Ruby DraayerOle Miss men’s basketball announced a preseason tournament as well as its full SEC schedule last week. The team will start off its preseason on Nov. 25 at the Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic.
During the tournament, the Rebels will host Arkansas State, Central Arkansas and Jackson State University at the Pavilion.
“What a great way to tip-off our season with three straight days of basketball leading up to the Egg Bowl,” head coach Kermit Davis said. “We could not find a finer man to name our classic after than Justin Reed, one of the most popular players in Ole Miss history.”
Former basketball favorite Justin Reed started all four years at Ole Miss from 2001 to 2004, and later, he went on to be drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft. Reed was also the first Rebel to be named a member of the All-SEC team in four different seasons.
This 2020-2021 season will feature an 18-game slate, ending on March 2. The first SEC game will kick off for Ole Miss on Dec. 29 at the University of Alabama, and it will be followed by the faceoff against Auburn on Jan. 6 at The Pavilion.
Earlier this year, Ole Miss basketball was in the spotlight for having a top-tier recruiting class as well as a big-splash hire. Former Ole Miss basketball legend Marshall Henderson was brought in as a graduate assistant after breaking records and gaining national attention for his intensity on the court. Henderson became known for his 129 three-pointers in his senior season and helped Ole Miss punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament in 2013.
Davis and his staff have yet to take a break this offseason following the immediate eligibility of Samford transfer Robert Allen. Allen is a 6-foot-8 forward expected to make an impact early this season.
“We were all extremely excited to receive word of Robert’s waiver to play this season,” Davis said. “Rob will bring tremendous passion and energy to our team as he has shown every day in practice. A big thank you goes to our compliance staff and Samford University on assisting with the process.”
Other new additions to the stacked roster include graduate students Dimencio Vaughn and Romello White, freshman Matthew Murrell, junior Jarkel Joiner and redshirt freshman Shon Robinson.
The attendance plan, including tickets, parking and safety guidelines will be announced next week. The Pavilion is currently set to allow 25% limited capacity as well. Times and broadcasting will be announced later.
