SEC report

SportsLine.com Report
April 1, 2000

A Glance at 2000

If you would have asked Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes back in October if he would accept a season one win shy of 20 victories, he would have signed on the dotted line.

As it played out, the Rebels 19-14 record was acceptable yet disappointing in some ways.

The disappointment was a 5-11 record in Southeastern Conference Western Division play and a 1-10 road record for the season. This was a team that played with absolutely no confidence once it left the Oxford, Miss., city limits. That's why they were doomed in their NIT third-round loss at North Carolina State.

Ole Miss simply never learned to win on the road, and part of that came from its annual cupcake non-conference schedule in which it preyed on the likes of Jacksonville State, McNeese State, Alabama State, Southeastern Louisiana and Prairie View. That's a good reason why Ole Miss went 12-1 in non-conference play.

It was a schedule that did nothing to prepare the team for the rigors of the SEC, and the Rebels immediately lost their first six of seven SEC games including their first five.

The scouting report on how to stop the Rebels started early and maintained throughout the season. Because of a lack of consistent outside shooters, defenses simply doubled muscleman Rahim Lockhart or Hicks in the post.

Hicks disappeared at the start of league play, unsure of his new role as a go-to-guy. He looked particularly lost against zones. In early February, Hicks started floating to the high posts against zone defenses and seemed to get in a rhythm leading the Rebels in scoring for three straight games including a career night of 31 points and 10 rebounds in an 87-82 win over Arkansas.

But later in the year he disappeared again, and not even the strong board banging of Lockhart (who averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds) could keep the Rebels afloat. They lost six of their last eight games before the NIT graciously threw them a lifeline. They made it through two rounds because of their defense and the fact they were able to play in Oxford.

The Coach

After two seasons as coach, the jury is still out on Barnes. While he's 39-27 and taken the Rebels twice to the postseason, you have to question his recruiting.

Barnes is a good floor coach and his team almost always plays hard. He has good communication with his players and Ole Miss is one of the toughest defensive teams in the league.

But his freshman class gave him very little this year. Guard Emmanuel Wade emerged as the best of the bunch, showing some promise with his aggressiveness and a nice outside shot. But the rest were zeroes. Center John Gunn just started looking like he knew how to chew gum and walk at the same time when he contracted mono. Forward Richard Kirklin is nothing but a defender and rebounder and has little offensive skills.

After previous coach Rob Evans set the program standard by taking little-recruited high school players and molding them into Western Division champions, Barnes has a tough act to follow. And right now, it looks like he's not making any progress. Next year will be huge for his future.

Who'll Be Back

Five of the top seven players return, led by Lockhart and point guard Jason Harrison. Lockhart, unless Gunn develops quickly, will have to carry the Rebels inside game by himself next year. Harrison, who scored 20 points in the season closing loss to N.C. State, is just 5-5 yet has the team's best outside shot.

The two returning guards who started against N.C. State -- Jason Flanigan and Syniker Taylor -- are terrible outside shooters. Flanigan shot 36 percent from the field for the season and Taylor, a star defensive back for the Ole Miss football team, should stick to the gridiron. He can't shoot, he can't handle and he can't play defense.

Who's Gone

Hicks and senior starting forward Lataryl Williams depart. Hicks averaged 14 points and six rebounds, but seemed like he was rarely comfortable on offense. At 6-6 with a vertical out of the roof, he could jump over a lot of people inside. Yet at just 200 pounds, he was easily moved off the block by more physical defenders and he hated contact. Williams was probably the Rebels' most underrated player. He averaged nine points and four rebounds, and he was a 49 percent shooter who should have gotten more shots.

Key Newcomers

The Rebels need shooters galore and a quality big man who doesn't mind contact. But first and foremost, they need shooters. Because besides Harrison, they don't have anyone who can consistently knock down threes. And until they find somebody, teams will keep zoning them and doubling Lockhart.