Preview: Ole Miss men’s basketball takes on Cal in the Hall of Fame Series
OXFORD, Miss. — Undefeated Ole Miss will travel to San Antonio to take on the California Golden Bears Saturday night in the “Hall of Fame Series,” a neutral-site event that will feature three games total. The Rebs are coming off an electrifying 70-68 win in Orlando over UCF this past Sunday.
Up to this point, Ole Miss (9-0) has won five of its nine games by three points or less, giving the Rebels experience and practice in high-pressure situations.
For the Golden Bears, they have played a lot better this season than their record shows. As it stands, Cal is 3-6 but lost to Tulane by three, San Diego State in overtime, and Butler in double overtime. All three of those teams only have two losses, proving that Cal has been able to compete with the best competition all season long.
In their nine games, the Golden Bears have had five players average 10 points or more, four of them being guards. The same five players have also averaged at least 30 minutes played per game, meaning that Cal runs a heavy guard rotation. Defense on the perimeter and around the paint is going to have to be elite for the Rebs, making every shot difficult for the talented guards of Cal.
In the Rebels last contest against UCF, they committed 23 personal fouls, which allowed for 34 free throw attempts for the Knights. Against Cal, fouling will need to be cut to a minimum as the Golden Bears have shot 75 percent from the line in 2023.
It is also worth noting that if Cal runs a guard-filled rotation, Moussa Cisse, Jamarion Sharp, and Jaemyn Brakefield will need to take on a much bigger role in the Rebels scoring offense. Against UCF, the trio combined for only 16 points.
It is safe to say that regardless of who wins this entertaining matchup, it will be another close game for Ole Miss. To watch the game, tune into SEC Network at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night!
