The best part about Ole Miss’ exhibition game against Alabama is how unusual it feels.
Exhibition games are usually about working through rotations, building chemistry and getting ready for the season. What they typically are not is a matchup against one of the best teams on your conference schedule.
Yet that’s exactly what Ole Miss agreed to do.
When the Rebels take the floor at 8 p.m. Thursday inside Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium to face Alabama, they’ll make program history.
The game will be televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal and Jimmy Dykes on the call. It’s the first time Ole Miss has ever played an SEC opponent in an exhibition game, creating a level of intrigue rarely attached to an October basketball game.
That’s what makes this feel like more than a preseason tuneup.
For coach Chris Beard, the appeal is obvious. He wants answers.
“When we think about exhibition games, it’s very simple what we’re looking for,” Beard said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “We’re looking for great competition. We’re looking to put our teams in tough situations. We’re looking for things to be revealed about our team.”
Alabama should accomplish all three objectives.
The Crimson Tide and Rebels have plenty of history, dating back to 1921. Thursday will be the 189th meeting between the programs, though the first in exhibition play.
Their latest matchup was one Ole Miss fans won’t soon forget, an 80-79 upset of then-No. 15 Alabama in last season’s SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
The stakes are obviously different this time. Nobody is advancing in a tournament or protecting a ranking. But the opportunity remains valuable.
Ole Miss enters the season with another rebuilt roster filled with newcomers. Transfers Budd Clark, Dasear Haskins, Roman Siulepa and Corey Stephenson all averaged at least 10 points per game last season.
On paper, the talent is there. Thursday offers the first chance to see how it all fits together against high-level competition.
That’s important because most fans still haven’t had a chance to watch this team.
The Rebels got valuable work during their trip to Puerto Rico, but those games weren’t televised.
Thursday night’s SEC Network broadcast will be the first real look at a roster that looks much different from the one that failed to reach the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
Fans will finally get a chance to see which lineups Beard trusts, how the newcomers handle SEC-level athleticism and what areas still need work before the regular season begins.
That’s the real value of this matchup.
October basketball often leaves more questions than answers because the competition isn’t strong enough to expose weaknesses.
Alabama almost certainly will.
Win or lose, Ole Miss should leave Birmingham with a much clearer picture of where it stands heading into the season.
