nation but he is one of the hardest working players to ever come through Ole Miss.

Also Greg Hardy was my player of the game. Hardy scored a career high six points and grabbed four rebounds. Hardy was fighting and playing his heart out in the minutes he was out there. I liked Greg on the court, but it is in his best interest next year to stay on the football field next year. He has the potential to be an NFL defensive end, and I hope he puts all of his effort into that next year. But Greg was able to give some valuable minutes to a position the Rebels struggled with this year.

All in all, we just had a bad draw. It would have been tough for anyone to pick off Florida in the semi finals in the SEC Tourney. Tough break, but definitely a step in the right direction.

Rebs Pickup Two Mid-Week Games

The Ole Miss baseball team picked up two mid-week wins over Austin Peay. Aside from the game detail below from Tuesday's game, the Rebels defeated the Governor's on Wednesday night 9-3. This was probably one of the Rebels most complete games thus far this season. The pitching was good and the scoring was even better. The Rebels are going to need more night's like this to continue on track of the past couple of seaons. I like games like tonight when you are able to play alot of people and play some younger guys. The Rebels were able to pitch a handfull of pitchers who all performed well as well as many substitutions in the field also.

UCLA comes to town this weekend. It should be a good matchup for those in Oxford. I remember when we were at UCLA last year and they called the cops on the fans because they were yelling to loud. It was one of the most bizarre events I had ever seen. I doubt the Bruins have ever experienced an atmosphere like they will this weekend. Let's just hope the win loss record for the series is better this time around for the Rebels.

Tuesday night SID report:

OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebels broke out the bats and came up with the offense it needed down the stretch as No. 16 Ole Miss (10-4) downed Austin Peay (3-5) by a score of 4-3 on Tuesday. The Rebels pounded out 12 hits on the night in the victory.

C.J. Ketchum went 2-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run to start the scoring for the Rebels, as he led four Rebels with multiple hits on the night. Justin Henry, Jordan Henry and Zach Miller all went 2-for-4 at the plate to pace the Rebel offense.

Jesse Simpson (1-0) picked up the win in relief as he entered the game in the sixth inning, turning in 2.2 innings of work. Simpson held the Governors scoreless and hitless as he struck out three batters. Scott Bittle picked up his fifth save of the season, closing out the final 1.1 innings as he held the governors hitless with three strikeouts.

Nathan Baker drew the start, working 5.0 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits. He walked one and struck out five on the night.

Tourney Time

It is SEC Tournament time once again and I think that this year's tournament could be one of the best. There are several teams in this year's tournament that need to win 2-3 games to get into the NCAA tournament and they are going to be fighting like cats and dogs to get those wins. You have alot of parity in the SEC this year and it will come into play in this weekend. In the view of most there is Florida and then everyone else. I think everyone in this tournament is beatable Florida or not.

If you have never been to an SEC Basketball Tournament you are missing out. By my count I have been to 8 SEC Tournaments. Twice seeing the Rebels play in the Tournament finals. I have seen the Rebels play in Orlando, New Orleans(2), Memphis, Atlanta(2), Nashville. Sometimes the Rebels were one and done and other times they made it to the finals. I saw the Rebels and Gerald Glass lose in 1990 to Alabama in Orlando and the 2001 loss to Kentucky in the finals in Nashville. Overall the Rebels have not fared well in the tournament as they have an overall 22-43 record in the 43 tournament history. With the lone title coming in 1981 at the famous tournament in Birmingham.

The Tournament is a great venue for fans of the SEC. You are able to interact with fans from all the schools. The one thing you should never wish upon yourself is having to play Kentucky. Kentucky fans travel to the SEC Tournament like the world is coming to an end. As a matter of fact they refer to Atlanta as CATLANTA this time of year. It is a sight in and of itself to see all the Kentucky fans and their outfits.

This tournament is going to be a tough one for the Rebels no matter how who look at it. The first round matchup will either be against LSU or Tennessee, both teams the Rebels have beaten. However, the Rebels beat LSU at the buzzer and defeated UT without the services of Chris Lofton. If they were somehow able to get passed either of those teams they would more than likely have to take on one of the nations best teams in Florida. A tough road is ahead.

Who will win this tournament I do not know. However I do not see it being Florida. I think there are more teams in this tournament who have something to prove and are going to play harder than Florida. But you never know with Donnovan and his team. The one thing I do know is that for the next couple of days I will be glued to the tv to see how this great event plays out.

