At 18-12 (9-8 SEC), Andy Kennedy’s Ole Miss Rebels will miss out on a 20-win season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, but with a win over South Carolina at home Saturday night, they could equal that season’s total of 19. It’ll be tough, inasmuch as Cocky has hovered around and in the 20s of this season’s rankings, but they’re beatable, as Mississippi State demonstrated just a few weeks ago.
Frank Martin’s club is athletic, experienced and well coached. They rank first in the conference in free throw attempts, so they’re also no strangers to drawing contact. Their 134 steals on the year also places them tops in the league in that column.
When these teams first met this season back on Jan. 14, Carolina topped Ole Miss in Columbia, 67-56. Sebastian Saiz dropped an 11 and 15 double-double, and Terence Davis hadn’t emerged as the force of nature he now is. USC’s Chris Silva and PJ Dozier led all scorers with 16 points apiece, and the Gamecocks out-rebounded Ole Miss 40-30. It was a bad day at the office for everyone in red and blue.
Saturday’s game will be the last for Saiz and Rasheed Brooks in Oxford, so get over to The Pavilion and show ‘em some love.
How to watch:
Where: Oxford, Miss.
When: 7:30 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
Online Streaming: WatchESPN