‘Short term memory’ essential as No. 16 Ole Miss faces road test at No. 22 Mizzou + how to watch/player report

After the Ole Miss Rebels got off to its best SEC start (4-0) in over a decade, they’ve suffered heartbreak in each of the last two games at Mississippi State (81-84 OT) and most recently at home against Texas A&M (62-63).

Regardless, the Rebels sit at No. 18 in the NCAA NET with a 5-4 Quad 1 record and as high as a projected No. 4 seed according to the latest CBS Sports field. A short memory is essential as the Rebels get set to faced their fourth straight ranked opponent in a row in the No. 22 ranked Missouri Tigers (15-4, 4-2 SEC), in Columbia.

Tipoff this evening is set for 5 p.m. CT and can be seen on SEC Network or listened to on the Ole Miss Radio Network.

The comeback has been real for the Tigers, going from dead-last in the SEC last season (0-18) to being in the conference mix this season.

“It’s an 18-round fight. We have to have some short term memory around here. We have to bounce back. Saturday is a great opportunity to do that,” Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard recently said on RebTalk. “Dennis Gates at Missouri, this is probably one of the best stories in college basketball that nobody is talking about. They had a lot of adversity last year with injuries throughout the season. It’s not like Dennis forgot how to coach. This guy is a really, really good coach. For them to bounce back this quickly, it tells a lot about their coaching staff and players.”

The Tigers already had a pair of Top 5 victories under their belt, one in non-conference play (No. 1 Kansas) and the other two weeks ago (at. No. 4 Florida). They sit at No. 27 in the NCAA NET with a 2-4 Quad 1 record. All but one victory has come inside Mizzou Arena.

One of the more notable things Missouri this season has been their ability to get to the free throw line, by averaging 28.1 attempts per game and getting 20.2 makes per game (both top five nationally). Their depth off the bench has been key as well, as they average 36.7 bench points per game, the fourth-most in the country. All that depth is highlighted by Duke transfer forward Mark Mitchell, who averages 13.4 points per game and a team-best 5.0 rebounds.

Like Ole Miss, they’ve had the turnover margin firmly in their favor, currently sitting at +4.4.

“They basically have the five-five-five model where they return five really good players from last year that are now healthy. Only one of those five played full time last year. They added five freshman in a recruiting class. They’re getting significant contributions from those younger guys. The other part of that group is they signed five really good portal players. That starting point guard from Iowa (Tony Perkins), really experienced player and a starter at Duke that was a double-digit scorer. Missouri is as good as advertised,” Beard said.

“I always thought personally that the 18-round fight of the SEC, you have to get to the midway point before you talk about being in position to win it. Right now, Missouri is in that hunt. Right there. They have signature wins and they have a home court advantage. A hostile environment. I told our players recently, pressure is a privilege. Let’s not forget that.”

Ole Miss has been dominated on the glass in each of its last two games, while failing to get to the free throw line as often as the opponent. That said, through all games this season, the Rebels rank seventh in the country by committing just 9.4 turnovers per game with a turnover margin of +6.8, third-best in the country. They also force 16.2 per game, which is 12th-most in the country.

Recently, Beard hinted as the training room having some consistent activity, and as of Friday night, Matthew Murrell and Dre Davis are both labeled questionable to play according to the SEC Player Availability Report.

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ON THE AIR:

Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Color: Jon Sundvold

OLE MISS RADIO:
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes

TEAMS BREAKDOWN:

Ole Miss:

– 77.9 points for, 65.5 points against

– .445 field goal percentage

– 34.6 rebounds per game

– 15.8 assists per game

– 4.7 blocks per game

– 10.1 steals per game

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Missouri:

– 83.2 points for, 68.6 points against

– .484 field goal percentage

– 34.7 rebounds per game

– 13.7 assists per game

– 3.1 blocks per game

– 10.0 steals per game

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PROJECTED STARTING 5:

Ole Miss –

F – #0 Malik Dia (9.6 PPG. 6.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.5 SPG)

G – #3 Sean Pedulla (14.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.4 SPG)

G – #7 Davon Barnes (5.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.0 SPG)

G – #11 Matthew Murrell (11.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 2.1 SPG)***

F – #14 Dre Davis (9.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.2 SPG)***

Head Coach – Chris Beard (2nd season, 35-16)

