April 16, 2008

University, MS (UWIRE) -- Less than two weeks from his team's exit from the National Invitation Tournament, Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy is already trying to figure out how to take the Rebels back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001-02.

The look ahead to his third season as head coach can't begin without a nod to the graduating seniors Dwayne Curtis, Kenny Williams, Jermey Parnell and Brian Smith.

"As I look back at it now, for this team to have won 24 games and all, four of those seniors were a part of 45 wins over a two-year period. For that I think they should be proud, and I'm glad to see them leave here with some success," Kennedy said.

It is the departure of three seniors along the frontcourt where the Rebels will be met with questions of a loss of experience next season, but for Kennedy, the loss might not be as crippling as outsiders might think.

"(Curtis) was a three-year starter in this program, and I think he really evolved into being a very good player for us," Kennedy said. "He changed his body type and was able to play longer periods of time and was just as effective at the end of games as he was at the beginning.

"Kenny Williams was a junior college transfer. He really brought in and gave us great energy, but it wasn't like he was an experienced guy. Jermey Parnell never really got beyond being a solid role contributor. So really, it's Dwayne and some other pieces."

The biggest obstacle the Rebels must replace comes on the glass. Ole Miss led the SEC in rebounding margin at +5.6 per game. That number was magnified in the quarterfinals of the NIT, when Ole Miss doubled Virginia Tech 46-23 in rebounds, propelling the Rebels to Madison Square Garden and a statement road win, after going 1-7 on the road in SEC play.

"We were very good on the glass, but we didn't block many shots, and we didn't create many turnovers," Kennedy said. "So, we're going to trade one strength, and hopefully we'll improve in some other areas."

The Rebels will first turn to the talented Malcolm White and Kevin Cantinol as replacements in the frontcourt.

The 6-foot-10 Cantinol gained invaluable experience in his red shirt season in 2007-08. Cantinol, originally from the Caribbean island of Martinique, only had a handful of years of basketball experience before coming to Oxford.

"He is a tough kid who is receptive to learning," Kennedy said of Cantinol. "Everyday he was banging against those kids who were four years older than him and much more savvy as it related to basketball. I was really pleased with his progression in year one."

White qualified a year earlier than expected out of Genesis Prep School and gained experience that will allow him to make a consistent impact next season.

"We will be more dependent upon some of the things he can do," Kennedy said. "I thought it was vital for him, even if it was five minutes there, 10 minutes here to get that experience."

The athletically built 6-foot-9 White is the type of athlete Kennedy expects to bring in along the frontcourt. Both Curtis and Parnell were brought in by former head coach Rod Barnes who favored a slower pace, as his team averaged 65 points per game in 2005-06. Kennedy hopes to improve on the 80 points his team averaged per game this season.

"That is a pretty significant change (from 65 to 80 points), and I would hope that we continue to embrace what we're going to do long-term, which is to try to extend things 94 feet," Kennedy said.

Next season will be the first year Kennedy will field a team with only players he recruited. He will no longer be caught between trying to play at his style more conducive to the roster and the full-court style Kennedy hopes will lead them to the NCAA tournament next season.

"I personally think the way to be successful for this program long-term is to try to play at a frenetic pace, and I think that is in the best interest of this job," Kennedy said. "I think for Ole Miss to have success, I think it is the way we need to play; it is the way I feel most comfortable playing."

(C) 2008 Daily Mississippian via UWIRE