Ole Miss takes on Tennessee in the Tad Pad
Ole Miss (18-8, 9-4 SEC) is back in the friendly confines of the Tad Smith Coliseum tonight to take on Tennessee (14-11, 6-7 SEC).
The Rebels won a thrilling contest in Starkville Thursday night, beating Mississippi State 71-65 to sweep the Bulldogs for the first time since 1998. Junior guard Stefan Moody went off on State, hitting a career-best 8 3-pointers en route to a career-high night of 29 points. The victory was Ole Miss’ first in Starkville since 2009.
Against the Vols, the Rebels will be looking for their eighth win in the last nine tries. Tennessee dropped a 66-48 game to No. 1 Kentucky Tuesday night, but the Vols are 4-2 on the road in SEC play.
Scouting the Vols
Senior guard Josh Richardson is Tennessee’s leading scorer at 15.8 ppg. He also leads the team with 32 3-pointers. Junior forward Armani Moore leads the Vols in rebounds, averaging 6.8 boards per game. However, as a team Tennessee is next to last in the SEC in rebounds, recording 31.8 per game in league play.
Rebel leaders
For the Rebels, Stefan Moody is currently second in the league in scoring in SEC games at 18.4 ppg. Senior guard Jarvis Summers leads the conference in assists in league play at 5.3 assists per game and has posted 59 assists in his last 10 games.
Ole Miss is doing a great job controlling the ball, as the Rebels have only turned the ball over 69 times in the last 8 games. Currently, the Rebels are tied for first in the SEC with Kentucky, averaging only 10.3 turnovers per game in league play.
Ole Miss in the RPI Rankings
Ole Miss currently ranks No. 33 in the most recent Ratings Percentage Index rankings released by the NCAA. The Rebels are 7-5 against the RPI top 100—notching wins against No. 24 Arkansas, No. 36 Texas A&M, No. 52 Cincinnati, No. 60 Oregon, No. 77 Florida and No. 85 South Carolina.
Rebels vs. Vols
Ole Miss and Tennessee have met 111 times since 1924. While the Vols hold an overall lead of 70-41, Ole Miss has won three of the last four times the two have played—including a sweep of Tennessee in 2013.
Where to Catch the Game:
The 6:30 pm contest will be televised on ESPNU, with Doug Sherman handling the play-by-play. The game can also be viewed via WatchESPN.com.
For those who choose to listen to the game, it will be broadcast over the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum handling the play-calling duties for the Rebels. It will also be on satellite radio channels Sirius 119 and XM 191.
(Featured Image courtesy of Joshua McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics)
