Former Rebels In NBA D-League

The Idaho Stampede announced today that they have acquired former Rebel Terrico White, who was on the training camp roster with the New Orleans Hornets earlier this month.

White makes it three former Ole Miss players to be playing in the NBA D-League this year.

Zach Graham, who graduated in 2011 with over 1,200 points in his Rebel career, is playing with the Reno Bighorns after he participated in the Atlanta Hawks' training camp this preseason.

Eniel Polynice, who graduated in 2010, plays with the L.A. D-Fenders. He was on the Lakers' training camp roster this preseason.

Mid-Year Transfer Highlights

The Ole Miss football program picked up a trio of mid-year transfers today with the signing of JUCO standouts Darone Bailey, Pierce Burton and Dehendret Collins. Here is some highlight footage of the newest Rebels that is floating around youtube.







Please excuse any objectionable language in the highlight music.


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Football Postseason Honors

Although the 2011 season did not work out as planned, there were several individual Rebels that stood out this year, particularly among the underclassmen. The various media outlets are continuing to hand out postseason honors, but here is the running list so far. Please comment on this blogpost if you know of any that we missed. We will update this post as we learn of more.

Brandon Bolden: Jackson Touchdown Club Ole Miss Most Valuable Senior
Serderius Bryant: Phil Steele Third Team Freshman All-America; College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-America; SEC All-Freshman (Coaches; ESPN.com)
Tyler Campbell: Associated Press Honorable Mention All-SEC
Mike Marry: Phil Steele Third Team All-SEC; College Football News Honorable Mention Sophomore All-America
Donte Moncrief: College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-America; SEC’s No. 9 true freshman by ESPN.com
Charles Sawyer: College Football News Honorable Mention Sophomore All-America; Conerly Trophy Finalist
Bradley Sowell: College Sports Madness Third Team All-SEC
Ralph Williams: SEC’s top 10 redshirt freshmen by ESPN.com

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Mississippi-Born Head Coaches

With Hugh Freeze coming on board, the Magnolia State flavor grows even richer in the Ole Miss coaching ranks. Born in Oxford and raised in Independence, Freeze is one of six native Mississippians currently serving as head coaches for Rebel teams. Here is the full list and their hometowns:

Football: Hugh Freeze, Independence
Men's Basketball: Andy Kennedy, Louisville
Women's Basketball: Renee Ladner, Gulfport
Men's Golf: Ernest Ross, Grenada
Men's Tennis: Billy Chadwick, Jackson
Track & Field: Joe Walker, Utica

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Fun In The Sun

Ole Miss went 2-1 on its recent trip to St. Thomas for the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. While the Rebels spent most of their time in the arena or practice gym, there were some opportunities to take in the island life.

Click on the photo gallery link below for fun pics from the trip. You'll notice that St. Thomas is a gorgeous and lively place. A great experience for our guys!

U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Photo Gallery

As a preview, here is the team right before it embarks on its catamaran tour of the waters surrounding St. Thomas:

Marathon Ends In Jubilation For Carter

Former Ole Miss All-American Dori Carter shot a 74 in the first round of LPGA Q-School at the Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla. on Wednesday. While disappointed with how she finished the first round—bogey, bogey—Carter looked at the big picture.

"The good news (she wrote in an email), this is a marathon, not a sprint. I have four more rounds to play."

And play she did. She finished the five-day marathon of golf at 3-under 357, good enough to earn a tie for fourth place and safely secure her LPGA Tour card for the second consecutive year. Afterwards, she was jubilant and relieved at the same time.

“It’s the best feeling in the whole wide world, just knowing that it’s done, I hope I never have to come back here,” Carter said.

Next up for Carter is a trip overseas to Europe. She and several other qualifiers are headed to Spain in January for Ladies European Tour Qualifying School. Carter hopes to gain full status there to supplement her schedule in the States.

“I’m excited, I’ve never been to Europe before,” she said. “This will be a new experience for me and hopefully it will be a good one.”

Dori Carter Comes Full Circle

Former Rebel All-American Dori Carter is back in Daytona Beach, Fla., this week competing in LPGA Q-School. Lisa D. Mickey, senior writer with the LPGA, caught up with the Georgia native to talk about her first year on the tour. Click here to read the story.

Impressive Road Win

Ole Miss Hoops came up with a big road win yesterday over DePaul in a Big East/SEC Challenge matchup. Murphy Holloway scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, but it was his steal and coast-to-coast layup that won the game for the Rebels with 3.7 seconds left.

The win was Ole Miss' first ever road victory over a Big East team.

There were many, many highlights from the game, which featured five Ole Miss dunks, most notably this one by Reginald Buckner that made the SportsCenter Top 10 list:



Here are highlights from the game, courtesy of ESPNU:

Bolden Earns Hardware

Brandon Bolden recently wrapped up a career that saw him carve his name throughout the Rebel record book. The Baton Rouge tailback finished second all-time in total TDs, rushing TDs and rushing average, third in all-purpose yards and fourth in rushing yards and carries. On Monday night, Bolden received Ole Miss' Most Valuable Senior Award from the Jackson Touchdown Club. Here he is with Club President Joel Waters (left) and Scott Parenteau of C-Spire Wireless (right). Photo courtesy Elwin Williams.


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INFOGRAPHIC: APR Demystified

Recently, the NCAA announced a number of changes to the collegiate athletics rulebook that will undoubtedly impact the entire industry. Since most fans will not comb through the details of the legislation, we’ll simplify (using a handy infographic in this case) a number of these issues on olemisssports.com to give our fans an understanding of how it affects college sports.

Q-School Take Two For Randolph

What do Boo Weekley and former Rebel standout Jonathan Randolph have in common? They are both playing in the second stage of PGA TOUR Q School this week in Panama City, Fla.

The second stage, at the Hombre Golf Club, begins tomorrow and concludes Saturday with the final round.

Weekley has won twice on the PGA TOUR and was a key member of the 2008 winning Ryder Cup team. Unfortunately, this past year he made only 11 cuts in 23 starts, did not have a top 10 finish and ended the year ranked 180 on the money list. In his career, Weekley has earned more than $7 million.

Randolph, who turned pro this fall, has been juggling finishing up his degree in Managerial Finance with getting ready for Q School. The first stage went better than expected for the former All-American from Brandon, Miss. Randolph not only advanced to the second stage, he won the first stage by four at the Auburn University Club in Auburn, Ala.

