Mississippi Preview-Capsule
Mississippi
Last season: 12-20, coach Andy Kennedy resigned after nearly 12 seasons with the program.
Nickname: Rebels.
Coach: Kermit Davis.
Conference: Southeastern.
Who's gone: Guard Deandre Burnett, guard/forward Markel Crawford, forward Marcanvis Hymon, forward Justas Furmanavicius.
Who's back: Senior guard Terence Davis returns after leading the team with 13.8 points and grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game last season. Point guard Breein Tyree (10.8 ppg), forward Bruce Stevens (10.8 ppg), guard Devontae Shuler (6.0 ppg) and 7-footer Dominik Olejniczak (4.3 ppg) also had substantial roles last year.
Who's new: A pair of 6-foot-7 freshmen, Blake Hinson and K.J. Buffen, should get plenty of playing time immediately.
The Skinny: Ole Miss is led by first-year coach Kermit Davis, who comes to Oxford after 16 mostly successful seasons at Middle Tennessee. The Rebels have a decent mix of veterans and newcomers as they try to climb out of the SEC basement.
Expectations: Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the SEC in the preseason poll after losing 20 games last season. With a new coach and some experience returning there's reason to believe the Rebels could exceed expectations, but anything better than 17 or 18 wins might be a stretch.