OUTLOOK Season Outlook 24-26 2011-12 Roster 27 Pronunciation Guide 27 Radio/TV Roster 28 BASKETBALL FOUR POSTSEASON BERTHS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OLEMISSSPORTS.COM 23
NEW LOOK, HIGH HOPES IN A WORLD FULL OF CONSTANT CHANGE, WHAT DOESN T CHANGE FOR ANDY KENNEDY EACH YEAR ARE HIS EXPECTATIONS FOR THE OLE MISS BASKETBALL TEAM. Entering his sixth year as the Rebels head coach, Kennedy s 105 wins are the most by any coach in program history in a five-year span, and the Rebels 38 victories over Southeastern Conference foes are the most by a Rebel coach in his first five seasons. This year s Rebel squad will look to build on two straight seasons with 20 or more wins and a postseason berth. Despite substantial shakeups to the Ole Miss roster and coaching staff, Kennedy views the 2011-12 team as one of his most promising yet. My expectations are always very high, said Kennedy, the first coach in school history with four 20+ win campaigns. I believe in what we re doing. There s a very fine line between winning and misery, and there really is no in-between. For us, the fact that we ve won 105 total games and 20 games four times in five seasons shows we ve had some success. It s a matter of sustaining a level of consistency and when we have our opportunities, taking advantage of them. The challenge this year will be replacing the production lost by the graduation of guards Chris Warren and Zach Graham, who finished their careers as the third- and 18th-leading scorers in school history, respectively. Warren, a two-time All-SEC pick, leaves an especially large void after starting all but one game he played in as the Rebels point guard for the last four years. The way I look at it is there s a huge opportunity from the void of minutes that s left from what Chris and Zach brought to the floor, Kennedy said. No one is going to bring the exact skill set that Chris brought. What we have to do as a staff is once we ve evaluated the strengths of our players, put them in a position to be successful. The onus for leadership may come from the frontcourt players for the first time in several years in Oxford. Senior forward Terrance Henry is the veteran presence in the locker room and the team s top returning scorer (9.7 ppg). He leads a frontcourt that also includes junior forward Reginald Buckner (6.8 ppg, team-high 6.4 rpg and 2.9 bpg), senior forward Steadman Short (3.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore center Demarco Cox (1.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg). Reginald Buckner and Terrance Henry make up a formidable inside duo for the Rebels. If junior forward Murphy Holloway is granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA and SEC, he would dramatically impact the Rebels frontcourt. A two-year starter in Oxford before transferring to South Carolina and now back to Ole Miss, Holloway led the Rebels in rebounding each of his two seasons and pitched in 10.1 points per game as a sophomore. Adding depth in the frontcourt is freshman Aaron Jones. With the mixing of the old with the new, now you have quality and quantity on the front line, Kennedy said. The key for all of them will be consistency. In the backcourt, the Rebels are very young but not lacking in talent. To provide the quality of minutes and production left by the departure of Warren and Graham, the coaching staff needs some of that raw talent to step up to the task. Leading the returning crop is sophomore Dundrecous Nelson, who averaged 7.2 points per game as a rookie and exploded for an Ole Miss freshman record 30 points at Auburn near season s end. Junior Nick Williams, in his fourth year of college, will offer the one veteran option among the guards after he posted 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game a year ago. Freshman Jelan Kendrick, the first McDonald s High School All-American to join the Ole Miss program, is poised to contribute heavily after he becomes eligible in December. After