Each stage becomes more difficult. This time, there are guys like Weekley—who have been out there and experienced what it's like to compete on the big stage—among the competitors.

Here's hoping Randolph has more good golf in the bag, as he continues his quest to play with the big boys.

Adams Honored By Jackson Touchdown Club

Ole Miss All-American Billy Ray Adams will be honored at the Mississippi Football Legends Banquet hosted by the Jackson Touchdown Club on Monday, November 14 at the River Hills Tennis Club in Jackson. Adams will be honored along with Art Davis, T.B. Ellis and Hugh Laurin Pepper with former Jackson State head coach W.C. Gordon serving as presenter.

The event is free for Jackson Touchdown Club members and $30 for non-members. Contact Glenn Waddle at 601-5063186 or visit www.jacksontouchdownclub.com for more information.

Can You Find The Rebels?

Several Ole Miss student-athletes are featured in the Nov. 7 Sports Illustrated. See if you can find the Rebels in this picture. Click on the picture to make it larger.




This Rebel senior might be easier to spot. Click on the picture to make it larger.

Rebel Volleyball In A Top 10......

It's not the top 10 of the AVCA Coaches Poll, but the Rebels volleyball team made another top 10 poll on Saturday...one that's seen by millions of people around the world. Allegra Wells and Ole Miss Volleyball made the SportsCenter Top 10 Plays from Friday with a powerful play with a surprising result.

The play (ranked No. 2 on the top 10 plays) came in Ole Miss' match at South Carolina on Friday, Nov. 4. In the second set, Wells went up for a kill and rocketed a powerful attack at a South Carolina defender. The ball hit USC's Lexie Pawlick square in the face, but bounced back up high in the air and back over the net to the Rebel court....to fall just inside the back line for a Gamecock point.

Don't worry Rebel fans, Ole Miss went on to win the match 3-0.

Hoops Guides Hit Newsstands

As the respective Ole Miss basketball seasons tip off, media guides have hit newsstands. Kudos to hoops SIDs Joey Jones and Kristen Saibini for jobs well done. Guide covers are below, and you can check out the men's guide and women's guide on the official site. Click here to order copies of the guides.

The Legendary Deuce

The SEC announced its 2011 Football Legends Class this morning and representing the Rebels is the great Deuce McAllister. One of the most popular players in school history, Deuce remains our all-time leader in rushing yards, all-purpose yards, total TDs, rushing TDs and plenty more categories. Picking your favorite Deuce moment is a hard call, but here is one of mine. Please comment with your favorite play by #22.


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Jelan Kendrick Hype

Rebel fans have been excited about Jelan Kendrick for almost a year now, since the dynamic 6-foot-7 guard arrived in Oxford by way of the Memphis Tigers.

Well, it seems the national media has taken notice, as well.

Kendrick was rated the nation's No. 3 impact transfer by CBSSports.com today. He can't play until the fall semester ends, but if he lives up to the hype, look for Ole Miss basketball to do big things in 2011-12.

Preseason Hoops Magazines

The bevy of preseason hoops magazines are out on shelves. Here's where Ole Miss lands in their prognostications:

Lindy's:
Top SEC Defender: Reginald Buckner

Athlon:
NIT: Ole Miss
Most Underrated SEC Player: Terrance Henry
50 Key Transfers: Jelan Kendrick

Sporting News:
Best SEC Shot-Blocker: Reginald Buckner

Blue Ribbon Yearbook:
Top SEC Frontcourts: Ole Miss, No. 3

As a whole, the magazines rank the Rebels anywhere from 6th to 8th in the league.

Randolph Starts Q School On Fire

They say that PGA TOUR qualifying school is one of the most grueling tests in sports. There is prequalifying and then three stages after that with four rounds in each of the first three and six in the final stage. That's a lot of golf and mental grinding, especially if you start from the beginning stage.

PGA golfer Steve Elkington joked recently that it's like paying $4500 for a roller coaster ride that makes you sick.

Former Ole Miss All-American Jonathan Randolph took the first step this weekend in his goal of becoming a member of the PGA TOUR, and he did so in rousing fashion.

The Brandon, Miss., native didn't just advance to the second stage, he won the first stage by four strokes at the Auburn University Club in Auburn, Ala. Randolph shot a 69-72-70-65--276 in his first ever Q School event. He was tied for the lead at 5-under going into the final round Saturday, and carded seven birdies and an eagle to capture the win.

"It was fun. I played really well the last few days managing the ball well, Randolph said. "It was windy the first couple of days. I was 3-under early yesterday and ended up 2-under. But I kept pushing, kept my head down. I missed three putts inside five feet today that would have made it even lower. It's nice to see it all come together."

Randolph was exempt from prequalifying by virtue of making the cut at the PGA Tour's Viking Classic this past summer in Madison. He only needed to finish inside the top 19 to earn a spot in the second stage.

"You don't drive a car looking at the ditch or in the median. You look at the road. My goal was to advance, but it was a nice bonus to be able to win it," he said.

There is not much time for Randolph to celebrate as he returns to Oxford, where he is finishing up his degree in Managerial Finance before he heads back out for the second stage at the Hombre Golf Club in Panama City, Fla. Nov. 16-19.

With six different sites for qualifying, players are told to rank their choices in order of preference.

"They told me I would likely get the Hombre since I won here at Auburn," Randolph said. "Now it's back to the books and then getting ready for the next stage."

A keen follower this week of Randolph's play is Rebel head coach Ernest Ross, who is not surprised to see his former star do so well.

"This is another notch up the ladder for Jonathan. He does have PGA TOUR skills and can play at that level right now."

Simply put, Randolph's a winner.

Date Set For Grove Bowl 2012

It's quite a ways off, but for those of you getting an early start on your spring plans, Grove Bowl 2012 has been tentatively set for April 21 at 1 p.m. CT. The Rebel baseball team hosts Arkansas that weekend, and game two of the series will follow the football scrimmage at 4 p.m. And if you were wondering, Oxford's Double Decker Arts Festival will be the following weekend, April 27-28.

Here is the full baseball schedule, and stay tuned for word on the numerous events that will surround Grove Bowl Week.

Grove Highlighted By Fox News

Media have flocked to The Grove for features this fall, including the New York Times (story coming),  ESPN The Magazine, FoxNews.com (video below) and, covering the Arkansas game, the Travel Channel. To insure the safest tailgating environment, the university has passed some new electricity guidelines that fans should check out when making their plans for this weekend.


