Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Looking to Break Losing Streak as Rebels Head to College Station

OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss Rebels are headed to face the Texas A&M Aggies on Wednesday as both teams are on a bit of a cold streak, looking to get back into the win column. The Rebels and Aggies will tip off at 6:00 p.m. CT.

ON THE AIR

Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Analyst: Daymeon Fishback

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway

Where they stand

Ole Miss is in the midst of an eight-game skid, which now spans over a month. The Rebels last secured a victory when they beat Mississippi State in Starkville on Jan. 17. Ole Miss was unable to secure a second win over the Bulldogs on Saturday, as it fell 90-78 at home, while Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard scored 32 points. Ole Miss now holds an 11-14 overall record, sitting at No. 14 in the SEC with a 3-9 conference record. With just six games remaining, the Rebels are looking for a spark.

Texas A&M has had a bit of an up-and-down season, but started well with a 17-4 record before dropping its last four games to Alabama, Florida, Missouri and Vanderbilt. The Aggies are currently in the first season of the “Bucky Ball” era, a term coined for the style of basketball that new head coach Bucky McMillan, who was coaching high school basketball just five years ago, plays. With a 7-5 record in the SEC, the Aggies are currently placed at No. 8 in the conference, looking to get back on track with a win.

Scouting the Aggies

Texas A&M hasn’t found its way into the rankings this season, but its competitiveness and ability to compete with any team have put it on the map, especially considering the success it’s seen under a first-year head coach. However, the Aggies’ strength of schedule hasn’t been the toughest, with them only facing three ranked teams in Tennessee, Florida and Vanderbilt, and losing to all of them. Their best wins arguably came against Auburn and Texas, both on the road. KenPom places Texas A&M at No. 35, with an offensive efficiency ranked No. 36, and a defensive efficiency ranked a bit lower at No. 46.

The Aggies have six players who consistently reach double-digit figures each game; however, there’s no true standout playmaker, as forward Rashaun Agee averages the most, with just 13.7. With Texas A&M relying heavily on depth and rotation, the five other average between 10.1 and 11.3 points, with three others averaging 5.5 points or more. Agee does stand out as the leader on the board, though, with 8.9 per game, four more than forward Mackenzie Mgbako, second on the team. Spain native Rubén Dominguez has found the role of the leader from behind the arc, shooting 40.6% with 175 attempts on the season, typically making about three per game on seven three-point attempts. A&M also averages 89.9 points per game, which is No. 9 nationally.

Texas A&M’s Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:

– Bench points per game, 37.3, 2nd
– Assists per game, 19.3, 6th
– Made three pointers per game, 11.5, 7th
– Points per game, 89.8, 9th
– Three-point attempts per game, 31.0, 13th
– Assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.73, 16th

Keys to the game

1. Beat the press, create offensive space: Texas A&M, or more specifically McMillan, is known for a fast-paced and aggressive style of play, especially on defense, where he emphasizes a full-press defense. The Ole Miss offense will need to get creative, spreading the ball out and working its way around the arc and inside of the paint. If the Rebels can’t manage to set the pace of the game themselves and beat the press, then they’ll struggle to keep themselves in the game.

2. Create a solid zone defense: The Aggies play at a pace that the Rebels could most likely resemble to Alabama. Ole Miss fans may recall that the Rebels’ game against the Tide didn’t go so well just a few games ago, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be successful against Texas A&M. But in order to do so, Ole Miss will have to shut down A&M from the inside by playing a secure zone defense, preventing the Aggies from getting inside of the arc and taking the shots they like. With no true playmaker or sharpshooter from behind the line, if the Rebels can shut down Texas A&M’s fast-paced offense, they’ll be in a good position.

3. Win the rebounding battle: Texas A&M is not great at rebounding, although neither are the Rebels, but it’s something that they’ll have to take advantage of. If Ole Miss allows the Aggies to win the rebounding battle, then it will be harder to control the pace of the game and slow down the A&M offense. The Rebels will need to ensure that guys like Malik Dia and Ilias Kamardine are putting in the work in the paint to limit second-chance points for the Aggies, but create them for themselves.

Why this game matters

There are six games left in the season, and recently, things have not gone the Rebels’ way, for a multitude of reasons. Mistakes and inconsistencies have plagued Ole Miss and limited opportunities to win, even though those same opportunities have been present during each game, sometimes with just mere minutes left, but each game has still ended with a defeat. With the absence of potential post-season glory, Ole Miss has to find something to fight for right now.

There are two things that the Rebels need to set their sights on and fight for: themselves and the SEC Tournament. They need to fight for themselves, for each other, for the brotherhood. The SEC Tournament will arrive soon after the final regular season game, and if it can build momentum before the tournament, then it could make a run when the time comes. The Rebels have shown all season that they’re capable; they just need to execute for a full 40 minutes. If they can execute and earn a few wins, starting with Texas A&M, before the tournament, who knows what they could do when they arrive in Nashville? A decent close to the season and a nice run in the tournament could also set the tone in and around the locker room heading into the offseason.

Game info

• Matchup: Ole Miss at Texas A&M
• Time: 6 p.m. CT
• Location: Reed Arena, College Station, TX.
• SEC Network