beginning his career at the University of Memphis, he transferred to Ole Miss before playing his first collegiate game. Also expected to contribute in the backcourt are incoming freshmen Jarvis Summers, Maurice Aniefiok, LaDarius Snoop White and Jamal Jones. Three new assistant coaches add to the plethora of fresh faces roaming the majestic Basketball Practice Facility on a daily basis. Former FIU head coach Sergio Rouco, former Middle Tennessee assistant Al Pinkins and former Ole Miss director of basketball operations Bill Armstrong were hired by Kennedy in the offseason to help mold the Rebels talented players into a unified team and take Ole Miss to the next level. This year, the coaching staff is preaching trust. Players have to trust one another. Players have to trust the coaches. Fans need to trust the team. The team needs to trust its hard work. We have not made the NCAA Tournament, which is obviously one of the goals that has not been met, but my hope is that people trust the direction the program is going, Kennedy said. Although that goal, which is a big one in the perception of college basketball, hasn t been met, there have been numerous accomplishments achieved. Looking at where we are now from a talent standpoint and where we are in the BPF and plans for a new arena, I do think we re moving the program in the right direction. The quest for an NCAA berth and another successful campaign begins Nov. 11 against Louisiana-Monroe. Another year of plowing through the rigorous Southeastern Conference slate begins Jan. 7 at LSU. Are you ready? 24 REBEL HOOPS 2011-12 105 WINS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS
2011-12 REBEL BREAKDOWN RETURNEES (6) Starters (3) No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Exp. Ppg Rpg Apg Spg Bpg G/GS 1 Terrance Henry F 6-9 210 Sr. 3L 9.7 6.0 1.2 0.7 1.1 34/32 20 Nick Williams G 6-4 210 Jr. 1L 6.2 4.0 1.5 0.7 0.1 34/26 23 Reginald Buckner F 6-9 225 Jr. 2L 6.8 6.4 0.6 0.6 2.9 33/30 Other Letterwinners (3) No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Exp. Ppg Rpg Apg Spg Bpg G/GS 5 Dundrecous Nelson G 5-11 195 So. 1L 7.2 1.5 1.4 0.6 0.1 34/7 15 Steadman Short F 6-9 230 Sr. 1L 3.2 3.8 0.3 0.3 0.4 33/2 4 Demarco Cox C 6-8 276 So. 1L 1.6 1.9 0.1 0.2 0.3 29/4 Ole Miss returns three full-time starters from last year s squad (Terrance Henry 32 starts, Reginald Buckner 30, Nick Williams 26) and three more players who earned multiple starting nods (Dundrecous Nelson 7, Demarco Cox 4, Steadman Short 2). The Rebels also add Murphy Holloway back to the mix. Holloway was a two-year starter in Oxford before transferring to South Carolina after his sophomore year. Who are the Rebels top returning statistical leaders? Terrance Henry in scoring (9.7 ppg) and steals (0.7 spg), Reginald Buckner in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and blocked shots (2.9 bpg) and Nick Williams in assists (1.5 apg). One of two seniors on this year s squad, forward Terrance Henry closed the 2010-11 season averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds over the team s last nine games. Junior forward Reginald Buckner already ranks second in school history in career blocked shots (159). Last year, he broke his own school record with 95 swats and ranked third in the SEC and 15th nationally with 2.9 per game. The Memphis, Tenn., native became the first player in school history to be named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. Sophomore G Dundrecous Nelson Sophomore guard Dundrecous Nelson showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season, including an Ole Miss freshman record 30 points at Auburn. The Jackson, Miss., product is poised for a breakout sophomore campaign. LOST (5) Starters (2) No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. 10-11 Yr. Exp. Ppg Rpg Apg Spg Bpg G/GS 12 Chris Warren G 5-10 168 Sr. 4L 19.1 2.2 3.8 0.7 0.1 34/34 32 Zach Graham G 6-6 218 Sr. 4L 14.2 4.5 1.5 0.8 0.5 34/26 Other Letterwinners (3) No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. 