OXFORD – Chris Warren is eager to get the season going but not for the reason many Ole Miss fans might think.

He is itching to get back into a game that counts in the standings, for sure. He’s also excited to begin a season that could end with the Rebels in the NCAA tournament.

Ole Miss hasn’t played in college basketball’s showcase event since 2002.

“We want to win games. We want to win the SEC West and the SEC,” said Warren, the team’s junior point guard. “And we want to go to the tournament and go far. We haven’t been to the tournament since we’ve been here. That would be a good accomplishment for us.”

Coming off a 16-15 injury-ravaged season the Rebels begin play today at 6 p.m. against Arkansas-Little Rock.

Warren is eager to get back on the floor. He missed all of SEC play last season, while teammates Eniel Polynice and Trevor Gaskins missed much more than that. All three are back and healthy. Their presence and the added depth of young players pressed into action in dire circumstances last season are why the Rebels have been picked second in the West.

“I can’t wait till we get in the game. I know EP and Trevor feel that way too,” Warren said.

Earning respect

Warren was voted to the preseason All-SEC second team. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy called it a show of respect for what he accomplished as a true freshman, when he averaged 15.8 points and shot 39 percent from 3-point range. Warren was averaging 19.6 points when he tore up a knee in Cincinnati last December.

In his absence guard Terrico White became the team’s go-to player. He moves back to shooting guard this season, as Warren resumes control at the point. White, first-team preseason All-SEC, is a candidate for the Naismith and Wooden awards that recognize college basketball’s top player.

Backcourt is this team’s strength. Polynice and Gaskins are added in, and sophomore Terrence Henry and junior Zach Graham are expected to see significant minutes too.

The question will be what kind of production the Rebels get in the post where experience is light, and styles vary.

Sophomore Murphy Holloway is an undersized big man at 6-foot-7, though his energy level helps him have success against bigger players. DeAundre Cranston, the team’s only senior, carries 260 pounds on his 6-9 frame. He’s quite comfortable on the perimeter but not quite the banger of bigger post players.

Freshman Reginald Buckner is expected to make an impact, but there will be a learning curve.

“I think we will have good post play with the people we have,” Cranston said. “It’s a mindset thing. It doesn’t matter how big you are. If you feel you can guard bigger people, you can guard them on any given day.”

Ole Miss ties

UALR returns one starter off a team that finished 23-8 and won the Sun Belt Conference West Division.

Senior forward Mike Smith appeared in 29 games as a freshman at Ole Miss before transferring. He averaged 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds for UALR last season.

The Trojans’ top threat may well be newcomer Solomon Bozeman, who also has ties to Ole Miss. The son of former Rod Barnes assistant coach Eric Bozeman, Solomon Bozeman was a standout guard at Oxford High School.

He played at South Florida two years ago, then sat out a transfer season last year. He scored 27 points in the Trojans’ exhibition.

Ole Miss overcame a halftime deficit to win big in its exhibition against Auburn-Montgomery last week. Polynice called the soft start a “wake-up call” and said he expects a stronger start tonight.

“We want to play hard and make a statement early on that Ole Miss basketball is for real. I think we can make a push for the NCAA tournament if we stay focused, stay healthy and God blesses us.”

Contact Parrish Alford at 678-1600 or parrish.alford@djournal.com