My Thoughts Exactly

If you have not had a chance to read the Mobile Press Register sports column by Neal McCready you are missing out. McCready summed up my opinions 1,000 times better than I ever could have. Let Wright State and Akron come to the SEC and see how many games they would win. Here is a portion of the article below. Followed by the link(copy and paste to view):

(McCready) If the only SEC teams to get good news Sunday are Florida, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Kentucky, something should change after the people who made the decisions are stripped of their power. The SEC and the ACC are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in conference RPI, in some order. The ACC, however, is widely expected to receive at least six bids with three other teams -- Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech -- going into the conference tournament on the proverbial bubble. Among the teams considered locks to March Madness is an 8-8 Duke team, which is in the headlines this week only because of a cheap shot from Gerald Henderson that bloodied North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough's nose and mouth. Florida State and Clemson are 7-9, for goodness sakes, and the Tigers have lost nine of their last 13 games.
It's widely considered a given that the Big East will get six bids and three other teams from that league -- DePaul, Syracuse and West Virginia -- are on the bubble. Those three teams have RPIs that are basically identical to those of Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Georgia, but the Big East teams fattened their league records on lightweights Seton Hall, Rutgers, South Florida and Cincinnati -- teams that won four or fewer conference games.
The Missouri Valley Conference might get three bids to the NCAA tournament. The Mountain West Conference will almost certainly get three and maybe four bids if San Diego State is invited.
Give me a break. And while you're at it, give one to LSU's John Brady, whose team went to the Final Four a year ago, whipped Texas A&M and Florida this year, but couldn't escape the cellar of the SEC West this season. Brady's team isn't going to the NCAA tournament barring a miraculous four-game run this weekend in Atlanta, but he's a bit perturbed at the speculation nationally that the SEC might get just one-third of its membership into the dance.
"Why wouldn't an 8-8 team from the SEC be tournament-worthy?" Brady said. "Our league is arguably the best. I think we're the best top to bottom. ... There's no question in my mind that if some of these other teams had to play in this league night in and night out, they'd get beat up pretty good too.
"I think for the Western Division champion or any 8-8 team in this league to not be in the NCAA tournament, I think it's wrong and I think it's biased and I think it's not right."
The Big Ten and the Pac-10 aren't as deep as the SEC but are projected to get as many as six bids apiece. If it happens, Slive deserves some of the blame. The commissioner has to exit the room when an SEC team's candidacy is discussed, but he can make his opinions known and he can make life miserable for some of the other people locked up in that room all weekend.
The only SEC team that could possibly be labeled as "bad" this season is South Carolina, and the Gamecocks beat Tennessee and Ole Miss late last month and took Vanderbilt to overtime last week. LSU beat Texas A&M and Florida but lost 10 league games. The argument Slive should make is simple: The SEC should be rewarded, not punished, for its collective strength.

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/sports/11732629937106
0.xml&coll=3

Chadwick's Boys Getting Recognized Again

Ole Miss men’s tennis junior Robbye Poole has been named the SEC Player of the Week for his outstanding performance last week in leading the No. 8 nationally ranked Rebels (12-1) to three wins, including a 2-0 start in conference play. Poole, ranked No. 33 in the nation, went 4-0 in singles and doubles last week. Against Florida, he shut out Daniel Cash 6-0, 6-0 to propel the Rebels to a 5-2 win, their fifth in the last six against the Gators.With Sunday’s win, against South Carolina, Poole notched his 25th victory of the year, as the Rebels posted their eighth shutout on the season. He has won five in a row and 11 of his last 12, with his only loss coming when he played No. 2 singles at Northwestern. Poole has not dropped a set in any of his 11 dual match wins this season.“This is a tremendous honor for Robbye,” head coach Billy Chadwick said. “He has been playing lights out all year, and his impressive play against Florida led us to the win. He is one of the most improved players in the nation.”The Rebels have now had two SEC Players of the Week this season, with senior Eric Claesson winning the award for the week of Feb. 13.Ole Miss heads to the state of Alabama this weekend for a pair of matches. On Friday, the team will face the Crimson Tide at 2 p.m., and on Sunday, the Rebels will be at Auburn for a 1 p.m. match.(SID)

Roundball Rebels Pick Up Commit

Andy Kennedy got a commitment today from probably the state's top JUCO player. Pearl River Community College forward Wesley Jones committed to Kennedy's staff this afternoon. Jones is a 6'8 200 small forward who was the MVP of South Carolina coming out of high school. This year for PRCC he averaged about 24 points and 10 rebounds. I think this is a pretty big pickup for the Rebels and Jones should have an immediate impact for the Rebs next year.