*** – listed as “questionable” on most recent SEC player availability report

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Missouri –

G – #0 Anthony Robinson (10.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.9 SPG)

G – #2 Tamar Bates (12.8 PPG. 2.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.7 SPG)

G/F – #11 Trent Pierce (8.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.7 SPG)

G – #12 Tony Perkins (7.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG)

F – #25 Mark Mitchell (13.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG)

Head Coach – Dennis Gates (3rd season, 48-38)

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LAST 5 GAMES

Ole Miss: 3-2

1/8 @ Arkansas – W 73-66

1/11 vs. LSU – W 77-65

1/14 @ Alabama – W 74-64

1/18 @ Mississippi State – L 84-81 (OT)

1/22 vs. Texas A&M – L 63-62

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Missouri: 4-1

1/7 vs. LSU – W 83-67

1/11 vs. Vanderbilt – W 75-66

1/14 @ Florida – W 83-82

1/18 vs. Arkasnas – W 83-65

1/21 @ Texas – L 61-53

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SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS:

Auburn 5-0 SEC, 17-1 overall

Alabama 5-1 SEC, 16-3 overall

Florida 4-2 SEC, 17-2 overall

Tennessee 4-2 SEC, 17-2 overall

Ole Miss 4-2 SEC, 15-4 overall

Missouri 4-2 SEC, 15-4 overall

Texas A&M 4-2 SEC, 15-4 overall

Kentucky 3-2 SEC, 14-4 overall

Mississippi State 3-3 SEC, 15-4 overall

Vanderbilt 3-3 SEC, 15-4 overall

Georgia 2-4 SEC, 14-5 overall

Texas 2-4 SEC, 13-6 overall

Oklahoma 1-4 SEC, 14-4 overall

LSU 1-4 SEC, 12-6 overall

Arkansas 1-5 SEC, 12-7 overall

South Carolina 0-6 SEC, 10-9 overall

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(Notes, info and more courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics)

SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSOURI

The Rebels and Tigers met for the first time in January of 2013 after Missouri joined the SEC, with the Rebels earning a win at home over No. 10 Missouri 64-49 in the Tad Pad. After losing the second matchup a month later, Ole Miss won the next eight contests beginning and ending with victories in the SEC Tournament. In two games last season, the Rebels came out on top and lead the series when playing in Columbia, Mo. 7-4.
 
LAST MEETING: March 2, 2024 (W, 84-78, Columbia, Mo.)
• The Ole Miss defense came out rolling in the first half, holding the home Tigers to just 26 in the first half compared to 45 for the Rebels.
• Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss): 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal.
• Sean East II (Missouri): 27 points, three assists, one steal.
 
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking third in the nation with a turnover margin of +6.8 while ranking seventh in turnovers per game at 9.4. The Rebels are forcing an average of 16.2 turnovers per contest which ranks 12th in the NCAA. Ole Miss’ assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.70 also ranks among the nation’s best at ninth, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 3.08. They’ve been a force on the defensive end with an average of 10.1 steals per game (seventh in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks 20th in steals per game nationally.
 
LET’S PLAY DEFENSE
A staple of success for head coach Chris Beard has always been his team’s defensive play, and it’s been evident on this year’s Ole Miss roster to start the season. With a turnover margin of +6.8, the Rebels own the third-best average in all of college basketball, forcing 16.2 per game (No. 12 in the NCAA) while committing just 9.4 to rank seventh in the NCAA.
 
They have held opponents to 60 points or less in five games this season, allowing an average of just 65.4 per contest, the 37th-fewest in the NCAA. Their field goal percentage defense of 40.4 ranks 47th in the country this season, and Ole Miss holds a record of 15-2 in two years under Beard when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field. Their defensive efforts at the three-point line has led to an opponent shooting percentage of just 29.3 on the season, the 25th-lowest mark in the country.
 
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 10.1, the seventh-best clip in college basketball, and blocks per game at 4.7 to rank 43rd.
 
“HURRY UP AND GET YOUR MUSCLE UP, WE OUT THE PLYOMETRIC”
The grueling SEC schedule has arrived and Ole Miss has stepped up to the challenge so far. In game one, the Rebels faced a Georgia team that entered their matchup 12th in the nation in field goal percentage at 50.7 and 12th in the country in rebound margin at +10.4. Ole Miss responded by holding the Bulldogs to just 29.3 percent from the floor, and out-rebounding Georgia, just the second time UGA had lost a battle on the boards this season.
 
