Ole Miss will look to end its three-game losing streak in the mecca of basketball arenas, Madison Square Garden.
It’ll be must-see television, if only to see what a Rebels team that reportedly had its locker room taken away this week plays like.
Rebels247’s Neal McCready reported that Ole Miss coach Chris Beard took the team’s locker room away. That includes the locker room itself and things like practice jerseys and practice gear.
Beard took these actions after Ole Miss lost a third-straight game to Miami on Tuesday night as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
“At some point there has to be some accountability,” Beard said after the loss to Miami. “The coach gets up here and you’re not supposed to talk about the players, but the players are professional players now. Just like any criticism to the coaching staff and myself is warranted — bring it on — but at some point, if I’d told you before the game Dia was going to go 2-for-10, Ilias was going to go 1-for-11 and AJ, when he’s on the court, Ole Miss is going to get run off the court, it’s going to be a hard night.”
Even with some drastic measures taken by Beard, Saturday’s game against Rick Pitino and St. John’s won’t be easy.
The Red Storm rank No. 14 overall in scoring offense with 92.3 points per game. They also rank in the top 50 in several other key stats, including 22.9 fastbreak ppg (No. 4), 15.9 turnovers forced per game, 29.1 free throw attempts per game (No. 10), 20.7 free throws made per game (No. 19), 14.6 offensive reboudns per game (No. 27), 18.3 assists per game (No. 36), 33.7 bench points per game, and +3.9 turnover margin (No. 47).
Additionally, St. John’s has six players averaging 10 ppg or more, led by Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins with 16.1 ppg.
Playing at Madison Square Garden will be a big moment for Ole Miss, but Beard is hoping to give a hall of fame coach and good contest.
“To me, it is the Mecca of basketball, so to take the Ole Miss brand there, we’re very fortunate,” Beard said. “I’m thankful to Coach Pitino. He only played the game because he thought it would be a good team. I feel a lot of pressure to uptake our end of the bargain and give him a quality game.”
How to Watch: Ole Miss vs. No. 22 St. John’s
- Who: Ole Miss Rebels (5-3) vs. St. John’s Red Storm (4-3)
- When: 7 p.m., Saturday
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City
- TV:Â Peacock
- Radio:Â Live Radio
- Stats:Â Live Stats
- Series History: St. John’s leads the all-time series 1-0
- Last Meeting: St. John’s 70, Ole Miss 67 (1989 NIT)
- Last time out, Rebels: lost to Miami, 75-66
- Last time out, Irish: lost to No. 21 Auburn, 85-74
