Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Earns Spot in USA Today Coaches Top-25 Poll
OXFORD, Miss. — (Release) Beginning the season undefeated through nine games for just the fourth time in program history, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team earned national recognition on Monday, as they were ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Top-25 Poll.
The Rebels earned acknowledgment in the AP Poll as well, receiving 86 votes to sit on the edge of the top-25 at No. 27. They remain the only undefeated team in college basketball not in the AP top-25.
Head coach Chris Beard has the Rebels ranked for the first time since 2019, when Ole Miss was listed at No. 20 in both national polls on January 21.
The Rebels began the season with a trio of wins in the SJB Pavilion, defeating Alabama State, Eastern Washington, and Detroit Mercy, before taking down Sam Houston State in the “Throwback Game at the Tad Pad” to move to 4-0. Ole Miss left Philadelphia victorious with a win at Temple before returning home for a pair of big-time matchups.
Following up a 20-point win over NC State in the ACC/SEC Challenge, the Rebels hosted local rival Memphis and won in front of a sold out SJB Pavilion. Ole Miss then defeated Mount St. Mary’s at home, before picking up a big road-win against a Big 12 team at UCF to move to 9-0.
Among his nine years as an NCAA Division-I head coach, Chris Beard has led his teams to a top-25 ranking in each of the last seven seasons.
Tickets are now on sale for as low as $10 for each of the remaining men’s basketball home games, and can be purchased by visiting the ticket website here.
Ole Miss will continue their non-conference schedule this weekend, traveling to San Antonio, Texas for the 2023 Hall of Fame Series to face California on Saturday, December 16 at 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
