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For the first time this season, there’s a ranked matchup coming to Mizzou Arena.
No. 24/22 Missouri basketball is set to face No. 16/16 Ole Miss on Saturday evening in Columbia, where both teams will look to get back on track after midweek losses.
MU (15-4, 4-2 SEC) had its worst offensive output of the season as it fell on the road at Texas on Tuesday, shooting 31.2% from the field and scoring 15 fewer points than in any other game this season. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Tigers that had put them ahead of schedule in the search for a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Mississippi (15-4, 4-2) is now on a two-game losing streak after falling on the road at Mississippi State in overtime last Saturday and following that up with a last-gasp defeat to Texas A&M on Wednesday.
Here is what you need to know about Ole Miss before Saturday’s game:
What are Ole Miss’ strengths leading into Missouri basketball game?
Fresh off a tricky offensive evening on the road, life in the SEC doesn’t get much easier for Mizzou with Ole Miss’ elite defense.
According to CBB Analytics, Ole Miss ranks in the 97th percentile of the teams in the nation in defensive rating, allowing 0.96 points per possession. The Rebels force their opponents into turnovers on 20.2% of possessions, which is the top mark in the Southeastern Conference and in the 98th percentile in the country.
If that sounds good, that’s because it is good.
Here are the results this season: The Rebels held free-scoring Alabama to 64 points in Tuscaloosa; kept Georgia to 51 points in Oxford to open SEC play; and only four teams — BYU and Purdue on a neutral court and Mississippi State and Memphis on the road — have eclipsed 70 points in a game against Ole Miss.
Jan 18, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Matthew Murrell (11) reacts during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