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ESPN Execs At Overby Center Friday

On the eve of the Ole Miss-Alabama game, a top executive of ESPN and a senior writer for the sports network will lead a roundtable discussion about college football controversies at the Overby Center Auditorium on campus Friday (Oct. 14) at 10 a.m.
The program, which is free and open to the public, features John A. Walsh, ESPN’s executive vice president and executive editor, and Wright Thompson, a senior writer for ESPN.com.

Walsh is a legendary figure in sports news. For more than four decades, he has guided newspapers, magazines and television coverage of sporting events. Since joining ESPN in 1988, Walsh’s fingerprints are on many of the network’s most ambitious initiatives, such as the launch of ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Radio. He also played a major role in shaping ESPN’s flagship program, SportsCenter.

Before going to ESPN, Walsh was the founding editor of the original Inside Sports Magazine, a managing editor of Rolling Stone magazine, and later, U.S. News and World Report. He was also an editor at Newsday and the Washington Post.

Thompson has become one of the rising stars in American sports journalism. A Clarksdale native, a graduate of the University of Missouri, and a resident of Oxford, Thompson’s stories for ESPN.com have been selected repeatedly for inclusion in annual anthologies of the “Best American Sports Writing.” Thompson was the author of a lengthy piece on the undefeated 1962 Ole Miss football team that played during a year of crisis at the school, but he is best known for stories he has filed from exotic spots around the world. He has reported on cricket in Bangladesh, golf in Scotland, and this fall Thompson filed a lengthy piece, “A Tree Dies in Auburn,” on an attempt to poison two trees revered by Auburn fans.

The pair is expected to discuss the shifting scene in college sports conferences as well as the perilous careers of coaches and athletic directors today.  
(Dawn M. Jeter)



Follow me on Twitter at @CampbellKyle.

Former Golfer Saves A Few Dollars

PGA TOUR Q-School is expensive. It cost thousands to enter for a chance to earn playing status on the Tour. Former Ole Miss golfer Kyle Ellis finished sixth on the NGA Pro Golf Tour this year, and thus earned one of 30 Q-School Reimbursements.

Ellis, a native of Senatobia, Miss., finished with 3,716 points and made 19 of 20 cuts this season. He also racked up seven top-20 finishes. Ellis’ best finish of the season came in the Michelob Ultra Classic in March, when he finished second. The former Rebel golfer earned $64,657 this season.

Rebels In The Rocky Mountains

The Ole Miss women's golf team recently spent a few days in Vail, Colo., for the Golfweek Conference Challenge. Check out the highlights including comments from head coach Michele Drinkard.

Tad Pad Nostalgia

This photo gallery was posted earlier today on OleMissSports.com, showing off Tad Smith Coliseum's new floor design. It made us think of all the looks the Tad Pad floor has displayed since opening in 1966, so we have put them here for your viewing pleasure.

Feel free to let everyone know which is your favorite. I think I'm already partial to the new one. (Editor's note: the new floor design is navy blue, not black - it just looks that way because of the camera lighting.)

1966

1990

1995

1999

2006

2007

2010

2011

Grove Featured in ESPN Mag

If you pick up a copy of the latest ESPN The Magazine, you'll notice an article on great tailgates, and you can guess what lil patch of grass was mentioned first. Here is the page.



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Price Herrington, Dream Advance In WNBA Playoffs

Former Ole Miss player and current assistant coach Armintie Price Herrington, helped the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year.

The Dream beat the Connecticut Sun 2-0 in the best of three series to advance to the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Fever. Game One of the Atlanta/Indiana series will be played on Thursday in Indianapolis.

In the Dream’s two playoff games against the Sun, Price Herrington averaged 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

During the regular season, Price Herrington played in 34 games with 21 starts. She averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebound and 2.8 assists per game.

Below is a picture of Price Herrington that appeared on the front page of the women's basketball section on ESPN.com prior to the start of the WNBA playoffs. (ESPN.com)

Here is a link to a story written by Graham Hays on ESPN.com today about Price Herrington and the WNBA playoffs.

Gleadall Starts Fast

Senior golfer Natalie Gleadall got off to a fast start at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Vail, Colo., Monday, shooting a 69 to tie for the individual lead. Afterwards, she talked to Golfweek about the tricky greens at Red Sky Golf Club. Watch and read what she had to say here.

John Stroud, Rebel Legend

Today on CollegeHoops.net, former Rebel All-American John Stroud has been featured as a "Forgotten Legend" in one of a series of Q&A's with former basketball greats, conducted by CHN writer Jon Teitel.

Take a moment to catch up with the New Albany, Miss., native here:

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Ole Miss' John Stroud

New York, New York

Former Rebel Mahesh Bhupathi is taking names in New York at the U.S. Open. The 1995 NCAA Doubles Champion and fellow countryman, Leander Paes, advanced to the doubles quarterfinals with a straight set win against two former Virginia alums, Monday. Later today, Bhupathi who teamed with Paes to win the U.S. Open in 2002, will face off against another former college All-American. Click here to read more.

Pomeranz Called Up To Major Leagues

Former Rebel and 2010 SEC Pitcher of the Year Drew Pomeranz became the eighth Ole Miss player to get the call to the Majors when the Colorado Rockies called up the left-handed hurler over the weekend.

Pomeranz is expected to join the Rockies today after a whirlwind season that has included a trade from Cleveland to Colorado and an appendectomy. Read more about Pomeranz getting called up here.

Gameday Time Lapse

Here is a great look at the first Ole Miss gameday of the 2011 season, courtesy of our good friend Scott Burton.

Game day in Oxford Mississippi from scottburtonphotography on Vimeo.

Men's Hoops' New Video Coordinator

Dan Hartfield has been hired as the new Coordinator of Video Services for the Ole Miss men’s basketball program.

The position opened when Robi Coker was promoted to Coordinator of Basketball Operations after Bill Armstrong had been promoted from that role to assistant coach.

A Wisconsin native, Hartfield spent the last year as an advance scouting intern with the NBA’s Houston Rockets. In that role, he worked directly under Head Video Coordinator and Systems Developer John Cho and Assistant Video Coordinator Jimmy Paulis. He helped the team prepare for upcoming opponents, which included editing video, creating scouting reports and tracking statistics. He also assisted the Rockets’ front office throughout the draft process by evaluating talent and helping put players through pre-draft workouts.

