It did not matter who the opponent was on Monday night; it was crucial that Coach Beard his new look Rebels started off on the right foot, putting the disappointment of last season behind them. Upsets happen all the time in basketball, so taking an opponent lightly is foolish.
The Rebels started Ilias Kamardine, Adam Clark (Seton Hall), Patton Pinkins, Roman Siulepa (Pitt) and Corey Stephenson (FIU). Siulepa and Stephenson both played under 20 minutes as each had three fouls in the game. Santiago Trouet (Arizona St) led the bench in both minutes (22) and points (15). Newly eligible Ben Henshall also saw heavy minutes off the bench.
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Three point and free throw shooting were horrendous for Ole Miss even in a 41 point blow out. The Rebels shot 6-18 from deep and 23-37 at the line. Alcorn State was able to knock down 10 threes on their way to 40% shooting, but could get nothing close to go, finishing at 37% overall shooting.
Clark led the Rebs in scoring with 17, as five total players scored in double digits. Trouet, Kamardine and Clark all ended with five or more assists. The team had 11 turnovers, which will likely end up as one of the highest totals this season as the team builds chemistry.
The key stat was 26 turnovers by Alcorn State which led to 39 points for Ole Miss. The Braves also only had 10 points in the paint and 11 fastbreak points compared to 56 and 27 for the Rebels.
It's only game one, but it looks like Santiago Trouet and Adam Clark will be the two big additions to play alongside Kamardine and Pinkins this season.
