Ole Miss men’s basketball to host North Carolina State in ACC/SEC Challenge Tuesday

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss men’s basketball will return to the Pavilion Tuesday night in the ACC/SEC challenge against North Carolina State (4-1) at 8 p.m. The Wolfpack is coming off its first loss of the season to No. 19 BYU, while the Rebels (5-0) are returning from a thrilling victory against Temple last week in Philadelphia.

EST. 2023

Be there tomorrow as we continue to lay down the foundation. #Culture | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/SMfkPfIZCv

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) November 28, 2023

Offensively for North Carolina State, senior guard Casey Morsell has led the way, averaging 15 points per game and shooting 46.7 percent from the field. Against BYU, Morsell emerged and scored 28 points, shooting 3-6 from three-point range. There truly is no shot that is too far for Morsell, and it could be a difficult task to prevent him from finding these open looks.

Another stud on this Wolfpack team is senior DJ Burns, who enters at 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds. Between Ole Miss big men Jamarion Sharp and Rashaud Marshall, both players are going to need to be prepared to get physical with Burns. The forward is averaging roughly 14 points per game and plays the second-most minutes on the team. If Sharp and Marshall can play smart and physical basketball, Burns could very easily run out of steam by the end of the game.

Each squad is shooting around 45 percent from the field and 35 from three, which means whoever shoots better tomorrow night is most likely going to be the winner. The Wolfpack has also done a fantastic job from the free throw line, shooting 76 percent as a team, something the Rebs are going to have to avoid against a high-powered, fast offense.

On Ole Miss’ side of the ball, it will come down to what seems to be the big three for the Rebs. Jaylen Murray, Allen Flanigan, and Matt Murrell. These three lead the team in minutes played as well as points per game, and they are going to have to make shots in order to put the Rebs in a position to win.

Against Temple, the trio accounted for 75 percent of the Ole Miss points and each made at least two threes and four shots from the field. As mentioned before, shooting will win this game, and Ole Miss has all of the right tools to make it happen.

Come tomorrow night, expect a high-scoring, shootout type of game and one that could go down to the buzzer, something these Rebs are used to. 

Pack the Pavilion, be loud, and show your support for the undefeated Rebels at 8 p.m. Tuesday night! For those unable to attend, the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Zach Moreth

Zach is a freshman at Ole Miss and is studying Sports Administration. Outside of watching and playing sports, he enjoys spending time with his loved ones and being active. I’m excited to help cover our amazing Ole Miss sports teams!