OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss basketball coach Kermit Davis defended the players who knelt during the national anthem, saying they did so in direct response to the pro-Confederate rally that was taking place on campus at the same time.

"This was all about the hate groups that came to our community and tried to spread racism and bigotry ... in our community," Davis said during his postgame press conference. "It has created a lot of tension for our campus. I think our players made an emotional decision to show these people they aren't welcome on our campus, and we respect our players' freedom and ability to choose that."