Ole Missed Again

First off, congratulations to the Rebels on a nice run. After a March 2nd loss at lowly Mississippi State and near-certain NIT fate, Ole Miss ran off 6 straight wins including the SEC Championship and an upset of Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.

But the finish in the Round-of-32 game against La Salle in Kansas City showed way they've just barely missed the cut so many times.

In a tie game in the final minute, Marshall Henderson drove to the basket with the shot clock running down. He failed to draw iron, but got his own rebound and appeared to be fouled as he put it back up. There was no call and the sequence resulted in a shot-clock violation.

Not only did it deny Henderson, an 89% foul shooter, a chance to give the Rebs the upper hand. But it also gave La Salle the ball with 31 seconds left - a chance to take the final shot.

Andy Kennedy subbed Henderson out of the game to have his best defensive team on the floor, but failed to think one step ahead. And that may have cost Ole Miss their shot at the Sweet 16.

The Explorers ran a simple handoff and caught the Ole Miss guards on a switch. Tyrone Garland blew by Jarvis Summers, drove right down the lane, and went around Reginald Buckner - one of the nation's best shot blockers. The layup was a thing of beauty and the Southwest Philly Floater became part of NCAA Tournament lore.

But there were 2.5 seconds left and Ole Miss had a timeout. They had to use it if only to get Marshall Henderson back in the game. He could easily make a 40-footer either on a set play or off the dribble. Yet they frantically inbounded and wound up with a half-court prayer.

Whether the blame lies with Kennedy or the players isn't the point. It's that Ole Miss was ill-prepared for a crucial end-of-game situation, and fell to to tougher team that seized their opportunity.

And it can't be understated. The history of programs and universities are changed in these moments. It will be back to the drawing board in Oxford.

Changing Stripes In Baton Rouge

The #1 attraction in Louisiana's state capital (other than the food) is Mike The Tiger. A beautiful creature, he prowls in his own private zoo between LSU's football stadium and basketball arena.

But on this Saturday morning, Mike was feeling a little comatose, napping just a few feet away from his many admirers.

The LSU Tigers, like their beloved mascot, didn't get their wakeup call. On Senior Day, the Tigers were out-hustled by a desperate Ole Miss Rebel squad led by likely SEC Player of the Year Marshall Henderson.

Henderson's histrionics on the court make him a player that opponents love to hate, but fundamentally he is very sound. Besides being a great shooter, he plays good D, looks for his teammates and sinks seemingly every free throw.

Ole Miss went to 12-6 in the SEC and now has a legit shot to finally bust the bubble and go to their first NCAA Tournament since 2002, primarily because Henderson is a difference-maker.

Henderson may get too exuberant or combative after big positive plays, but he makes all the little plays. He is well-coached and well-schooled, even if he isn't always well-behaved.

It's kind of like a golfer who wraps his 3-iron around a tree, but always makes a 3-foot putt. There's chaos and calm, fire and ice.

I thought about my hectic travel day to get to Baton Rouge, but got to my destination on a still 70-degree, and exhaled. My blood pressure lowered, my nerves eased, and I sat down and had a beer and watched the sunset.

There's dialing it up and dialing it down. Primetime and Backtime. Mike The Tiger, Marshall Henderson, and Me.

Backtime Walkabout: Ole Miss

Only 24 hours in Oxford MS, but I got out to The Square a couple of times. Last night I actually got out to a new restaurant, McEwen's and my meal was top notch.

That is sweet potato-crusted Mississippi catfish with creole mustard, Gruyere mac & cheese, and the best spicy collard greens I've ever had. And while I almost always stick to wine or beer with my meal, I had a "when in Rome" moment when I looked at the blackboard.

Yes, "The Grove In A Glass" was just as sweet and southern a cocktail as you would expect. Some of the other options were "Daddy's Little Princess," "Faulkner's Cure," and "Blind Jim Ivy."

So after I recouped and got to my 5:45 AM (CT) call time, I managed to make it back to The Square for lunch (TV people will always call it lunch whether it's 9 AM or 5 PM) at one of the best breakfast/sandwich joints in the country, The Bottletree Bakery.

It was just as packed as you might expect for  a Saturday morning at a place that Oprah once recommended, so I had to take my coffee and breakfast croissant to go.

On the job, the Ole Miss Rebels defeated Arkansas without drama and went to 4-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1937. The drama was in the truck after a 25-minute 1st half power outage put a number of our flights out of Memphis in serious jeopardy.

Yes Mississippi has indoor plumbing, but it still takes 20 minutes for the lights to come on after a power surge. Fortunately we didn't go to OT like both teams had earlier in the week. And the small amount of time spent in Oxford was well backtimed.