White ends his Ole Miss career after two seasons.

“I was informed today by Terrico and his family that he intends to hire an agent and stay in this year’s draft,” Kennedy said. “They are comfortable with the information that they have received regarding his draft status and therefore will stay in the draft. Terrico is obviously a very talented young man who will always be a part of the Ole Miss Basketball family.”

“My family and I have decided that it is best for me to stay in the upcoming draft,” White said. “This was a very tough decision to make. I would like to thank all of the coaching staff for giving me the chance to play at Ole Miss and for everything they have done for me over the past two years. I really love it at Ole Miss, and I will always be a part of the Ole Miss family. It really hurts for me to go, but this is what’s best for my family.”

This season, the 6-foot-5 high flyer from Memphis, Tenn., averaged 15.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest in helping the Rebels to a 24-11 record, SEC West title and NIT Final Four appearance.

White scored 955 career points and averaged 14.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game over his two years with the Red and Blue. He was the 2009 SEC Freshman of the Year when he took over point guard duties for the injured Chris Warren in league play and posted 18.4 points per SEC game.

The last Rebel selected in the NBA Draft was Justin Reed, who went in the second round (40th overall) to the Boston Celtics in 2004.

The Rebel twosome earned a 10th-place finish at the fourth annual event, hosted at Reynolds Plantation resort outside of Atlanta.

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher and former Seminoles defensive back Terrell Buckley won the tourney with a seven-under-par 65. Georgia Tech team finished one back at -6, and two-time defending champion South Carolina finished third at -5.

In total, the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge contributed $400,000 in scholarship money to the 12 universities that competed. Over the last four years, the event has combined to give more than $1.8 million in scholarship and charitable donations.

“We really had a spectacular day on the golf course today and this incredible group of coaches and celebrities represented their universities in a first-class way,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “But the privilege was all ours in being able to give so much back to these great schools and great competitors.”

The Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge featured pairings that included a university head coach and a celebrity or former athlete from the same school competing in a scramble format against other university teams from the ACC and SEC.

In addition to the $400,000 scholarship purse, an additional $135,000 was donated to Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Homes, a long-term foster care program. The Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge is a significant contributor to the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s overall annual charitable and scholarship donations. The Chick-fil-A Bowl leads all bowls in the country in charitable giving, including gifts of more than $5.8 million since 2002.

For more information on the event, visit www.Chick-fil-ABowlChallenge.com.

“Very happy for George (Coupland) and he’s been a big part of this team this season,” said head coach Per Nilsson. “He played solid in conference play and picked up some key victories this year, but hopefully this is just a stepping stone for a great career.”

Coupland stands 82nd nationally in singles and is 28th in the country in doubles along with teammate Artem Ilyushin. In singles Coupland has compiled a 20-17 record this season, while notching nine dual match wins and went .500 in league play this year with a 5-5 record. In doubles, the sophomore who hails from Hatfield, England, totaled a second-best on the team 20 wins, 12 of which came during dual match action and was an impressive 7-3 in conference play, while playing the whole season at the No. 1 position for MSU.

Coupland has posted nine wins over ranked opponents this season, including a career-best win over 26th-ranked Boris Conkic of Tennessee. Coupland was also the Bulldogs’ match-clinching point in its recent first round upset over No. 32 Vanderbilt in the 2010 SEC Tournament. In doubles, Coupland and Ilyushin were an impressive 7-3 versus ranked opponents, including a road victory over No. 2 nationally ranked Tennessee tandem Davey Sandgren and J.P Smith.

This is the first honor Coupland has received by the SEC and is the 65th Bulldog to be honored by the SEC since 1966; last season State’s Ryan Farlow was selected to the second-team and Ilyushin was named to the SEC all-freshman team.

The Bulldogs patiently await a potential bid to the 2010 NCAA Championship, which will be announced on May 4.

Ole Miss enjoys a 41-28 edge in the all-time series, which is the fourth-most played in school history and dates back to the Rebels’ first season of organized football in 1893. The last meeting was a 49-20 Ole Miss win to open the 2000 season.

The Rebels have faced the Green Wave more than any opponent not currently in the SEC, although Tulane was a charter member of the conference and competed in the league from 1933 to 1965.

Ole Miss opens the 2010 campaign Sept. 4 against Jacksonville State in Oxford.

A four-year letterwinner from Meridian, Eason totaled 1,005 all-purpose yards and 801 rushing yards during his Rebel career, seeing action in 46 games.

In 2008, Eason started 12 games and finished second on the team in rushing with 647 rushing yards on 140 carries. He posted five total touchdowns (three rushing and two receiving) and recorded a pair of 100-yard rushing performances.

A prep All-American, Eason was the 2005-06 Gatorade Mississippi High School Player of the Year and rated the No. 1 tailback in the nation by Max Emfinger.

Since his arrival in Oxford, Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt has tutored 19 players to the pro ranks, including two first-round draft picks in the same year for the first time in school history in 2009.

