For 20 unbelievable minutes, Ole Miss was one of the best basketball teams in the country last night. At one point they led No. 13 Florida 20-4. At halftime they were 10-for-10 from 3-pt range. It was incredible, but you knew it couldn't last. You knew that didn't you? You knew.
And it didn't. The Rebels were the opposite of hot in the second half, returning to the form we saw in previous games against the likes of LSU and Auburn. Billy Donovan's Gators were too good to be held down forever. They eventually started making their shots and they were able to overcome the torrid first half of Terrance Henry and Nick Williams and sneak out of Oxford with a 64-60 win. And that's all the recap you'll get from me of this one. You watched it. You've read about it. I'm going to tell you what to do with it.
Ole Miss is a better basketball team than it was January 14th. The Rebels couldn't hit the broad side of a barn a few weeks ago. Now a couple of them can. Terrance Henry seems to have found his identity and his stroke and has now topped 20-points in two consecutive games. Nick Williams is shooting better. We know what Holloway and Buckner are capable of on any given night. The rebounding and defense are there. It's hard to talk about after a devastating loss, but the Rebels are playing like a team that has a chance to make some noise going into this final 10-game stretch. That loss last night was tough, and a missed opportunity, but Florida is a really good basketball team. There's a high likelihood you'll be seeing them play far into the NCAA Tournament. Ole Miss won't face too many teams like the Gators in the final stretch. But will Ole Miss make the Tournament?
At halftime last night, Ole Miss looked NCAA Tournament worthy. If the Rebels can continue to perform like they have since that win over Mississippi State they should win more games than they lose in the last five weeks of the season and could possibly finish with 19 or 20 wins. The first half Rebels from last night could win all 10 remaining games. The second half Rebels could lose 8 out of 10. Who knows which one we're going to see out there from here on, but I think there's reason for optimism. This team is improving. They are close. I guess that's what makes the Florida loss so frustrating, but it's also reason for hope.
[follow]
Original Story:
http://www.theolemissblog.com/2012-ar...