In game two at Arkansas, the Rebels faced another top team in shooting efficiency, as the Razorbacks entered with the ninth-best field goal percentage in the nation at 50.7. The Ole Miss defense held Arkansas to just 37.3 percent shooting, and once again out-rebounded a team entering with a positive rebound margin.
 
The Rebels then held LSU to just 40.7 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from deep. Their defense forced 17 turnovers with 12 steals, as five players recorded two swipes. On the road again at No. 4 Alabama, Ole Miss faced the No. 1 scoring offense in the country at 91.1 points per game and the eighth-ranked offensive rebounding team. The Rebels’ defense held the Tide to just 64 points, snapping a 53-game streak of 70+ for Alabama, contained them to just 4 offensive rebounds, and forced 21 turnovers in the road win.
 
Across their six SEC games, Ole Miss has held their opponents to just 38.9 percent from the field, the second-best defensive effort in the league. From three-point range, they lead the SEC defensively by holding their opponents to just 24.5 percent shooting. Their clip of 65.5 allowed points per game is also second-best in the SEC.
 
I’LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 45 steals for an average of 2.37 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 18 of 19 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in 14 games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 20th in the NCAA in steals per game and 17th in total steals.
 
“POLL” POSITION
In the latest top-25 polls released this past Monday, Ole Miss ranks No. 16 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Recently at No. 15 in the Coaches Poll on December 9, it was the highest ranking in a national poll since the Rebels were No. 14 in the AP Poll on January 4, 2010, and the highest position in the Coaches Poll since they sat in 15th on January 21 in 2008. Their current run of nine weeks in the top 25 is the longest streak since the 2009-10 season.
 
BATTLE TESTED
The future schedule for Ole Miss is one of the most difficult in the nation. As of January 23, they own the nation’s third-toughest remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index. Their remaining opponent’s win percentage of 79.2 is the third highest in all of college basketball, and their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 70.2 is the fifth highest in the nation.
 
Among the SEC programs, Ole Miss is tied for the third-most quad-one victories with five.
 
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 18 in the nation. Since the ranking’s first iteration at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, their ranking of 13th on January 20 is the highest-ever NET Ranking for the Ole Miss program.
 
As of January 23, the entire SEC is ranked among the top 100, with 13 of the 16 programs sitting inside the top 50, eight in the top 25, and four in the top 10.
 
LUNARDI SAYS “DANCE”
Updated each Tuesday and Friday, the latest bracketology from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Ole Miss as a four seed in the West Region. They are projected by Lunardi to face 13-seed South Alabama in Seattle, paired with five-seeded Wisconsin and 12th-seeded Lipscomb. The highest seed for the Ole Miss program came in the 2001 tournament, when they were set as a three seed and reached the Sweet 16.
 
RECORD BOOK WRECKER
Senior guard Matthew Murrell enters his fifth season with Ole Miss and continues to put his name up and down the program record book. The Memphis native currently ranks 10th in school history in career points with 1,613, and fifth in both three-point shots made (239), and three-point attempts (682). He also ranks ninth in most field goal attempts at 1,329, and has entered the top-10 in career steals with 153, just behind Rod Barnes in ninth with 154.
 
I AM IRON MAN
A consistent member of the lineup for each of the past five seasons, Matthew Murrell ranks among the top 10 in both career minutes and games played. The guard recently broke the program record for total games played in an Ole Miss uniform, surpassing Zach Graham with 135, now at 136. Murrell has played in the fifth-most minutes for the program at 3,930, just behind John Stroud with 3,955.

PROGRAM POINT PRESIDENTS
Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have each surpassed the 1,000-point mark during their careers here in Oxford, and continue to climb the program leaderboard. Here’s a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
…
8. Keith Carter – 1,682
9. Jarvis Summers – 1,629
10. Matthew Murrell – 1,613
11. Joe Gibbon – 1,601
…
28. B.L. Graham – 1,259
29. Dwayne Curtis – 1,232
30. Jaemyn Brakefield – 1,219
31. Walter Actwood – 1,216