Hartfield graduated from Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, while he served as a team manager for men’s basketball.

He went on to receive a master’s degree in sports administration from Valparaiso University in 2011. During his time there, he was a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team under head coach Homer Drew.

Randolph Among World's Best At U.S. Am

Former Rebel All-American Jonathan Randolph is teeing it up with the world's best this week at the U.S. Amateur Championship being played at Erin Hills Golf Club in Michigan. Randolph earned a spot in the elite field by winning a qualifier in Maryland.

This is his second time to compete in the U.S. Am as he also qualified in 2009. Earlier this summer, Randolph advanced to the semifinals at the U.S. Amateur Public Links, played at Bandon Dunes, a similar links style course to Erin Hills.

Randolph tees off the first round today at 11:15 a.m. CT. Scores for the first two rounds of stroke play will be updated after nine holes. The field will be cut to the low 64 after Tuesday's second round of stroke play. Match play begins Wednesday with live hole-by-hole scoring.

Bhupathi-Paes Cap Reunion With Victory

Former Rebel tennis standout Mahesh Bhupathi made good on his reunion with fellow countryman Leander Paes as the duo captured the Cincinnati Masters Sunday, their third title since teaming up again before the Australian Open. On their way to the final, they knocked out the world No. 1, Bob and Mike Bryan, in the semifinals. They won the Cincinnati Masters 10 years ago, before splitting up for nine years. Here is the write-up in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Phil Irwin Sings National Anthem

Former Rebel pitcher Phil Irwin got the call the other day to take the field, but instead of hitting the mound his first stop was behind the microphone. The right-hander sang the national anthem prior to the start of the game for the Altoona Curve on Thursday night.

Watch a clip of Irwin singing the national anthem here. Maybe he'll come back and do one at Swayze Field.

New-Look Tickets Are Out

If you are a season ticket holder and have not already received your tix, you can expect them to arrive any day. As you might have seen, we stepped up the design of our ticket stubbs this year with a wide layout and a creative look. As started a few years ago, we are continuing the All-American series where we honor each of our storied program's first team All-Americans. This year, the tickets feature a brief bio of each All-American on the back in a trading card style. Kudos to our graphic designer Dan Pellegrino for his work on the tix. If you have yet to secure your season pass for the Rebels in 2011, visit our ticket site NOW, and don't miss out!


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Breaking Down The Hoops Schedule

Ole Miss announced the 2011-12 men's basketball schedule today. Here on the blog, we have broken down the slate of opponents a little more.

Ten postseason teams from 2010-11:
Miami, 11/25 (NIT Quarterfinals)
Penn State, 12/4 (NCAA First Round)
Dayton, 12/30 (NIT First Round)
SMU, 1/3 (CIT)
Georgia, 1/21 (NCAA First Round)
Florida, 1/26 (NCAA Elite Eight)
Alabama, 2/4 & 3/3 (NIT Finals)
Vanderbilt, 2/16 (NCAA First Round)
Kentucky, 2/18 (NCAA Final Four)
Tennessee, 2/22 (NCAA First Round)

Nine 20-win teams from 2010-11:
Miami, 11/25 (21-15)
Southern Miss, 12/17 (22-10)
Dayton, 12/30 (22-14)
SMU, 1/3 (20-15)
Georgia, 1/21 (21-12)
Florida, 1/26 (29-8)
Alabama, 2/4 & 3/3 (25-12)
Vanderbilt, 2/16 (23-11)
Kentucky, 2/18 (29-9)

Other Tidbits:

- Ole Miss tips off the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam with a Nov. 18 matchup against Drake. The Rebels will then play Marquette or Winthrop in the second round. The other teams in the tournament are Drexel, Norfolk State, TCU and Virginia.

- The Rebels are playing a neutral-site game at the Desoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss. (vs. Middle Tennessee, 12/21), for the third time in the last five seasons. They beat Southern Miss there in 2007 and UTEP in 2009.

- The Rebels open SEC play on the road (at LSU, 1/7) for the 11th time in the last 14 years. Last year, they began the league slate at Florida.

- Ole Miss plays four teams from Louisiana, three from Mississippi and three from Tennessee.

- At least 18 contests will be televised live, including six national broadcasts:
at DePaul, 12/1 (ESPNU)
Florida, 1/26 (ESPN or ESPN2)
at Alabama, 2/4 (ESPN or ESPN2)
at Mississippi State, 2/9 (ESPN or ESPN2)
Vanderbilt, 2/16 (ESPN or ESPN2)
at Arkansas, 2/28 (ESPNU)

- Other TV dates are TBA.

Aloha!

The Ole Miss women's golf team announced an exciting 2011-12 schedule today, which includes a trip to Maui in March for the Anuenue Spring Break Classic at the famed Kapalua Golf Resort. Head over to OleMissSports.com to see the full schedule.

AK With AK On ESPNU Today

OK, you may need all those acronyms in this blog post's title explained:

Andy Kennedy is one of 31 college basketball coaches who recently visisted with ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando to discuss the biggest topics in the game today. Kennedy's visit on the Katz Corner will air today on ESPNU at 4 p.m. CT.

A number of topics are discussed in the week-long series, including: pay-for-play, the NBA Draft, recruiting and the trend of mid-majors competing for the national title. The SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big East are all touched upon as leading conferences.

Joining Kennedy on today's Katz Corner show will be Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings, Michigan's John Beilein, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon, Miami's Jim Larranaga and Princeton's Mitch Henderson.

Overbeck Delivers For Lehigh Valley

Former Rebel Cody Overbeck has been producing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Overbeck hit a walk-off home run the other night for his team, pushing them to a 2-1 win over the Toledo Mud Hens.

Watch the clip of the walk-off hit here.

Men's Hoops Offseason Update

It's August, and that usually means one thing around Oxford: football season is almost here! We are certainly excited for the 2011 Rebels to take the gridiron, but we know that some of you out there are also anxious to hear what's happening in the Ole Miss hoops world.

To scratch your need-for-a-hoops-update itch, here are some things happening in the offseason, as well as a few comments we got from Andy Kennedy when we sat down with him to talk about the upcoming 2011-12 campaign.

- Look for the exciting 2011-12 men's basketball schedule to be announced late this week. Here's an early tidbit on what the slate includes: 10 of last year's postseason teams, an NCAA Final Four participant, an NCAA Elite Eight participant, an ACC school, a Big East school, a Big Ten school and a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

- As announced at the launch of the Forward Together Campaign last week, Ole Miss is raising $150 million in a capital campaign that will result in the building of a new first-class basketball arena, as well as improvements to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (including the bowling in of the north endzone) and other on-campus athletics facilities.

