Ole Miss Men’s Hoops Looks to End Losing Streak in Lexington

Ole Miss men’s basketball travels to Kentucky Tuesday to take on the Wildcats for a long-awaited game.

The Rebels are coming off two straight losses with first-year head coach, Chris Beard. Meanwhile, John Calipari is in his 15th year as head coach for Kentucky, and is coming off his third consecutive loss at home. This is the first time Kentucky has seen three consecutive home losses since the 1966-77 season; with head coach, Eddie Crawford. In 12 out of 14 of Calipari’s previous seasons with Kentucky, he didn’t lose three home games all season. If he loses a fourth, this will be the first time Kentucky loses to Ole Miss at home since 1998.

What This Game Means For Kentucky

This game is looking like a must-win for Kentucky. After coming off these three consecutive losses at home and looking at what teams they still have left to face, this could be a make or break game for them. Coming up on their schedule is teams like LSU, Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State.

Kentucky is 110-14 all-time against Ole Miss, and 14-2 with John Calipari. Last time the two teams competed, Kentucky came out victorious with a 75-66 win. Going into the game this year, with both teams coming off losses, will be a testament to how each team compete.

Ole Miss Getting Back On Track

Ole Miss hasn’t played since coming off their most recent loss against South Carolina on February 6. This time allows Beard to have extra time with his team to get back on track.

The Rebels are coming into this game with an 18-5 overall record, while the Wildcats are 16-7. Ole Miss has shown this season that they can shoot. Their 38.7% success rate of 3-pointers ranks 10th in the country. They also have 7-footer Jamarion Sharp back this week after he was out due to illness.

Other players to watch for the Rebels include Matthew Murrell and Allen Flanigan. Murrell is a 6-foot 4 senior guard and the leading scorer for Ole Miss. Averaging 16.8 points per game, ranks him No. 6 in the SEC. Flanigan is a 6-foot-6 guard transfer from Auburn. He ranks second on the team and ninth for the SEC in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game.

𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪: No. 20 Kentucky

📆 Tuesday, Feb. 13
🕗 8 PM CT
📍 Lexington, KY
📺 ESPN
📰 https://t.co/Sj0P5pL0BZ#HottyToddy | #BuildTheCulture pic.twitter.com/07Lz0q0bVR

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) February 12, 2024

Kentucky Is Capable of Pulling Out A Win

Ole Miss can score, so Kentucky needs to come in ready to put numbers up; and fast. As of Monday, Kentucky was the top 3-point shooting team in college basketball. The Wildcats are more than capable of beating the Rebels in Tuesday night’s game. The No.22 team just needs to ensure consistency throughout the entirety of the game.

The Kentucky and Ole Miss game will take place Tuesday, February 13 at 9:00 p.m. et on ESPN.