Kennedy Coach of Year/Other Rebels Honored

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy was named SEC coach of the year by the Associated Press this afternoon. This is a great recognition for Kennedy who edged out Vandy's Kevin Stallings for the honor. Kennedy turned a fading and short on talent program around in less than a year and made them into a fun, intense, team that was co-champions of the west. Congrats to A.K.

OXFORD, Miss. -- In his debut season at Ole Miss, Andy Kennedy returned the Rebels to the top of the Southeastern Conference Western Division, and on Tuesday, was named the SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press.
Also gathering AP honors were senior guards Clarence Sanders and Todd Abernethy. Sanders was selected Second Team All-SEC, while Abernethy was an Honorable Mention All-SEC pick.
Kennedy guided Ole Miss, a preseason last-place pick in the West, to its first division title since 2001 and its most wins -- both overall (19) and SEC (8) -- in five years. The Rebels knocked off 18th-ranked Alabama for first its top-25 victory since 2004 and defeated current No. 22 Tennessee.
A 38-year-old native of Louisville, Miss., Kennedy came to Ole Miss after a season as interim head coach at Cincinnati, where he was labeled the Big East Coach of the Year by CBS Sportsline and the New York Post. Thrust into duty less than three months before the season, he led a shaken Bearcat program to a 21-13 record and the brink of an NCAA Tournament berth, despite the nation's fifth-toughest schedule and a roster short on staff and scholarship players.
Kennedy is the fifth Ole Miss mentor to earn SEC Coach of the Year distinction.

Clark Making Some Noise

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss first baseman Andrew Clark was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday by the league office following his performance in the Dairy Queen Classic over the weekend.

Clark, a freshman from New Palestine, Ind., hit .700 on the weekend to help lead the Rebels to the Dairy Queen Classic title as Ole Miss defeated fifth-ranked Arkansas and split a doubleheader with host Minnesota. The lefty hit two home runs, including a monster shot into the upper deck of the Metrodome, while tallying four RBI. He also posted a 1.500 slugging percentage for the tournament and a .769 on base percentage for the weekend.

Clark was also named as the Easton Silver Stick winner (tournament MVP) as the player with the highest batting average in the tournament.(SID)

Diamond Rebs Go 2 of 3 Dairy Queen Classic

This on top of a 5-4 win over #5 Arkansas on Friday afternoon.


MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Rebels broke out the bats on Saturday and closed out the day on a high note, recovering from a late-inning loss in game one of a doubleheader to claim game two, as No. 16 Ole Miss (9-4) powered past Minnesota (4-1) by a score of 9-4 to close out the Dairy Queen Classic.

The Rebels used 14 hits, including a two-run shot to the upper deck from freshman Andrew Clark, to power past the Golden Gophers in game two. Ole Miss gave up three unearned runs in the eighth inning to drop the first game of the day 3-2 to host Minnesota for the split.

Kennedy Leads Team to Victory

Ole Miss defeated Auburn 83-79 Saturday afternoon to grab a share of the SEC Western Division Championship. The Rebels somehow managed to once again win a game in the final minute as Bam Doyne of all people drained four straight free throws to put this one on the books. Auburn led for the majority of the game aside from the start of the second half when the Rebels were able to gain as much as an eight point lead, before watching that dwindle away.

Doyne led the Rebels with 19 points followed by Clarence Sanders who put up another 18 point game for the Rebels. Sanders hit a clutch three point with less than a minute to go that put the Rebels back in to the game. Sanders had a wide open lane for a lay up, but opted to "Play a Little Sting Music" instead and drained a three pointer.

For Auburn, they outplayed the Rebels. They were led by Quan Prowell who scored 26 for the Tigers. Auburn had this game won and made a couple of foolish errors to give the ball back to Ole Miss and then watch their lead slip away in under a minute. They are a team alot like Ole Miss, very little SEC talent but play real hard. And Lebo is a guy with alot of emotion like Kennedy. I think they are getting better year by year.

With the MSU win over Alabama today the Rebels and Dogs both finish atop the West. MSU will get the #1 seed at the SEC Tourney this week. The Rebels on the other hand also received a bye in and will be the #2 seed playing the winner of the UT/LSU game on Friday night.

More on the tourney as the week progresses.