- Meanwhile, the Tad Pad will remain as the team's playing facility for the next three or four years, and this summer the floor is getting a makeover. Stay tuned for pictures of the new look in the coming days.

- ESPN announced last week the game times and networks for the Big East/SEC Challenge. Ole Miss' game at DePaul on Dec. 1 will air at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

- Here's a sneak peak of our interview with AK discussing the upcoming season:

On the transition with new assistant coaches: "Everything’s been good. I couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition. With Al (Pinkins) and Serg (Sergio Rouco) getting here in the spring, they had an opportunity to interact with our players in a between-the-lines setting, which I think was educational for both parties."

On the players' progress this summer: "We've had one of the best summers we’ve ever had academically. Our strength staff has told me that this is the most receptive group that they’ve had since we’ve been here, which are all great signs."

One of the freshmen that has impressed the head coach most so far is Jackson, Miss., point guard Jarvis Summers. Here is AK's early take: "Jarvis is a natural point guard with natural leadership ability. He started on his team at Provine (High School) since his freshman year, and every year they went to the final four of the state tournament, which speaks to his ability to lead and get results. I see that transferring over to this level. At 6-4, 190 pounds, he’s very versatile and brings size to that position unlike anyone we’ve had since I’ve been here."

Many more of AK's thoughts will be available in a preseason prospectus later this month.

Calkins With Boone, Nutt

In addition to being a columnist for the Commercial Appeal, Geoff Calkins hosts a weekly program, Sports Files, on WKNO in Memphis. Calkins sat down this week with Pete Boone and Houston Nutt for his latest show and discussed among other things last night's announcement of the Forward Together campaign.




Follow me on Twitter at @CampbellKyle.

Be Sure To Vote

Here we are. One day after posting our football poster we have found national recognition with "the wizard of odds" website. They have a poster contest each year and last year we came in 3rd. Let's win it this year. Be sure to vote "approve"

http://www.thewizofodds.com/the_wiz_of_odds/2011/08/mississippi-rebels-ole-miss-poster-schedule-2011.html

2011 Fall Posters!

With every new year comes a new series of posters. Here is a preview of the new fall posters for 2011. Be sure to check on olemisssports.com in the coming weeks for desktop backgrounds of your favorite Rebel sports and teams. Also be sure to check out the soccer and volleyball poster series that will be collectors editions at each home game this season.






Kudos to Dan Pellegrino on a job well done.

Watch Nutt, Walls Golf Outing Saturday

As you might remember seeing on the official site back in May, our own head coach Houston Nutt and former All-American Wesley Walls swung the sticks extremely well in this year's Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament. The Rebel pair combined to shoot seven-under-par 65 to tie for third in the 12-team field and earn $40,000 in scholarship winnings. Watch the two in action in a recap of the event Saturday at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

Golfweek Tap-In

While the soccer, volleyball and football teams get ready to kick off preseason, in just a little less than a month, the Ole Miss women's golf team will be back on campus to start preparing for the 2011-12 season. With the season just a few short weeks away, Golfweek writer Asher Wildman is breaking down the top 60 men's and women's teams, and today he previews the Ole Miss women's golf team. Click here to read his take on the team, which will be led by three seniors and welcomes the addition of two talented players.

Follow me on Twitter at @krebel

One Week Till Preseason

And just like that, summer vaca is over and the season is here -- or at least preseason, which for an SID is the same thing. The fun begins in exactly one week as freshmen report on Thursday, August 4. The following is an expanded look at the Rebels' preseason schedule. Fans, make note that the first full week of afternoon practices are open to the public once again this season (Saturday, August 6 through Saturday, August 13). Practices are 4:30 p.m. each weekday and TBA on the weekend, and I will tweet out the location and other details each day. An interesting item you will be hearing more about soon is RebTalk moving to 6:30 p.m. on the Grove Stage for home weekends, and you can expect new festivities to surround that.

Thursday, Aug. 4: Freshmen report
Friday, Aug. 5: Varsity report
Saturday, Aug. 6: First practice
Monday, Aug. 8: Media Day
Wednesday, Aug. 10: First practice in full pads
Saturday, Aug. 20: Meet The Rebels Day, Noon (IPF)
Monday. Aug. 22: Fall classes begin
Sunday, Aug. 28: Captains are announced
Thursday, Sept. 1: First RebTalk radio show, 6:30 p.m. (Grove Stage)
Saturday, Sept. 3: Season opener vs. BYU, 3:45 p.m. (VHS)


Follow me on Twitter at @CampbellKyle.

Snyder Recovering From Injury, Returns To Field

Justin Granit with the ABC affiliate in Winchester, Virginia, recently did a piece on Ole Miss baseball player Matt Snyder and his return to the field after suffering a potentially career-ending injury earlier this summer. Snyder was hit in the face by a pitch that broke several bones.

You can read the story here or watch the piece that aired on television here.

Beats and Tweets

As we do every summer, it's time for us to update our gameday music system for the upcoming football season. So I decided to poll some of our staff and see what kind of music get's them pumped up for football gamedays. I got everything from CCR to Usher so I wanted to share a few. We also want to get input from you the fans and see what your favorite songs are. Be sure to comment on this post with your favorite gameday songs or just songs that get you pumped up. You can also tweet @rebelgameday. Be sure to listen this fall as your song may be played at Vaught Hemingway Stadium! Hotty Toddy!

Staff Picks:

Brandon Hudspeth-Marketing



Connie Braseth-Marketing





Dan Pelligrino- Athletics Graphic Designer



Kyle Campbell-Asst. AD Media Relations





Joey Jones-Media Relations



Bill Bunting-Media Relations



Kim Ling-Media Relations





Kristen Saibini-Media Relations





Angela Robinson-AD Business and Finance





Cathy Pate- Athletics Business Office



Ally Slivka-Business Office Intern



Katherine Thornton-Senior Staff Assistant



Michael Thompson- AD Marketing and Communications

Women's Hoops Heads To Canada

The Ole Miss women’s basketball team will get an early start to the 2011-12 season, playing games the first week of August as part of a seven-day, four-game trip to Vancouver, Canada.

