Ricardo Arduengo - AP

3 months ago: Villanovas Antonio Pena, right, battles for a loose ball with Ole Miss DeAundre Cranston, left, and Murphy Holloway during the Puerto Rico Tip-off tournament college basketball final game in San Juan, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

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It's a positive headline for what many consider to be a foregone outcome.

Ole Miss and Kentucky will tip off this evening in Lexington. The Rebels are on a two game SEC road winning streak after defeating LSU and Auburn.

Kentucky bounced back from its only loss for the year at South Carolina by dominating Vanderbilt with a great effort from Demarcus Cousins.

The Rebels(16-5) faced similar issues under the rim against Arkansas most likely due to the loss of Reginald Bucker. His status is considered day-to-day, but I would not expect him on the court for this game.

I want to see Chris Warren or Terrico White go shot for shot against John Wall. It's time to find out where we are on the measuring stick nationally. We had some respectable games against Villanova and West Virginia early in the season and a very early season win against Kansas State. 

This is the time of year when teams start to get hot and make runs at conference and division titles. A win in Lexington would resonate more greatly on the entire history of Ole Miss basketball than just this one season.

The Rebels have only won two times at Kentucky – once in 1998 and then obviously, we all remember the 1927 victory.

SEC road wins are hard to come by – it's probably said 4,259,395 times during basketball season. Lexington has to be one of the toughest venues in the country in which to play.

Ole Miss had a game won in Knoxville only to mismanage offensive sets late in the game and in overtime to lose by two. The pressure will be even greater against a team who has yet to lose at home this season.

If you're in Lexington for this game and Ole Miss pulls off the upset, your ass better be running onto the court and going to jail. It's a massive victory. I would wager that it would almost cement our place in the NCAA tournament along with beating a few other also-rans in the SEC.

Deaundre Cranston, don't shoot three's. Big men, please don't foul, there's not enough of you to go around. 

I fear UK's ability to drive to the hoops and a tentative defense scared to foul, however. It shone through during a loss against Mississippi State, and I think it could be a huge factor this evening if the Rebels can keep the game close.

Here's a few rules of thumb to watch if the Rebels are to have a chance:

1. Murphy Holloway gets a double-double

2. Warren and White combine for 35 or more points

3. Neither Terrance Henry nor Deaundre Cranston not foul out. 

Everyone is picking Kentucky to win this game, which should put a large chip on the shoulder of the Rebels. I just can't pick the upset this time, but I'm behind you all the way.

Final prediction

Kentucky 86

Ole Miss 78