Keys to the Game: No. 22 Ole Miss hits the road to face No. 5 Tennessee in first SEC game of season

OXFORD, Miss. — The No. 22 Ole Miss men’s basketball team will travel to Knoxville for a Saturday matchup in the Rebels’ first SEC game of the 2024 season. While the No. 5-ranked Tennessee Vols have done some incredible things on the floor up to this point, there have also been times when they’ve shown flashes of vulnerability. 

In this edition of Keys to the Game, let’s take a look at what the 13-0 Ole Miss team needs to do to remain undefeated tomorrow evening.

Rebounding

In each of Tennessee’s three losses — against Purdue (2), Kansas (1), and North Carolina (8) — the Vols were out-rebounded by at least seven boards.  One specific aspect of rebounding for the Vols has been allowing offensive rebounds, which was a main struggle against Purdue and North Carolina. 

Ole Miss, at this point in the season, ranks in the middle of the NCAA in offensive rebounding, but if the Rebels want to walk away victorious against Tennessee, it will be crucial that everyone contributes, starting with big men Jamarion Sharp and Moussa Cisse.

Ole Miss is also going to have to rebound the ball more efficiently on the defensive end. The Rebels currently have a defensive rebounding percentage hovering just above 67%. On the flip side, Tennessee is a team that is currently collecting offensive rebounds at a 32.3% rate or around 14 per game. In those three losses to Purdue, Kansas, and North Carolina, however, those offensive rebounding percentages dipped to 27%, 18.4%, and 24.1%.

Shoot the Three Ball

After 13 games, Ole Miss ranks 8th in the NCAA in three-point percentage at 40.3%. However, the Rebels currently rank 283rd in three-point attempts. To put it in conference terms, Ole Miss makes (on average) the second-most threes in the SEC but attempts the fewest.

Between Jaylen Murray, TJ Caldwell, Allen Flanigan, Brandon Murray, and Matt Murrell, Ole Miss should be able to take at least 20 shots from beyond the arc tomorrow night. It’s simple: the more you shoot, the more you score.

Play Beard Ball

It’s no secret that Tennessee has a high-powered, versatile and creative offense, but you have to recognize that they’re playing an Ole Miss team that has yet to allow more than 80 points in any of their games this season.  

The Rebels do this by maintaining an identity on that end that keeps teams out of the paint and playing a disciplined style of basketball while controlling the tempo. Ole Miss should look to continue to that against the Vols by continuously pushing the Tennessee offense farther back. Ole Miss is near a top-25 team in how it forces opponents into more shots on the perimeter with their pressure and activity. The Rebels rank in the 92^nd percentile in steals, averaging 9.0 per game. The other part to that equation has to be attributed to the Ole Miss defensive frontcourt that averages over 6 blocks per game from players like Sharp and Cisse.

Again, this is a team that will challenge Ole Miss more than any other squad they’ve faced yet, but if the Rebs can create turnovers, confusion, and chaos for the Vols, there is no doubt they can continue their streak of allowing 80 points or fewer in a game.

Ole Miss fans, this is the first of many top-25 matchups under Chris Beard, so make sure you tune into the game at 5 p.m. on SEC Network Saturday evening. Hotty Toddy!

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!