Under NCAA rules, teams are allowed a foreign trip once every four years. This will be the first foreign tour for the Rebels since the 2006-07 team went to the Bahamas. The Rebels will be in Canada from August 2-8.

“We are very excited and so appreciative to our administration for giving us this opportunity,” head coach Renee Ladner said. “With 10 practices, we get a head start for the upcoming season. Having such a young team comprised of mostly underclassman, it gives us a chance to practice, play and travel together. We have already seen so many great things in a short period of time.”

The Rebels will fly to Vancouver on Tuesday, August 2 and will play its first game on August 3 against the University of Fraser Valley. Ole Miss will also face Canadian World University Games on August 4, the University of Fraser Valley again on August 5 and Thompson Rivers University on August 6.

A daily player blog, photo gallery and game recaps will be available on OleMissSports.com.

For more information on the trip, click here.



Photo credit: vancouver.ca

Washing Cars In Bristol

College football head coaches are converging on Bristol, Conn., this week for day long tours of the ESPN campus, knocking out interviews on the Worldwide Leader's various platforms. The "Car Wash" for the SEC is Monday and Tuesday -- six coaches each day -- and our own Houston Nutt will be in the spotlight tomorrow. To give you a little insight, here is his schedule for the day (in central time), and note the two live appearances. I'll try to tweet some updates throughout the trip.

10:10 am: ESPNU (Taped)
10:40 am: ESPN2 First Take (Live)
11:05 am: GameDay Radio (Taped)
11:20 am: ESPN RISE (Taped)
11:45 am: ESPN.com Page 2
12:15 pm: College Football Live (Taped)
12:40 pm: ESPNU College Football Podcast (Taped)
1:15 pm: SportsCenter Tonight Radio (Taped)
1:30 pm: ESPN.com Chat
2:00 pm: SportsNation (Taped)
2:20 pm: Social Media (Facebook.com/ESPN, Youtube.com/ESPN, Twitter.com/ESPN)
2:40 pm: ESPNNEWS SportsCenter (Live)
2:50 pm: Twitter Chat (Twitter.com/SportsCenter)

Follow me on Twitter at @CampbellKyle.

Media Days Wrap-up

SEC Media Days 2011 has come and gone, and the best was saved for last as the Rebels were in the final team pairing of the event. As expected, the trio of players we took to Hoover represented Ole Miss well, and several media members personally told us that our guys were some of the most enjoyable to interview. It helps when you bring seniors -- 6th-year senior Kentrell Lockett, fifth-year senior Bradley Sowell, fourth-year senior Brandon Bolden -- who have been through the media grind for a few years. While Bolden was a Media Days rookie, Lockett and Sowell joined Jeff Herrod (1986-87), Eli Manning (2002-03) and Patrick Willis (2005-06) as the only Rebels to attend multiple SEC Media Days.

Lockett's big personality has made him a celebrity at the event, and his impression of our head coach was singled out as a highlight of Media Days by the Opelika-Auburn News, which also listed Bolden as Best Dressed. The running back was also labeled Best Interview by the Gainesville Sun. Following the trip to Hoover, some good articles on Lockett have popped up on ESPN.com (Edward Aschoff), the Clarion-Ledger (Ross Dellenger) and the Commercial Appeal (Geoff Calkins), while Bolden, who was named the SEC's most underrated player by ESPN.com (Chris Low), was also featured in the CA (Veazey). Sowell and the offensive linemen were highlighted by the Daily Journal (Parrish Alford).

In case you didn't see it on the main site, Ole Miss had six players named to the Media Days preseason All-SEC teams, which ranked seventh-most in the league and doubled the number of picks for Kentucky, MSU, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. That same article also has press conference transcripts and links to great videos of our group. Here is the media weighing in on Coach Nutt's comments and the Rebels' chances in 2011: Clarion-Ledger (Rick Cleveland), Daily Journal (Alford), Commercial Appeal (Veazey) and Press-Register (Mike Herndon).

BTW, our creative czar Micah Ginn tagged along on the Bama excursion and got some great footage of the Rebel contingency in action. We will share that footage with you in the near future.


Follow me on Twitter at @CampbellKyle.

Football Memories

Rebel fans - as we continue to produce exciting content for this football season, we would love to hear from you. Follow the survey link below to answer 3 simple questions related to some of your favorite Ole Miss football memories.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011football

Johnson In Second Year In Pro Ranks

Former Rebel soccer player Danielle Johnson is in her second season playing professional soccer with the Sky Blue FC of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS). The team is located in New Jersey and played all of its home matches at Rutgers University.

Johnson, a native of Baton Rouge, La., has played in four matches this year and her team is 3-5-4 this season with three if the team’s five losses coming by just one goal. Last year, Johnson made six starts for the team in her first season. She was taken by Sky Blue FC in the fourth round of the 2010 WPS Draft and was the 35th pick overall.

At Ole Miss, Johnson was a four-time All-SEC First Team honoree, and is the only player in Rebel history to accomplish that feat. She finished her career in 2009 and started 82 games during her career with the Rebels. Johnson recorded 11 goals and nine assists during her career at Ole Miss.


Photo credit: Howard C. Smith, ISI Photos

Warren Officially A Pro

Chris Warren signed with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia's National Basketball League on Wednesday, becoming the most recent in a long list of former Rebels to extend their careers to professional basketball.

One of the most prolific scorers in Ole Miss and SEC history, Warren could become a star in Australia's top hoops league.

Ole Miss had at least 11 former players on professional teams in 2010-11, including Terrico White of the NBA's Detroit Pistons, the Bulgarian League's Player of the Year Aaron Harper, All-Germany first teamer Derrick Allen and All-Hungary first teamer Bam Doyne.

Next up could be recently graduated 1,000-point scorer Zach Graham, who has worked out with several NBA teams in recent months.

Ole Miss press release on Warren's signing
Adelaide 36ers press release on Warren's signing

Cozart Homers

Former Rebel shortstop Zack Cozart got his first MLB home run over the weekend to help the Cincinnati Reds claim a series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The shot to left field extended the lead to 3-1 for the Reds in Sunday's game. Cozart scored two of the three runs for the Reds.

On the flip side of things, it came at the expense of former Rebel pitcher Lance Lynn who was on the mound for the Cardinals at the time.

Fans can check out the home run here.

