Two true freshmen impressing, star guard coming along as Ole Miss basketball stays busy in critical summer
In just over a week, Ole Miss basketball will leave for The Bahamas, where the Rebels are scheduled to play several games against local teams in Nassau and Atlantis.
The NCAA allows teams to make an international trip every four years, meaning Ole Miss last took one in 2018, which was the debut season of now-fifth-year Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis.
This time around, the Rebels will be gone from July 31-August 5.
“We did it four years ago and had some good moments,” Davis said, when he joined the Rebel Yell Hotline this week. “But we had some ugly moments. We learned so much about our team. There may be some things we say, ‘Gosh, these just aren’t the right packages for our team,’ so we go a different direction.
“Sometimes those things are great that you can figure it out. I’m looking forward to the competition. We’re going to play teams that simulate college teams. It’ll be good competition. It’s going to be great to be able to play a lot of different guys, watch them play, watch tape and figure a lot of things out about ourselves and our team and what’s best for them.”
Davis has said repeatedly the initial foreign tour was invaluable for a Rebel team that went on to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Ole Miss hasn’t been back since, but the foundation was laid for three next-level superstars (Terence Davis, Breein Tyree and Devontae Shuler) to mesh with a host of newcomers. The Rebels won 13 of their first 15 games. Davis was named SEC Coach of the Year.
He hopes for a similar result this time around. Ole Miss returns six players from its 13-19 team of a season ago, however, star guard Daeshun Ruffin and front-court veteran Robert Allen won’t join the team in full until September at the earliest.
They’re both recovering from season-ending ACL injuries.
“Daeshun and Robert are making great progress,” Davis said. “They’re not doing anything with our team and probably won’t until the fall. We’ll take it very conservatively with both guys, but they’ve both made tremendous progress. They’re doing individual workouts this summer every day.
“Tye Fagan is healthy and back playing with our team. Robert and Daeshun will go on the (Bahamas) trip, but they won’t participate.”
Ole Miss is halfway through the 10 summer practices allowed by the NCAA.
Now, the Rebels will look to carry their work over in paradise, when Ole Miss will take on the A and B national teams for The Bahamas, as well as a team or two made up mostly of European professionals.
Davis will be evaluating everything, including a pair of true freshmen who’ve impressed so far. Ole Miss has six returners compared to seven newcomers. Four transfers were added out of the portal in the spring.
“Amaree Abram is a guy who’s really mature for his age as a freshman,” Davis said. “He can play fast in the open court. We all know what Daeshun can do when healthy. Those two guys are dynamic. We’ve got some really fast wings.
“(Malique Ewin) has really got a chance. He’s got to get himself into shape and get his motor running at a higher level. He’s done that. I’m excited about Malique. He’s skilled. He’s a good guy. Boy, he’s got a lot of talent. He got here a little bit late, but he’s really got a chance to be one of the better young bigs in our league.”
Mostly, though, the Bahamas trip is about Davis inching his team closer and closer to game-ready, much as Davis said he’d like to fast-forward.
Ole Miss, which recently released its non-conference opponents, opens its season against Alcorn State November 7.
“You try to fast-forward your team to get ready to play games when they’re really not ready,” Davis said. “We’re trying to put a few things in. I’ve been proud of their effort. Like a lot of teams, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, for sure.”
