Huggins can swear by this: Rebounding is crucial

OXFORD, Miss. -- Duncan Graeber is an Ole Miss ballboy.

His responsibilities?

Bob Huggins expects to see his team control the rebounds. (AP)

Stand under the goal, fetch any errant passes or shots or blocks, and if something is spilled or sweat gets on the court, grab a towel and clean it up. That's pretty much it. It's a nice gig for a 10-year-old. And the best part is that if you happen to be under the goal close to the visitor's bench -- as Duncan was Wednesday night -- you get to scoot over close to the huddle during timeouts and hear the strategy of the opposing team.

So that's what Duncan did about midway through the second half.

He moseyed over and heard Bob Huggins' instructions.

Then he shared the experience with press row.

"He told his players that they have to get under the goal and get the F'ing rebound," said Duncan, who I must remind you is 10 years old. "He said, 'You're rebounding like F'ing children! So y'all need to get y'all's A's together and get some F'ing rebounds!'"

This was hilarious for two reasons.

1. Duncan is 10, and it's just funny to hear those sentences come from a 10-year-old's mouth.

(Note to Duncan's parents: If you're reading this, yes, he really used the first letters of the bad words instead of the actual bad words, which means you've done a fine job raising your son. Congrats.)

2. Huggins was that angry despite his team putting on a rebounding clinic.

"It was just boys against men," Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said after his Rebels suffered an 80-78 loss for a variety of reasons, but none more glaring than that his team allowed West Virginia to get 22 offensive rebounds. Seriously, the Mountaineers came into Tad Smith Coliseum, missed 15 of 21 3-point attempts, 17 of 33 free throw attempts and still won because they grabbed three times as many offensive boards as Ole Miss (22 compared to seven) and actually finished with more offensive rebounds (22) than the Rebels did defensive rebounds (21).

"That's how we survive," Huggins said. "When you miss as many shots as we do there's a whole bunch (of rebounds) to get."

Makes sense.

But isn't the other team supposed to get some, too?

That's the way basketball typically works, but not on this night, when the fact that these Rebels are playing without four of their top five rebounders from last season came front and center and damn near sent Kennedy into a conniption fit.

He'd watch Da'Sean Butler grab an offensive board, and yell at the court. Then he'd watch Wellington Smith grab one, and yell at the bench. Then he'd watch Kevin Jones grab one, and yell to himself. And it was difficult not to feel sorry for the man, because though he knew coaching against his old boss from those days at Cincinnati wouldn't be easy, he could not have imagined grabbing West Virginia's misses would be so hard.

"We've got to get some guys to grow up quickly," Kennedy said. "Two of our four post guys that played the majority of the minutes (Malcolm White and Terrance Henry) had nine fouls in 21 minutes. That tells me that we're being passive. That tells me that we're being reactionary as opposed to what I see from West Virginia.

"We knew they would come in and attack us; That's what they do," Kennedy added. "You can stand back on your heels or you can stand up and fight, and we were on our heels on the glass all night."

Consequently, Ole Miss is now 5-2 and still looking for some guys to grow up and grab missed shots.

And if you're reading this, Duncan Graeber, maybe you could help block out next game.

And when things get wild, don't forget to cover those ears.