Media Guides Coming

You know the season is drawing near when the media guide comes out. Ole Miss' 2011 edition returns from the printers next week, and you can pre-order a copy on the official site. Many schools across the country have gone away from printing guides, but for media and fans who have collected them through the years, it's invaluable. Hats off to our staff for a job well done! Here is a sneak peek of the cover.

Rebel Hoops In The Pros

While Chris Warren and Zach Graham were leading the way in Oxford this past season, Ole Miss Hoops displayed quite a presence in the global basketball community, as well. With most of the overseas hoops seasons now concluded, we decided to update all you fans on how our former Rebels are doing professionally.

In 2010-11, there were 11 former Ole Miss players competing professionally in 12 different countries. Among them was Terrico White of the NBA's Detroit Pistons, the Bulgarian League's Player of the Year Aaron Harper, All-Germany first teamer Derrick Allen and All-Hungary first teamer Bam Doyne. Additionally, former Rebel Elston Turner was an assistant coach with the NBA's Houston Rockets.

Below is a complete list of former Rebels in professional basketball in 2010-11.

Todd Abernethy
Team: Politekhnika-Halychyna
League/Country: Ukraine
Notes: 10.9 ppg, 5.2 apg (2nd in league)

Derrick Allen
Team: ALBA Berlin
League/Country: Germany
Notes: First team All-Germany, All-Import Team; 13.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg; helped ALBA to 24-10 record, runner-up in playoff finals

Dwayne Curtis
Team: CE CIP Lleida, Limoges CSP Elite
League/Country: Spain, France
Notes: 11.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg (2nd in Spanish league)

Bam Doyne
Team: Charleville-Mezieres, Falco-Szova
League/Country: France, Hungary
Notes: First team All-Hungary, All-Import Team; 21.8 ppg (2nd in league), 5.2 rpg

Tommie Eddie
Team: Academica de Coimbra
League/Country: Portugal
Notes: Second team All-Portugal; 18.2 ppg (4th in league), 9.0 rpg (4th in league); helped Academica to 16-6 record

Aaron Harper
Team: Levski Sofia
League/Country: Bulgaria
Notes: Bulgaria Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Import of the Year; 23.6 ppg (league’s top scorer), 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg; helped Levski Sofia to 22-6 record, league runner-up

David Huertas
Team: Marousi BC, Quebradillas Pirates
League/Country: Greece, Puerto Rico
Notes: 11.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg (Greece); 13.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg (Puerto Rico)

Justin Johnson
Team: Quebec City Kebs
League/Country: Professional Basketball League (PBL)
Notes: Played in one game

Elston Turner
Team: Houston Rockets
League/Country: NBA
Notes: Assistant coach

Terrico White
Team: Detroit Pistons
League/Country: NBA
Notes: Injured in preseason, DNP as a rookie

Kenny Williams
Team: Walter Tigers Tuebingen
League/Country: Germany
Notes: 7.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg

LaTaryl Williams
Team: Leicester City Riders
League/Country: United Kingdom
Notes: 9.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg

Note: Information collected from NBA.com and Eurobasket.com.

Terrico White

Randolph Has The Last Word

In case you haven't seen it, former Rebel Jonathan Randolph sat down with Rebelvision for his "Last Word." Head on over to OleMissSports.com and check it out. Also, Randolph is featured in today's edition of the Daily Mississippian. Click here to read what the All-American had to say about his future and this week's Viking Classic.

Preparation Spot

In case you were out of pocket over the weekend, here is the new football tickets spot everyone has been buzzing about. Kudos to Matthew Graves and the folks over at UM Media and Documentary Projects and Micah Ginn and our creative staff here in Athletics on an awesome collaboration.

"Preparation" - Ole Miss Football Spot from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.

Viking Classic To Have Mississippi Flavor

Former Rebel golfer Jonathan Randolph recently finished up an outstanding run to the semifinals at the U.S. Amateur Public Links, and late Thursday night he was rewarded yet again with his second sponsor's exemption to the PGA TOUR's Viking Classic to be played July 14-17 at Annandale in Madison. Check out this blog entry from the Clarion-Ledger's Ross Dellenger.

Tennis Center Getting A Facelift

The 2011 tennis season is in the books, but there is plenty going on at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center these days. Construction has begun on the renovation/expansion of the tennis center. Read about the plans and see the photo gallery of what's taking place at www.OleMissSports.com.

UPDATED (Again): Summer Brings More New Rebels

There has been a change in plans since yesterday's post. While Tobias Singleton was admitted for Ole Miss' second summer term, he had already missed the first three days of both of his classes and felt it would be best to hold off on beginning classes until the fall semester. His eligibility -- like all of our newcomers that are enrolled -- is not a concern. Tobias simply wants to get a fresh start in August.

Original post on July 5:
We mentioned in our original blogpost that there could be additions to our list of newcomers enrolled in the second summer term, and today brought one -- All-American wide receiver Tobias Singleton. That means 21 of the 23 football signees are already on campus. I'm looking at you strength coach Don Decker!

Original post on June 30:
Ole Miss' second summer term got underway today, which brought 16 additions to the Rebel Family. Among the new scholarship student-athletes admitted for the session are six from baseball, four each from football and women's basketball and two from men's basketball. Notable in the group is Murphy Holloway, who is beginning his second stint on the Ole Miss hoops squad, and Boston Red Sox draftee Senquez Golson, who is opting for Vaught-Hemingway Stadium instead of Fenway Park. It should be noted that students have until Tuesday to enroll in the term so there could be additions.

Baseball
Auston Bousfield
Hawtin Buchanan
Chris Ellis
Josh Laxer
Chase Reeves
Sikes Orvis

Football
Nickolas Brassell
Senquez Golson
Keith Lewis
Jamal Mosley

Women’s Basketball
Amber Bryant-Singletary
Jordan Frizzell
Monique Jackson
Danielle McCray

Men’s Basketball
Maurice Aniefiok
Murphy Holloway

What A Week For Randolph

Former Ole Miss golfer Jonathan Randolph had a quite a week in Bandon, Ore., site of the U.S. Amateur Public Links. The Brandon, Miss., native finished second in the stroke play qualifying and then advanced to the semifinals of match play, in just his first ever appearance in the prestigious field. David Shefter, senior writer for USGA.org, caught up with the 2010 All-American prior to his semifinal match against UNLV's Derek Ernst. Click here to read the article.

