Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Seeking to Break Losing Streak as Rebels host LSU Wednesday

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss men’s basketball is staying home for a matchup with the LSU Tigers on Wednesday. The game will tip off at 8:00 p.m. CT, as the Rebels will be looking to avoid their tenth straight loss.

ON THE AIR

Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Analyst: Mark Wise

OLE MISS RADIO

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

Where they stand

With just four games left in the regular season, Ole Miss enters the matchup with an overall record of 11-16 after having lost its past nine matches. With a 3-11 record in conference play, the Rebels are No. 14 in the SEC, just ahead of South Carolina and LSU. This is also the first time that the Rebels have been favored to win since they last played Mississippi State on Feb. 14. The Bulldogs are the last team that Ole Miss was able to secure a win over, but that came back on Jan. 17. The Rebels ended up falling to Mississippi State in the most recent matchup. Ole Miss will look to avoid a similar fate against the Tigers.

The Tigers are on a losing streak of their own, having lost their past five games and won only two of their past 14. Overall, LSU does hold a better overall record, standing at 14-13. But at 2-12 in conference play, it’s dead last in the SEC. The Tigers’ only two conference wins have come over South Carolina and Missouri, while their most recent result was a seven-point loss to Alabama. The Tigers and Rebels will both be looking to get into the win column a few times before the season’s end.

Scouting the Tigers

The Tigers hired head coach Matt McMahon in 2022 after he completed a few great runs with Murray State, turning them into a very competitive mid-major team. However, since he arrived in Baton Rouge, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. As head coach of LSU, McMahon currently sits with a win percentage under .500, and has a 14-44 record in SEC play. The downward trend has continued this season, as the Tigers have severely struggled in conference and lost to the good non-conference opponent they faced this season in Texas Tech. KenPom ranks LSU at No. 53 overall.

LSU has two strong guards and forwards who lead the team in scoring, all averaging double digits every game. Guard Dedan Thomas Jr. leads the team, though, averaging 15.3 points per game, with guard Max Mackinnon scoring 14.8. Forwards Marquel Sutton and Mike Nwoko sit close behind, averaging 14 and 12.9 per game, respectively. Sutton leads the team on the boards, though, securing almost eight per game. Forwards Pablo Tamba and Jalen Reed follow with 7.1 and 5.7. Mackinnon guides the team from beyond the arc, shooting almost 40% from behind the line with 57 made three-pointers on the season.

LSU’s Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:

– Free throws made per game, 18.5, 23rd
– Free throw attempts per game, 24.3, 42nd
– Free throw percentage, 76.3, 47th
– Field goal percentage, 47.3, 64th
– Turnovers per game, 10.5, 72nd

Keys to the game

1. Get the playmakers going early: LSU and McMahon love setting the tone and pace of the game early on, and Ole Miss will need to do its best to disrupt the Tigers early on, specifically by getting its key playmakers going early. AJ Storr and Malik Dia are both capable of being great, but are never consistent, so which versions of them will show up against the Tigers? The Rebels will need to hope that the best version of them comes out if they want to avoid yet another loss.

2. Defensive discipline: The Tigers thrive off ball screens and momentum, but if the Rebels maintain discipline, avoid fouling and utilize good communication, then they will be able to counter the LSU offense effectively. The Tigers aren’t great at shooting from deep either, so Ole Miss will need to emphasize strong, aggressive defense in the paint, without fouling.

3. Win the paint, on both sides of the ball: Ole Miss will need to win the paint on both sides of the ball by getting meaningful contributions from everyone on the court. LSU’s pace and aggressiveness on defense will be hard to deal with, but the Rebels can manage if they spread the ball out and work their way into the paint. Offensive rebounds will help create second-chance points, while defensive rebounds will limit them for the Tigers.

Why this game matters

The Rebels need to finish out this last stretch of the season with something good. If Ole Miss can manage to win a few games and gain some momentum before it heads into the SEC Tournament, not only could it head to Nashville with some momentum, but it will also be great for the locker room and offseason adjustments. Head coach Chris Beard just needs to ensure that everyone is bought in and on the same page. If everyone fights through this last stretch, there’s no telling how good it could go.

While NCAA Tournament runs may not be the topic of conversation right now, winning these small games could go a long way in recruiting out of high school and the transfer portal to build a team that’s capable of more in the future. But right now, it all starts here. This is one of the few games that the Rebels have been favored in, and they can’t prove the doubters right.

Game info

• Matchup: LSU at Ole Miss
• Time: 8 p.m. CT
• Location: SJB Pavilion, Oxford, MS.
• TV: SEC Network