MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2013 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Watson, Chassaniol, Burton, Ward, McDaniel, Hopson, Parker, Parks, Tollison, Simmons (12th), Butler (38th), Stone, Blount, Jackson (32nd), Lee, Fillingane
Senate Concurrent Resolution 604
(As Adopted by Senate and House)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI "OLE MISS REBELS" BASKETBALL TEAM AND COACH ANDY KENNEDY FOR THEIR IMPRESSIVE VICTORY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP ON MARCH 17, 2013, AND THEIR FIRST NCAA TOURNAMENT BERTH SINCE 2002.
HOTTY TODDY !!!
WHEREAS, Murphy Holloway scored 23 points, Marshall Henderson had 21, and Reginald Buckner added 13 points, as the Ole Miss "Rebels" Basketball Team gave Coach Andy Kennedy his first NCAA Tournament berth Sunday, March 17, 2013, by upsetting 11th-ranked Florida 66-63 for the Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship; and
WHEREAS, the Rebels (26-8) won 7 of their final 8, grabbing their first SEC Tournament Title since 1981 and their second ever. Even though they thought reaching this game for the first time since 2001 probably clinched the NCAA bid, the Rebels wanted the Championship; and
WHEREAS, Ole Miss was selected for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002 and faced Wisconsin in the second round on March 22, 2013, in Kansas City. The No. 12 seed in the NCAA West Regional, the Rebels upset the No. 5 seed Badgers 57-46. With Ole Miss (27-9) clinging to a three-point lead with 2:49 remaining, leading scorer Marshall Henderson drained a 35-footer with plenty of shot clock left to give the Rebels a comfortable cushion. With its SEC Tournament Championship victory and NCAA first-round victory, Ole Miss has now won 27 games, tying the 2000-2001 squad's school record of 27 victories. This marks the Rebels' seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first for Head Coach Andy Kennedy at Ole Miss. LaSalle ended the Rebel's season in the NCAA Tournament round of 32 in a heartbreaking 76-74 loss. Ole Miss also traveled to Kansas City for the first and second rounds en route to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2001. That year the Rebels defeated Iona in the first round and Notre Dame in the second round before traveling to San Antonio; and
WHEREAS, on its march to the SEC Championship, the team accomplished the following:
· Ole Miss advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the 11th time in school history and owns a 5-6 record in the semis. The Rebels faced Vanderbilt in the semifinals for the second-straight season after Ole Miss lost to the 'Dores last season in New Orleans, and defeated them 64-52;
· The Rebels won a thriller against Missouri (64-62) in the quarter-final in a buzzer-beater by Derrick Millinghaus;
· The Rebels had 8 wins against RPI Top 100 teams, including a pair of wins over both Missouri and Tennessee;
· With the victory over Auburn, Head Coach Andy Kennedy passed B.L. Graham for the most wins in Ole Miss history. Kennedy's record at Ole Miss is 152-87 in 7 seasons;
· Senior Forward Murphy Holloway is the 21st player in SEC history with at least 1,400 points and 1,000 rebounds. Holloway holds the all-time Ole Miss rebounding mark at 1,093 career boards;
· Junior Guard Marshall Henderson passed Chris Warren for the Ole Miss single-season 3-point field goal record with 138 on the year and ranks second in the nation, averaging 3.9 made 3-pointers per game;
· Senior Forward Reginald Buckner ranks fifth in SEC history and is the Ole Miss career-record leader with 326 career blocks;
· The Rebels notched 20 wins for the sixth time in 7 seasons under Andy Kennedy. Ole Miss had seven 20-win campaigns in the 96 seasons prior to Kennedy's arrival in Oxford. He is the fifth coach in SEC history to guide his teams to 20+ wins in 6 of his first 7 seasons in the league;
· Ole Miss Head Coach Andy Kennedy, the winningest Coach in school history, was named the SEC Coach of the Year by NBCSports.com after guiding the Rebels to a 27-9 record, a 12-6 league mark and a second-place finish in the league standings;
· Rebels Reginald Buckner, Marshall Henderson and Murphy Holloway all earned SEC postseason honors. Henderson was voted first-team All-SEC by Blue Ribbon College Basketball and NBCSports.com, second-team All-Conference by the league's coaches and All-District honors from the USBWA, while Holloway also earned first-team All-SEC honors from Blue Ribbon and second-team accolades from the league's coaches. Buckner was voted to the SEC All-Defensive Squad by the league's coaches for the third-straight year; and
WHEREAS, the 2012-2013 Ole Miss "Rebels" Basketball Team Roster is: Terry Brutus, Forward; Reginald Buckner, Forward; Demarco Cox, Center; Marshall Henderson, Center; Murphy Holloway, Guard; Aaron Jones, Forward; Derrick Millinghaus, Guard; Martavious Newby, Guard; Will Norman, Guard; Cade Peeper, Guard; Anthony Perez, Forward; Jarvis Summer, Guard; LaDarius White, Guard; and Nick Williams, Guard; Head Coach Andy Kennedy; Assistant Coaches: Sergio Rouco, Al Pinkins and Bill Armstrong; Coordinator of Basketball Operations Dayton Miller; and Coordinator of Video Services Dan Hartfield; and
WHEREAS, the nation witnessed Coach Kennedy's Rebels make a giant step in the Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship victory, and it is with great pride that we recognize this group of university athletes, their families and coaches, who have brought honor to their university, their community and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the University of Mississippi "Ole Miss Rebels" Basketball Team and Coach Andy Kennedy for their impressive victory in the Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship on March 17, 2013, and their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002, and extend our best wishes to the team, coaches and administration for success.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the Ole Miss Rebels Basketball Team and Coach Kennedy, forwarded to University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.