After winning 45 games the past two seasons under new head coach Andy Kennedy, Mississippi had high hopes heading into this season. The Rebels were expected to be right in the mix for an NCAA Tournament bid out of the SEC West -- and Blue Ribbon even picked them to win the division. However, just two weeks after Ole Miss lost Trevor Gaskins for the season to a torn ACL, the Rebels have now lost another guard for the year. Arguably the Rebels' most versatile player, Eniel Polynice, will miss the rest of the season after knee surgery this morning showed damage to both knee cartilage and the bone -- more than originally anticipated. "Unfortunately for him, and for us, the rehab process doesn’t look like it will allow him to be back this season," head coach Andy Kennedy said. "Obviously, we’re disappointed, but we’ve got to regroup."
Polynice had problems with his knee last year, and underwent surgery after the season ended. However, it swelled up during the Rebels' season-opener against Arkansas State, forcing him to leave the game. Polynice was the team's second-leading scorer last season, averaging 10.7 points per game to go with 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals. With Polynice and Gaskins out, sophomore Chris Warren (15.8 ppg and 4.4 apg last season) and junior David Huertas (24 points and six rebounds in the opener) will have to take on a bigger role, while 6-6 freshman wing Terrico White could get pushed into the starting lineup.
Photo Credit: AP
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