/Loss of Ruffin to torn ACL leaves hole in Rebels’ collective soul

Loss of Ruffin to torn ACL leaves hole in Rebels’ collective soul

He received the opposite. Daeshun Ruffin (freshman point guard from Jackson) underwent an MRI to assess the extent of a serious knee injury sustained Tuesday night at LSU Baton Rouge. The diagnosis was a torn ACL, which will require surgery and at least six months of rehabilitation. The good news is that Ruffin, the explosive freshman who was clearly one of college basketball’s most gifted and talented players, will be back to his best. The downside: Ruffin’s departure leaves a hole within the spirit of an Ole Miss basketball team that was seemingly turning the corner from SEC mediocrity into a very dangerous basketball team, and playing its best when it matters most. The No. 72 road win over No. 25 LSU’s road victory over No. The victory moved the Rebels to 12-10 overall, 3-6 in SEC play and into Saturday’s game against Florida in Oxford. Ruffin was the catalyst for the Rebels’ recent and significant improvement. After only playing basketball in high school, Ruffin was growing more confident and was able to adjust to the demands of playing point guard for the SEC. He did it even though he missed nearly 11 weeks of practice and many games due to previous injuries. Ruffin’s remarkable adjustment from being a shooter-first scorer in high school to a point guard in SEC was impressive, given his physical limitations. For the season, he averaged 12.6 points per match, while averaging nearly 17 for the four last games. He was reducing his turnovers and running the offense more effectively. It was quite impressive to watch his first half performance as Ole Miss surged to a 24 point lead over the Tigers. Simply put, Ruffin was the only man who could keep up with LSU’s athletic team. Sometimes he was able to beat the LSU full court press all by himself. The Tigers were made to look like statues by his lightning fast first step. Ole Miss doesn’t have any other guard that can do that. It seems unlikely that Ole Miss would have defeated LSU, with Ruffin missing 16 minutes of the final 16 minutes. It was a monumental struggle. Davis stated Thursday morning, “We gutted the thing out, I don’t know how.” “Daeshun was playing at a very high, high level. There isn’t a better, faster player in the country. He was only just beginning to find his stride and mature. He was beginning to do things that a lot of people might not notice. He continued, “And here’s what’s difficult to explain.” He was on the move learning. He didn’t have time to prepare for the new challenges because of his previous injuries. He was learning against the best national guards while he ran. This league’s guards are simply amazing. He had so many things on his plate, and he was just really starting to come into his own.” The Ole Miss team was without Jarkel Joiner, its leading scorer, since Dec. 21. Joiner has been out of action for 10 games due to a back injury. He is expected to return for the Florida game. Davis stated, “I was really looking forward having Jarkel and Daeshun in the stretch run.” Joiner will have to play a different role. He’ll often be required to run the offense and handle the ball in Ruffin’s absence. He must do this after suffering a back injury. Florida and other Ole Miss rivals will continue to press the Rebels on the floor. Ole Miss does not have a true point guard. The outlook is not very bright, to be honest. The rest of the schedule, which includes Alabama, Auburn, and Kentucky, will not be easy. Ruffin’s rehabilitation will be no different. Davis stated, “I know this is Daeshun.” Davis said, “I know how competitive and intelligent he is. I know how supportive his family will be. I know how hard it will be for him to succeed. He’ll be back, stronger than ever.” But that’s for next season. His teammates will make this one worthwhile. It’s going be a difficult task, maybe impossible one.