Will Rebels answer wake-up call?

Following losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky within a span of two days, the Rebels basketball team is looking within themselves to find that extra motivation to get them through the rest of the season.

Aaron Jones

“If Vanderbilt and Kentucky didn’t wake us up, nothing will,” said freshman Aaron Jones.

Jones made the comments at Monday’s media gathering at the Basketball Practice Facility.

“We have got to go out and play well, and compete,” he said.

And it starts Wednesday as they travel to Knoxville to play Tennessee. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m., and will be televised by CSS.

Jones, a 6-8, 218 pound freshman forward from Pascagoula, said that he has been working hard in practice to make the most of the opportunities given to him in terms of garnering playing time.

“When I wasn’t playing, that made me work that much harder in practice, and when I have gotten to play, the part about working harder in practice has begun to pay off,” he said.

An area Jones said that he is working at becoming a stronger player and doing well on the boards.

“I’m trying to catch up with Reginald Buckner and his shot blocks,” he said.

Terrance Henry, Photo by Josh McCoy, Rebels247

Jones said that he sees himself more as a defensive-oriented type of player.

“I like to go against Jarvis (Summers) and Terrance Henry in practice,” he said.

Jones knows what is ahead for the Rebels with four games remaining.

Junior forward Murphy is well aware of what is in store for the team on Wednesday against the 14-12 Vols.

“They have some hard-nosed players. I’ve seen them play a couple of times,” said junior forward Murphy Holloway.

Tennessee has a 6-6 mark in SEC play, and is tied for fourth place in league play.

Holloway said that the team is going to work hard at getting back to being a better rebounding team. He said that in recent games, the rebounding hasn’t been where it needs to be.

“It is easy to say that we’re getting out rebounded. We have got to work hard and move on,” he said.