Ole Miss welcomes No. 19 Auburn to The Pavilion in Oxford on Tuesday night, with the Tigers riding an impressive season that’s seen them bounce around the bottom of the AP Top 25. The teams met previously this season in Auburn, where Bruce Pearl’s club whipped off a decisive 85-70 victory. The Tigers are currently 19-2, with the duo of losses coming at the hands of Temple and Alabama, who are both probably tournament bound.
The second leg of this matchup always inspires a sense of nostalgia, since it was five years ago this week that CBB pest Marshall Henderson drained two late free throws to seal a 63-61 win over Auburn on the Plains. Those buckets then produced perhaps the greatest .GIF in the history of college basketball, as Hendo bolted over to the Auburn student section and reminded a large group of very pissed off college students that, yes, he had in fact just won the game right in front of their faces. Here’s that:
5 years ago today, Marshall Henderson and the Rebels went to Auburn.
— Ole Miss Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 26, 2018
You know the rest....#FlashbackFriday #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/CM7QR2LM9f
Antonio Morales over at the Clarion-Ledger has a great writeup with the Ole Miss radio personalities that were on the front line of this legendary confrontation, and you should absolutely go read that.
Without an impressive signature win on the year, Ole Miss sits severely on the wrong side of the bubble, and if the rest of the season plays out how it has to this point, the Rebs are probably staring down another NIT appearance. That stinks, because this club has talent — especially around the perimeter — but defensive and foul woes have plagued the Basketbears all season long.
How to watch:
Where: The Pavilion, Oxford, Miss.
When: 8 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
Online streaming: WatchESPN