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Chris Beard Wanted Answers From Pundit Who Called Ole Miss a Fraud

Nothing fraudulent about Rebels' run.

Kyle Koster

Chris Beard and Ole Miss are dancing into the Sweet 16.
Chris Beard and Ole Miss are dancing into the Sweet 16. / @Sam_Hutchens
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Ole Miss throttled Iowa State on Sunday night to advance into the Sweet 16 and earn a date with Michigan State in Atlanta. It's the Rebels' first trip this deep into the NCAA tournament since 2001 and Chris Beard's second season at the helm in Oxford has already been one to remember.

Despite posting a second consecutive 20-win season and emerging from the gauntlet of an SEC schedule with a 10-8 record, there wasn't a ton of widespread belief in Ole Miss' ability to get past both North Carolina and Iowa State.

One of the doubters was CBS Sports' Tim Doyle, who called the Rebels frauds while ripping through the bracket before games tipped off.

This clip was obviously brought to Beard's attention and leveraged for inspiration. And after clinching a spot in the Sweet 16, Ole Miss had some fun at Doyle's expense.

On one hand it probably doesn't feel great to get dunked on as a hot take ages awfully. On the other, hey, it's nice to know that people were paying attention and your words served for motivation.

Ole Miss will have its toughest challenge yet Friday against the Spartans. Then it would either be an SEC battle with Auburn or a date with the Michigan Wolverines. No matter what happens, everyone can agree that Beard's team is not fradulent.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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