Ole Miss men’s basketball will play its earliest game of the season Saturday thanks to Mother Nature.
With winter weather expected in the Lexington, Ky. area, the SEC has moved up the start of the Rebels’ game against Kentucky one hour to 10 a.m. The game will still be televised on ESPN.
The Rebels haven’t played a game that tipped off in the AM hours of the day since season-opening exhibition game against Saint Mary’s. Ole Miss lost that game 68-53.
Ole Miss will hope for a different result Saturday morning, but that won’t be easy against a Kentucky team that’s one a four-game win streak and is 10-2 at Rupp Arena this season. The Rebels certainly can’t have a repeat performance of its last game a 78-66 loss to Auburn.
“From a purely competitive standpoint, I just didn’t see the fight tonight that I’ve seen in the last month or so with our team,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said. “And again, why not? Playing at home, got a great crowd, just kind of a frustrating night. I just didn’t think we competed hard enough.”
The Rebels had turned a corner from its struggles during non-conference play. They had won three-straight SEC games that included road wins against Georgia (97-95) and Mississippi State (68-67). That’s why Beard was at a loss for words in his post-game press conference after the Auburn game.
“This disappointing performance doesn’t take away from the fact that we played better basketball the last couple of weeks. But tonight is very – you know, I don’t know, it’s a fair question,” Beard said. “It’s not the time to talk to guys after the game, win or lose. Let cooler heads prevail. But you know, I’m looking forward to some real conversations with the guys on exactly what their approach was tonight in this game.”
Hopefully, those conversations can help the Rebels get back to their winning way in a tough road environment against Kentucky.
How to Watch: Ole Miss at Kentucky
- Who: Ole Miss Rebels (11-8, 3-3 SEC) at Kentucky Wildcats (13-6, 4-2 SEC)
- When: 10 a.m., Saturday
- Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Kentucky leads the all-timer series 111-15
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 98, Kentucky 84 (February 4, 2025)
- Last time out, Rebels: lost to Auburn, 78-66
- Last time out, Wildcats: def. Texas, 85-80
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Malik Dia/AJ Storr, 13.6 ppg
- Rebounds: Malik Dia, 6.8 rpg
- Assists: Ilias Kamardine, 78 (4.1 avg.)
- Steals: Ilias Kamardine, 23 (1.2 avg.)
- Blocks: James Scott, 24 (1.3 avg.)
Kentucky Top Performers
- Points: Otega Oweh, 15.7 ppg
- Rebounds: Malachi Moreno, 6.3 rpg
- Assists: Denzel Aberdeen, 58 (3.1 avg.)
- Steals: Otega Oweh, 38 (2.0 avg.)
- Blocks: Malachi Moreno, 30 (1.6 avg.)
Odds, Spread, Totals
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Ole Miss: +9.5 (-102)
- Kentucky: -9.5 (-120)
Moneyline
- Ole Miss: +450
- Kentucky: -630
Total
- Over: 143.5 (-115)
- Under: 143.5 (-105)
