Ole Miss picked up its first SEC win of the season over the weekend and showed some positive signs after a rough end to 2025.
The Rebels’ 76-69 win against Missouri saw several Rebels perform well. Malik Dia had another double-double (21 points, 11 rebounds), AJ Storr had a game-high 26 points off the bench and Augusto Cassia earned some praise from coach Chris Beard afterwards.
Now Ole Miss will try to keep the good vibes going on Wednesday against No. 21 Georgia.
Here are three things to look for during the game.
Starting lineup
Ole Miss has 10 players who have started at least one game and three more are averaging more than five minutes a game on the court.
A large reason for that was Beard trying to find the right starting lineup and rotation during the Rebels’ four-game losing streak in November and December. Only player has started all 16 games for Ole Miss and that’s Ilias Kamardine. Even Dia, the Rebels’ best player, started a game on the bench.
The question ahead of the matchup with Georgia is will Beard go with the same lineup he had in a win against Missouri?
That would entail Storr beginning the game on the bench for a third consecutive game. But after scoring a season-high 26 points off the bench, has he done enough to get back into the starting lineup?
Road game effort
One of the lasting images of Ole Miss men’s basketball at the end of the 2025 year was its road game against NC State. That 76-62 loss was the largest case of “lack of effort” by the Rebels and resulted in bench and reserve players getting a lot of playing time.
Since then, the Rebels have played just one game away from SJB Pavilion, which was a 16-point loss to Oklahoma to start conference play.
Ole Miss is 0-2 this season in true road games and both were just mentioned. The Rebels put in the effort at home Saturday. Can they pack that effort with them for a trip to Athens?
Pace of play
Georgia likes to play fast. It’s not that Ole Miss doesn’t like to play fast, but a good defense takes away what an offense is good at.
“This year Georgia’s identity is pace. They’re one of the fastest teams in college basketball,” Beard said. “They put a lot of pressure on you early in the shot clock and don’t rely on late-clock shots.”
So, if there’s a lot of running up and down the court, don’t expect to see the Rebels celebrating a win. But if its slower, the Rebels will have a chance.
“We’ve got to sprint back every time. The ball scores, not the man,” Beard said. “Georgia is committed to transition offense every possession, and that’s what makes them dangerous. It’ll be a real challenge for us to slow the game down and turn it into a half-court battle.”
