Arriving in Oxford, Mississippi this offseason by way of SEC-rivals Auburn, Allen Flanigan is having a career-best start to the 2023-24 campaign averaging 19.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 2.3 APG.
Undefeated at 6-0 to start the tenure of head coach Chris Beard, Flanigan has been one of the SEC’s top transfers and has become a critical proven leader and scorer on this rebuilt Rebels roster.
Just before the short Thanksgiving break, Flanigan and the Rebels took a trip to the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA for a tightly contested matchup with Temple.
As Ole Miss edged out the Owls 77-76 for a victory on the road, Flanigan continued to impress, helping to put the Rebels ahead early and to later stave off a late comeback attempt from Temple.
Flanigan led all scoring on the afternoon with 26 points, adding eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots, and two steals, to load up the Rebels statsheet against Temple.
Post-game, Beard said rebounding hard on both ends of the floor was something he challenged his team to do against Temple and alongside Flanigan’s eight boards, the Rebels answered that call.
“From where I was sitting, the difference in the game was rebounding,” said Beard. “We challenged the guys at halftime to try and out rebound the opponent. Certainly we needed some rebounds late and we were able to manufacture a couple extra possessions with offensive rebounds.”
After leading the Rebels to the win over Temple, Flanigan was pivotal in a 72-52 win over NC State in the ACC/SEC Challenge, contributing a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
However, Flanigan and Co. will have what many consider to be their first top-tier test of the season on Saturday, as Ole Miss welcomes 5-1 Memphis and head coach Penny Hardaway to the Pavilion.