The Rebels that were drafted this year included Dexter McCluster in the second round to Kansas City, John Jerry in the third to Miami, Kendrick Lewis in the fifth to KC and Greg Hardy in sixth to Carolina. Four selections equal the most in a single draft for Ole Miss since five Rebels heard their names called in 1985.

In addition, QB Jevan Snead inked a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, WR Shay Hodge with the San Francisco 49ers, CB Marshay Green with the Arizona Cardinals and LB Patrick Trahan and TE Gerald Harris both with the Tennessee Titans.

Holloway started 30 of 34 games for the Rebels this past season, averaging 10.1 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds per contest.

“This is a very difficult decision for me,” Holloway said. “I’ve had a great two years here at Ole Miss. I’m sad to be leaving my Ole Miss family here, but I have to be a mature adult and take responsibility for my daughter and my family in South Carolina.”

“Although we certainly regret that Murphy is leaving our program, we respect the fact that he is leaving in order to fulfill his obligation as a father,” Kennedy said. “We will continue to support Murphy as he moves forward.”

The 6-foot-7, 230-pound native of Irmo, S.C., ranked fifth in the SEC in rebounding and eighth in steals (1.5/game) this season. He finished sixth among league players with eight double-doubles. He struggled at the free-throw line, making just 41.7 percent compared to 58.4 percent as a freshman, but he did convert 56.0 percent of his field-goal attempts.

In two seasons at Ole Miss, Holloway amassed 606 career points, 464 rebounds, 86 steals and 33 blocks. He played in 65 games with 47 starts.

Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum said McKenzie will oversee day-to-day operations until a permanent replacement is in place for outgoing athletic director Greg Byrne. Byrne’s last day in Starkville is April 30.

“Duncan is a Bulldog through and through, having been a student athlete at MSU as well as serving 22 years as an administrator in our athletic department. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to provide continuity and manage the wide-ranging issues that must be addressed on a daily basis,” Dr. Keenum said.

The process is still on track to name a new athletic director in early May, but Dr. Keenum said it is uncertain when the new hire will be able to assume leadership of the department. “Duncan’s experience will be invaluable during this transition period. I appreciate his willingness to step into this role,” he said.

Stump is a junior from Bradenton, Fla., and has earned two letters and compiled 44 career victories in his time at MSU.

Off the court Stump represents the Maroon and White throughout the community. Recently Stump visited and participated in activities with children at Sudduth Elementary in Starkville. He has also worked at MSU’s tennis camp, helping develop children’s tennis skills. Last summer he volunteered at a camp for underprivileged children and also assisted in a community canned food drive run by the student-athletes of Mississippi State.

“Tanner (Stump) has done a great job on and off the court,” said Bulldog head coach Per Nilsson. “He’s been a great representative of our team and Mississippi State University.”

Stump is a business administration major and recently won the Newsome Award for men’s tennis which is awarded to the MSU student-athlete who boasts the highest grade point average for his team.

“I have enjoyed my experience as a student-athlete during my four years at Ole Miss,” said Polynice, a criminal justice major with a minor in journalism. “I will be the first person in my family to graduate from college in a few weeks, and now I’m ready to pursue my dream of playing professional basketball.”

“We appreciate what Eniel has brought to our program and the success that he’s helped us achieve over the past four years,” Kennedy said. “We wish him all the best in his future pursuits.”

Polynice averaged 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and a team-high 3.9 assists per game this season, helping the Rebels to an SEC West Championship and an NIT semifinal appearance. He played in 33 games with 25 starts.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound native of Sarasota, Fla., finished his Rebel career with 791 points, 397 rebounds and 319 assists. He is only the third player in school history to eclipse 700 points, 300 boards and 300 assists. He was a key reserve as a freshman in 2006-07 and a full-time starter during his 2007-08 sophomore campaign. As a true junior, he played in one game before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. He missed the remainder of that season and earned a redshirt.

To ease traffic and parking concerns on campus, the Cotton District Arts Festival, Starkville Downtown Business Association, City of Starkville and Mississippi State Athletics are partnering to again offer continuous shuttle service around the area. The shuttle will operate from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and include stops throughout campus and the Cotton District.

The annual pig cooking contest will also return to its familiar location behind McArthur Hall and will begin on Friday morning. There will be a “Sampling of the Grill” held at the Mississippi Pork Producers/Mississippi Farm Bureau tent at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon (and again Saturday at 11 a.m.), and judging will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Outside of The Junction, FanFair will be held in its usual gameday location, and run at two separate times on Saturday. The first session begins at 11 a.m. and will feature an autograph session by head football coach Dan Mullen and the entire Bulldog football squad. The second session will begin at 3 p.m. and, along with inflatables and other attractions, will offer pictures with Bully.

The Mississippi State football team will hold its Maroon-White Spring Game at 5 p.m. in Davis Wade Stadium. The game will be televised by CSS on a tape-delayed basis with the first airing at 3 p.m. on Sunday. An enhanced broadcast will be aired several other times, and further details will be released when available.

Please visit the Super Bulldog Weekend website at MStateAthletics.com for more information