Ole Miss basketball vs Arkansas: Predictions, picks, injury updates and odds

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OXFORD — Ole Miss basketball is playing its first SEC road game against a legendary coach in a new place.

The No. 22 Rebels (12-2, 1-0) play John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks (11-3, 0-1) on Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPN2). Both teams are projected to make the NCAA tournament. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projects Ole Miss to be a No. 7 seed and Arkansas as a No. 9 seed.

Here’s what to know about the matchup:

John Calipari has built the Razorbacks in his style

Calipari is in his first season at Arkansas. Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said Arkansas has the signature style of a Calipari-coached Kentucky team.

The Razorbacks have an athletic mix of portal players, young players and veterans, some with NBA potential. Boogie Fland, a 6-foot-2 freshman Arkansas guard, is a Razorback projected to play at the next level.

Fland has started all 14 games this season and averages 15.6 points. He was a 2024 McDonald’s All-American. Fland has shot 43% from the floor and 38% on 3-pointers.

Stopping Fland and Adou Thiero, a 6-foot-8 forward who transferred from Kentucky, is the primary assignment for Ole Miss defensively. Thiero averages 16.9 points.

Ole Miss must contend with Arkansas size near the rim

The Razorbacks don’t make it easy to score from the interior.

Jonas Aidoo (6-foot-11) and Trevon Brazile (6-foot-10) both average at least 17 minutes. They are Arkansas’ leading rebounders.

“We’ve got to have strategy with their length and size,” Beard said. “Legitimate size and athleticism around the basket. Absolutely that’s a focal point of the gameplan.”

Beard has stressed the importance of Ole Miss playing big around the basket, which did not happen against Memphis. Beard may even swap Jaylen Murray for Davon Barnes in the lineup again to gain some size.

Tennessee made the blueprint for Ole Miss basketball

It’s hard to copy Tennessee. The Volunteers are 14-0 (1-0 SEC) are No. 1 in the USA TODAY coaches poll.

That conference win was against Arkansas 76-52. Tennessee outrebounded Arkansas 27-12 in the first half and…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ole-miss-basketball-vs-arkansas-213242971.html

Author : The Clarion Ledger

Publish date : 2025-01-07 21:32:00

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