10-11 Yr. Exp. Ppg Rpg Apg Spg Bpg G/GS 3 Will Bogan G 6-1 180 So. 2L 0.8 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.0 13/0 23 Trevor Gaskins G 6-2 210 Jr. 3L 6.1 2.8 1.9 0.9 0.1 31/9 25 Donald Williams G 6-5 215 So. 1L 2.2 0.6 0.0 0.1 0.0 9/0 Ole Miss lost two 1,000-point scorers to graduation in guards Chris Warren (2,021 points) and Zach Graham (1,274 points). Warren started all but one game in his career, and the 5-foot-10 point guard became the fourth player in SEC history to rack up 2,000 points and 400 assists. He averaged 19.1 points per game last year (2nd in SEC) and led the nation in free-throw percentage (92.8). Graham chipped in 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. Will Bogan and Trevor Gaskins earned their undergraduate degrees from Ole Miss in 2011 and transferred to Valparaiso and Louisiana Tech, respectively. Donald Williams left to pursue other options. Chris Warren Zach Graham FOUR POSTSEASON BERTHS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OLEMISSSPORTS.COM 25
NEWCOMERS (9) No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Exp. Ppg Rpg Apg Spg Bpg G/GS 3 Jamal Jones G 6-8 185 Fr. HS 23.0 6.0 2.0 3.0 10 LaDarius White G 6-6 208 Fr. HS 25.5 8.0 5.0 12 Maurice Aniefiok G 6-5 205 Fr. HS 13.7 6.6 13 Dale Hughes* G 6-2 197 Jr. TR 7.8 1.2 0.7 0.7 0.0 29/1 24 Will Norman* G 6-5 225 Fr. RS 12.6 4.4 2.1 31 Murphy Holloway* F 6-7 240 Jr. 2L 10.1 7.6 0.6 1.5 0.7 34/30 32 Jarvis Summers G 6-4 184 Fr. HS 20.0 5.0 8.0 34 Aaron Jones F 6-8 218 Fr. HS 19.7 15.8 5.0 4.7 45 Jelan Kendrick* G 6-7 210 Fr. RS 19.6 6.7 3.5 * Redshirted last season; Statistics are from the 2009-10 season In addition to a signing class of five freshmen, Ole Miss added a pair of big-name transfers to its 2011-12 roster. Jelan Kendrick, the first McDonald s High School All-American in Rebel Hoops history, arrived in Oxford from the University of Memphis in December 2010. The redshirt freshman will be eligible to join the team after the fall 2011 semester. Junior forward Murphy Holloway, who was a full-time starter for two years at Ole Miss, has returned after transferring to South Carolina and sitting out last year. Ole Miss awaits decisions on waiver applications of NCAA and SEC transfer rules to determine his eligibility for the 2011-12 season. Ole Miss signed a school-record three Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen players out of the state of Mississippi in forward Aaron Jones (Pascagoula), point guard Jarvis Summers (Jackson) and guard LaDarius White (McComb). Summers led Provine High School to three state championship game appearances and was his team s starting point guard for four straight years. Nigerian stud Maurice Aniefiok (Lagos; Huntington (W. Va.) Prep School) and Arkansas native Jamal Jones (Searcy) rounded out the Rebels signing class. Junior F Murphy Holloway From left to right: (back row) Jelan Kendrick, Aaron Jones, Steadman Short, Terrance Henry, Reginald Buckner, Demarco Cox, Brock Shorter, Murphy Holloway; (front) Dundrecous Nelson, Nick Williams, Will Norman, Jamal Jones, LaDarius White, Maurice Aniefiok, Jarvis Summers, Dale Hughes 26 REBEL HOOPS 2011-12 105 WINS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS
NUMERICAL 2011-12 ROSTER BY CLASS No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (High School/Other School) 1 Terrance Henry F 6-9 210 Sr. Monroe, La. (Carroll HS) 3 Jamal Jones G 6-8 185 Fr. Searcy, Ark. (Searcy HS) 4 Demarco Cox C 6-8 276 So. Yazoo City, Miss. (Yazoo City HS) 5 Dundrecous Nelson G 5-11 195 So. Jackson, Miss. (Murrah HS) 10 Ladarius White G 6-6 208 Fr. McComb, Miss. (McComb HS) 12 Maurice Aniefiok G 6-5 205 Fr. Lagos, Nigeria (Ikeja HS/Huntington [W. Va.] Prep) 13 Dale Hughes G 6-2 197 Jr. Columbus, Miss. (New Hope HS/Florida A&M) 15 Steadman Short F 6-9 230 Sr. Simpsonville, S.C. (Hillcrest HS/High Point/Chipola JC) 20 Nick Williams G 6-4 210 Jr. Mobile, Ala. (LeFlore Prep Academy/Indiana) 23 Reginald