Basketball Preview and Open Thread: Ole Miss Rebels Face the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station

With nothing more than a bye in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament on the line - if that - the Ole Miss Rebels will face the the Texas A&M Aggies tonight in College Station. Ole Miss (17-11, 8-7 SEC) has struggled on the road a great deal this season, only winning two away contests in the Southeastern Conference. The Aggies (16-12, 7-8 SEC) have been just as bad away from home, but, like seemingly everybody else in the SEC, done quite well at home against the rest of the conference, losing only one such contest thus far.

The last time the Rebs met the Aggies was last February, where the Rebels beat the Aggies 82-73.

Making this match somewhat interesting is former Rebel and current Aggie guard Jamal Jones, an Arkansas native who, along with Dundrecous Nelson, was dismissed from the Ole Miss squad two years ago after being bamboozled by a pizza delivery man. Jones has called his dismissal the result of a "bad decision," but what decision he's referring to exactly still eludes me (could it be smoking pot? A friendship with Dundrecous Nelson? Ordering Domino's?).

After landing on his feet at Texas A&M, he's leading the Aggies in scoring with 12.6 points per game.* He's also averaging 4.1 rebounds a game, and hitting threes at a .380 clip. He, along with Kourtney Roberson (9.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game) and Alex Caruso (8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game) make up the brunt of the Aggies' offensive attack... which is dead last in the SEC at 64.7 points per game.

Again, this looks like a match that the Rebels should win on paper, but being away from the friendly confines of the Tad Pad will render them amazingly capable of playing down to the competition.

Your open thread begins... now.

Ole Miss Rebels vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Reed Arena - College Station, Texas
7:00 PM Central
FSN/WatchESPN

*Of course he is.