Randolph Tackles Links Course

One would think as a native Mississippian, that former Ole Miss golfer Jonathan Randolph would find the going tough at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon - site of this week's U.S. Am Public Links Championship - as it is a links style course. Not so. The All-American shot even par 70-71--141 to finish second in stroke play qualifying and earn the No. 2 seed in match play, which begins today. Check out this story by Michael Trostel of the USGA.

Joe David and Jonathan Randolph
Joining Randolph in match play is rising senior Joe David of Madison, Tenn. The two were teammates for three years and helped the Rebels to three NCAA Regional appearances. This week, they're enjoying playing in Oregon and hoping a Rebel can take home the trophy. Randolph faces Max McKay of St. Augustine, Fla., at 12:40 p.m. CT. David meets Derek Ernst of Clovis, Calif. at 2:20 p.m. Live hole-by-hole scoring is available at www.USGA.org.

ZG Works Out For Hawks

Zach Graham finished his Ole Miss career as a 1,000-point scorer and he continues to pursue his dream of playing hoops at the pro level.

This week, Graham is working out with his hometown team at the Atlanta Hawks mini-camp.

Hawks head coach Larry Drew had some good words about the former Rebel in this story from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Stadium Improvements Underway

If you've lived under a rock for the past two months, then you may not have seen the gameday survey results and improvement plan we announced back in May. A series of upgrades are in store for Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and among the 100 improvements in 100 days is the replacement of the outdated helmet on the west exterior of the stadium. Our crew is still reviewing potential visuals for its replacement, but the helmet bid farewell today. Check out our creative guru Micah Ginn's footage of the job.

The Next Level

Recently graduated Ole Miss hoops guard Zach Graham has been busy pursuing his dream of a pro career this summer.

Graham has participated in pre-NBA Draft workouts with his hometown Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors. He is in Salt Lake City today going through workouts with five other players for the Utah Jazz.

Graham and Chris Warren, the Rebel backcourt duo that led Ole Miss to 20 wins and an NIT bid during their senior year, both have an outside shot at being picked in Thursday's NBA Draft (6 p.m. CT, ESPN).

Mincy Named Assistant at Lipscomb

Former Ole Miss women's basketball player Jada Mincy has been named an assistant coach at Lipscomb University.

Mincy, who played at Ole Miss from 2003-07 and helped lead the team to an Elite Eight appearance as a senior, had been an assistant at McNeese State for the previous two years.

While with the Rebels, Mincy made three postseason appearances with Ole Miss. She ended her career having played in 92 games and made 66 starts. She averaged 4.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game during her career.

The official release from Lipscomb can be found here.

Chasing The Dream

Former Ole Miss golfer Kyle Ellis is in his third year on the mini tours still chasing his dream of a career on the PGA TOUR. The Clarion-Ledger caught up with the former Rebel and Senatobia native in its latest weekly column on amateur and professional golf. Click here to read more on Ellis and his latest happenings on the NGA Hooter's Tour.

Countdown To Kickoff: 80 Days

As the summer heats up, the days until kickoff slowly count down and we sit just 80 days away from the season opener against BYU.

To celebrate Flag Dag on the blog, we would like to honor all former Rebels who have served their country in the Armed Forces, including former Ole Miss wide receiver and current U.S. Army Major Sheldon Morris, who never passes up a chance to show his Rebel Pride.

Impressive Home Schedules

ESPN blogger Chris Low recently listed Ole Miss with the SEC's fourth-toughest non-conference schedule next season. Of course, the SEC foes are pretty good too. The challenging slate continues again in 2012, which will make for some big-time matchups at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium over the next two seasons. In other words, LOCK UP YOUR TICKETS NOW!

To put in perspective how awesome our home schedules are the next two years, the good folks in the UMAA Foundation have dug up some staggering numbers on just how strong they are compared to everyone else's next two home slates. Our home opponents for the next two seasons not only combined for the last six national championships (Alabama, Auburn, Florida [twice], LSU and Texas) but over the last three years:
- Appeared in eight BCS bowl games (first in nation).
- Won five BCS bowl games (first in nation).
- Combined for 18 bowl wins (first in nation).
- 10 of the 14 opponents have won a bowl game within the past three years (first in nation).
- Appeared in 25 bowl games (first in SEC and third nationally behind Michigan and Michigan State's schedules).

Did I mention to LOCK UP YOUR TICKETS NOW?

Armintie Ready For 2011 WNBA

Ole Miss women's basketball assistant coach Arminite Price was one of 28 former SEC players on opening day rosters for the 2011 WNBA season which kicked off this weekend. Price, who is in her fifth season in the WNBA, came off the bench to record 13 points and three steals in 20 minutes of action as the Atlanta Dream fell to the NY Liberty 94-88 in OT. Fans will have a chance to catch Price, who played at Ole Miss from 2003-07, and the Atlanta Dream Thursday night on ESPN2 when the Dream hosts the Washington Mystics at 6 p.m. CT. Fans can also follow the Dream for free through WNBA LiveAccess on several games throughout the season.

Homegrown Rebel

Mississippi has had several tennis players go on to become All-Americans at Ole Miss. There was Dave Randall (Tupelo) in the late eighties and then Courtney Chapman (Jackson) in the late 90s. Most recently, Jackson native Devin Britton became the youngest to win an NCAA Singles Championship in 2009, and Grenada product Kristi Boxx earned All-America honors in 2010. Can Oxford native Zach Wilder, who signed with the Rebels Tuesday, join that elite club. Time will tell, but if genes have anything to do with it, perhaps a successful career is in his future. His dad, Dr. Mark Wilder, the dean of the School of Accountancy, was an All-American at Alabama. Click here to read an article in the Oxford Eagle on Zach, a four-time State Champion.

Freshman Rebels Arrive On Campus

A total of 20 incoming Rebel freshmen from various sports are already on campus, as they are enrolled in first summer term which began today. For football, 16 of the 23 newcomers have arrived, including seven prep All-American selections from the celebrated class that dominated recruiting in Mississippi like no school ever has.

Here are those new student-athletes that are enrolled in Ole Miss' first summer term.

Football

Justin Bell

Chief Brown

Serderius Bryant

Uriah Grant

Mitch Hall

Woodrow Hamilton

Ethan Hutson

C.J. Johnson

Maikhail Miller

Donte Moncrief

Collins Moore

Aaron Morris

Denzel Nkemdiche

Cody Prewitt

Kameron Wood

T.J. Worthy


Men’s Basketball

Aaron Jones

Jamal Jones

Jarvis Summers


Soccer

Rafaella