Buckner F 6-9 225 Jr. Memphis, Tenn. (Manassas HS) 24 Will Norman G 6-5 206 R-Fr. Lafayette, La. (St. Thomas More HS) 31 Murphy Holloway F 6-7 240 Jr. Irmo, S.C. (Dutch Fork HS/Ole Miss/South Carolina) 32 Jarvis Summers G 6-4 184 Fr. Jackson, Miss. (Provine HS) 34 Aaron Jones F 6-8 218 Fr. Pascagoula, Miss. (Gautier HS) 45 Jelan Kendrick* G 6-7 210 R-Fr. Atlanta, Ga. (Wheeler HS/Memphis) ALPHABETICAL No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (High School/Other School) 12 Maurice Aniefiok G 6-5 205 Fr. Lagos, Nigeria (Ikeja HS/Huntington [W. Va.] Prep) 23 Reginald Buckner F 6-9 225 Jr. Memphis, Tenn. (Manassas HS) 4 Demarco Cox C 6-8 276 So. Yazoo City, Miss. (Yazoo City HS) 1 Terrance Henry F 6-9 210 Sr. Monroe, La. (Carroll HS) 31 Murphy Holloway F 6-7 240 Jr. Irmo, S.C. (Dutch Fork HS/Ole Miss/South Carolina) 13 Dale Hughes G 6-2 197 Jr. Columbus, Miss. (New Hope HS/Florida A&M) 34 Aaron Jones F 6-8 218 Fr. Pascagoula, Miss. (Gautier HS) 3 Jamal Jones G 6-8 185 Fr. Searcy, Ark. (Searcy HS) 45 Jelan Kendrick* G 6-7 210 R-Fr. Atlanta, Ga. (Wheeler HS/Memphis) 5 Dundrecous Nelson G 5-11 195 So. Jackson, Miss. (Murrah HS) 24 Will Norman G 6-5 206 R-Fr. Lafayette, La. (St. Thomas More HS) 15 Steadman Short F 6-9 230 Sr. Simpsonville, S.C. (Hillcrest HS/High Point/Chipola JC) 32 Jarvis Summers G 6-4 184 Fr. Jackson, Miss. (Provine HS) 10 Ladarius White G 6-6 208 Fr. McComb, Miss. (McComb HS) 20 Nick Williams G 6-4 210 Jr. Mobile, Ala. (LeFlore Prep Academy/Indiana) * Will be eligible following the 2011 fall semester COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Andy Kennedy (UAB, 1991) Entering sixth year at Ole Miss in 2011-12 (126-77 record as a head coach/six years) Assistant Coaches: Sergio Rouco (Nova Southeastern, 1987), First Year Al Pinkins (NC State, 1998), First Year Bill Armstrong (UAB, 2001), Sixth Year SUPPORT STAFF Coordinator of Basketball Operations: Robi Coker Coordinator of Video Services: Dan Hartfield Athletic Trainer: Clarke Holter Strength & Conditioning Coach: Matt Turner Senior Staff Assistant: Kara Hobson PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Maurice ANIEFIOK........................ah-NAY-fyok JELAN Kendrick............................. juh-lon DUNDRECOUS Nelson....................dun-DREE-kus STEADMAN Short..........................STED-man FRESHMEN (7) Maurice Aniefiok Aaron Jones Jamal Jones Jelan Kendrick Will Norman Jarvis Summers Ladarius White SOPHOMORES (2) Demarco Cox Dundrecous Nelson JUNIORS (4) Reginald Buckner Murphy Holloway Dale Hughes Nick Williams SENIORS (2) Terrance Henry Steadman Short BY STATE/COUNTRY ALABAMA (1) Nick Williams ARKANSAS (1) Jamal Jones GEORGIA (1) Jelan Kendrick LOUISIANA (2) Terrance Henry Will Norman MISSISSIPPI (6) Demarco Cox Dale Hughes Aaron Jones Dundrecous Nelson Jarvis Summers Ladarius White NIGERIA (1) Maurice Aniefiok SOUTH CAROLINA (2) Murphy Holloway Steadman Short TENNESSEE (1) Reginald Buckner FOUR POSTSEASON BERTHS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OLEMISSSPORTS.COM 27
RADIO/TV ROSTER 1 3 4 5 10 TERRANCE HENRY 6-9 210 F Sr. Monroe, La. JAMAL JONES 6-8 185 G Fr. Searcy, Ark. DEMARCO COX 6-8 276 C Soph. Yazoo City, Miss. DUNDRECOUS NELSON 5-11 195 G Soph. Jackson, Miss. LADARIUS WHITE 6-6 208 G Fr. McComb, Miss. 12 13 15 20 23 MAURICE ANIEFIOK 6-5 205 G Fr. Lagos, Nigeria DALE HUGHES 6-2 197 G Jr. Columbus, Miss. STEADMAN SHORT 6-9 230 F Sr. Simpsonville, S.C. NICK WILLIAMS 6-4 210 G Jr. Mobile, Ala. REGINALD BUCKNER 6-9 225 F Jr. Memphis, Tenn. 24 31 32 34 45 WILL NORMAN 6-5 206 G R-Fr. Lafayette, La. MURPHY HOLLOWAY 6-7 240 F Jr. Irmo, S.C. JARVIS SUMMERS 6-4 184 G Fr. Jackson, Miss. AARON JONES 6-8 218 F Fr. Pascagoula, Miss. JELAN KENDRICK 6-7 210 G R-Fr. Atlanta, Ga. AC AC AC HC SERGIO ROUCO First year at Ole Miss AL PINKINS First year at Ole Miss BILL ARMSTRONG Sixth year at Ole Miss ANDY KENNEDY Sixth year at Ole Miss 28 REBEL HOOPS 2011-12 105 WINS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS